SIL-EE is Officially Reopening: Here’s what you need to know
Hidden in the nooks and crannies of Carré, C2531, lies a facility where a microscope can reveal details finer than a human hair, a printer that can make working PCBs, and instrumentation such as a Moku:Pro and an SMU which can reveal what is actually happening within your tiny electronic circuits. This is the Systems Integration Lab (SIL-EE), and in [datum] it is officially opening its doors again.
What is SIL-EE?
SIL-EE was established as a project from the Electrical Engineering discipline back in 2022, with the goal of promoting more cross-disciplinary research across EEMCS. From researchers and PhD students to bachelor students, this facility gives project groups the tools they need for hardware-focused development and collaboration. What does SIL-EE offer exactly?
Fabrication Equipment
Most makerspaces today offer fabrication equipment like 3D printers and laser cutters. SIL-EE provides free access to their Ultimaker S5 3D printer and their Trotec Speedy 300 Laser Cutter. In addition to that, they also offer a PCB printer, the BotFactory SV2, which can print custom circuitry on materials and even automatically add components! For these it is important to bring your own material. But to ensure components work properly, they should also be testable.
Analysis Equipment
In addition to SIL-EE being a makerspace, it also offers high-quality analysis tools. Whether you’re troubleshooting a soldering issue or researching a device failure, SIL-EE offers access to the Keyence VK-X3000, a powerful laser microscope that zooms in with detail finer than a speck of dust. In addition to that SIL-EE offers the usage of basic instrumentation devices too. In addition to a regular oscilloscope, the lab also provides the Moku:Pro, a robust, multi-purpose portable instrument that can change into a spectrum analyser, PID controller, arbitrary waveform generator, and oscilloscope. Whilst previously this would require multiple instruments, it is now all packaged in a single device. But precision in measurement can only matter when putting together your circuits first.
Soldering Equipment
Soldering equipment is standard in most labs, but SIL-EE takes it further. Not only do they offer two soldering stations, but they also have a reflow oven! A reflow oven allows for adding components to a board without having to tediously manually solder it. You place the components on the board, then the whole thing goes into this oven, which then solders everything in one pass.
The Reopening Event
SIL-EE officially reopens on [datum] at [tijd] in C2531. Drop by for a guided tour of the lab, meet the team, discover previous facilitated projects, and see the equipment in action. No reservation needed, just walk by whenever seems fit.
Want to use the lab for your own project or research? Access is granted by completing the safety form through the SIL-EE UT page. Bachelor and master students, PhD students, and researchers across EEMCS are all welcome. Later down the line, more equipment may be introduced for even better facilitation of hardware development and analysis. For questions, equipment requests, or general curiosity, contact lab manager Julian Berkhout at sil-ee@utwente.nl or check the SIL-EE UT page.