Our equipment

Textiles fabrics are traditionally woven or knitted from yarn. The yarn is intermediate between the fibre and the fabric and in many respects shapes the final product in terms of performance and visual appearance. Accordingly, the School has recently invested in the latest lab-scale fibre to yarn conversion equipment that places it at the forefront of UK yarn spinning and engineering. Similarly, the School has also recently established the 3D Weaving Innovation Centre which offers state of the art 3D weaving design, training and manufacturing for apparel and technical textiles. The “last pillar” in the production facility is our range of Shima knitting technologies that enable the full gamut of sophisticated knitting structures and garments to be manufactured.

The lab equipment includes:  

• ARM Touch 60 Handloom – 24 shaft handlooms with integral CAD and compatible with other in-house software systems (x3)
• Baby Lock Embellisher – allows the application of non-woven embellishment to knitted and woven fabrics or produces a non-woven “seam”
• Bernina CAD Embroidery Machine – Programmable to own designs
• Bernina Sewing Machine – Five free embroidery sewing machines
• Dornier Dobby Weaving Machine – innovative 2D and 2D-to-3D surface and shaped preforms woven utilising flexible drafting of warp ends over 16 shafts.  Industrial production capabilities for commercial research-product collaborations
• Dubied Knitting Machines – Ten hand knitting machines in a range of gauges from 2.5gg to 12gg
• Laboratory Carding machine (Mesdan) – processes staple fibres into webs and slivers
• Laboratory Drawing/Roving Machine (Mesdan) – converts carded sliver into drawn sliver and subsequently into roving
• Laboratory Ring Spinning Machine (Mesdan) – six spindle system capable of processing staple fibres and producing blended yarns with variable twist. The maximum spindle speed is 25,000 rpm and yarn count range is from Ne 8 up to Ne 80. The machine can also produce core-spun yarns (such as stretchable yarns, conductive yarns)
• Mageba Multi-Shuttle Weaving Machine partnered with Staubli UNIVAL 100 Jacquard Harness – innovative 2D-to-3D surface and shaped preforms seamlessly woven using the latest 3D composite weaving EAT software 
• Shima Seiki APEX 3 – Knit specific software that can be used to programme the Shima Seiki knitting machines or produce virtual fabrics and garments
• Shima Seiki Knitting Machine – flatbed machine manufacturing innovative fabrics. CAD supported design & manufacture
• Shima Seiki Mach 2S Knitting Machine – manufactures whole garments which are seamless and incorporate pockets, buttonholes and other apparel features. CAD supported design & manufacture
• Silver Reed Knitting Machines – Six single bed knitting machines used for fabric development
• TC2: Thread Controller Digital-Manual Jacquard – a hand-operated electronic weaving machine with bespoke jacquard modular harness configuration for technical complex 2D on-loom to 3D off-loom woven forms
• The Yarn Spinning Line can produce wound packages from small quantities of short and long staple fibres of natural, regenerated and synthetic origin. This includes vertical integration of the facility with fibre spinning equipment and/or fabric manufacturing.
• Weaving Ancillaries – electronic sample warping machine for varying warp beam widths; small-scale creel let-off for greater individual warp control compatible with all weaving machines
• Yarn Twisting Machine (DirectTwist, Agteks) – The twisting machine can produce wound cones from spun bobbins and can also produce plied and cabled yarns with a range of yarn structural arrangements

View a 360 image of the 3D Weaving Innovation Centre, Knit, Yarn and Spinning Lab.

The Art and Design Studios provide a flexible range of spaces to enable the development and consolidation of creative practice. The 3D studio area focuses on 3D construction and is positioned near the School workshops so enabling easy physical access to workshop facilities during the fabrication process. The 3D studio is an open plan space, with excellent lighting, and can be easily adjusted to accommodate various modes of Art and Design practice. The 2D studio is also adaptable in terms of use of space, but has screens to allow students wall space to fix or hang 2D work. The 2D studio has traditional high “mill” roof windows with excellent natural lighting which creates a spacious feel and unique environment. Both studio areas allow easy access when transporting large scale works and materials in and out of the building for exhibiting and showcasing of work.  

