Manufacturing Processes Laboratories
Students learn fundamentals of manufacturing processes in a traditional shop-type Machining Processes
Laboratory and Joining Processes Laboratory. In these labs, students are exposed to a wide variety of
conventional machining, forming, and joining machine tools. Some of the available processes in these
labs include: engine and bench lathes, knee-and-column milling machines, drill presses, surface
grinders, tool grinder, saws ( one vertical, one horizontal), surface plates with assorted manual and
digital metrology gauging, electric arc welding, SMAW, GTAW, GMAW, spot welding, plasma cutting
torch, sand blasting, heat treating furnace, sintering furnace.
The Process Engineering Laboratory houses two CNC machine tools and a coordinate measuring
machine that represent the current generation of machinery similar to that in use in many modern
factories in the United States: Haas Model VF-1 machining center, Superman Model TC-2 turning
center, Browne and Sharpe MicroVal, DPC EZ-0804MV-XYZ manual video measuring system.
Automation and Control Laboratory
IME students learn principles, characteristics and applications of CNC and other automation
technologies mainly in the Automation and Control Laboratory. To date, the laboratory has upgraded
old equipment and has acquired new equipment such as new computers and RFID development kits,
and new bench-top CNC machines. Meanwhile, several local companies have donated about $150,000
worth of equipment to the laboratory. In summary, the Automation and Control Laboratory includes a
variety of bench-top CNC machine tools, robots, controllers and sensors. The following is an abridged list
of the apparatus employed in student learning.
• Benchtop CNC lathes
• Benchtop CNC milling machines
• Benchtop robots
• Conveyor with PLC controls
• Fischer Techniks kit
• Tri-PLC systems
• Bar code scanners
• Passive RFID development kits
• Active RFID development kits
• Wireless sensor network nodes
• Motion control system
• Step motors, drivers, temperature sensors
• PCs
In addition, this laboratory houses larger, industrial-style automation machinery:
• Scorbot ER-7 robot
• ABB IRB 140 robot
• 3D Microscribe digitizer
• DVT machine vision systems
• PPT machine vision systems
• Allen Bradley SLC-500 PLCs
• High-speed camera system
• Infrared (IR) camera system
• Linear actuators and controllers
Joint Composite Manufacturing Laboratory
The IME and ME departments agreed to build a joint composite testing and processing laboratory in
2005. The laboratory hosts equipment from both departments in Dolve 127-130 for the joint teaching
and development of undergraduate courses related to composites. Major equipment in the joint
laboratory includes:
• Spray booth enclosure for lay-up
• Autoclave system
• Injection molding systems
• Material testing system
• Impact testing system
• Gas gun for ballistic impact test
• Flaw detector
• Fiber optic strain measurement system
• Eddy current testing system
• Bag molding system
Computer/Simulation Laboratory
The computer/simulation laboratory gives students access to high-speed computers, printers, and
pertinent industrial engineering software. The lab is also the place where students go to work on
homework and discuss upcoming projects. The lab can be accessed 24 hours per day, providing a study
area for students. The lab was restructured in Fall 2012 with 25 new DakTech Gemini 67 Core I
performance desktop computers, one HP LaserJet 4250 high-speed printer, and twenty-five new
workstations and chairs.
The computers are equipped with software that is utilized in IME classes, in addition to other useful
programs: Solid Works, Pro-Engineer/Creo, Tri-LOGI, LabView, Matlab, MasterCam, Minitab, Hyper
LINDO and Hyper LINGO, Arena, and ProModel.
Human Factors/Ergonomics Laboratory
IME 311 and 411 have frequent lab activities in Human Factors/Ergonomics Laboratory, located in CIE
212. Currently, the Laboratory has the following major equipment: Skinfold calipers, anthropometers,
Moart reaction time RT/MT Panel, electrical fitness cycle, digital sound meters, light meters,
hygrometer, anemometer, hydraulic hand dynamometers, hydraulic pinch gauges, hand grip heart rate
monitors, physicians scale, stopwatches, skeleton super.
Electronics and Precision Manufacturing Laboratory
This laboratory serves as a teaching and research facility which provides equipment, space and a
supporting environment for undergraduate and graduate education in the field of electronics
manufacturing, especially in the area of second-level (chip-to-board) and advanced packaging for
microelectronic systems as well as in the methods for precision manufacturing and rapid prototyping.
The Laboratory supports IME 427/627, Packaging for Electronics, IME 437/637, Methods for
Precision Manufacturing, IME 380, CAD/CAM for Manufacturing. The Laboratory also supports current
and future research projects in the area of microelectronic systems packaging with a focus on low-cost,
disposable microelectronics such as RFID tags and microsensor systems for at least three faculty and a
number of graduate students. Silica aerogels and other advanced materials are another prominent area
of research supported by the equipment in this lab. The equipment list is summarized as follows:
stencil printers, solder paste inspection station, pick-and-place component placement station,
component placement inspection station – AOI, reflow oven , electroplating system, soldering rework
station, rapid prototype machine, characterization microscope, FSA (fluid self-assembly) setup for RFID
manufacture, vertical type injection molding machine, Supercritical CO2 dryer.