Electronics, 3D-Carving, and Molding & Casting at Fab Labs

Soldering surface mount components to the PCB board: LED, switch, battery holder.

The first three months of 2019 saw a flurry of Professional Development in Fab Labs from Mississippi/Louisiana to California. Fab Labs have a full quiver of digital fabrication tools and a well-stocked electronics station. The goal for these Professional Development workshops or …

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Makerspaces in Education: Becoming Comfortable Using Your ShopBot and Other Digital Fabrication Tools

Showing off projects created on a ShopBot CNC and a laser cutter

Do you own or have access to digital fabrication equipment such as a ShopBot CNC machine, laser cutter, or 3D printer, and an interest in education? Do you want to know more about the software and machines available for digital fabrication in …

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Professional Development for Educators in Pittsburgh: Carnegie Science Center

Carnegie Science Center is a popular spot for a play date, where children and adults can experience science first hand. It is also home to a Chevron FabLab, a digital fabrication laboratory for innovation and invention.  The Carnegie FabLab holds camps and programs for children 8 – 18.  Its mobile lab brings in depth digital …

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A Brief Timeline of Mobile Digital Fabrication Equipment

UI1 Mobile FabLab at a Maker Faire. An awning provides extra shelter when projects are set up outside the MFL.

 

It’s a great idea to take the digital fabrication equipment to the people, rather than the people having to travel to the equipment. As experience and the type of equipment available have changed, …

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Ohio Fab Lab provides 21st century skills and supports entrepreneurship

Lorain County Community College

 

It all started with a high school student raising his hand and asking a simple question: “Can we have a Fab Lab here?”

The year was 2005, and the questioner was a high-school aged student enrolled in the early college program offered by Lorain County Community College in Elyria, …

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FabLab Tacoma serves a community of students and entrepreneurs

FabLab Tacoma and Created to Create’s collaborative group

Founded in late 2012 by Stephen Tibbitts, FabLab Tacoma is a community-based prototyping and technology workshop that’s open to the public with a membership business model. I spoke with Stephen recently to learn more. “We opened up the FabLab to provide easy access to cutting-edge design …

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SolidWorks, FabLabs and ShopBot

Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS Corp. offers complete 3D computer-aided design (CAD) software that engineers, designers and other technology professionals use to create, simulate, publish, and manage their data. The FabLabs are an international community of over 300 fabrication laboratories, complete with an array of digital fabrication equipment, electronics components and molding equipment so that the community …

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CNC and STEM (STEAM) Education: 1

In 2003, the director of technical education at the Clark County School System in Las Vegas, NV took a big step: CNC (computer numerically controlled) equipment was introduced into the woodworking programs at most of the middle schools and high schools in the district. It was a bold step, one taken to introduce technology (computers) …

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ShopBot Training, Aug 2014: Life Long Learning

In TJ’s training at ShopBot this past week, of the 10 entities represented, 6 were involved in education in some form or another. Another 3 were “life long learners” with the idea of using their new ShopBots in a career change because they had been laid off from their old job, or were creating a …

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Digital Fab at the Maker Faire, Paris

Paris’s first Maker Faire took place in late June at the Centquatre Center.

ShopBot had a presence there, thanks to Sallye from ShopBot putting a Handibot in a suitcase and flying it over for the event and leFabShop from San Malo bringing their Desktop. LeFabShop has a variety of digital fab tools and classes …

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