Facilities
Work Area
The work area is divided into several bays for each senior design and graduate research projects.
Machine Shop
The lab is equipped with its own machine shop. Some of the tools include:
- a 4-axis CNC mill
- a welding station (both steel and aluminium)
- two bandsaws
- a drill press
- various tools for sheet metal work
- grinding and polishing stations
…and assorted other tools to aid in the manufacturing of everything from initial prototypes to field deployable finished products.
Electronics Lab
The lab also houses an electronics lab equipped with the necessary tools for assembling and testing the custom electronics developed for many of the on-site projects. Some of the equipment includes:
- various hand soldering tools
- a hot-plate soldering station for surface-mount components
- a hot-air system for removal of soldered parts
- microscopes for inspection of electronics
- programmers for various microcontrollers
- oscilloscopes
- digital multi-meters
- function generators
…and various other tools. Many electronic components are designed in house. The PCBs are sent out for manufacturing and then populated in the elab using the variety of surface-mount and through-hole components available at the lab.
CAD Workstation
The lab offers a Computer Aided Design (CAD) workstation that is available to graduate students and senior design teams. Here are some quick stats:
- OS: Windows 7 Enterprise Edition (64bit)
- Hardware: Intel Core2Quad CPU, ATI Radeon GPU, 4Gb RAM, 500Gb HDD (plus access to terabtye server), 3Dconnexion SpaceNavigator, Dual display
- Software: NX 7(Unigraphics), SolidWorks 2007, Autodesk Inventor 2010
Lab Truck
For demonstrations, the lab truck is available to haul equipment to flight test locations. The truck is capable of safely transporting the lab aircraft, in addition to its role as a ground control station.
Conference Room
The conference room is available for meetings and video or phone conference calls.