A New Hub forHands-On Learning

Engineering opening new student facing machine shop to facilitate learning beyond the classroom

Taking a visionary idea from concept to reality is what drives an engineering student. Engineering not only requires a great idea, it requires that students have access to the tools, materials, and equipment needed to prototype their ideas and make them come to life. To help ensure that our students have the resources they need to get hands-on learning experiences outside the classroom, plans are well underway for the launch of a new Student Machine Shop, scheduled to open in January of 2022.

Through the support of Ontario Tech University and the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, the new modern facility located in the Ontario Power Generation building will be equipped with a wide array of machining tools and large-scale equipment. Students are encouraged to utilize the space to design and build proof of concept prototypes for their ideas, and if an idea doesn’t work out, students are encouraged to regroup and retool, which helps them to keep pushing and thinking outside of the box. All Engineering students are encouraged to make use of the new facility, which will also be utilized by Engineering Design Teams and Clubs, and students taking part in their final-year Capstone projects.

The Engineering Machine Shop will provide machining and fabricating services, as well as design consultation, precision machining, fitting and assembly of prototypes and custom designed parts, and repair or modification of existing equipment. Totaling over 232 sq. meters, the Machine Shop will be a welcome addition to the overall Engineering Innovation Hub that includes the Jeffrey Boyce Innovation and Design Studio a collaborative design studio launched in 2018. The Machine Shop will be supervised by a team of engineering lab technicians and overseen by the Manager of Technical Services within the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, who will help support the students with their projects.

“When we give our students the tools and opportunities to broaden their education outside of the classroom, it is really inspiring to see the things they accomplish and the innovative ideas they come up with”, says Dr. Hossam Kishawy, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, “and that really is our main goal, to give students the tools they need to achieve their aspirations”.

Plans for this space include:

-General machining and manufacturing

-Precision machining - computer numerically controlled (CNC)

-3D modelling and computer assisted drafting (CAD)

-3D printing (fused deposition modelling and stereolithography)