Santa Clara University

Facilities

The Mechanical Engineering laboratories contain facilities for instruction and research in the fields of manufacturing, materials science, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, combustion, instrumentation, vibration and control systems, optics and holography, and design for extreme environments.

The CAM and Prototyping Lab is divided into two machine shops. One is used primarily by undergraduate students for design projects. The second is a teaching lab that is equipped with three milling machines and three engine lathes as well as one 2-axis and one 3-axis Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) vertical milling machines. Rapid Prototyping and 3D coordinate capture capabilities have recently been added. Modern CAM software is available for ease of programming. The lab also features basic sheet metal and welding equipment.

The Engine Lab contains a variety of internal combustion engines installed on dynamometer stands that can be used for studies of diesel and spark-ignition engines. The facilities include a chassis dynamometer, and instrumentation for evaluating engine performance, measuring exhaust gas emissions, and measuring noise. Studies can be conducted using a variety of fuels.

The Fluid Dynamics/Thermal Science Lab contains equipment to illustrate the principles of fluid flow and heat transfer, and familiarize students with hydraulic machines, refrigeration cycles, and their instrumentation. The lab also contains a subsonic wind tunnel equipped with an axial flow fan with adjustable pitch blades to study aerodynamics. Research tools include modern non-intrusive flow measurement systems. Visit the website.

The Instrumentation Lab contains seven computer stations equipped with state-of-the-art, PC-based data acquisition hardware and software systems. A variety of transducers and test experiments for making mechanical, thermal, and fluid measurements are part of this lab.

In the Materials and Manufacturing Lab, students are exposed to a variety of materials characterization and manufacturing equipment. Manufacturing processes covered are aluminum sand casting, composite laminate manufacture, plastic casting, and injection molding. Materials test equipment includes tensile, impact, and hardness testers, differential thermal analyzers, and two scanning electron microscopes.

The Photo Optics and Holography Lab is equipped with a vibration-isolated optical table, He-Ne laser, various optical components, and a darkroom for processing of photographic emulsions. A high resolution digital camera is also utilized. Investigations include small displacements of a rigid body using double-exposure holographic interferometry and the use of the holographic interferometric technique in the area of nondestructive evaluation.

In the Plastics Recycling Lab, faculty and students design, manufacture, and test products made from plastic waste. The laboratory is equipped with a grinding and a molding machine for the manufacture of plastic parts from waste as well as sophisticated analytical tools ranging from a melt indexer to a differential scanning calorimeter.

Robotic Systems Laboratory, the Santa Clara Remote Extreme Environment Mechanisms Lab (SCREEM), is a center for interdisciplinary student design projects. The concentration here is on designing mechanisms to survive extreme environments such as the vacuum of space and the depths of the ocean. Projects have included very small satellites and both land and underwater ROVs. Visit the website.

The Vibrations and Control Systems Lab is equipped with two flexible test systems. One is capable of single or multi DOF modes, free or forced motion, and adjustable damping. The other is an inverted pendulum. Both systems can be controlled by a wide variety of control algorithms and are fully computer connected for data acquisition and control.