1 of 27

Making in Food Science & Chemical Engineering

Jane Harding & Matthew Payor

2 of 27

What do we mean by Makerspace?

  • Traditionally a subscription based, shared workshop

​

  • A space the promotes learning though hands on experience, experimentation and innovation. Makerspace provides tools, knowledge and community to support these creative activities. A makerspace can provide both high-tech and low-tech facilities

​

  • Co-opted by our universities to be a little different – general access lab space with staffing

3 of 27

What do we mean by Makerspace?

Aspects that we are looking to capture:

  • Low barrier to access
    • Safety
    • Equipment ease of operation
    • Low cost of mistakes/damage
  • Community
  • Experimentation ("Hacking" / DIY)

​

Education through these aspects!

4 of 27

Jane & Matthew

  • Matthew
    • Exposed to the UNSW Makerspaces as a student casual

​

    • Now working for Chemical Engineering (incl. Food Science) to develop a Makerspace – the Fluids Foundry

​

    • Given space next door to the Food Lab

5 of 27

Jane & Matthew

  • Jane
    • Food Scientist who is currently working as a technical officer for Food Science teaching lab

​

    • Previously worked as a product developer at Arnott’s in sweet/chocolate

​

    • Nearly submitted her PhD….

6 of 27

Food Lab

In this initial stage the food lab is being used as a makerspace that supports research and allows students to further course work

​

  • Making food products

​

  • Analysing & Testing food products

​

​

7 of 27

Food Lab – Making Food Products

  • Making foods
  • Fermentation
  • Processing foods

8 of 27

Food Lab – Making Food Products

  • Making foods
  • Fermentation
  • Processing foods

9 of 27

Food Lab – Testing & Analysis

  • Analytic equipment use�(e.g. texture analyser, �viscometer, volume scanner, RVA)
  • Sensory analysis
  • Microscopy

​

10 of 27

Food Lab – Testing & Analysis

  • Analytic equipment use�(e.g. texture analyser, �viscometer, volume scanner, RVA)
  • Sensory analysis
  • Microscopy

​

11 of 27

Food Lab – Testing & Analysis

  • Analytic equipment use�(e.g. texture analyser, �viscometer, RVA)
  • Sensory analysis
  • Microscopy

​

12 of 27

Fluids Foundry

Things that aren't for eating happen in here.

​

  • Making chemical products

​

  • Analysing & Testing chemical products

​

​

13 of 27

Fluids Foundry – Making Chemical Products

  • Heat Exchangers
  • Printing & Bonding
  • Formulations
  • Moulds

​

​

​

14 of 27

Fluids Foundry – Making Chemical Products

  • Heat Exchangers
  • Printing & Bonding
  • Formulations
  • Moulds

​

​

​

15 of 27

Fluids Foundry – Making Chemical Products

  • Heat Exchangers
  • Printing & Bonding
  • Formulations
  • Moulds

​

​

​

16 of 27

Fluids Foundry – Making Chemical Products

  • Heat Exchangers
  • Printing & Bonding
  • Formulations
  • Moulds

​

​

​

17 of 27

Fluids Foundry – Making Chemical Products

  • Heat Exchangers
  • Printing & Bonding
  • Formulations
  • Moulds

​

​

​

18 of 27

Fluids Foundry – Making Chemical Products

  • Heat Exchangers
  • Printing & Bonding
  • Formulations
  • Moulds

​

​

​

19 of 27

Fluids Foundry – Making Chemical Products

  • Heat Exchangers
  • Printing & Bonding
  • Formulations
  • Moulds

​

​

​

20 of 27

Fluids Foundry – Making Chemical Products

  • Heat Exchangers
  • Printing & Bonding
  • Formulations
  • Moulds

​

​

​

21 of 27

Fluids Foundry – Analysing & Testing

  • Fluid Testing
  • Imaging
  • Computer Vision

​

​

​

22 of 27

Fluids Foundry – Analysing & Testing

  • Fluid Testing
  • Imaging
  • Computer Vision

​

​

​

23 of 27

Fluids Foundry – Analysing & Testing

  • Fluid Testing
  • Imaging
  • Computer Vision

​

​

​

24 of 27

Fluids Foundry – Analysing & Testing

  • Fluid Testing
  • Imaging
  • Computer Vision

​

​

​

25 of 27

Challenges!

As always, practical skills.

26 of 27

Challenges!

Access

  • Use of mixed spaces
    • Primarily a teaching space
  • Staffing downtime from teaching timetables

27 of 27

Challenges!

Teaching operation of lab instruments

  • Transition from ugrad to research/workforce
  • Connecting reality to theory
  • Basic skills – cleaning, gasses, sample preparation – make mistakes and learn