View a 360 image of the 2D Art and Design Studio.

Textile fabrics are composed of fibres, which in turn are constructed from the chemical building units or monomers. The nature of these chemicals influences the strength, moisture content, comfort, wettability, coloration, flammability, shape memory and so much more. In addition, the colorants and effect chemistries that can be applied to the fibres further control the mechanical properties, visual appearance and end-use performance of the final textile product.

The School has invested in a range of chemical characterization techniques and application technologies that enable a full understanding of the fibre and its targeted modification. The lab equipment includes:  

• Accudry – tumble drier with controlled drying action

• Capillary Electrophoresis Analyser – separation system to characterize liquid mixtures

• Dimatix Materials Printer – innovative digital ink development printer

• Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) – characterisation of thermal transitions in materials

• Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer – characterization of organic and inorganic materials

• GyroWash – measures the colour fastness of textiles and leather to washing and dry-cleaning  

• Gas Chromatography/ Mass Spectrometer/“Nose” Analyser – characterization of gaseous fragrances and odours

• High Performance Liquid Chromatography Analyser – separation system to characterize liquid mixtures

• Kruss Droplet Analyser – determines contact angle and surface energy of materials

• Mass Spectrometer – linked to HPLC system to determine structure of the separated molecules

• Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) – determining weight changes in materials during heating or cooling

• Thermomechanical Analyser – determines changes in the mechanical properties of materials during heating/cooling

• Thin Layer Chromatography Analyser linked to Mass Spectrometer

• UV/Visible Spectrophotometer – determines ultraviolet and visible absorption/transmission of materials

• Wascator – laundering machine with standardised washing cycles

View a 360 image of the Chemistry Lab.

Printing is a well-established technique for applying a design or text to textiles, paper, wallpaper and packaging. The School has a comprehensive digital facility that offers flexibility and innovation in the design process. Students and researchers can use modern commercial technologies that couple computer aided design with the application of imaginative print design and materials functionality. Digital print is not just about creating visually stunning imagery but is also capable of surface engineering functionality. Imagine if you could print an image of an orange, that looks like an orange, smells like an orange, and feels like an orange! Printing that challenges and embraces the senses.

The studio equipment includes:

• Adkins Hot Press – for transfer printing onto small fabrics/garments
• Book Binding Machines – to allow students and staff to prepare professional-quality “hard” copy documents and presentations
• Epson SC-F2000 DTG Pigment Printer – rapid digital printing of designs onto garments
• Epson SC-F9300 Sublimation Ink Printer - printing of sublimation inks on full width transfer print paper
• Hewlett Packard 260 Latex Printer – capable of printing latex-based colorants onto wide range of fabrics, films and paper 
• Laser Cutters – for engraving or cutting of paper, film, wood or textiles
• Mimaki JV150A Digital Printer – printing of sublimation inks on full width transfer print paper
• Mimaki TX2-1600 Digital Printer – printing of reactive dyes onto cotton fabric
• Mimaki UJF-3042FX UV LED Flatbed Printer – UV curing flatbed printer for 3D structuring on textiles, films, phone covers, pens and moulded materials
• Riso MZ770 Printer – Single colour printer for high quality, commercial grade printing on paper or card (1 Black and 4 Colour drums)
• Transmatic 7360 Rotary Transfer Press – heated calender for sublimation printing onto full width fabrics

View a 360 image of the Digital Print Studio.

