Overview

To work in the lab, you’ll need to complete the tasks and on boarding/training activities below. This will equip you with a base level of materials, knowledge and skill sets required to conduct research and to mentor/teach others to do so.
- [ **** ] Complete within 4 weeks of term start
- [ *** ] Complete within 3 weeks of term start
- [ ** ] Complete within 2 weeks of term start
- All others, complete within one week of term start

Items / materials

Desk and materials - Graduate students obtain desks in 35-010 or 35-135. MechE administration usually takes care of this automatically, however if the semester is about to start and you do not have a desk, please e-mail the lab admin - Katherine Eisenbach (keisenba@mit.edu) - and cc Prof. Culpepper so that we can trigger the process to get you a desk. If it is important for you to have materials for your desk that are necessary for your research, community contribution or TA (e.g. laptop lock, monitor, etc.) email Prof. Culpepper with what you want, cost and justification. He will consider the need and make a decision on purchasing.

Engineering notebook - Determine the type of lab notebook you would like, see below, and then email Katherine (keisenba@mit.edu) with your request. She will place the order. Make sure to tell her to put this on the lab discretionary account, provide the link to the item, and provide a picture of the item in your e-mail:
- Spiral bound notebook
- Hard cover (recommend the 312 page version)
- Tape bound notebook

Lit. search template - You'll need to keep track of your literature search efforts. There is a template here that you can adapt to keep track and provide synopses of your literature search. You don’t have to use this specific template; you can make your own format if you like (e.g. google sheet) as long as it contains the same information. Keep your literature search synopsis, and all of the results of your literature search (PDFs of papers), in your personal folder (already created) within the "literature review" folder in the lab google folder.

Lab community contribution - Everybody in the lab has helps out with a community contribution. For example, someone takes care of the server… another takes care of the 5 axis mill, etc… Contact Prof. Culpepper to ask about what you can do to help the lab and others have a productive experience.

Access

Culpepper Lab - Contact the lab admin - Katherine Eisenbach (keisenba@mit.edu) - trigger the process to get your MIT connected to the lab door (35-029).

****MakerWorkshop - If you aren’t a member of the MakerWorkshop, make sure to join (attend a general training event first, see their web site). Then, get trained on the following:
- Large waterjet
- Laser cutter
- Manual lathe

****SHED - You will need to join the SHED prototyping space as a member, not mentor… just member. Send an email to Hannah Gazdus (hgazdus@mit.edu) and CC Tolga Durak (tdurak@mit.edu) and Prof. Culpepper requesting to start the membership application process. Mention that you work for me in the email. SHED has a metal 3D printer, wire EDM, laser cutter, various FDM 3D printers, small waterjet, and more you can access as a member. Training on these machines should be open in February 2026.

Safety

Assessment & online training - Go to atlas.mit.edu —> Learning Center —> My Profile —> Update PI/Activities —> Save and Continue to complete the self-assessment. Then, complete all the trainings under My Training Needs.

**Lab specific training - Once this is complete, contact the lab safety representative (TBD 2026) to schedule a lab specific chemical training.

Software

MIT software - You can find software for download at the MIT IST website - https://ist.mit.edu/software-hardware. You will need to download and install the following

- SolidWorks (Make sure to install SolidWorks Simulation - the FEA component - when prompted for options to install)
- Microsoft Office (installed at minimum Excel, Powerpoint and Word)

**Commercial software

- Carbide motion (for the 3 axis white mill)
- Bambu studio (for 3D printer)
- HSMWorks (AFTER SolidWorks is installed ). Go to Autodesk, login or create an account, download the plug in and install it. Any issues, contact Prof. Culpepper.

Lab accounts

Google account - E-mail Prof. Culpepper with the subject “Red M Google Account request”.

Server account - Contact the lab server guru (for 2025-2026 - yhamed@mit.edu) to set up your account. You can use the lab server to run demanding simulations and to store information.

Drop Box - E-mail Prof. Culpepper with subject “PCSL drop box account request“. There are many resources in the lab Drop Box, take a look around to see what you might find useful in the future.

Lab fabrication skills to obtain

**Bambu 3D printer – You can self-teach this machine via videos on the web. Please learn this and print a demo part for your research or personal interest.

***3 axis mill – If you do not know how to do CAM-based machining, you must train on this machine first before using the 5 axis machine (you can still train on the 5 axis, just not use it yet). If you have a lot of experience, you can skip this but you must ask Prof. Culpepper for permission by email. This is a 3 axis mill, the carbide 3D mill, that is useful for small precise parts. You can self-teach this machine. This is a great way to learn basic CNC. Please learn this and machine a demo part for your research or personal project.

****5 axis mill – Contact Hannah Gazdus (hgazdus@mit.edu) for training on the 5 axis mill, and again make a part for your research or personal project.

Software skills to obtain

CAD - We are standardized on SolidWorks in the lab, do not ask to use any other CAD software. Make sure you know how to do everything in the tutorials listed below – if you already know you don’t have to do them, but make sure you *know* how to use/do. If you don't, I recommend repeating the respective tutorial a few times until you can do this without leaning on the tutorial instructions. Open Solidworks. In the upper right corner of the screen, click the question mark (?) symbol, and select Tutorials. NOTE, in the new window that pops up, there are different sections per the buttons/tabs at the top of the window that show different tutorials.
- Lesson 1: Parts
- Lesson 2: Assemblies
- Revolves and sweeps
- Pattern features
- Fillets

***CAM - We are standardized on HSMWorks in the lab (this may be changing to Fusion CAM). Open SolidWorks. In the upper right corner of the screen, click the question mark (?) symbol, and select HSMWorks tutorials. NOTE - in the new window that pops up, there are different sections per the buttons/tabs at the top of the window that show different tutorials. Make sure you know how to do everything in the tutorials listed below – if you already know you don’t’ have to do them, but make sure you *know* how to use/do. If you don't, I recommend repeating the respective tutorial a few times until you can do this without leaning on the tutorial instructions"
- Under Tutorial 1 - 2D Machining, do all of the subsections
- Under Tutorial 3 - 3+2 Machining, do all of the subsections
- Ask Hannah Gazdus (hgazdus@mit.edu) which tutorials to do for the 5 axis

***FEA - We use multiple FEA software in the lab. You can use other FEA software, but you must be able to also use SolidWorks Simulation/FEA (i.e. you must complete these tutorials). In SolidWorks, select: Simulation -> Help -> Tutorials . Make sure you know how to do everything in the tutorials listed below – if you already know you don’t have to do them, but make sure you *know* how to use/do. If you don't, I recommend repeating the respective tutorial a few times until you can do this without leaning on the tutorial instructions. NOTE, in the new window that pops up, there are different sections per the buttons/tabs at the top of the window that show different tutorials.
- Analysis of a part
- Symmetry restraints
- Frequency analysis
- Thermal analysis