The machines in physics professor Peter Engels’ laboratory are custom-manufactured to take precise measurements and withstand extreme temperatures. Every component is one-of-a-kind, expensive and time-consuming to construct.
But a new 3-dimensional printer in the College of Arts & Sciences Technical Services Instrument Shop offers Engels and other researchers across Washington State University a faster and cheaper way to design and build prototypes and parts for their research and equipment.
“It gives us unprecedented freedom in our instrument design, which is critical in the competitive field of ultra-cold physics,” Engels said.