Machine Shop

Services

The shop is a source for custom part prototyping and machine part problem solving. Its services include machining, fabricating, welding, design and precise measurement of mechanical parts and assemblies.

  • Pig Chamber

    CAD/CAM Design

    AutoCAD/CAM, Inventor and MasterCAM are used to design parts, assemblies, mechanical drawings, and create programs to control the CNC machines. CAD is also used to view most part models or drawings that were made in a different CAD program.

  • Machining

    Computer numerical control (CNC) machining is a method for automating control of machine tools using software embedded in a microcomputer attached to the tool.

    Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a non-traditional method in which material is removed from a workpiece using thermal energy. Much like processes such as laser cutting, EDM does not need mechanical force in the removal process.

  • Welding/Fabrication

    • Brazing/soldering
    • TIG/MIG welding
    • Sheet metal bending and forming
    • Fixture Design
    • Heat treating of materials

 

Equipment

  • 5 CNC milling machines
  • CNC lathe
  • Four manual lathes
  • Drill presses, saws, welding equipment, sheet metal fabrication equipment
  • Measuring tools calibrated yearly by standards traceable to NIST per the guidelines specified in the latest revisions of ANSI/NCSL Z540-1 and ISO/IEC 17025.

Materials

  • Metals including steel, aluminum, and titanium
  • Plastics
  • Garolite
  • Specialty material

Additional Services

  • Carpentry
  • Laser plastics
  • Water jet cutting
  • 3D Printing

Student and Faculty Use

The Machine Shop staff provides training for students and faculty to work on manual milling machines, lathes, CNC milling machines and in CAD/CAM. Students can get hands-on experience working on projects in the shop and further their knowledge of machining technolgy. The Student Machine Shop in 108 VAN is available by appointment by calling 319-335-1890.

Rates

$86/hour University of Iowa clients; $100/hour external clients

 

UI ProtoLabs

The machine shop collaborates with UI Protostudios a state-of-the-art, rapid-prototyping facility located at MERGE coworking space in downtown Iowa City. Focusing on biomedical and electronics prototyping, Protostudios helps Iowa entrepreneurs create prototypes and advance their research or business 

Customers

The shop supports many University of Iowa Department of Physics and Astronomy projects, including space physics, high energy physics, plasma physics, and astronomy, but also collaborates with other departments across campus. External clients include: 

  • Penn State University
  • CERN
  • JPL
  • NASA

Contact

Brian Busch
brian-busch@uiowa.edu
(319) 335-1845 

UI Clients: submit work requests to phys-machine@divms.uiowa.edu

Machine Shop Staff

Brian Busch

Brian Busch

William Krile

William Crile

Matt Miller

Matt Miller

Shop Inquiry