As a result of Dr. Koubek’s email to campus regarding the Governor’s executive order, I am cancelling all use reservations in the calendar this afternoon. We will be ready to begin again after we return from the stay at home 3 weeks from now.
Building, hallway, or multi-lab issues.
It is important to use the google reservation calendars now in case we need to get in touch with you.
Here are the instructions. https://www.mtu.edu/acmal/access/reservations/
ACMAL lab managers are working within the group, with other Shared Facility directors and the VPR office to formulate lab procedures to be used during this period. You can expect to receive those plans by weeks end. Please feel free to email me any ideas you may have relative to using a facility shared with other faculty and graduate students.
Updated March 13, 2020.
The ACMAL facility will be open during the one month hiatus.
Information for use of the facility during that time is included in this message.
Our overall message to you is please think ahead. If you know you will need help arrange that ahead of time.
Nearly no remote operation.
Most of the ACMAL equipment/software is not compatible with remote operation or remote data analysis. In nearly all cases you will need to come to the facility to work. An exception is two XRD software programs. Ed Laitila can help you access them ealaitil@mtu.edu .
Calendar system.
Use the calendar reservation system to book equipment time. XPS sessions can be scheduled by contacting Tim Leftwich trleftwi@mtu.edu. Avoid bringing multiple people to the lab with you. Work independently as much as possible. Special conditions apply for campus visitors who come to the labs.
Training.
ACMAL staff will do our best to accommodate training during the hiatus period, but it may not be available right away. Again, plan ahead.
Handling ACMAL equipment.
Please wear gloves for all instrument use. ACMAL staff will be cleaning door knobs, sample holders, keyboards and mice, and knob set controls each day. You can cleanse surfaces yourself if you’d like with wipes that will be available next week.
Sickness.
Do not come to the labs sick. Please refer to the University information regarding self-identifying illness and self-isolation. If ACMAL staff are exposed to COVID-19 or infected, a unit in the facility may have to be closed.
Fluid situation.
It is important to note that this situation is changing daily and you should expect adjustments to current policies and procedures. I will send you updates as necessary.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Contact me if you need help. My phone number is 906-369-1875. I don’t use text very much so call me.
The annual steam shutdown will take place during the week following spring commencement—Sunday, May 3 – Friday, May 8 (weather permitting). This outage is required to provide maintenance and service of the boilers and steam distribution system on campus. This planned maintenance improves the reliability of our system and reduces the likelihood of an unplanned failure during the winter heating season.
There will not be heat or hot water in the affected buildings during the steam shutdown. There will be no distilled water available from the steam-driven stills. Steam-driven autoclaves/sterilizers will not be operational.
The buildings affected will include:
- Administration Building
- ROTC Building
- Academic Offices Building
- Annex Building
- Electrical Energy Resources
- DOW Envir Sciences & Eng Bldg
- Rozsa Performing Arts & Educ
- Walker – Arts & Humanities
- Minerals & Materials Engr Bldg
- Grover C. Dillman Hall
- Fisher Hall
- J.R. Van Pelt Library
- U.J. Noblet Forestry Building
- Chemical Sciences & Engr Building
- R.L. Smith (MEEM) Building
- Student Development Complex
- Kanwal and Ann Rekhi Hall
- Douglass Houghton Hall
- Memorial Union Building
- Wadsworth Hall
- McNair Hall
- Central Heating Plant
- Facilities Management
- Hillside Place
- Great Lakes Research Center
Facilities Management has developed a five-year rotating plan to service the 12,470-volt switchgear and associated breakers on campus. Our campus electrical distribution system depends on this gear being in good working condition. This work requires a two-night power outage that affects the least number of buildings possible. Please note that in most cases elevators, fume hoods, exhaust fans, ventilation equipment, normal lighting, plug-in appliances, and plug-in equipment will not operate during the outage.
Only items connected to the building emergency generator will have power during the outage; the building emergency generators and battery systems that supply power to emergency/egress lighting and special equipment should function as normal. If you are unsure if your equipment connects to the building emergency generator, please contact the Facilities Management Building Mechanic for your building.
Information Technology will turn off all network equipment in the affected buildings for these outages starting at 5 p.m. You should plan to save any work and shut down your computer systems and exit buildings before the outages. Additionally, some buildings with power will be without phone or internet service. Only the buildings listed will have their power shut off during the scheduled outages.
There will be two power outages.
Power Outage One: Begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 6 until 6 a.m. Thursday, May 7.
Power Outage Two: Begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 7 until 6 a.m. Friday, May 8.
Building affected will include:
- Rekhi
- Dillman
- Fisher
- Hamar House / CDI
- Forestry
- M&M
- ME-EM
- ROTC
- Academic Office Building
- Alumni House
- Annex
Buildings with power but no phone or internet:
- Gates Tennis Center
- Little Huskies
- US Forest Service Labs
- EMS/SLS Garage
You can find more details and updates on the Facilities Management website. If there are questions or concerns with this plan, contact Energy Management or Facilities Management at 7-2303.
By Energy Management and Facilities Management.
The JEOL JSM-6400 SEM and the JEOL JEM-2010 TEM instruments in the Electron Optics Facility are no longer in service.
Please contact Owen Mills about alternatives.
Charlene will start today with prep and finish tomorrow.
I have found a bug in the logbook software. For longer sessions the when you go to logout, the system tries to log you in again (rather than out). If this happens to you just finish logging in then immediately log out. Then send me an email with your session time. This is an important step.
New software is coming soon.
This is just a reminder that the ACMAL facilities will be CLOSED Thursday, July 4, 2019. This is a University Closed Holiday so the building will also be locked.
Only those with swipe access will be able to use the instruments.
Please plan your instrument use accordingly.
We are working to install new PCs on the logbook stations. The one that could cause trouble is the FESEM. In case it isn’t working by 1pm I am going to by pass the system temporarily so you can use it without tapping in. The accelerating voltage ON software button will be active until I take the bypass off.
Both cordless drills are missing from the tool chest and no one has signed them out in the logbook. Please return right away – someone else needs to use one.