Fab lab
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Fab Lab (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.
While Fab Labs cannot compete with mass production and its associated economies of scale in fabricating widely distributed products, they have the potential to empower individuals to create smart devices for themselves. These devices can be tailored to local or personal needs in ways that are not practical or economical using mass production.
Examples of flexible manufacturing equipment within a fab lab:
- Laser cutter, plasma cutter and water jet cutter - sheet material cutting
- CNC machines - computer controlled mills, lathes etc
- Rapid prototyper - essentially 3D printing with plastic
- Printed circuit board milling
The Fab Lab program is part of the Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which broadly explores how the content of information relates to its physical representation.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Gershenfeld, Neil A.; Fab : the coming revolution on your desktop--from personal computers to personal fabrication, Basic Books, New York, 2005, ISBN 0-465-02745-8
[edit] External links
- Fab Lab Central at CBA
- FabLab Forum
- FabLab FAQ on FabLab Forum
- Fabracadabra! - the FabLab Wiki
- Fabrication Lab's Webpage
- The FabLab in Norway
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