Manufacturing is the creation of a product through the use of tools, machinery and labor. Though a great deal of manufacturing is done solely in the machine shop, plastic (polymer based) products require a different sort of machinery. The MEM department has machines for thermoforming, injection molding, and rapid prototyping.
- Thermoforming is when a plastic sheet of material is heated and applied to a mold so that it takes its shape when cooled. The MEM thermoforming machine is shown in the image on the right.
- Injection molding is a process where liquid plastic is forcefully inserted into a metal mold, cools and takes on the shape of the cavity of the mold. The MEM injection molding machine is shown in the picture on the right.
- Rapid prototyping facilities including filament, resin, and metal 3D printers are located in the Design Labs in Wilbur Power House. These facilities are available for student use.
Students use many of these manufacturing machines in the junior Manufacturing course (ME 240) or in Integrated Product Development (ME 211).
Room: Packard 274
Faculty Contacts: David Angstadt (dca287@lehigh.edu) & John Coulter (jc0i@lehigh.edu)
Staff Contact: Eli Towne (ect2@lehigh.edu)
Associated Courses: ME 240
