Welcome to the College of Design FabLab

The FabLab is the College of Design’s shared environment for learning through making. It brings together tools, equipment, materials, technical knowledge, and staff support to help you translate an idea into a physical object.

Our goal is not simply to give you access to machines. We want to help you understand which process to use, how to prepare for it, and how to work safely and responsibly in a shared fabrication environment.

New to the FabLab? Start with Your First FabLab Visit, then review Safety & Shared-Space Rules and Training & Equipment Access.

Quick Links

• Your First FabLab Visit
• Safety & Shared-Space Rules
• Training & Equipment Access
• Laser Cutting
• Laser Materials: GO / NO-GO
• Reserve a Laser in EMS ↗
• 3D Printing
• Woodworking — The Shop
• Plan a Course or Large Project
• Get Help / Report a Problem

Your Path Through the FabLab

Most successful projects follow the same basic path:

1. Define what you are trying to make
   Begin with the outcome, not the machine. Consider the object’s purpose, size, material, required accuracy, finish, and deadline.

2. Choose an appropriate fabrication process
   Decide whether your project is best suited to woodworking, laser cutting, 3D printing, or a combination of processes. If you are unsure, bring your idea, drawing, or model to a FabLab staff member.

3. Confirm the requirements
   Different tools have different safety, training, supervision, file, and material requirements. Access to the FabLab does not automatically authorize the use of every machine.

4. Prepare before arriving
   Check your file, scale, units, dimensions, material, and available time. Leave room for testing, mistakes, machine availability, and revision—especially near major project deadlines.

5. Fabricate safely
   Follow posted procedures, use the required protective equipment, and remain attentive while equipment is operating. If something seems unsafe, unfamiliar, or incorrect, stop and ask for help.

6. Complete the whole process
   Clean your work area, return tools, collect or label your work, place reusable material in the appropriate reuse area, and report equipment problems or near misses to FabLab staff.

IDEA → PROCESS → TRAINING → PREPARATION → FABRICATION → CLEANUP → REFLECTION

Choose a Fabrication Process

Woodworking Lab — “The Shop”

Use the Shop to cut, shape, join, sand, and finish wood and approved sheet materials. It includes a range of hand tools, portable power tools, and stationary woodworking equipment.

Before beginning:

• Confirm that you are trained and authorized for the tools you intend to use.
• Arrive with a drawing, dimensions, and a reasonable sequence of operations.
• Inspect your material for fasteners, coatings, or conditions that could make it unsafe to machine.
• Use the required personal protective equipment and dust-control systems.
• Ask before attempting an unfamiliar cut, setup, or operation.

Laser Lab

The Laser Lab contains six OneLaser Cobra laser cutters for cutting and engraving approved materials. Laser cutting is useful for models, patterns, templates, prototypes, graphics, and accurately cut components.

Before beginning:

• Review the Approved Laser Materials.
• Never place an unknown or unapproved material in a laser.
• Prepare your file at the correct scale and distinguish cutting geometry from engraving artwork.
• Plan to test settings on a small piece of material before running the complete job.
• Remain with the machine throughout the job. Laser cutters present an active fire risk and must not be left unattended.

3D Printing

3D printing builds an object layer by layer from a digital model. It is especially useful for complex geometry, iterative prototypes, study models, replacement components, and forms that would be difficult to fabricate by subtractive methods.

Before submitting a print:

• Confirm that the model is at the intended scale and uses the correct units.
• Check that the geometry is printable and appropriately oriented.
• Consider print time, material use, supports, surface quality, and the likelihood of revision.
• Allow time for failed tests and design changes rather than treating the first print as the final object.

See the 3D Printing Guide for preparation and submission guidance.

If You Are Not Sure Where to Start

Bring us the problem rather than guessing at a machine.

Useful things to share with FabLab staff include:

• A sketch, drawing, digital model, or photograph
• The intended dimensions
• The material you hope to use
• The number of parts you need
• Your deadline
• What you have already tried
• The parts of the process you do not yet understand

Staff can help you compare processes, identify training needs, and recognize problems before they consume material or machine time.

The earlier you ask—particularly for a large, unusual, or course-wide project—the more useful that planning can be.

Planning a Course or Large Project

Faculty should contact the FabLab early when an assignment will require shared equipment. A short individual job can become several weeks of machine demand when multiplied across an entire course.

Early coordination helps the FabLab and faculty consider:

• Whether the process supports the assignment’s learning goals
• Student training and readiness
• Material availability
• File-preparation requirements
• Machine capacity and likely job duration
• Testing and iteration
• Peak demand created by shared deadlines
• Alternative processes when demand exceeds available capacity

FabLab staff support fabrication planning and safe equipment use. Faculty retain responsibility for the assignment, curriculum, and evaluation of student work.

Shared-Space Expectations

The FabLab works best when everyone contributes to its safety, clarity, and usefulness.

• Use only equipment for which you are currently trained and authorized.
• Follow staff instructions and posted safety requirements.
• Do not bypass guards, interlocks, ventilation, or other safety controls.
• Never conceal equipment damage, a failed job, or a near miss.
• Keep aisles, exits, controls, and shared work surfaces clear.
• Return tools and leave the next user a functional workspace.
• Label approved work that must remain temporarily in the lab.
• Sort reusable offcuts and materials into the designated reuse system.
• Ask before taking, moving, modifying, or disposing of someone else’s work.
• When uncertain, stop and ask. Asking for help is part of working safely.

Staffed Hours — Verification Pending

Schedule verification is pending. The times below reflect a current working operations direction and have not yet been confirmed as the public semester schedule. Check current College communications before relying on them.

• Monday–Friday: 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
• Saturday: Closed
• Sunday: 12:00–6:00 p.m.

Hours and access may change during holidays, academic breaks, special events, or temporary closures. Check current College communications before planning time-sensitive work.

A Successful FabLab Visit

A successful visit does more than produce an object. You should leave with:

• A better understanding of the process
• Evidence of what worked and what should change
• A safe and clean workspace
• Properly returned tools
• Reusable material preserved for future work
• Problems reported so they can be corrected
• Greater independence for your next project

The FabLab is a place to make, test, fail productively, revise, and learn.