The design of cothing is vital to its commercial success. However, this success is not just down to the colour and print design but also to the fabric and garment construction. By coupling that appreciation of the historical and modern fashion design with the necessary skills in garment manufacture, functionality and creativity we instill a materials creativity that encompasses not only mainstream apparel but also extends to performance wear and industrial materials. Coupled to this individual design is the understanding that the modern garment manufacturing industry uses CAD/CAM software to enable fashion product development from sketch, through pattern cutting to manufacture considerations such as marker making, layplans and grading. Our 3D software enables the CAD designer to consider the aesthetics of the proposed design, fit and appearance prior to manufacture – cutting out many stages of sampling, saving on time, fabric and associated costs. This software not only guides design students but also benefits fashion marketing and retailing students who can better appreciate the commercial constraints on product development, manufacture and production processes. 

The Fashion Design studio facilities include the following industrial equipment and machinery:

• Buttonhole machines (x2) – forms buttonholes
• Coverstitch machine – produces a cover stitch that reduces seam impression. Used for foundation wear, underwear, sportswear etc
• Cylinder bed machine – for stitching small curved areas, such as attaching sleeves
• Embroidery machine – programmable and computerised embroidery
• Headdress – head former for design and development of headwear
• Industrial flatbed lockstitch machines (x28) – sews pieces of cloth together to form a seam, most often used with woven fabric
• Men’s mannequins (x25) – male forms of various sizes to use for garment development
• Overlock machines (x4) – binds two pieces of fabric together using chainstitch, trimming excess fabric as stitching takes place, e.g., knitted cuffs. Most widely used stitch formations for “neatening” continuous seaming applications
• Sonic bonding machine – continuous bonding or slitting for textiles and nonwovens; punching; plunge bonding; and hook and loop (Velcro) bonding
• Tape seal machine – sew-free bonding of hems or edges
• Vacuum ironing table and steam boiler (x6) – pressES fabrics and garments using steam and vacuum
• Women’s mannequins (x25) – female forms of various sizes to use for garment development

View a 360 image of the Fashion Studio.

Fibrous materials are widely used in many applications, such as apparel, protective wear, filter media and healthcare materials. The fibres are either natural, such as cotton, silk and wool, or manmade like polyester, nylon, viscose, lyocell. A key physical feature of these fibres is their diameter which can range from 15-40 microns for wool, to less than 7 microns for microfibres and further down to sub-micron for nanofibres. In recognizing the importance of fibres as the base material in all textiles the School has facilities that allow the production and processing of both synthetic and natural fibres in order to support our fashion and healthcare research. Our positioning of the nanofibre research facilities next to the Art & Design Studio and Fashion Design Studio reflects the unique diversity and multi-disciplinary approach we take to teaching and research.

The lab equipment includes:  

• BiAx Fiberfilm Meltblown System – produces nonwoven webs used filter media, sorbents, disposable healthcare clothing and insulation  
• El Marco Electrospinner – produces uniform, homogeneous nanofibre mats which can be used in filter media and biomaterial-based healthcare products
• Fiberio Centrifugal Force Spinner – produces nanofibre webs by melt or solution spinning which can be used as filter media and absorbents
• Kruss Force Tensiometer – measures fibre wettability, contact angle and surface energy
• Light Microscopes – optical characterization of fibre surface and internal structures  
• Porolux 100 Porometer – measures fabric/web pore size distribution by capillary flow porometry
• ProGage Thickness Tester – measures the thickness of fabrics
• Ultramicrotome – for cutting sections for microscopic analyses
• Wipe Tester and Analyser – used for accurate and reproducible wiping of hard surfaces and determining deposition

View a 360 image of the Fibre Spinning and Web Manufacture Lab.

Like the Student Common room, the Glass Studio looks to encourage creative thinking through its amazing natural lighting and the backdrop of St George’s Fields. This is one of the favourite teaching and seminar spaces in the University and creates a unique environment to discuss, debate and appreciate. 

