Design and Fabrication Facility

Prototype design workshop for the UCL departments of Biochemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Physics and Astronomy

The High Precision Design and Fabrication Facility (Mechanical Workshop) provides mechanical engineering support to research staff and students in the UCL departments of Biochemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Physics and Astronomy.

It offers a complete design, development and manufacture of complex novel scientific equipment that cannot be bought commercially, utilizing Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems to design, and state-of-the-art CNC machining to make the prototype.
Contact us at biochemengfadfstaff@ucl.ac.uk

Materials and equipment

We work with a wide range of materials including ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastics, wood, composites and special alloys.

The workshop is equipped with

Six CNC milling machines
Four CNC lathes
Multiple 3D printers, able to print different filaments and resins
One CNC water jet cutter
One manual mill and four manual lathes
Sheet metal facility cutting and bending
One laser cutter for plastics, thin wood, can also engrave these and some metals

Requesting a job

The first stage of undertaking work is to arrange a consultation (ideally face-to-face) with the workshop team to discuss the requirements of your job. This can be done via email: biochemengfadfstaff@ucl.ac.uk

Once the feasibility of the project has been agreed complete a requisition form (Sent via a link) with details of the work required. If you are providing your own technical drawings, we prefer AutoCAD or a 3D Model using Autodesk Inventor or Fusion 360. Other formats are welcome.

A completed requisition form should be brought into the workshop or submitted online to the workshop manager as soon as possible as there is a high demand. Small jobs may be done in one to three days, depending on staff availability

A technician will be assigned to your request and will collaborate with you to see the project from design through to completion, and you are welcome to come to the workshop at any time to discuss your work.

You will be given an estimate of the start date, length of time the work may take, and the cost. The timescale and cost may change as the projects evolve during the designing and manufacturing process.

Please note - work on your project will only commence when the requisition form is complete with the grant number and grant expiry date, and the supervisor’s signature.

When your prototype is finalised, if applicable, you will be given training in all aspects of new equipment making sure that any protocols/SOPs are generated to enable safe operation and maintain a record of the operation for future users.

Complete form to request fabrication request