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Physics Machine Shop
The University of Minnesota Physics and Astronomy Machine Shop is here to help you! We provide schools, colleges, private industry and corporate research labs with prototype and scientific research equipment that is not commercially available. We specialize in complex, mission-critical parts and assemblies. We can provide on-site inspection, estimates, consulting, machining, welding and repairs, depending on your needs. Click here for a full list of equipment.
Engineering
- Full time draftsman/engineer available for consulting and design.
- AUTOCAD and CADKEY design/drafting software.
- WORKING MODEL software to analyze the movements, forces and loads your equipment experiences as it operates.
- Extensive experience with wide variety of materials.
- We can work from concepts, sketches, blueprints or computer files.
Machining
- We use manual and computer controlled machine tools to fabricate parts.
- A fully equipped inspection area is used to reverse engineer parts and ensure the quality of our work.
- MASTERCAM software to program our computer controlled machine tools, assuring accurate and reproducible results.
- Our six full-time machinists have extensive experience in machining and joining technology using a wide variety of materials, and work closely with customers.
- Our shop has many unique machine tools and processes for special or difficult to machine items.
- We work with and stock a wide variety of materials: aluminum, brass, copper, magnesium, molybdenum, stainless steels, tungsten, titanium, PVC, plexiglass, polycarbonate, delrin, etc.
Welding
- Fully equipped welding shop: TIG and plasma welders, and a computer controlled Orbital Tube Welder for precision joining of various materials.
- Helium leak detector for checking weldments.
- High vacuum welding of stainless steels and other alloys.
- Inert gas chambers for controlled atmosphere fusion welding of exotic metals such as titanium, inconel and tantalum.
- Dedicated weld fixtures, such as lathe, orbital, rotary and linear seam welder are used to achieve high quality welds consistently.
- Laser welder for small precision welds.
Repair
- Repair lab equipment and instruments, either in our shop or on-site.
- Welding repair of broken, leaking or worn parts.
- Remachining after welding or redesign.
- Soft soldering and brazing.
Contact
Call for more information, or stop by to see our facilities. You can also send us your drawings for an estimate.
University of Minnesota Physics and Astronomy Machine Shop
116 Church Street SE, Room 30,
Minneapolis, MN 55455.
Phone (612) 624-4328
Fax (612) 624-4578
Jon Kilgore - Shop Manager - email kilgore@physics.umn.edu
Joe de la Cova - Shop Foreman - email delacova@physics.umn.edu
Carl Johnson - Draftsman/Engineer - email carl@physics.umn.edu
Satellite shop: University of Minnesota St. Paul
Geoff Harms
21 Bio Science Center
1445 Gortner Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108
Phone (612) 625 9754