The College of Engineering and Technology features multiple world-class laboratories that support classroom instruction and the work of the Rapid Center, our in-house facility for research and development.
The labs contain state-of-the-art equipment that meets or exceeds industry standards for work on 3D imaging, additive manufacturing in both metals and a variety of polymers, reverse engineering, product design, automation, additive manufacturing in both polymers and metals, CNC and laser machining, component integration, product testing, and 3D printing capabiilities in our MakerCAT Space.
The College of Engineering and Technology's offices, classrooms and laboratories are located in the Belk Building. Additional labs are located in the Center for Applied Technology.
Our assembly system employs levels of automation ranging from simple PLC controlled pick-and-place robots to machine vision and TCP/IP control networking. This laboratory also houses a variety of both vertical and horizontal type industrial robots.
This laboratory includes workstations for each student, with software such as Autodesk (AutoCAD, Revit), Primavera P6, Creo, MATLAB, Automation Studio, and Labview to support students in learning about the application of information technology in Construction Management. This laboratory is also equipped with an instructor's station and projection equipment, as well as both standard and wide-format printers.
The Engineering Design Laboratory is designed for optimum interaction between instruction and computer-aided applications. It is equipped with engineering workstations and large flat panel monitors. overhead projection facilitates instruction and group work. Software includes Autodesk (AutoCAD, Revit), Primavera P6, Creo, MATLAB, Automation Studio, and Labview. The laboratory also supports both standard and wide-format printing.
This laboratory is fully equipped for teaching and research involving a broad range of traditional and leading-edge construction materials and methods. The facility supports both hands-on experiential instruction and large-scale testing operations.
This laboratory houses industrial quality Computer Number Control (CNC) machining centers including both vertical mills and lathes.
Additive manufacturing equipment in this facility includes Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), UV Polyjet, and Direct Metal Laster Sintering (DMLS) technologies. Metrology equipment includes a CNC-controlled Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), white light scanning system, and CNC video measuring system.
Equipment in this laboratory ranges from simple “Ping” or frequency screening tools that can be used to resolve natural frequencies to a scanning laser vibrometer that can perform non-contact full-field vibration mapping of structures. An electro-dynamic shaker system can be used for high cycle fatigue testing and advanced vibration analysis.
Capabilities include analyzing the polarization dependence of optoelectronic devices, measuring the spectral characteristics of tunable lasers with subpicometer resolution and testing the bit error ratio at transmission rates up to 12.5 Gb/s.
This laboratory supports a range of instructional and research activities, including surveying, materials and project management. Flexible space, ground-level access through an overhead door, and provision for handling large and bulky materials allows for a broad range of construction-related activities. This classroom is named in recognition of a gift from Vannoy Construction, a premier commerical general contractor covering the southeast region and beyond. Headquartered in Jefferson, NC, the company was established in 1952.
The Virtual Machine Environment allows College of Engineering and Technology students and faculty to access software located on campus from anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, all year long. That means they can work on assignments and class projects whenever and where they wish.