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Workshop service

We have the mechanical, glassblowing and electronic expertise to meet all your needs.

What we support

  • Mechanical Services

    The Core mechanical workshop located at the back of the Russel building provides design, build and manufacture services on behalf of Technical Services Operations for schools as part of the Infrastructure Division. This is a modern facility employs various machine tools to machine and fabricate components and equipment to very high specifications using conventional and CAD/CAM machining techniques. We are able to construct equipment using a wide range of materials for a wide range of purposes. Our experienced workshop team are skilled and friendly and always happy to advise on the best way of building the equipment to achieve your goals. If unable to accommodate requirements we will assist in outsourcing your needs.

  • Electronic Services

    The Electronic workshop facility is located in the Chemistry building. Technical staff in this area deal with the design, construction and maintenance of equipment requiring electrical or electronic input. The Technical staff are able to design and construct digital and analogue circuits as well as diagnose, modify and repair a wide range of scientific laboratory equipment with electro mechanical problems. If there are specialised electrical and electronic requirements that are outside the remit of the technicians they will advise and assist with regard to contracting out solutions.

  • Glassblowing Services

    The glassblowing facility offers a bespoke professional glass-blowing service enabling the design, fabrication, modification and repair of a wide range of complex borosilicate, soda glass and quartz scientific glassware. The Technician in this area is a member of the British Society of Scientific Glassblowers, very experienced, skilled and knowledgeable with regard to the physical characteristics of glasses and design of scientific glassware. The facility incorporates several glass blowing lathes, lapping machines, diamond wheel water-cooled/lubricated glass cutting machines, a bench mounted turning head machine, annealing oven, furnace oven and an assortment of turret burners and hand torches. Given the wide range of tooling and the technician's skill set a plethora of scientific glassware can be manufactured such as vacuum manifolds and associated accessories, short path micro distillation apparatus, fractionating columns, chromatography columns, NMR tube cleaners, single-use sealable reaction tubes, double manifold/Schlenk lines, electrochemical cells. It rarely happens but if a work request falls outside the scope of the workshop e.g. extremely large pieces of work, or work with precise optical requirements we are able to advise and assist in outsourcing of items

  • Workshops

  • Technical infrastructure

How to request workshop and infrastructure services

Please email your request to: ts-ops-workrequests@reading.ac.uk

Name Area Contact information
Mr Andy Whittam Infrastructure

a.w.whittam@reading.ac.uk

0118 378 6065

Mr Scott O'Brien

Operations

s.obrien@reading.ac.uk