What is a Fab Lab?
"A Fab Lab (fabrication laboratory) is a fully kitted fabrication workshop which gives everyone in the community from small children through to entrepreneurs and businesses, the capability to turn their ideas and concepts into reality."
Manchester has been chosen as the first city in the UK to host a Fab Lab, a community inventors' workshop where new products can be built by both businesses and individuals. It was born out of Massachusetts Institute of Technology see about us for more info.
To see what the Fab Lab can do for you, select the appropriate box below:
BUSINESS USERS
The Manchester Fab Lab offers businesses of all sizes the opportunity to develop and make prototypes for new product ideas. Alongside the equipment, the Fab Lab staff will help you by bringing expertise in a variety of development disciplines. From precision laser cutters to accurate moulding and milling equipment, the Fab Lab contains everything you need to produce accurate 3D models and prototypes of all descriptions.
SCHOOL USERS
If you’re a school and are looking to stimulate creativity and spark innovation, then Fab Lab is the ideal place to start. Fab Lab can help children realise their potential and go beyond the classroom boundaries. The Fab Lab can be used for single events or frequently as part of a project.
COMMUNITY USERS
If you’re a community group or organisation that would like a space to meet and to develop new ideas, build teams or make something incredible, the Fab Lab is here for you. Whether you're into arts, crafts, sports or science, everybody is welcome.
INDIVIDUAL USERS
If you’re an entrepreneur or inventor and want to create products and solve problems, then Fab Lab is the place for you or if you’re an individual with a fantastic idea that you want to make quickly, cheaply and easily, then Fab Lab can help you.
Building Creative Teams
A 1 day workshop in the UK’s only Fab Lab, offering a unique chance to understand how to improve your team’s ability to innovate.
Dimension 1200es Series 3D Printer
The Printer we have is a Dimension 1200es. It has a large build capacity of the Dimension 1200es 3D Printers gives you the room to print large functional, durable models (in build sizes up to 10" x 10" x 12") for evaluation and testing under real-world conditions.The printers are simple to operate too: just click 'print' to prep the CAD file and print the model, then remove the support material to reveal your design in three dimensions.
Funding & Support
From 2D to 3D Demo
Open demo to show you a tool to easily make a 3d model
Software
Here is a list of the design tools and software that are used in Fab Lab Manchester
Young Fab Academy - Summer 2012
join us for our Young Fab Academy at Fab Lab Manchester, a digital fabrication workshop which give you the tools to bring your product ideas to life.
Writing up your project
To help you write up your project we provide you with this handy little guide.
Sponsorship
Can you help us benefit the community? This year you could do something great by sponsoring young people or a machine at Fab Lab Fab Labs are designed to bring innovation to grass roots, to provide local solutions for local problems. The aim is to provide everyone with the opportunity to design and create something to improve their lives, and hopefully others too! With this in mind we need support from many areas to make this work from people to skills, equipment and resources.
Basic Vacuum Bagging
A simple guide on how to vacuum bag form "friendly" composites. This uses a cotton fabric as the mesh and smooth on plastic for the glue.
Digital Trees
FutureEverything in partnership with the Fab Lab ran the Fab Lab Challenge. It offered 18 artists each a full session in the lab to create a new piece of work from scratch in 8 hours. At the start of each session the Fab Lab team gave the artists a loose theme to respond to in making their work. The session I was involved in was themed ‘Urban Interventions within a Digital World.’ I made some digital trees...
Fab Academy - 18th Jan 2012
Fab Academy - Diploma taught by MIT and Fab Lab Manchester, learn how to design and make almost anything using the range of Fab Lab equipment
Materials Needed
Fab Lab is always looking for raw materials. We welcome off-cuts or perhaps you would like to donate some materials which we can use for school or community projects.
Marble Maze Computer
For a long time I’ve been trying to design a mechanical computer, similar to what Charles Babbage tried to build with his difference engine and analytical engine. Babbage never finished his computers because he had enormous problems making the precise custom parts he needed with 19th century technology. With access to a Fablab, I can make similar machine parts in a matter of a few hours. My design is very different to Babbage’s and uses moving marbles or ball bearings to represent data.
Water Filtration Apple Model
This is the model of a final year project which involved the development of a water filtration system in the shape of an Apple for use in third world countries with children.
Eagle to modela program
This program allows you to design your PCB in eagle and send it easily to the modella to mill out the circuit board.
Volunteering
Fab Lab Manchester is always looking for keen, interested folks to help us help others make things. It doesn't matter how much time you can spare.
Fab Lab Fotos
How to set up your eye fi enabled camera to link to the central fab fotos picasa album
Jobs
Fab Lab and other jobs
Fab Coaster!
A Fab Lab essential for all those coffee drinkers who prefer not to leave rings!!
