Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture > Frank Innovation Zone > Studios

Studios

Learn more about our Studios!

The Frank Innovation Zone (FIZ) is located on the ground floor of Dana Hall. Along with other professional shops and active student club and research areas, the FIZ offers training and access to the fabrication studios and coordinates with other Voiland College and WSU programs to foster student access and safe use of the other available resources. The FIZ studios are shared spaces made available to students for individual, club, and academic use.

To access these studios, proper trainings and safety orientation are required for all studios at the FIZ. FIZ community members who have completed the necessary training will earn an extended Cougar Card access for the respective studio. To get trained, check out our training schedule and come in at the allocated time!

Specific studios are also available to be reserved for small group training on equipment use or skill development. (Note: You have to be certified to be in the studio and authorized by management to train other users beforehand.)

Community Studio (Dana 15)

The Community Studio is the centerpiece of the FIZ. It includes the Service Center which houses hand tools, power tools, and other general equipment for check-out. The 1000 sq.ft Community Studio is dedicated to student use. It is open from Monday to Saturday for all students with extended Cougar Card access for the FIZ Community members. Intended uses include impromptu use for individuals and groups; scheduled use for club and team meetings; and reserved use for club and team events, competitions, and faculty or industry presentations.

The Community Studio features:

  • 9 large study and work tables with available power for computer and other hardware that requires electricity.
  • 3 large whiteboards for collaboration work with team members or individual use.
  • 7 3D Printers for students to print prototypes or personal projects. (Students will have to submit their files to the service center to be queued up.)
  • 3 Desktop computers equipped with latest engineering softwares to create or work on projects.
  • A basic mobile tools cart for in-house use only.
  • A comfortable couch to relax in between classes.
  • Food, drinks, and snacks to buy when you get hungry.
  • Lockers which are available to store personal items. (Register at the Service Center, you can either bring your own lock, or check-out a lock from us.)

Metal Studio (Dana 22)

The Metal Studio has a space of 500 sq.ft and it is the primary space for metal fabrication. Primary uses of the studio include fabrication assembly, and testing of projects.

The space may also be reserved for small group training on equipment use or skill development (Note: Before reserving the space, you have to be certified to use the space and authorized by management to train other users).

The Metal Studio features:

  • Band Saw
  • Cold-Cut Saw
  • Drill Press
  • Bench Grinder
  • Wire Wheel
  • Belt Sander
  • Tormach CNC (The Tormach is not available for students to operate, however, if you have a project that requires precision milling, you can inquire about your project at the Service Center, and FIZ certified operators will have your projects completed.)

Electrical Studio (Dana 18)

The Electrical Studio is a 250 sq.ft area and it is the primary space for electrical testing and fabrication. This studio represents the most recent effort for adding resources and new equipment to support individual and club needs in circuit board prototype development. The available resources and equipment will continue to expand. The primary use of the studio include fabrication, assembly, and testing of projects.

The Electrical Studio also houses the Voltera V-One that brings quick turn PCBs to your desktop. Import your Gerber file into the Voltera software, press print, and the V-One will bring your board to life. Use the solder paste dispensing and reflow features to mount components onto your printed board, or mount components on a prefabricated board with ease.

The space may also be reserved for small group training on equipment use or skill development (Note: Before reserving the space, you have to be certified to use the space and authorized by management to train other users).

The Electrical Studio features:

  • A wide variety of available materials donated by local companies like SEL and METER.
  • 4 Rigol Oscilloscope and Signal Generator, Digilent Explorer and Analog Discovery boards for circuit development and testing.
  • Voltera V-One (PCB Printer)
  • Soldering Stations
  • Fume Extractors (For Soldering)

Wood Studio (Dana 14)

The Wood Studio comprises of a 500 sq.ft area and it is the primary space for woodworking and wood-related projects. The primary use of the studio include fabrication, assembly, and testing of projects.

The Wood Studio features:

  • 2 large workbenches
  • Band Saw
  • Belt Sander
  • Mitre Saw
  • Scroll Saw
  • Table Router
  • Panel Saw
  • Drum Sander
  • Drill Press
  • Wood CNC (The Wood CNC is not available for students to operate, however, if you have a project that requires precision milling, you can inquire about your project at the Service Center, and FIZ certified operators will have your projects completed.)

Welding Studio (Dana 8)

Photo of the Welding Studio (Dana 8) in the FIZ
Photo of the Welding Studio (Dana 8) in the FIZ

The Welding Studio is a 500 sq.ft space and it is the primary space for welding and sandblasting projects. This studio requires specialized training by a certified FIZ employee and extra practice. When entering the Welding Studio, you are required to wear long sleeve clothes, jeans, and close-toed shoes (Ensure that clothes are not cotton).

The Welding Studio features:

  • 1 Large workbench for welding
  • MIG Welding
  • TIG Welding
  • Plasma CNC Cutter
  • Sand-Blaster

Cutting/Finishing Studio (Dana 6)

The Cutting/Finishing Studio is a 300 sq.ft space and it is the primary space for precision waterjet cuts and painting.

The Cutting/Finishing Studio features:

  • Painting Booth
  • WaterJet (The WaterJet is not available for students to operate, however, if you have a project that requires precision milling, you can inquire about your project at the Service Center, and FIZ certified operators will have your projects completed.)

Rapid Prototyping (Dana 4)

This 200 sq.ft area is the primary space for laser cutting, etching, and vacuum forming. The space is shared with HYPER Lab as their co-owners of the vacuum former that is housed in the Rapid Prototyping studio. With laser cutting available to students to use (upon certified), you are welcome to create and work on projects that require precision cuts on materials like MDF, Plywood, thin Metals, and many more!

The Rapid Prototyping Studio features:

  • Trotec Laser
  • Vacuum Former

Safety is paramount at the FIZ

  • Consistent with the FIZ Participation Agreement, all community members will promote high safety standards and expectations and encourage the same from visitors and other members.
  • Safety Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) are required for use of some equipment (but not limited to) in this space.
  • Use ONLY equipment for which you have acquired proper safety orientation by a FIZ employee and training documented with the FIZ Service Center.
  • Clean and safe floors and surfaces will be maintained. Contribute to and reinforce expectations for individual responsibility for leaving spaces clean and safe.