A machine shop can be a capital intensive business because the purchase of equipment can require large investments A machine shop can also be labor-intensive, especially if it is specialized in repairing machinery on a job production basis, but production machining (both batch production and mass production ) is much more automated than it was before the development of CNC, programmable logic control (PLC), microcomputers, and robotics It no longer requires masses of workers, although the jobs that remain tend to require high talent and skill Training and experience in a machine shop can both be scarce and valuable. The highly skilled and experienced staff of the machine shop produces technical devices that require close tolerances precision along with whatever support equipment is required to keep research moving forward. Field services with experienced, trained personnel, and service trucks, cranes, portable machining and line boring equipment.

Some of the machine shop tools and equipment we sell include lathes, milling machines, grinders, drill presses, saws, sanders, bevelers, presses, deburring and polishing machines, and many more. The machine tools include engine lathes, vertical and horizontal milling machines, drill presses, off-hand grinders, belt sanders, band saws, table saws, routers, linear stepper motors, and additional equipment used in teaching manufacturing processes. Our full-service machine and welding shop, including a large inventory of rods and seals, allows us to quickly perform any types of repairs or welding services on hydraulic equipment.  The best place to find linear motion solutions to help automate your shop is at www.intellidrives.com

The process begins with a student or professor discussing with the Shop staff the project they’re working on and what type of equipment is needed. Vitols manufactures a diverse range of parts; from the high tolerance, intricate machining needs of the aerospace industry, to the simpler” yet still precision requirements of customers, ranging from bakery equipment to floor tile manufacturing. Design assistance, repairs, fabrication, and assembly of laboratory components, equipment and machinery using a wide range of materials, including steel, stainless steel, aluminum, plastics, and wood.

In addition to a full complement of milling machines, lathes, grinders, etc., our shop has a Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) milling machine and sophisticated equipment for ultra-high vacuum welding. When it comes to machines, in some places the care and maintenance of the equipment is paramount, and the swarf (commonly known as chips) produced after parts have been machined, are removed daily, and then the machine is air-blown and wiped clean; while in other machine shops, the chips are left in the machines until is an absolute necessity to remove them; the second instance is not advisable. Digital instruments for quality control and inspection become widely available, and the utilization of lasers for precision measurements became more common for the larger shops that can afford the equipment.

In 1906 Oscar E. Perrigo published the popular book Modern machine shop, construction of the equipment and management of machine shops. Sturdevant’s Auto Parts Machine Shops have the equipment and experienced technicians to make old engines – new again! Services available to faculty and staff include equipment repair and maintenance, manufacture and fabrication of consumables for labs and research, special event support, engraving for signage and directories and door lock programming.

In a machine shop, machinists use machine tools and cutting tools to make parts, usually of metal or plastic (but sometimes of other materials such as glass or wood ). A machine shop can be a small business (such as a job shop ) or a portion of a factory, whether a toolroom or a production area for manufacturing The building construction and the layout of the place and equipment vary, and are specific to the shop; for instance, the flooring in one shop may be concrete or even compacted dirt, and another shop may have asphalt floors.

In addition to the fabrication of new equipment, the machine shop repairs and maintains scientific research equipment. Our woodshop offers a wide variety of woodworking machinery, equipment and hand tools for milling, drilling and cutting wood and plastic. Machine tools, hand tools, and materials are provided for normal repair work or construction of research equipment.

James Montano