Training

Advanced Prototyping Center Workshops

Wright Lab hosts regular workshops introducing capabilities and techniques for equipment found in the Advanced Prototyping Center (APC).  Workshop times are posted on our event calendar.  For more information about the workshops, please contact James Nikkel, the Associate Director for Instrumentation and Education.  For more information about Wright Lab’s facilities, please see the Facilities page.

APC Workshop: Introduction to design for rapid prototyping

In this workshop we will cover how to get started designing parts for your projects that can be made simply and quickly with a CNC cutter or 3D printer. No prior experience is required, but having an idea for a project that you may want to get started on would be great.

Dates offered: 10/23/2003/03/21

APC 3D-Printing Workshop:  Introduction to design and fabrication

This one-hour workshop is for those who do not have much experience using or designing for 3D printers, and for those who would like to use the 3D printers housed in the Advanced Prototyping Center at Wright Lab. We will cover types of printers, capabilities, and some basics of design. After the workshop, you will have what you need to get started using 3D prints in your projects!

Dates offered:  03/01/201910/02/2019

APC Laser Cutter Workshop: Slicing stuff up with light

This one-hour workshop is for those who would like to use the laser cutter housed in the Advanced Prototyping Center at Wright Lab.  We will cover basic usage and capabilities, and why laser cutters should be added to your arsenal of fabrication techniques.  

Dates offered: 03/27/2019

APC Abrasive Water Jet Cutting Workshop: There is no stopping supersonic sand!

This one-hour introductory workshop is for those who would like to use the abrasive water jet cutter housed in the Advanced Prototyping Center at Wright Lab.  These machines use high pressure water to accelerate finely crushed garnet to three times the speed of sound.  The resulting jet can quickly abrade its way through a wide variety of materials.  We will cover basic usage and capabilities, some specific advantages and disadvantages, and why using a little bit of sand and water can accelerate your project.

Dates offered: 05/24/2019

APC Laser and Water Cutting Workshop

This workshop is a quick-start guide to using the APC’s laser cutter and abrasive water jet cutter, and is ideal for those who have not used CNC cutters before and are interested in doing so. I will cover the workflow from design to fabrication as well as capabilities and limitations of the two techniques. Typical uses include cutting parts from sheets of material such as aluminum, glass, wood, and acrylic. However, we are always interested in new applications so feel free to come with questions and ideas.

Dates offered: 11/14/2019

APC Micro-Controller Workshop: Thermometers, barometers, anemometers, oh my!

This one-hour workshop is for those who would like to get started with using micro-controllers for their instrumentation needs.  Advances in programming environments have made using micro-controllers easier than ever, and their cost is hard to beat.  We will cover basic design, communication between sensors, and how to store data in a database.  By the end of the workshop, you will have learned that including micro-controllers in your project can be an inexpensive and surprisingly robust way to collect data and control systems in many circumstances.