Students gain hands-on experience in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering labs
Advanced equipment in the labs prepare students for their future careers
Students gain hands-on experience in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering labs
Advanced equipment in the labs prepare students for their future careers
Miami University’s College of Engineering and Computing has a multitude of labs available for students. For Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, this includes the Computer Integrated Manufacturing Systems and Robotics Lab, the Manufacturing Processes Lab, and the Smart Factory Innovation and Technology Lab.
The Computer Integrated Lab and Manufacturing Processes Lab are connected facilities, one of which is a manual lab where students can gain hands-on experience with materials and the other an automated lab that simulates a modern workplace. Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (MME) students’ first introduction to these labs comes from required MME 231 and 331 classes which teach them how to utilize the labs and the different materials available.
Nolan Londo, a student employee in the Dean’s Office and an engineering management major with a concentration in manufacturing, appreciated the access he was given to the labs as a student.
“Obviously it’s one thing to just learn about stuff on pen and paper and then memorize it,” he said, “but actually having the physical resource to go there and learn these skills and utilize them, it’s really beneficial on its own.”
Within the manual Manufacturing Processes Lab, hands-on equipment is available for students to use to familiarize themselves with the machinery. Equipment such as band saws that cut shapes into various materials, vertical mills that drill holes, and manual presses that squeeze things together are available for student use. Along with this, the lab contains a scrap rack students can turn to for materials.
With such interactive machinery, safety is an essential component in the lab. Especially with certain equipment, such as welding machines that emit UV light, procedures are put in place to ensure safety.
Londo noted the safety procedures utilized with the welding machines in particular: “Everybody has to always wear a helmet and then we have these big curtains here for people that are walking by so they don’t accidentally look at it.”
In addition to procedures specific to certain equipment, students are also given eye glasses to wear when in the lab and shop technicians are present to aid them so they aren’t on their own.
Small-scale manufacturing warehouse in the Computer Integrated Manufacturing Systems and Robotics Lab
The automated Computer Integrated Manufacturing Systems and Robotics Lab contains equipment where students input codes and the machinery automatically carries out the requested actions. 3D printers with different types of materials and colors, CNC machines, a wind tunnel, and a water jet to cut materials with pressurized water can all be found on the automated side of the lab. Together with this, there is even a small-scale manufacturing warehouse with a rotating belt and sensors that tell robots when to pick objects up.
Having access to this advanced equipment prepares students for their future endeavors where they may come into contact with this machinery.
“That was really nice to start seeing how, okay, I learned this stuff, now I can see how it could be applied in a mass production environment,” Londo said. “Learning more and going deeper into the manufacturing automation environment helped me feel more comfortable with being a Manufacturing major.”
After completing the first MME required class, students gain access to these labs and can use them for various assignments. Many students use these labs to complete their senior design projects, but they’re also utilized by clubs, such as the RedHawk Racing team that uses the labs to build their cars, and by graduate students to complete research.
Smart Factory Innovation and Technology Lab in Benton Hall
Along with these labs, the Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering department contains the Smart Factory Innovation and Technology (Smart FIT) Lab which is a space where faculty can conduct research and students can gain hands-on experience with advanced, automated equipment.
The Smart FIT Lab is almost entirely automated and is an assembly line on a much larger scale than what is seen in other labs. Having opened less than a year ago, it has new and advanced equipment including two CNC machines, free moving robots, a conveyor belt, and an injection molder.
“Having this full scale working environment can be helpful for so many different majors and students,” Londo said.
Having access to all of these labs allows multiple disciplines the opportunity to gain practical experience within their major, acquiring tactical skills while gaining knowledge regarding automated environments. The advanced lab equipment, the space for students to gather and create community, and the opportunity for undergraduate students to grow make the labs something that set Miami apart as an institution.