The Lectra CAD/CAM suite incorporates the following equipment and modules:

• Digitizer – to digitise paper pattern pieces into the computer and upload into the Lectra software
• Kaledo –  enables industry standard, accurate, specification drawings, design for realistic simulations of printed, woven and knit textiles, and pantone palette for textile and color specifications
• Modaris –  pattern making module (2D), grading, marker marking and fabric consumption efficiencies 
• Modaris 3D – enables virtual stitch and 3D design

Our perception of the world about us is shaped by the light that surrounds the object in view. If you look at an object in red light it will look totally different to if it was immersed in natural daylight. Why is this important? Modern LED lighting allows us to control the spectral profile of the light emission and its intensity, which in turn gives us the opportunity to optimize the lit environment. For example, what is the best gallery lighting to show a Monet painting? Is it the same as the best lighting for a Rembrandt painting? Similarly, in a retail store or online the perceived colour of the object presented can influence whether we buy or not. To further enhance our understanding of the visual perception we couple the colour/light immersion environment with eye-tracking and physiological analysis and so fully characterize consumer response and behaviour.

The lab equipment includes:  

• 3D Imaging system – 3dMDtrio photogrammetric 3D System for 3D image capture for large objects, such as facial capture, using laser technology
• EEG System – electroencephalographic recording system that measures electrical activity in the brain using scalp recordings
• HP 3D scanner – for 3D image capture for small objects using structured light technology
• Multi-ink Printer – Canon image PROGRAF iPF5100
• Physiological Measurements – measures various physiological functions such as blood pressure (Omron arm band) and blood oxygen content (Oximeter fingertip pulse device)
• Room LED lighting system – a system to illuminate a whole room with spectrally controlled lighting using LEDs (Thouslight)
• Tobii Eye Tracking – records eye movements of participants when they are looking at images on a computer display or in-store retailing environment

View a 360 image of the Lighting Lab.

The quality of textiles, and materials in general, are gauged by their aesthetics, functionality and durability performance. The School has a modern and comprehensively equipped laboratory that can characterise the physical nature of textile fibres, yarns and fabrics and their associated physiological impact and tactile perception.

The lab equipment includes:

• Accelerotor Abrasion System – measures the dry and wet abrasion of textile fabrics
• Biaxial Tensile Tester – enables biaxial testing (tensile or compression combined with torsion) of materials, particularly high-performance technical fabrics
• Crease Recovery (British Standard) & Wrinkle Recovery Testers (AATCC Standard) – characterise the easy-care performance of textile fabrics
• C-Therm Thermal Conductivity Analyser – measures cool/warm sensation in textile materials
• CrockMaster (Automated) – measures dry and wet rub fastness of dyed and printed fabrics
• Crumple Flex Tester – measures the flex abrasion of coated and laminated textiles
• Crumple Flex Tester – measures the flex abrasion of coated and laminated textiles
• Drape Meter – Cusick drape instrument with image analysis software
• ElmaTest Tester – digital Elmendorf tear tester for woven and nonwoven textiles as well as paper, plastic and other sheet materials
• Fabric Assurance through Simple Testing System (FAST) – measures key fabric mechanical properties to enable efficient conversion of fabric to garments
• Friction/Peel Tester – measures static and kinetic coefficients of friction, as well as perform seal strength tests, 180°peel, 90°peel and T-peel tests
• Helmet Strength Tester – measures the impact resistance of protective helmets
• Hydrostatic Head Tester – measures the water penetration resistance of textile fabrics
• Light Microscopes – a range of microscopes are available to visually characterise fibrous materials
• Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics (KES-F) – measures the bending, shear, tensile, compression and surface properties of textile fabrics or paper using the forces a human hand applies in the evaluation of fabric handle. Objective measurement of fabric handle.
• Martindale Flat Abrasion dry system – measures flat abrasion of textile fabrics
• Martindale Flat Abrasion wet system – measures flat abrasion of wet textile fabrics
• Moisture Management Tester (MMT) – measures the liquid management properties of performance and technical fabrics
• Moisture Vapour Permeability Dish Tester – measures the water permeability of textile fabrics
• Orbitor & SnagPod Tester – measures the pilling and snagging of fabrics using different international standards  
• Perspirometer – measures the colour fastness of textiles and leather to perspiration and yellowing
• Porosity Analyser – measures the air porosity of fabrics
• ProMace Snagging Tester – to test the snagging resistance of apparel and upholstery fabrics
• ProView Universal Assessment Viewer – visual assessment system for grading pilling or snagging of textile fabrics
• Skin Analyser – measures skin hydration, trans-epidermal water loss, sebum, colour, gloss, friction and elasticity
• Spray Rating Tester – measures the water repellency of materials using a 'shower test'
• Sweating guarded hotplate (Skin Model) – measures thermal resistance and moisture permeability of textiles 
• Tautex Crimp Tester – measures yarn crimp
• Taber Abrasion System – measures the abrasion of coated or painted materials such as metals, leather or plastics
• Tensile Tester (Fibre) – measures strength and mechanical deformation of fibres
• Titan Tensile Tester (Fabric) – measures strength and mechanical deformation of textile apparel
• Tensile Tester (Fabric) – measures strength and mechanical deformation of technical textiles
• Tog Meter – measures the thermal resistance of textile materials such as blankets and duvet
• TruBurst Tester – determines bursting strength and fatigue tests suitable for knitted textiles, medical textiles, nonwovens, paper and plastic
• ThermaPlate Tester – measures the colour fastness to dry heat, sublimation and shrinkage of textiles and leather
• Verivide Viewing Cabinet – provides a range of standard lighting conditions in order to visually assess the colour and appearance of materials

