Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre

Workshop and 3D printing

a technical expert uses specialist machinery in the CUBRIC workshop — Cutting-edge brain research projects require innovative high-tech solutions by technical experts.

Our workshop contains the machinery and expert staff required to design, repair and create specialist equipment.

The role of the mechanical workshop is to provide technical support to staff and students at the Centre. We machine mechanical components to a very high specification using conventional and CAD machining methods. Our team of highly-skilled technicians regularly produce custom-built equipment, which is tailor-made to specific brain research imaging projects.

3D printing

We have two 3D printers (Stratasys Objet30 and Formlabs Form 2), which allow us to fabricate high-end rapid prototypes to support our research, working from pencil sketches and CAD drawings. We also have an electronics workbench, soldering station and a Roland Modela MDX-40A 3D milling machine.

a male technical expert uses a 3D printer to create a plastic mould — Researchers request custom designs which our experts construct using 3D printers and a variety of other tools.

Equipment

Our workshop houses the following specialist equipment:

Stratasys Objet30 3D printer
Formlabs Form 2 3D printer
Kryptonic temperature-controlled digital soldering station
Proxxon MF70 micro miller fan
Purex fume extraction fan
PD 400 lathe
Sealey pillar drill
Record BS250 bandsaw
Roland Modela MDX-40A mill
Formech FLB500
SX2 Mini Mill
Tektronic TBS 10252B-EDU digital oscilloscope
Fluke 8808A 5-1/2 digital desktop multimeter (C2)
Bambo silent compressor
ISO- tech IPS 2303 Laboratory DC power supply
Tektronicx AFG1022 arbitrary function generator

Completed projects

The following projects were all custom-built on site using the tools and equipment in our workshop.

The 3D printer was used to fabricate these tailor-made TMS coil spacers.
This custom-built joystick stand was constructed for the MEG lab to the precise specifications set out by our researchers.
This custom-made projector stand was built to match the requirements of MR scientists working on research projects.
This custom screen holder was created to allow participants to engage in tasks while brain images are retrieved by the MEG scanner.
This aluminium frame with 3D-printed custom inserts for holding compressed gas flow meters was built in-house by our technicians for gas physiology MRI studies.