Machine shop

The AOE Machine Shop provides faculty and students with the tools they need for state-of-the-art fabrication. Machine shop staff members offer support in many areas of expertise—including Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining, conventional milling, rapid prototyping, and computer-aided design (CAD) software.

When special capabilities are needed to complete a job, the machine shop staff handles communication with shops outside the university. 

Machine shop capabilities

General Drawing Guidelines for submitting or estimating jobs in the AOE machine shop:

-Accepted Native CAD formats: The only native CAD formats that the AOE machine shop accepts are Solidworks files. 

-To submit jobs for machining, provide a 3d model as well as a 2d fabrication drawing which include proper dimension practices. 

-If native files are from any other format other than Solidworks, they should be converted as follows: Provide 3d part file in .iges,.stp, or .sat format. (do not submit .stl files for machined parts.)

-Submit a 2d drawing including all dimensions necessary for fabrication. 2d format can be: .dxf, .dwg, or .pdf format. If you do not require CNC machining then a 2d fabrication drawing is all that is required. If you are unsure, then provide both 3d and 2d files. 

-If you have multiple parts that make up an assembly that need to be constructed in the AOE machine shop, you'll need to provide an assembly drawing (in 2d format) that shows how to assemble each component preferably with a bill of material. 

-Watch this video for basic information on drawing and dimensioning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPCiZZw10U8

-For CAD related issues, please contact Scott Patrick at scottpatrick@vt.edu

Student machine shop

The shop includes a designated area where certified students can use general fabrication equipment. Students with training certificates can access the student machine shop area
Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–3:00 PM.