View a 360 image of the Materials Testing Lab.

“A picture is worth a thousand words”.

The fashion, graphics and digital design industry live by this vision. Therefore, our photography studio provides the latest facilities and expert advice enabling students to digitally capture the essence and aesthetics of their work. This creative imagery and product design can be incorporated into portfolios and product briefs and showcase the designer’s ideas in a professional framework. We are in the process of extending the Photography Studio and establishing a Film Studio to extend the capability and ambition of the students.

The Photography Studio is used by students at all degree levels from level one undergraduates through to PhD students and research staff. The breadth of digital photography encompasses documenting packaging or book designs through to promotion of fashion collections. The studio equipment includes full frame SLR cameras, a wide variety of lenses as well as a range of lightning equipment, colorama backdrops, still life tables and animation/repro tools. In addition, the facility has a Phantom Flex4K digital cinema camera which can record up to 1,000 fps at 4K resolution providing exceptional image quality and offers production-friendly features like auxiliary power outputs and full-featured on-camera control interface.

View a 360 image of the Photography Studio.

The printmaking studio vitally links the School’s diverse pathways and offers students and researchers possibilities to explore a range of printing methods from traditional printing to crossover techniques. It meets the ambitions of students from a wide range of creative backgrounds, including art & design, graphic and communication, fashion, textile, fashion marketing and technology. The printmaking facilities offer mechanical and chemical traditional printing methods: such as dry-point, linocut, etching (hard and soft ground), aquatint as well as ​​ photoetching and screen-printing. The lab is extensively used for research projects and teaching and the lab equipment includes:  

• Kippax hand screen printing table – hand operated table for printing coated screens and paper stencils
• Kippax horizontal drying cabinet – thermostatically controlled cabinet for drying and storing pre-exposed silk screen frames
• Kippax UV light exposure unit – for exposing film positive images to create screen stencils for screen printing. Also used for exposing UV light to create solar plates for photoetching
• Kippax washout booths (x2) – used for washing out UV light exposed silk screen frames before and after printing
• Large drying rack – used for drying and storing finished prints
• Mailander proofing press – used for Lino, woodblock and light embossing
• Mathis Screen printer – used for accurate and reproducible application of print designs
• Penrose tabletop etching press – smaller hand operated press used for all intaglio processes, monotype and pronto plate lithography
• Rochat floor standing etching press – hand operated press used for all intaglio processes and monotype
• Rochat hot plate (x2) – thermostatically controlled hot plates used to heat etch plates prior to being coated with wax ground before acid etching

Colour is everywhere. It enriches our visible world and enhances our written word. Colour impacts on our health, appearance, consumer behaviour and the functionality and aesthetics of materials. Therefore, it is vital we can objectively measure its nature and characterize how we perceive it. In understanding we can better design and manufacture. The School has four labs that encompass the whole spectrum of Colour Science, psychology and application. We have a strategic partnership with Verivide, who are a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of specialist lighting and imaging equipment for fast and accurate assessment of colour and appearance.

