Fablab Limerick

Fablab visits: Fab Lab BCN, Barcelona

Two weeks ago we had the opportunity to visit Fab Lab BCN as part of their recent Open Days programme. Their fantastic space is an open plan industrial warehouse in the 22@ district, a former industrial area where numerous creative industries have moved in since the 90's.

Their digital fabrication equipment is impressive and includes a 400w laser cutter MULTICAMM 2000 capable of cutting up to 30mm thick timber and an stunning KUKA 6-axis robot arm used for all sort of complex milling jobs and experiments using custom made attachment tools.

Fab Lab BCN was founded as part of the IAAC, the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, a progressive education institution born a decade ago in the Poble Nou area. The number and diversity of projects developed in Fab Lab BCN during all these years is amazing: the range goes from 3d printed toys to CNC-milled full size houses. They work closely with industry partners and the space is open to everyone from seasoned professional to complete rookies.

Fablab visits: Fab lab mobile at UBL La Cambre-Horta, Brussels

In our November visit to Brussels we had the opportunity to visit a very special initiative: the Fab Lab Mobile launched by the school of Architecture La Cambre-Horta just two weeks before our visit. They had managed to fit into a small trailer a multicolor Cubex 3D printer, a Heiz CNC milling machine and a small laser cutter.

Fablab visits: Realize, Brussels

Since we got interested about digital fabrication and the maker movement we have been in contact with numerous fablabs, makerspaces and hackerspaces around Europe.

This November we had the opportunity to meet Gilles Pinault and David Erkan from Realize in Brussels. Their space is in Saint-Gilles not too far from Midi train station and located in a warehouse shared together with artists and other creative disciplines. They work with a membership model and the atmosphere is quite open and friendly.

Just when we were visiting they were on the process of assembling a Shapeoko CNC milling machine and everybody was very excited about it. A very cool feature was this laser cut panel in which members described in which projects they were working on, so with just a simple glimpse you are able to find interesting projects happening and who is involved in.

Digital fabrication for urban regeneration

In this two weeks elective course, a group of five students explored the design and fabrication of low-cost, resistant and made-to-size structures that could be embedded within the actual Georgian Limerick urban fabric to allow temporary uses and prevent further deterioration of abandoned buildings.

Our research efforts focused on unusual materials and technologies such as bamboo, cardboard tubes and 3d printing, since previous studies have shown enormous potential for erecting strong and cost effective structures made out of these materials.Our Bamboo was sponsored by  http://www.bamboosuppliers.ie.

This research was done by the students Sandra Bischoff, Julien Chapel, Peter Dowling, Brian Hoey & Rubén Martínez Olivencia and coordinated by lecturer Javier Burón & teaching assistant Michael McLaughlin.

Elective course description (PDF)

This autumn semester 2013, our elective "Digital fabrication for urban regeneration" will be located within the Cahill May Roberts premises at bank place, Limerick city.

In 1958 Cahill May Roberts, a successful Pharmaceuticals company, built a new building on a site at Bank Place in Limerick to serve Limerick, Cork, Galway. In 1995 the modernisation of operations and working practices and the reduction in the wholesale warehouses from six to three saw the closure of offices and warehouse at bank place, Limerick.

Self-replicating 3DPrinter

Limerick Mapathon #2 

Third self-build project: Lasersaur laser cutter

Limerick Mapathon #1

Second self-build project: RepRap 3D printer

As a warm-up project before attempting the much more complex laser cutter machine, we decided to build a  RepRap 3d printer during the first week of SAUL spring 2013 elective programme. This open-source, self-replicable 3D printer by Javier Burón, Michael McLaughlin, Stephen Bourke, Emmanuel Chomarat, David Grace, Weixang Huang, Peter Lawlor & Klest Pango.

First self-build project: Blackfoot CNC Router

We decided to start with a machine that could be used at full size architectural projects so we decided to build a full size 4x8 feet CNC Router. The Blackfoot is a cost effective proprietary design made out of plywood which uses an off the self plunge router. This self-replicating CNC Router kit was built in a two week period by Javier Burón, Sean Feeney, Eamonn Kelly, Michael McLaughlin, Bozidar Milosevic, Briain Moriarty, Ronan O'Dea, James O'Donovan, Ciaran Treanor & David Williams.

Many experts agree that digital fabrication technologies such as CNC routers, laser cutters and 3D printers are revolutionising the way physical objects are designed, manufactured and distributed.

Digital fabrication technologies have been adopted at a slow rate in design schools due to misbelief that they are expensive and difficult to operate, but this perception is changing fast. A flourishing new maker movement is revolutionising these technologies providing low-cost, do-it-yourself and open-source designs which can be assembled without a specialized knowledge in engineering or computer science.