Overview

This is a compilation of the best resources available to the University of Rochester student fabricator, on-campus and off. Have you had repeated good experiences with a facility, business, or resource not listed here? Email us and let us know at urguidetofab_s@u.rochester.edu!

Contents:

Campus Fabrication Facilities

  1. General Campus
  2. Department Facilities

Campus CAD Software

  1. Siemens NX

Recommended Fabrication Businesses

  1. 3D Printing
  2. PCB Creation
  3. Specialty Machine Shops
  4. Optical Fabrication Shops

Recommended Component Sources

  1. General Hardware
  2. Electronics Components
  3. Optical Components
  4. Other Parts/Materials Distributors
Give us your 30-second thought about how we did today!


Campus Fabrication Facilities

These facilities and their employees are available on-campus to UofR undergraduate students for a full spectrum of purposes. Some are for student use and others are run by professional fabricators, and they all offer students an education in turning an idea into a physical object.

Search for facilities by tools and features >

General Campus

  • Rettner Hall Fab Shop A hands-on educational machine shop for supervised student machine fabrication. Walk-in's and personal projects are welcome.
  • Rettner Hall Fab Studio A spacious 24/7-access workspace for student makers of all types.
  • Rettner Hall 3D Printing Students can make free use of multiple types of 3D Printers.
  • Taylor Hall Student Shop A 24/7-access machine shop for unsupervised use by trained students.
  • Hopeman Machine Shop Professional machine and electronics fabrication for all students with a specialty in instrumentation. ECE and ME curricular and research needs are prioritized.
  • URnano Nanofabrication Center Fabrication, surface processing, and measurement tools capable of nanometer-scale precision and feature size. Training and professional assistance available to undergraduate research and curricular projects that require extreme precision.
  • Chemistry Dept. Stockroom Purchasable part, equipment, and chemical stocks available to all students for projects related to their own departments.

Department Facilities

These facilities prioritize department-related curricular projects and research, although many are accessible to students of other studies at a lower prioritization or on a case-by-case basis.

Electrical Engineering Department

  • Hopeman Machine Shop Professional machine and electronics fabrication for all students with a specialty in instrumentation. ECE and ME curricular and research needs are prioritized.
  • ECE Design LabCollaborative design and fabrication spaces for ECE senior design project students.

Biomedical Engineering Department

Physics and Astronomy Department

  • Physics Machine Shop A 24/7-access machine shop for supervised and unsupervised use by trained Physics and Astronomy students.
  • URnano Nanofabrication Center Fabrication, surface processing, and measurement tools capable of nanometer-scale precision and feature size. Training and professional assistance available to undergraduate research and curricular projects that require extreme precision.

Mechanical Engineering Department

  • Mechanical Engineering Wood Shop A student machine shop for supervised and unsupervised use by Mechanical Engineering project students and researchers.
  • ME Design Labs Collaborative design and fabrication spaces for ME curricular design project students.
  • ME 3D Printing ME curricular project students can make free use of these 3D Printers by submitting their CAD models.
  • LLE Mechanical Engineering & Design Shop Professional machine shop featuring high-precision machining, measurement, and assembly for curricular project students who need it. There is a typical lead time of 6-8 weeks, submit quote requests to the shop manager. Orders must be placed using the Blue requisition forms available at the Mechanical Engineering Department office.

Chemical Engineering Department

  • Chemical Engineering Dept. Shop Professional machine and electronics fabrication, component-ordering, and advice for CHE project students and researchers.
  • CHE Design Labs Collaborative design and fabrication spaces for CHE senior design project students.

Chemistry Department

  • Chemistry Dept. Stockroom Purchasable part, equipment, and chemical stocks available to all students for projects related to their own departments.

Top ↑ 


Campus CAD Software

Computer-Aided Design software can help you make a realistic design, generate a digital model of your part, create shop drawings, program CNC toolpaths, and much more. CAD models are also required for 3D Printing. The following list will help you locate computers with CAD software around the University of Rochester Campus.

Siemens NX

Siemens NX 10 is modeling software for Engineering needs. Comes with powerful engineering analysis and Computer-Aided Machining (CAM) tools. As a UofR student, you can download and use NX on your own computer! It is also installed on computers across campus.

Top ↑ 


Recommended Fabrication Businesses

These are fabrication service businesses recommended by UofR faculty and facility staff for their unique offerings and consistently high reliability.

Rochester Makerspace 

  • The Rochester Makerspace provides training for 3D printing, CNC routers, laser cutters, and various other metal and wood and metal fabrication equipment. There is a small monthly fee. Once trained, the facility is open to use.

3D Printing

PCB Creation

  • Sunstone Circuits Online small-order PCB fabricator with a variety of pricing and turn-around time packages.
  • Express PCB Online small-order PCB fabricator featuring low-cost production and its own PCB layout design tool.

Specialty Machine Shops

  • Harbec Machine shop in Ontario, NY specializing in CNC machining, mold production, injection molding, and rapid prototyping.
  • Proto Labs An online-order shop featuring CNC machining, rapid prototyping, and injection molding with a short turn-around time.
  • Wirtz Wire EDM, LLC Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) and CNC shop. Wire EDM shapes parts from conductive materials with nanometer accuracy. Especially useful when dealing with large thickness and very hard metals. Wire EDM explanation (video)

Optical Fabrication Shops

  • Optimax Optics fabricator in Ontario, NY for small-quantity custom orders.
  • OptiPro Local optics fabricator and optical machining tools distributor for small-quantity custom orders.
  • Sydor Optics Local optics fabricator and optical machining tools distributor for small-quantity custom orders.

Top ↑ 


Recommended Component Sources

These are parts and materials distribution businesses recommended by UofR faculty and facility staff.

General Hardware

  • Debbie Supply Local hardware store with a large selection of parts and common tools. Known for its extremely knowledgeable employees.
  • The Home Depot Big-Box home improvement hardware chain with local stores. Large selection of common tools, parts, and materials.
  • Lowe's Big-Box home improvement hardware chain with local stores. Large selection of common tools, parts, and materials.
  • McMaster-Carr Online distributor with an expansive inventory. The company's website is an excellent tool for discovering what sorts of parts exist.
  • Grainger Industrial Supply Online distributor with local warehouse stores, has a wide selection of hardware.
  • MSC Industrial Supply Co. Online distributor focused on tools, tooling, and tube/pipe fittings.

Electronics Components

  • Goldcrest Electronics Local store featuring a wide selection of basic electronic components. You can buy single components here rather than full packs.
  • Digi-Key Online distributor with an expansive inventory. Search for parts by all of the major electronics specifications.
  • Mouser Electronics Online distributor with an incredibly expansive inventory. Search for parts by all of the major electronics specifications.
  • Adafruit Online distributor with a focus on DIY microcontroller projects. Features many tutorials and project ideas.
  • Sparkfun Online distributor featuring general components and DIY microcontroller boards and sensors.
  • Texas Instruments Producer/distributor of integrated circuits, embedded processors, and other semiconductor technologies. They have a free samples program for University students and educators.

Optical Components

  • Edmund Optics Distributor of a broad variety of optical, optomechanical, imaging, and related components.

Other Parts/Materials Distributors

  • Smooth-On Online distributor of mold-making and casting supplies for a wide variety of applications.

Top ↑