OVERVIEW

The Research Machine Shop exists to support research at NIAR, WSU and beyond. The staff's intimate knowledge of the wind tunnels and other research tools greatly increases the shop's value and efficiency.

The Research Machine Shop was created in 1944 to support the local aviation industry. It aided in the construction of the first Walter H. Beech Wind Tunnel and recently played a similar role during the tunnel’s first major upgrade.

Over the years the shop has provided assistance to NIAR labs, WSU research projects, faculty research and industry clients. The same is true today, with many ongoing projects aiding in the improvement of the aviation industry.

Whether it’s providing detailed wind tunnel models or building tools for the Composites Laboratory, the Research Machine Shop is constantly lending a helping hand to those who need it.

Here are just a few examples of the shop's past projects:

  • Years ago the staff was asked by a WSU professor to help install the Miro Mural on the south side of the Ulrich Museum of Art on the WSU campus. They did it.
  • More recently they assisted in the upgrade of the Walter H. Beech Memorial Wind Tunnel. From hanging a picture to designing remote actuation, instrumentation or power for a wind tunnel model, life in the shop is never dull.
  • The staff once built a device to power biz jet landing gear tires to up to 200 mph prior to being dropped by the landing gear drop tower.
  • One of the Institute’s research emphases is on new ways to make airplanes. To support this research, the machine shop staff has made many of the tools that help manufacture composite parts as well as those that break those parts in the verifying process. This process helps NIAR determine that composite parts are doing what they were designed to do.