Self-Service Machine Shop rules and guidelines

The following information will help to ensure the safety of yourself and others as well as the maintenance of the Self-Service Machine Shop. This guide covers general use of the Self-Service Machine Shop. Due to the nature of work in the shop, this guide cannot cover all situations. The shop supervisor is available to answer any of your questions regarding methods, procedures, cutting tools and fluids.

ASU use only

The Self-Service Machine Shop may only be used for ASU research and ASU-related projects. No academic or personal projects are allowed. Breaking this or any other rules will result in your termination from using the ASU Self-Service Machine Shop.

 

Safety

The buddy system

Two people must be present when using the equipment in the Self-Service Machine Shop. The second person does not have to have completed the training. However, they cannot operate any equipment without having taken the training. Shop users are not allowed to provide training to others who have not completed the training, regardless of how basic the operation may be.

Eye protection

You must wear eye protection (safety glasses or goggles) at all times in the Self-Service Machine Shop. No exceptions are allowed, such as only doing calculations, only using the calipers, just looking for a piece of material, etc. Safety glasses are not the same as corrective glasses. The lenses are different material and the addition of side shields is required. The shop does not provide PPE equipment, you must supply your own PPE, no sharing of PPE allowed.

Other protection

Excessive noise may sometimes exist in the shop; ear plugs are available for use. No open-toed shoes, flip flops, moccasins, etc. are allowed. Fully-enclosed shoes such as tennis shoes are the minimum protection required. Jeans and clothes that can get dirty are preferred.

 

Additional safety requirements

  • Long hair and/or beards must be tied back or contained before operating any rotational, powered types of equipment.
  • Long sleeves must be rolled back and shop coats or smocks must be tied. No loose or flopping garments are allowed. Using the lathes with loose clothing is of particular danger and must be avoided.
  • No ties or neckwear are allowed.
  • Do not use MP3 players or iPods while using powered equipment.
  • When using the compressed air, be conscious of other people who may get sprayed with debris.
  • Be conscious of the direction metal shavings and chips may take as a result of a cutting operation. This mostly occurs with the fly cutter on the mills due to the high RPM nature of the tool. Try not to bombard other people with a stream of chips from the machine you are using.
  • No minors are allowed in the shop.

 

Housekeeping

The "return" policy

The Self-Service Machine Shop return policy is exactly that: return all tools, cutters and other equipment to where they belong. This makes it easier to find things the next time around. Everybody's time is important; it is frustrating to spend an inordinate amount of time locating something because it wasn't returned to its proper place.

The "rental" policy

The shop does not have a rental policy. Do not take tools from the shop. Violating this policy will result in suspension of the Self-Service Machine Shop privilege.

Machine clean up

Machining parts will create a mess—chips, oil, tools, diagrams, etc. Cleaning the machine and the surrounding area is not an option, it is essential. This includes the entire sphere of influence. The use of compressed air while machining creates a mess that extends well beyond the machine and may include walls, cabinets, etc. The person making the mess is required to clean up that mess... ALL OF IT. Use a rag to wipe off any oily residue on the table, the vise, the machine, the guards, the walls, etc. Make sure the digital read-out (DRO) is turned off and the electrical box is locked out when you are done using the machine.

Broken, worn out tools need to be brought to the attention of the shop supervisor. This will enable quicker replacement or re-sharpening of drills and tools.

If the saw blade pops off the wheels do not try to fix it. Only the shop supervisor is allowed to open the door of the saw and access the blade. If the saw blade is broken or untracked, call 480-965-3300 and let somebody at the Instrument Design and Fabrication Shop (RSS1 room 101) know about it.