Facilities

Ainsworth building

Willis Annexe

The annexe houses several core facilities from a flight simulator, a refrigeration lab to six laser labs including one equipped with blood-flow analysis technology. We also have machines for tensile and compression testing, an aerodynamics laboratory with four wind tunnels and a renowned mechanical workshop.

The undergraduate workshops are on the ground floor overlooking the Willis Laneway. These open-plan areas cater for up to 400 students and are designed as flexible spaces where several labs are run simultaneously.

Ainsworth Building

The building has two purpose-designed CATS (centrally allocated teaching space) rooms and a cafe that blends into an informal student space. There are more student break-out areas spread throughout the building, each of them fitted with powered-up benches and modular furniture that students can arrange easily and use collaboratively.

The building also facilitates collaborative research and teaching pods that sit across multiple levels in reconfigured academic spaces. There are also innovative teaching spaces, including modern high-tech computer laboratories for up to 200 students.

On the northern roof of the Ainsworth Building is a new solar thermal energy and solar-energy laboratory.

3D printing

The Manufacturing Laboratory is proud to offer 3D printing capabilities to researchers and students. The Laboratory has the following 3D printers:

Acoustics & vibrations laboratory

We provide support for teaching and research within the areas of acoustics, vibrations, wear and machine condition monitoring.

Advanced fluid dynamics

In this laboratory, our focus is biomedical fluid dynamics, with projects including work relevant to arterial flows and haemodialysis.

Advanced manufacturing

The Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory covers teaching, research and consulting in various manufacturing processes from laser-hybrid processing of materials to high pressure water jet and air jet processing of materials, mechanical machining, additive manufacturing, and friction and wear.

Aerodynamics

The Aerodynamics Laboratory is a teaching and research laboratory in the aerodynamics of subsonic and supersonic flows. The laboratory facilities include five subsonic wind tunnels (one with moving ground facility), one supersonic wind tunnel and a shock tube rig.

Energy storage & refrigeration

The Energy Storage and Refrigeration facility conducts world-leading research and development on advanced energy storage technologies. Research areas include:

Engine research

The Engine Research laboratory provides science-based engineering to resolve technical issues in car engines. We perform experimental research on fuels and combustion by using optical diagnostics, thermodynamic analysis, and fluid mechanics approach.

Mechanics of solids

The Mechanics of Solids laboratory is a facility dedicated to the structural testing and design of components and materials. There are three strands of activity:

Mechatronics

Our Mechatronics laboratories consists of the Robotics and Autonomous Systems Research Laboratory and the Mechatronics Teaching Laboratory. Learn about their facilities and services for UNSW Engineering students.

Microfluids

The Microfluidics Laboratory is set up for flow characterisation and temperature measurement on the micro- to nano-scale. The range of equipment available includes:

Solar thermal

The UNSW Solar Thermal Laboratory carries out both fundamental and applied research on technologies for converting solar energy into useful heat.

Sustainable manufacturing & life cycle engineering

The Sustainable Manufacturing and Life Cycle Engineering Research Group at UNSW is involved in various industrial and student projects in the field of Life Cycle Engineering (LCE). Our research strengths:

Workshop

The UNSW School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Workshop caters to MME researchers and students. The workshop is modern, well equipped and staffed by highly experienced and highly skilled Workshop Technical Officers.