“Having this equipment available, even though many users may not work in fields that require it for day-to-day use, helps them gain an appreciation for making,” makerspace and DCI Lab manager Miyuki Weldon said. “The variety of equipment requires that members think critically about which fabrication process may best serve their purpose while weighing different factors like speed, cost and material type.”
The DCI Lab, also known as the makerspace, opened at the start of the 2021-2022 academic year. Located on the first floor of Swenson Hall, the lab houses a lot of equipment including higher-end 3D printers, laser cutters and computer numerical control (CNC) milling machines, the latter of which uses a rotating cylindrical cutter to turn material into mechanical parts.
The DCI Lab is made up of two rooms: the Prototyping Lab and the Manufacturing Lab. The former contains…