Faculty of Architecture

FABLab

The FABLab is an interdisciplinary facility within the body of Architecture that supports design research and the educational development of digital to physical means of applied craft through modelling, fabrication and prototyping. The FABLab is dedicated to cultivating methods of communication in the built environment by critically collaborating with students and emerging technology.

A cantilevering bench made from Accoya wood, designed by Faculty of Architecture students and alumni.

Project || Accoya Bench

COVID 19 Update || Until further notice the FABLab will operate as a remote service facility for all students in the Faculty of Architecture. Please see the "Processing Procedure" section for having work completed in the FABLab. Direct access to this lab is only permitted through special circumstances, which can be discussed by contacting the FABLab directly.

Lab Hours

Monday	9am - 4pm
Tuesday	9am - 4pm
Wednesday	9am - 4pm
Thursday	9am - 4pm
Friday	9am - 4pm

Services

Fabrication	Type	Lead Time	Cost Recovery	Maximum Part Size
Laser Cutting	2D Cutting/Etching	2 days	$0.40 - $1/min	32" x 18"
CNC Routing	2D/3D milling	3 days	$0.45 - $0.65/MJ	5' x 8' x 7"
3D Printing	3D geometry	2 days	$0.25 - $0.55/g	*5.7" x 5.7" x 6.9"
Metal Wire Bending	2D Curves	2 days	$0.05 - $0.35/g	0.036" + 0.125"
Digitization
3D Scanning	Physical Objects	3 days	N/A	Speak with Staff
Aerial Scanning	Landscapes	1 week	Travel expenses	Speak with Staff
Digital Processing	Photogrammetry	4 days	N/A	N/A
Digital Advice	Modelling, Fabrication	1 day	N/A	N/A

Processing Procedure

File Processing Procedure
Please e-mail your file to the FABLab, listing the equipment type and material you 'prefer' to have the parts processed with.
A technician will look over the file and respond with any issues before you are set in the queue.
Once in the queue, payment must be taken before parts are processed. Please contact the CADLab on how to put money on your Papercut account.
Once payment has been taken and the parts processed, a scheduled time for physical pick-up will be coordinated in keeping with the UofM's Covid policies.

Laser cutting
The file type should be one of the following: .3dm | .dwg | .dxf | .ai. Before sending your file in to be cut. We ask that you practice clean drawing techniques and ‘finish’ the file first. This includes, but is not limited to:

Keep all information in one file (specified by different layers)
Be sure lines are snapped at ends & intersections
Delete overlapping lines
Close/Join lines
Remove any information not to be cut.
Be sure the objects in the file are physically scaled to be 1:1 of their final cut dimensions. *Annotative scale will not work when producing files for fabrication.
Separate: Cutting, Etching, and Filling information onto different layers.

CNC routing
The file type should be one of the following: .3dm | .igs | .stl | .dwg.

Keep all information in one file (specified by different layers)
The file should include lines and curves denoting milling edges (2D&3D)
All lines and curves should be closed, without overlapping or intersecting geometry
Unorganized layers (2D curves, 3D meshes, or surfaces need to be on separate layers).
Be sure the objects in the file are physically scaled to be 1:1 of their final cut dimensions. *Annotative scale will not work when producing files for fabrication.
For 3D surfaces, there should be no 'holes' in the geometry
'Nest' your 2D parts with no less than 1/2" spacing between them
The maximum cutting depth for bit diameters are:
- 1/16"Ø = 1/4" deep
- 1/8"Ø = 1/2" deep
- 1/4"Ø = 1" deep
- 3/8"Ø = 1-1/2" deep
- 1/2"Ø = 2" deep
- 5/8"Ø = 3" deep
- 3/4"Ø = 2-1/2" deep

3D Printing
The file type should be one of the following: .stl. Before sending your file in to be cut. We ask that you practice clean drawing techniques and ‘finish’ the file first. This includes, but is not limited to:

Parts must be manifold, see 'non-manifold geometry' for fixes.
Structural geometry should be no less than 1.5mm² in cross-section.
Remove any irrelevant geometry, not to be printed.
Parts should fit within print bed size.

Please note, all services are only open to students and 'partners members' of the Faculty of Architecture. For use and costing, internal to the University of Manitoba, please contact the FABLab directly.