The concept
In 2001 Neil Gershenfeld at the Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) at MIT teaches the course How to Make (Almost) Anything. Growing demand from non-engineering students leads in 2003 to the creation of the first Fab Lab (fabrication laboratory) prototype as a public space outside MIT where a subset of CBA’s capabilities becomes accessible to anyone.
What a Fab Lab contains
A standard Fab Lab includes a minimum set of machines:
- 3D printer — filament (FDM) and resin (SLA)
- Laser cutter (CO₂) for cutting and engraving
- CNC mill for wood and plastics
- Vinyl cutter for stickers and flexible PCBs
- Electronics workstation — soldering iron, multimeter, oscilloscope, microcontroller programmers
- Precision milling machine for PCBs
Typical entry cost is 50,000-100,000 USD in equipment, but the price curve of digital machines is trending down and should make the model more accessible in the following years.
The network
The Fab Lab model is distributed: each lab is autonomous but adheres to the Fab Charter — a commitment to share resources, projects and knowledge with a global network under construction. The first International Fab Labs Conference (FAB1) is expected in Boston in 2005.
Software tools
Fab Labs mostly use Open Source tools and open standards:
- FreeCAD, OpenSCAD, Blender — parametric CAD and modelling
- KiCad, EAGLE — PCB design
- Inkscape — vectors for laser cutter
- Cura, PrusaSlicer, Slic3r — 3D printing slicers
- Processing, Arduino IDE — programming for interactive prototypes
Cultural meaning
The Fab Lab is the physical home of the maker movement: from access to tools once available only in factories to the democratisation of production. Related ideas:
- Atoms ↔ Bits: ability to turn digital files into physical objects
- Learning by making: experimental pedagogy, “show don’t tell”
- Open hardware: shared schematics and designs for reproducibility
- Distributed production: alternative to globalised supply chains
Italian prospects
Italian universities, tech parks and incubators are already paying attention to the Fab Lab model in 2004: Politecnico di Torino, Politecnico di Milano, research centres in Emilia Romagna and Veneto are evaluating pilot projects. The first Italian labs are plausibly a few years away.
References: Fab Lab (Neil Gershenfeld, MIT Center for Bits and Atoms, 2001-2003). “How to Make (Almost) Anything” course at MIT. Fab Charter.