The lab equipment includes:  

• Cameras – consumer-grade digital cameras (Nikon D90)
• Colour Calibration Tools – various equipment to calibrate and characterise computer displays to give high colour fidelity (X-rite i1 Display Pro, X-rite colour passport, ColorMunki, Macbeth ColorChecker, Macbeth ColorCheckerDC)
• Colour Vision Tests – to assess whether people have colour-vision deficiencies (Ishihara Tests for Colour Blindness and City University Colour Vision Test) and to quantify visual performance (Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue and Farnsworth D-15 tests) or colour matching (Tarrant visual colorimeter)
• Gonio-spectrophotometers – for determining the change in spectral reflectance according to different viewing angles (Datacolor FX10 and Macbeth CE741GL)
• Handheld Reflectance Spectrophotometers – portable instruments to measure spectral reflectance factors of objects (Minolta CM2600d/CM2600)
• High Quality Computer Displays – high-end displays with excellent colour and spatial qualities that can be used in psychophysical experiments (HP Dreamcolour, BenQ)
• Spectrophotometers – instruments (with associated software) to measure spectral reflectance factors of objects (Minolta CM3600d, Datacolor SF600 and GretagMacbeth SpectroScan) and spectral transmission of transparent or translucent materials (Macbeth CE7000a)
• Tele-Spectroradiometer – to measure spectral radiance of emissive or illuminated objects (Minolta CS-1000a/CS-2000 and Bentham M300)
• Verivide DigiEye System – measures colour and facial appearance capture (large sample analysis)
• Verivide DigiEye Systems – measures colour and appearance of textiles, food and teeth (small sample analysis)
• X-Rite Total Appearance Capture (TAC) System – enables accurate digital material capture and innovative image manipulation and 3D presentation. The system integrates with our CAD/CAM garment manufacturing software so that 3D concepts developed on a virtual mannequin can be transported into the TAC system so allowing for a 360° understanding of the product design

View a 360 image of the Psychophysics Lab.

We are the School of Design! The architecture of the School is unique, and in a sense visual art that should have a distinct “voice”.  Our internal spaces look to be interesting and different. To inspire and encourage creativity.

All our communal spaces are designed with student involvement to ensure that they are useful, used and enjoyed. Your time as a student in the School should be enjoyable, educational, successful and full of fond memories. Therefore, we want you to become part of the School design, to be involved and to leave your “footprint” in the School’s history!

The global textile manufacturing sector is diverse, producing clothing, technical textiles and fibres/fabrics that are the platform materials in healthcare, gas catalysis, effluent management, sportswear, space travel and personal protection. In addition to the traditional weaving, knitting, yarn spinning and nonwovens production processes the industry also uses a broad range of wet and dry processes that add value to the final product. This facility houses a broad range of machinery and techniques that are vital to the production, performance characterization and adding value to textiles.

The lab is extensively used for research and teaching and the lab equipment includes:  

