Innovation makers
By Lillie Williams, Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture
The Voiland College Engineering Shops are able to provide students, faculty, and staff the ability to make their ideas into a reality.
“We’re a resource that helps solve problems. We’re interested in ideas and challenges,” said manager Miles Pepper.
Located on WSU’s Pullman campus, the Voiland College Engineering Shops offer a convenient way for Voiland College’s researchers and students to create their projects. Problems can be solved quicker and be more cost effectively through the use of these shops.
“Miles has purchased a number of machines that improve the efficiency and quality of products they produce. If we were to have parts made in a standard off-campus shop, our costs would be significantly higher, and the time to finished products would be significantly longer,” said professor Lloyd Smith, director of WSU’s Sports Science Laboratory.
The shops take a creative approach to help clients reach their goals. They do a variety of tasks to including design work, CAD drawings, welding, and machining. The shops have hundreds of tools and machines that can allow any idea come to life, including lasers, welders, and water jets, to name just a few.
“The shops are an integral part of my research, particularly with our sports science work,” explained Smith. “They are not only responsive to our needs with highly skilled technicians, they routinely provide helpful input to revise our designs to make them more cost effective.”
Professor Taiji Miyasaka also explained how the design and fabrication shop has been crucial in his own research development.
“Miles understands what is essential for my research projects, provides constructive suggestions, and helps to actualize the projects.”
There are many different ways to approach a project, which is part of the beauty of working in a team, said Pepper.
“We are all skilled in different things and bringing that to the table allows us to fix a lot of different kinds of vexing problems.”
Visit the Voiland College website to learn more about the Engineering Shops and to see photos and videos of recently completed projects.
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