Tech Spark Courses

The course familiarizes students with the safe operation of fabrication tools, including 3D printer, laser cutter, hand tools, and power tools through structured activities. A significant portion of the course is dedicated to learning the use of SolidWorks 3D CAD software. The acquisition of these skills culminates in the development and fabrication of a prototype solution to a real-world problem.

Project from Intro to Modern Making.

Project from Intro to Modern Making.

Project from Intro to Modern Making.

This course teaches the safe operation of the laser engraver machine through structured hands-on activities. Students learn about job setup, laser control settings, color mapping, and material selection for prototyping.

This course familiarizes students with the operation and safety of machine tools. This gives students knowledge of what goes into engineering designs in building a prototype and also enables them to operate shop machinery as a part of future courses.

A student operates a manual lathe.

A student operates a manual knee mill.

Shop Instructor Tom Rusu and a student work at a manual milling machine.

Safety first! Ed Wojciechowski guides students on the proper technique for using a manual lathe.

Students are all smiles after a job well done.

This course teaches introductory level metal jewelry fabrication. Students will learn to safely use various tools and metal working techniques including cold forging, investment casting, bezel settings, soldering, and patinas. These skills are taught in class and reinforced through structured activities in which students create their own personal jewelry, such as earrings, pendants, and rings.

Students learn simple stone setting in 24-204.

A student uses a torch to melt metal for lost wax casting.

A student works on their project at the bench.

An example of the projects students create in 24-206.

A student preps their project for soldering.

An example of the projects students create in 24-206 using cold forging.

This course teaches the safe operation of MIG welding equipment through structured hands-on activities. A significant portion of the course is dedicated to learning workpiece setup, material selection, and quality assessment for building structures.

Students learn various weld techniques.

Students learn layout and other pre/post-operations to welding.

This course teaches the safe operation of wood working equipment, including table saw, miter saw, jointer, planer, and more through structured hands-on activities. A significant portion of the course is dedicated to learning optimal workflow, tool selection, and equipment selection for building projects.

Students learn to safely operate woodworking equipment, like the table saw, to make accurate precision cuts.

Instructor Ryan Bates, gives a lecture and tool demonstration during 24-206.

This folding stool is one example of the projects made in 24-206.

Students working in the woodshop on their projects.

Students learn to use a variety of woodworking equipment, including the miter saw.

This course teaches the safe operation of a CNC router machine through structured hands-on activities. A significant portion of the course is dedicated to software for fabrication of 2D and 3D parts.

Image coming soon!

This course teaches safe operation of CNC machining equipment through structured hands-on activities. A significant portion of the course is dedicated to learning CAM software for fabrication of 2D and 3D parts. The skills learned in this course can be applied to fabricate durable components for design projects, research equipment, and extracurricular activities.

A student operates a computer numerical controlled (CNC) milling machine.

This course focuses on the methodology for formulating and solving realistic design problems drawn from civil and environmental engineering, characterized by incomplete specifications, open-ended solution space, and partial evaluations.

Students use TechSpark to fabricate and assemble their designs.

The big day! Students assemble their bridges.

Will they handle the weight!?

This course guides students through the design process in the applied design of a practical mechanical system including emphasizing methods for innovation and tools for design analysis. Professional and ethical responsibilities of designers, interactions with clients and other professionals, regulatory aspects, and public responsibility are discussed. Student complete a team design project.

Students demonstrate their project from conceptualization and realization.

Project example from conceptualization and realization.

Students demonstrate their project from conceptualization and realization.

Project example from conceptualization and realization.

Project example from conceptualization and realization.

Students demonstrate their project from conceptualization and realization.

Students demonstrate their project from conceptualization and realization.

Project example from conceptualization and realization.

The traditional principles of mass production are being challenged by concepts of highly customized and personalized goods. A growing number of do-it-yourself (DIY) inventors, designers, makers, and entrepreneurs is accelerating this trend. This class offers students hands-on experiences of DIY product design and fabrication processes. Over the course of a semester, students work individually or in small groups to design a customized and personalized product of their own and build it using various DIY fabrication methods, including 3D laser scanning, 3D printing, laser cutting, vacuum forming, etc. Students develop multiple prototypes throughout the semester, iterating and refining their design.

A student works on a project for DIY design and fabrication.

A mini-motorcycle from DIY design and fabrication.

A student shares a project from DIY design and fabrication.

An example project from DIY design and fabrication.

An example project from DIY design and fabrication.

A student demonstrates a project from DIY design and fabrication.

Students with their project from DIY design and fabrication.

Students present projects from DIY design and fabrication.

A student with a project from DIY design and fabrication.

Example project from DIY design and fabrication.

A student displays a project from DIY design and fabrication.

A student demonstrates a project from DIY design and fabrication.

An example project from DIY design and fabrication.

A student demonstrates a project from DIY design and fabrication.

The traditional principles of mass production are being challenged by concepts of highly customized and personalized goods. A growing number of do-it-yourself (DIY) inventors, designers, makers, and entrepreneurs is accelerating this trend. This class offers students hands-on experiences of DIY product design and fabrication processes. Over the course of a semester, students work individually or in small groups to design a customized and personalized product of their own and build it using various DIY fabrication methods, including 3D laser scanning, 3D printing, laser cutting, vacuum forming, etc. Students develop multiple prototypes throughout the semester, iterating and refining their design.

A student demonstrates a project from DIY design and fabrication.

An example project from DIY design and fabrication.

A student demonstrates a project from DIY design and fabrication.

A student with a project from DIY design and fabrication.

An example project from DIY design and fabrication.

An example project from DIY design and fabrication.

Students demonstrate a project from DIY design and fabrication.

A student demonstrates a project from DIY design and fabrication.

Graduate students in the Advanced Mechanical Design course design, fabricate, and test high-performance mechanical components.

This team created an automatic s’mores maker.

Another group demonstrates its self-assembling origami furniture.

A smart automated spice rack was this team’s final project.

Another group developed a gantry system for item retrieval and storage.

Students in Rebecca Taylor’s course, Making Your Products at Scale, learn about materials, modern manufacturing practices, and more.

Engineering students take things apart in order to understand what makes them tick…in this case, quite literally.

This team dismantled a sewing machine to understand how its individual components were designed and manufactured to work together. Can they reassemble it?

Many individual pieces make up the products we use every day. A closer look helps students to appreciate manufacturing methods, assembly lines, packaging, and sustainability.

Build18’s mission is to provide students with a risk-free environment to pursue personal engineering challenges, where the only limiting factor to creation is their own ingenuity. Originally named after the electrical and computer engineering (ECE) course prefix, Build18 signifies the start of the spring semester and a chance for students to build for fun.

Students demonstrate a project at Build18. 

Students working on Build18 projects at Tech Spark.

Students demonstrate a project at Build18.

Maker activities for K-12 students also take place in Tech Spark, such as the College of Enineering’s Explore Engineering event and events hosted by the Mechanical Engineering Department.

Children explore maker activities as part of an oureach event at Tech Spark.

A child shares her creation at an outreach event.

Families enjoy maker activities at a Tech Spark outreach event.

Families enjoy maker activities at a Tech Spark outreach event.

Children enjoy maker activities at a Tech Spark outreach event.

Families enjoy maker activities at a Tech Spark outreach event.

Children learn by doing with maker activities at a Tech Spark outreach event.

An example project from an outreach event at Tech Spark.

A child works on a maker project at Tech Spark.

A family working on a maker project at Tech Spark.

A child works on a maker project at Tech Spark.

A child works on a maker project at Tech Spark.