Fablab TECFA

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Introduction

TECFA and DKS, i.e. the institution and the guy who run this wiki do have some kind of Makerspace. It is not a real Fab lab (and some day we may rename this page ....)

According to the Fab Lab conformity self-rating I rate it CCBB: (1) Closed or restricted user group; (2) No charter; (3) Difficult to do most fab projects, but we did produce tutorials, (4) Very little, only passive, or no participation outside of local lab. However, we did produce useful tutorials and contribute in that sense. See the fab lab category

Our intent is not to create a fab lab as defined by the FabLab community, but we rather explore teaching of design and micro-fabrication in education. Of particular interest right now is the UK's Digital Design and Technology Programme.

To do so, I decided to teach a little class to our master students in educational technology and to invite people from outside (i.e. teacher trainers/support from the local school system). Students will learn how to create embroidery, 3D printable objects and play with computer-aided music and more importantly, to reflect about design and micro-fabrication in education.

Btw, you won't find a digitial piano in a fablab, but I focus on computer-aided design in general and music is fun :)

- Daniel K. Schneider 20:05, 12 October 2011, updated oct 2014

See also:

• Fab lab
• Tour de Fablab

Equipment

So far, we got the following equipment (there will be 1 or 2 more devices, e.g. a Laser cutter and/or a hobby mill):

(1) Embroidery machine and software

• Elna 8300 (spring 2011)
• Stitch Era embroidery software (several tutorials)

(2) 3D printers

• RapMan V 3.11 (bought in jan 2010). It still works, but we use it as nice museum piece.
• Fabbster 3D printer, bought in March 2012 (seldom used)
• Felix 3D printer (V. 1.0), bought in April 2012.
• Felix 2.0 3D printer (V 2.0), bought in oct. 2013.
• Felix Pro 1 3D printer, bought in Dec 2015.

See also:

• 3D printing (overview)
• For tutorials and other useful information see the RapMan and the 3D printing categories.

(3) Digital piano

• Yamaha DGX-640 digital piano (fall 2011)

(4) Vinyl cutter

• Silhouette Cameo (feb/2012)

(5) Planned

• Other easy tools that some UK schools now have, e.g. a laser cutter. However, these need ventilation, e.g. a rather expensive box to collect fumes, so it's not sure that we will get one, so I may get some kind of hobby mill.
• One of our co-workers has plans to organize Arduino workshops through the University's cultural services and one of our master students did put together a device that creates sounds.

Classes

• STIC IV - Qwerty/R2D2 (2011): Design et microfabrication par ordinateur (in French)