Instrument Service and Support
Service Requests
Work requests are prioritized using a number of criteria. We will make every attempt to meet your requested completion date. However, due to the number of requests we receive, we also need to take into consideration other factors in our scheduling, such as the number of students that will be affected, the complexity of the project or repair, the availability of materials, and whether any alternatives exist. For example, urgent repairs to equipment for a teaching laboratory will typically take priority over a fabrication project for faculty research. With the high demand for technical services, please plan your project requests as far in advance as possible to avoid disappointment.
The costs of labor, repair parts, and incidental supplies will be borne by the STSS department or the College’s equipment repair budget. You will be asked to supply a budget number for the purchase of the other supplies and materials required for your project.
Instrument Repair
STSS staff capably perform repairs and maintenance on a wide variety of instruments and equipment. In order to remain current with their skills, our technicians regularly attend training programs hosted by instrument manufacturers and independent organizations. We suggest that you speak with us first regarding your repair needs. We can assess the problem and determine the most cost-effective means to complete the repairs. If this means having the work performed by the manufacturer or other agency, we will make the needed arrangements, if desired.
Even if the equipment is under warranty or service contract, we appreciate being involved in the repair process. Working with the manufacturer’s technicians, we can enhance our ability to repair or adjust the instrument in the future after the warranty or service contract has expired. We will also be happy to assist you in determining whether a service contract is likely to be cost-effective, or whether performing repairs in-house would be a better choice.
Maintenance Requests
Many equipment manufacturers provide recommendations for tasks to be performed at regular intervals to help minimize any unplanned downtime from unexpected equipment failure. When feasible, it is highly recommended that STSS be aware of these recommendations and help facilitate the maintenance task.
STSS staff can plan and schedule work requests that auto generate for routine and regular maintenance tasks. Examples of such tasks include vacuum pump oil change, instrument performance testing, fan cleaning, battery replacement.
Please inform any Technical Services group member if you would like to have preventative maintenance performed on your equipment.
Instrument Training
Jody Smith offers guidance to faculty and students on the operation of various instrument systems and assists in developing new analytical protocols.
Kevin Booth offers user training on a variety of instrument systems, most notably the Olympus Confocal Microscope.
Lance Ritchie is proficient in the use and operation of several pieces of equipment in the Physics department as well as the JEOL NMR spectrometer.