ITS Innovation Lunches: July Lunch - A tour of the Digital Fabrication Lab

For the July Innovation Lunch, we took a field trip to the Digital Fabrication Lab run by the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning on U-M’s north campus. https://taubmancollege.umich.edu/labs-workshops/digital-fabrication-lab

Our tour guide of the FABLab was Asa, a graduate student who also works as a research associate for the Digital Fabrication Lab.

The first machine he showed us is a Swiss vacuum table. It cuts out any shape you put into it—primarily 2D work. Students can use it 24 hrs/day. This type of machine is used in design-making industries, and you can draw and cut with it.

This is a 3D knitting machine. These machines are industrial machines, and would be in a manufacturing facility typically. They’ve had this 3D knitting machine for about 2 years. Machines are a combination of research and grant funded, with some budgeted for by the FABLab itself. This 3D knitting machine can be used for a lot of different things; can control and play with the tensile strength of the material. A project that it was used for was projection mapping with a 3D kinect (presumably this): http://taubmancollege.umich.edu/research/research-through-making/2015/social-sensory-surfaces)

Training on equipment is class-based. For example, the knitting machine can be hard to program so needs more training (whereas the first machine doesn’t need much to get up and running using; more plug-and-play).

TAs run CNC machines. People can also pay for the FABLab to fabricate things for them, like specialized tools.

CNC machine has 3 axes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numerical_control) stands for Computer Numerical Control. 3 axes of movement for cutting and milling. Was invented to help build airplanes. Can be used to cut plywood, MDF (medium-density fibreboard), foam. A different CNC machine is needed to cut metal. These machines get lots of use by students and projects from all across U-M.

The files have to be set up online to do the cutting. You give the machine XYZ coordinates to tell it where to cut. You have to run through lots of software simulations before you can cut it, and those also help you lay out the order of when things happen—when to cut, drill, or resurface the material. Issues can still happen if you don’t program it correctly, for example if you forget to tell the machine to raise the drill high enough above the material, and it ends up scraping across the surface as it moves to its next cut. You have to know (or learn) things like the cut rate and the tools to use for your material before programming. They use a database to help understand the different cut rates for materials and tools (a delicate drill bit can only drill so fast without breaking; denser materials may need to be cut slower or with more passes, etc.)

The metal CNC machine uses dust and water to keep the metal from overheating (presumably). Can cut metal up to a few inches thick; 2D shapes. The machine might be running XP embedded?

ROBOTS. Kuka robots. Have 7 axes of movement. Work by programming something in. They can be used to make tools as well—the FABLab makes a lot of tools themselves. Recently, this robot was being used to place fabric in place and heat solidify it. They have an incredible range of motion, and can handle complex geometry. They can be used to weld things. The two robots can also be linked to operate in “teamwork” mode.

They work by making a line in space for the toolpath to follow, and a reference path is sometimes needed as well, to know how to point the machine so that it can follow the proper toolpath. You can simulate the path in advance to make sure it works the way you want it to. Fairly simple and straightforward to program—Asa programmed it quickly while we were standing there.

The robots can move up to 1 m/sec, but the FABLab limits theirs to .25 m/sec (and they rarely are run at that speed). In an industrial setting, these tools will usually have a cage around them.

This is a 5-axis CNC machine. It can cut sideways and beneath something, as well as on top and from either side like the 3-axis CNC machine. There is one for metal and one for wood.

For many of these machines, you don’t have to write code. The software interface is visual and based in geometry. This means you can skip the learning curve; you can make things without writing code.

CAD has tools built in for simulations, so you can see what happens (before it happens).

The 5-axis CNC uses router bits (not drill bits) and uses Mastercam CAD/CAM software to control the movement. The software is a bit harder to learn to control 5-axis movement.

Robot programming tool! Touchscreen tablet.

All architecture masters students are required to take a digital fabrication class—a new element of the program (check site for more info)(cannot verify online)

Purpose really is because they want to use sophisticated technologies—how can you design something that uses more advanced technology and processes. Augment existing processes. Use a robot to cast metal in sand (see thing at end). These tools can be used to take traditional processes, and make them easier and more precise.

There is a robotics engineering degree and those students can learn to program these robots, but they help the architecture students play with the capabilities and test the boundaries of these tools. “How can we make things with these tools, doing it in a creative way?” The dichotomy of engineering and creativity. Focus on problem-solving.