Physics Machine Shop

Welcome to the UMBC Physics Department Machine Shop

The Physics Machine Shop supports research and instructional activities by providing consulting, design, fabrication, and maintenance services. Access is restricted to UMBC Physics Department faculty, staff, students, and approved research collaborators.

Eligible individuals may apply to become Independent Users after completing the necessary training requirements.

Contact & Location

Machine Shop Manager: Erik Crowe
Phone: 410-455-6342
Email: ejcrowe@umbc.edu
Manager’s Office: Physics Building, Room 219
Machine Shop: Physics Building, Room 016

Please contact Erik by email for all services and inquiries, including machining requests, project consultations, training, and Independent User qualification.

 

A motorized machine featuring a long, continuous loop of sandpaper. It can be oriented vertically or horizontally, with a flat metal platen behind the belt and a small work table for supporting parts.
Belt Sander
A tall, floor-standing machine with a circular or square work table mounted on a central vertical column. At the top is a motorized head with a rotating chuck and a three-spoke feed handle used to lower the drill bit into the workpiece.
Drill Press
A heavy, floor-standing metal machine with a vertical head. It features a long, horizontal worktable with handwheels at each end, a tall central column, and a rotating quill handle for lowering the cutting tool.
Manual Mill
A tall, upright machine with two large circular housings connected by a vertical frame. A thin, continuous serrated blade runs vertically through a flat, horizontal worktable located at waist height.
Vertical Band Saw
A compact, heavy-duty C-shaped cast iron frame designed for a workbench. It features a vertical square ram operated by a long, hand-powered lever and a rotating circular anvil at the base.
Manual Arbor Press
A large, enclosed CNC milling machine with a gray and white metal cabinet. It features a transparent sliding door revealing a vertical spindle above a rectangular metal worktable. A computer control arm with a monitor and keyboard is mounted to the side.
CNC Mill
A long, horizontal metal machine tool. It consists of a headstock with a rotating chuck on the left, a horizontal bed with a sliding carriage in the middle, and a tailstock on the right, all supported by a sturdy cast-iron base.
Manual Lathe
A low-profile machine with a long, heavy metal arm that pivots downward. The blade is held horizontally within the arm to cut through metal stock clamped in a built-in vise at the base.
Horizontal Band Saw
A versatile benchtop machine featuring three distinct sections: a set of three polished steel rollers on top, a long horizontal clamping bar for bending (brake) in the middle, and a sharp guarded blade (shear) at the bottom.
3 in 1 Metal Roller/Shear/Break