What is a FabLab?
Pioneered by MIT's Neil Gershenfeld, a FabLab (fabrication laboratory) is a small scale workshop with the tools to make almost anything. This includes technology-enabled products generally perceived as limited to mass production. The FabLab empowers people to create their own devices and products and therefore does for physical fabrication what a desktop PC does for publishing and digital media.
For a brief overview of what has been happening at the Fablab at Mediamatic so far, see our Fablab portfolio.
What can you make with it?
"Almost anything!" would be Gershenfeld's response. The FabLab equipment is designed to complement each other so that almost all aspects of a project can be developed within a lab with no need for external manufacturing.
Feel free to use the machines to prototype a new El Hema product: join the El Hema design competition.
Who we are
Mediamatic is an organisation located in Amsterdam that organizes exhibitions, salons, lectures, workshops, screenings in public space and develops software and art projects.
FabLab @ Mediamatic is in co-operation with the FabLab @ the Waag Society and both are part of the overall organisation of FabLab's in the Netherlands FabLab.nl.
When and how?
Fablab can be visited by appointment (phone/email Bernardo Gaeiras), Fablab users will be available to introduce you to the machines and guide you through a strategy to get your idea into a prototype, for example for the El Hema design competition!
You can join the Mediamatic Fablab as a volunteer: you get free access to the machines as long as you document your work, ideas onto the Mediamatic website and the Fablab wiki, help in knowledge transfer, and support and guide others that want to learn.
Also, workshops around specific design or graphics themes are being organized. We are busy planning, please check our website soon for more information.
The machines
*3D milling and scanning machine:
This 3D milling machine drills out woods, plastics and even metals and can make all types of parts and casings. It can also be used to make circuit boards by drilling away unwanted copper. The milling machine doubles up as a very accurate 3D scanner which makes it ideal for duplicating extra parts that you might need. The Mediamatic Fablab will work with a Roland Modela MDX20:
*A Laser Cutter:
This laser cutter can be used to make stencils, engravings and cut flat parts for making models. It can even be used to draw greyscale images on anodised aluminium. The Mediamatic Fablab works with a Epilog Mini 24 Laser Cutter.
*Vinyl Cutter
This vinyl cutter can be used for making custom stickers for signage and also for cutting copper traces for circuits and antennas. The Mediamatic Fablab uses the Roland Camm-1 GX24
*Additional machines:
Epson R1800 Dye Sub Printer and Hix Heat Press
With the dye sub printer and heat transfer press you can make high quality looking T-shirt and clothing designs.
Video Tutorials
We are putting together a series of video tutorials going through the setup and use of the FabLab equipment. We hope this will be useful not only for those wishing to use the FabLab at Mediamatic but also for other FabLab's all over the world. Bellow is the the FabLab channel player which contains all the video tutorials so far. You can also visit the show page at fablab.blip.tv
Links
FabLab @ MIT
FabLab @ Waag
FabLab.nl
Forums
Video Tutorials
Wiki
