Manufacturing and electrical engineering equipment, that I was just given access too!

[Merked M3]

M3 Post community,

I was just given access through my school, Carnegie Mellon University, the Silicon Valley campus to some great equipment. It includes a plastic 3D printer, 2D laser cutter, milling machine, and a ton of other equipment for creating circuit boards and testing RF & electromagnetic signals. I am posting the pictures below of what our shop looks like.

Although I have no training, I do at least have the facilities and permissions to use equipment if I want to. I will receive some basic training but if anyone can think of a use for this very high tech equipment, we should build something!!

The faculty encourages building things even if it is not school related. The 3D printer uses standard srf files to make prototypes, so it would be cool if a designer came out of the M3post woodwork! And if we made something that worked we could send it off to manufacturing, through the school! Here is the equipment:

3D Printer

Mill

Electromagnetic radiograph, no idea!?

Laser cutter

Signal processing station

Microchip Soldering station

[blankstar43]

I don't kno how to use any of that stuff and am no engineer, but that's awesome! Hopefully the m3 community can benefit from it somehow

[atruelunatic]

I can create 3D models if someone supplies some ideas to me. I'm also not too far from the Silicon Valley. Let me know!

[klammer]

Let's build the Matrix!!!
Better yet, how about a set of brake ducts, or backing plates? Looks like a fun playroom.

[dmw16]

Originally Posted by klammer

Let's build the Matrix!!!
Better yet, how about a set of brake ducts, or backing plates? Looks like a fun playroom.

Depending on the type of 3D printer (work volume and material type) this could work, but I think it would prove more expensive than the fancy carbon ones Turner already sells.

3D printers are still pretty slow. There have been efforts to make them into more of a production-rate manufacturing process, but it's not there yet.

[RickyBobby]

Brake duct inlets would be my vote. I'll donate my car for fitment and of course track testing!

[dmw16]

You could try to use the CNC Mill to create sections of a tool for brake ducts and then join them (because the mill doesn't look big enough to make a tool in one piece). You'd have to do some bondo work on the joints to make a good tool.

Then you could layup fiberglass over the tool. As long as it's a room temperature cure material you could even use delrin or similar materials for your tooling. Again, it wouldn't be rapid, but it would be pretty darn cheap.

[Merked M3]

I think for 3D printing you can make the designs, print the prototypes, test fit them, adjust the design, retest, and then send off to manufacturing, using the same 3D srf file. We already have a place for production and they even do small batches.

[Gil@McKennaPerformance]

That looks like a lot of fun! Looking forward to seeing what kind of stuff you make using that 3D printer.