Chemical Engineering

Instrumentation and Repair Shop

CPE – 1.402 & 1.408

Hours: 7:30am to 4:30pm Monday - Friday

Jim Smitherman 471-3460

Butch Cunningham 471-7867

The shop mission is to support the various Department laboratory teaching functions.

The scope of work performed by the shop includes: equipment repair, electrical troubleshooting, metal machining and welding, pipe/tube fitting, wood working, parts fabrication, and design consultation. From time to time the shop will also provide department infrastructure support and general building maintenance.

Undergraduate teaching laboratory support is the shop’s first priority to ensure classes will not be interrupted. Similarly, keeping the graduate research operations running through repairs, troubleshooting and fabrication of replacement parts have a higher priority over machining of new parts.

Repair requests are to be made in CPE 1.402. Some repairs will be beyond the capabilities and expertise of the shop and will require a trained service technician. The shop will determine if a repair requires someone from the outside. The repair may also entail considerable machining and if the machining time exceeds 10 hours, the assistance of external shops may prove necessary.

The shop will be open to discuss new projects or designs Monday – Thursday from 1:00pm to 2:00pm. When you have a project that you want to discuss make an appointment via e-mail to secure a time. You will also be able to pick up your parts during these times. We will call or e-mail you to let you know that your parts are available for pick up. This will allow us to better serve everyone and make more efficient use of your time as well as ours. Machining and fabrication orders will be worked in the order received provided that all drawings are complete and all materials are available. An estimate of the hours required and the completion date will be made for machining and fabrication jobs. To use the shop services, a work order must be filled out. The work order forms are available online , in the shop (1.408) or outside the office door (1.402). Provide as much detailed information as possible. Also include precise drawings, preferably done on an AutoCad program or graphing paper with proper dimensions and patterns using English Units, not Metric. AutoCad is available through ITS free of charge so that you can work on your drawings in your lab or office on your own schedule. Students are encouraged to put as much thought, foresight and planning as possible into a design to minimize any changes or incorrect fits. Sketches on napkins or free hand drawings that are illegible will not be accepted. A list of local vendors/resources provides contacts for materials and hardware.

Machining and fabrication jobs may be limited to small projects, which are jobs under 10 hours. Machining and fabrication jobs over 10 hours can be outsourced to one of the locations that will be provided in the shop. The distribution of jobs by research groups will be reviewed periodically by an ad hoc committee appointed by the Chair to ensure there is a balanced allocation of machining and fabrication shop time among the competing demands for this service.

Emergencies! Anticipating research program needs can prevent most emergencies. Bringing a machining and fabrication job in at the last minute as an emergency due to lack of planning will not be viewed as such. If there is a need for work to be done on a rush/emergency basis, the faculty advisor should visit the shop and arrange for the work to be done on an overtime basis or the student should consider having it outsourced.

Safety concerns and issues prevent any unsupervised work and the use of equipment in the shop by non-shop personnel. Mechanical Engineering offers use of machining equipment in their shop during regular working hours upon the completion of a 4 hour training course from the shop supervisor Don Artieschoufsky. Don can be reached at 471-5388 in ETC – 1.214.