Lab Resources
The MAE department provides a Design Studio for rapid prototyping (3D printing, Laser cutting, and light machining), an Electronics Shop for guidance on circuit design, sensor use, and microprocessor programming, and a Machine Shop for metal fabrication. Each of these labs has an engineering manager who can provide guidance. Wet labs are available on a case-by-case basis. However, it is up to each student to pursue the resources they need for their project. You may also need to develop new design skills; for example, one needs to learn CAD in order to 3D print. If there is a resource you cannot find, then let the faculty know and we will work with you to find a solution. Each student will have a budget of $2000 for parts used in the prototype presented at the MDE260C final event. Using your budget for “recharges” will preserve your IP position as you design and fabricate your prototype.
A list of lab equipment is provided below.
Access to the equipment and special request can be made to Greg Specht, gspecht@eng.ucsd.edu
Additional technical support contacts can be found under the People tab.
UCSD MAE Machine shop - Machine shop with manual and CNC lathes and mills. Access through Scott Painter in EBU-2 room 329.
Tinyduino prototyping board - Very small prototyping board. Access through Scott Painter in EBU-2 room 329.
Stratasys 3D Printer - print 3D parts from electronic CAD files using ABS materials. Access through Chris Cassidy in the Design Studio.
ProJet® 3510 HD - ProJet® 3510 HD. Resolution of up to 750 x 750 x 890 DPI (xyz); 29μ layers. Besides the resolution one main feature is the support material is wax, which is melted out allowing for sharp high definition features.
NI MyDaq Data acquisition board - Data acquisition board. Access through Scott Painter in EBU-2 room 329.
NextEngine 3D Scanner - NextEngine 3D Scanner allows an object to be scanned into a electronic file for use in rapid prototyping or CAD work. Access through Chris Cassidy in the Design Studio or Isaiah Freerksen.
MyRio national instruments prototyping board - NI myRIO is an embedded hardware device designed specifically to help students design real, complex engineering systems more quickly and in a more affordable manner than ever before. Access through Scott Painter in EBU-2 room 329.
Lasercamm - Laser cutter. 100 Watt laser. Access through Chris Cassidy in the Design Studio.
High Speed Camera - Up to 1200 Frames per second. Sign out from Chris Cassidy
Dino-lite USB microscope - Used to view and capture picture and video of magnified objects. Access through Scott Painter in EBU-2 room 329.
Digital Force Gauge with Button Sensor - Used to measure forces from 0-11 lbf with an accuracy of ±0.5%. Access through Scott Painter in EBU-2 room 329.
Arduino Starter Kit - Prototyping board and a kit of useful sensors. Access through Scott Painter in EBU-2 room 329.