Welcome to the Design Technicians website
Kia ora!
Welcome to the Design Labs blog! This is the virtual home of the design technicians and where we post articles, links, and general information related to design technology.
Please check back on a regular basis and feel free to contact the technicians with all of your tech-related questions.
Nga mihi
Our Equipment & Machines
3D Printing
Additive manufacturing technique for rapid prototyping that uses filament
Spatial Computing Lab
Hybrid computer space for film, mocap, and content creation
Soldering Stations
Join two metal surfaces together using solder – used for electronics
Electronics
List of components that we have in the workshop ready for you to purchase
Laser Cutting
Cut and etch into a variety of both flat and round materials/objects
Water Jet Cutting
Similar to a laser cutter but cuts using water at high pressure
CNC Routing
Moving a tool to a specific x, y, and z coordinates to cut away material
Vacuum Forming
Heat up a plastic sheet and form it over your object – good for mould making
Spray Booth
We have 2 types of paint spray-guns that you can use with waterbase paints
Machine & Material Credits
See what materials we have in the lab and purchase them through the CAI store
Sewing Station
Use our craft station complete with an overlocker to create patterns and garments
Embroidery Machine
Our new digital embroidery machine converts digital artwork into textiles
Vinyl/Sticker Cutting
Print and cut out custom stickers and vinyls that can be used for decorations
Badge Making
Easily create custom badges with a variety of backing options
Workshop Calendar
Our standard hours are 9am – 4pm but these can vary depending on deadlines etc.
Meet the Technicians
Jamie
Senior Technician (He/Him)
With a background as a Mechanical and Software Design Engineer, he is a great all-rounder in hands-on creation, digital fabrication, programming microcontrollers, electronics, CAD Design and general tinkering. With special interests in automation, electronics design and vehicle engines.
Steve
Technician (He/Him)
Steve is our model making expert and loves 3D printing!
If you need to make something physical Steve can help you work out how. From crafting to surface finishing, computer modelling to fabrication, you’ll learn a thing or two and pick up new skills from him.
Aldo
Technician (They/Them)
Electronics and game development master. Aldo has gained industry experience through their NZ game design company along with their tenure at multiple game development companies. They are a tinkerer who is always ready to share their knowledge.
Jillian
Technician (She/Her)
Having worked as a graphic, packaging, and industrial designer, Jillian has industry experience with both digital and physical mediums. She is passionate about silicone and ceramic casting, sewing, 3D printing, and the Adobe Creative Suite.
Where to find us
We are located in the Design Lab within the engineering building 402, level 3, room 340.
The Design Lab is next to the Design Studios and one level under the Unleashed Space.
Our standard hours are 9am – 4pm but these can vary depending on deadlines etc.
Contact Us
For more information, you can drop in or contact us via email at designtech@auckland.ac.nz
This blog is primarily for students at the University of Auckland
Check out our Projects page for tips and tricks
Solar powered WiFi weather station with Google sheets upload
This project uses spare solar panels and an ESP-01 DHT11 module to gather weather data and upload it to a google spreadsheet. The code for the ESP-01 (ESP8266) is written within the Arduino IDE. It uses a timer system to periodically check its temperature and...
Creating professional pinout diagrams
This is a great tutorial from Adafruit showing how to create professional pinout/wiring diagrams with free vector software Inkscape. It could also be transferred over to Illustrator. This link is to the Adafruit blog post with a video and a link to the template file....
Brilliant Smart WiFi plug
These smart plugs are a readily available, low-cost, and non-invasive home automation solution. Some models also have power monitoring. This module can be purchased from the likes of PB Tech but its stock firmware does not have an open API that allows for access to...