• Atlas Weatherometer – high intensity xenon arc light fastness instrument to test the colour fastness and light degradation of textiles, leather, automotive components, plastics and other materials
• Atmospheric Plasma Machine – enables surface engineering of material surfaces to impart liquid repellency, wettability, flame retardancy, lubricity and biocompatibility
• Capillary Rheometer – measures the viscosity of polymeric materials.
• Coatema Coater and Lamination Machine – applies aqueous and solvent-based polymer coatings and preformed laminate films to textile fabrics
• Fibre Melt Spinner (Rondol) – melts polymer chip and extrudes the molten polymer through a spinneret into filament
• Filament Drawing Machine – controlled stretching/drawing of filament yarns for improving filament strength and stability
• Gyrowash – for determining microfibre shedding from textile fabrics during aqueous processing
• Hydraulic Press – compresses polymer into film or can be used for compression moulding of textile reinforced composites
• Limiting Oxygen Index Analyser – measures the minimum atmospheric oxygen level to sustain a burning textile fabric
• M/K Paper Sheet Former – lab-scale paper making machine capable of processing short fibres not useable in textile manufacture
• Mathis Air Boy Dyeing Machine – small scale dyeing machine
• Mathis Baker Steamer – baker and steamer capable of drying, curing and steaming for dye and effect chemical fixation
• Mathis Lab Jet Dyeing Machine – small scale jet dyer for dyeing fabric
• Mathis Labomat Dyeing Machine – small sample dyeing machine (x2)
• Mathis Mini-Jig Dyeing Machine – small scale jig dyer for dyeing fabric with low water usage
• Mathis Padder – controlled applicator of wet chemicals or dyes to fabrics
• Polymer Compounder (ThermoElectron) – mixes pigments or effect additives into polymer chip prior to extrusion.
• Roaches Garment Dyeing Machine – short length and garment dyeing machine
• Super Critical Carbon Dioxide Dyeing Machine – dry, waterless dyeing machine enabling coloration with lower environmental impact
• Super Critical Carbon Dioxide Extractor – dry, solventless extraction system for removal of valuable materials from natural and synthetic materials
• TruFade Tester – xenon arc light fastness instrument to test the colour fastness to light of textiles, leather and other materials
• Unilever Laundry Facility – laundering machines and tumble dryers for the development of innovative laundry processing. (Part of the Unilever Strategic Investment Partnership)
• Wet Spinning Line (Dienes) – pilot scale line which can extrudes the polymer dope into a coagulation bath to form mono- and multi-filament wound packages

View a 360 image of the Wet and Dry Processing Lab.

The Workshop supports the whole of the School and is heavily used by the Art & Design, Graphics and Fashion students. We have a range of facilities and tools which broadly can be divided into four areas - Casting, woodwork, metalwork and 3D Printing. The workshop equipment includes:  

• 3D printing – offer a range of 3D printers such as the Ultimaker Extended 2+, Ultimaker Extended 3, Formlabs Form 2 resin printers and a Builder 3D Extream 1500 Pro. The printers are supported by Autodesk CAD fusion 360 software
• Associated facilities – Vacuum former and a CNC Denford Router
• Casting area – includes model-making, plaster, concrete, wax melting pot, Jesmonite, clay-modelling
• Metal workshop – fully equipped metalwork activity including metal guillotine, sheet metal roller, TIG welder, MIG welder, stick welder, plasma cutter, polisher, angle grinder and chop saw
• Woodwork workshop – includes a communal woodwork table orbital sander, belt sander, bandsaw, large table saw, pillar drill, large crosscut saw, mitre saw and scroll saw. In addition, we also have a wide selection of hand tools and power tools that include drills, sanders, jigsaws, planers, dovetail jig, router, saws, screwdrivers, nail gun/stapler and a lot more besides!

XLAB is a cutting-edge research and teaching facility focused on digital and immersive solutions. It offers state-of-the-art tools and resources for designing, developing, and evaluating Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), haptic and motion capture experiences. 

Key Features: 

• Advanced Technologies: head mounted display for VR/MR, motion capture systems, and bio-feedback devices (e.g., EEG and eye-tracking). 
• Immersive Equipment: 3D body scanner, haptic gloves, haptic suits, and VR treadmills for enhanced interactive experiences. 
• Bio-feedback devices: EEG and eye-tracking (screen-based and wearable) devices.  
• Collaborative Environment: Encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and idea sharing. 

XLAB is ideal for students, researchers, and professionals aiming to innovate and excel in the field of immersive technology.