The Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology
Industrial Technology Laboratories and Facilities
Materials Laboratory
Hands-on laboratories are an integral part of the Department of Industrial Technology’s mission to prepare students for technical and management careers in business, industry, agriculture and government for the improvement of our regional and global economies. Major training laboratories such as the Materials Lab enable students to determine properties such as hardness, tensile and impact strength of metals and other materials; to learn the microscopic granular structure of metals and wood; to practice heat treatment of steel; and to examine the properties of thermoplastic polymers and more. Hands-on testing of materials provides students with experience they can use in careers areas such as design and manufacturing. The lab is located in the Grosse Industrial Technology Building.
Manufacturing Processes Laboratory
The Manufacturing Processes Lab offers training in welding, casting and other methods of shaping metal, polymers and other materials into usable products. Following a lecture focusing on the mathematical principles behind manufacturing properties, including machine operation and process development, students go right into the lab and test those principles by cutting, shaping and joining metals and plastics. Skills learned in this lab give students practical and career opportunities that can be used in designing and developing systems using all types of products. It also prepares students for management positions by giving them the practical understanding of manufacturing work processes. The lab is located in the Grosse Industrial Technology Building.
Industrial Technology Machine Shop
The Machine Shop Laboratory offers students in Manufacturing Processes an opportunity
to learn and practice basic methods of manufacturing. Equipped with milling machines,
drill presses, band saws, lathes and other precision equipment, the lab provides hands-on
training for manufacturing parts out of steel, brass, aluminum, polymers and other
materials, including optimum methods for shaping the various materials. Skills learned
in this lab equip students for careers in design of parts and equipment and in small-
or large-scale manufacturing and processing operations. Students also will be prepared
for careers in management through hands-on understanding of how machine processes
work. The lab is located in the Grosse Industrial Technology Building.
Transportation Laboratory
The Department of Industrial Technology’s Transportation Laboratory provides tools, devices and instruments for students working on automotive design and renovation projects. As a supplement to lecture classes, students use the lab for hands-on experience with basic vehicle systems, engine technology and engine diagnostic procedures. They also are able to design and develop specialty vehicle components for use in enhancing performance. The lab provides a workshop for students in the Fresno State Motorsports Club to make special engine, chassis, and body modifications to enhance vehicle performance. It also serves as a shop for those in the Alternative Fuel Club to design, machine and test systems and parts that conserve fuel use. The lab is located in the Grosse Industrial Technology Building.
Geo-Spatial Laboratory
Fresno State’s Geo-Spatial Laboratory provides a base for hands-on field training
in the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) hardware and Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) software. From the lab, students travel throughout the Fresno State
campus and beyond conducting geographic mapping and other data collection exercises;
then they can return to process data.
The GPS units collect spatial data with high accuracy and precision – sub-meter to sub-foot. They communicate with mobile computing devices such as laptops, tablet PCs, desktop and hand-held PCs through client-server connections. GPS technology is applicable not only to agriculture, but also to other disciplines such as natural sciences and utilities, industry, and government/non-governmental agencies. The communication protocols include wired, wireless, bluetooth and other technologies.
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