Located near the Natural Science Mathematics and Engineering buildings and across the student medical center, the Fabrication Lab is a facility that any student can use on the campus.
Ivan Hernandez, the specialist that overlooks the Fab Lab here at Cal State University Bakersfield, is in charge of assisting students by getting their ideas printed. Students can get 3D printing, laser printing, engraving and C milling. The services are free to use, however, students only pay for the materials used for their projects.
The material costs are direct replacement of what is used for 3D printing. The laser cutting is based on the amounts of sheets purchased, and the milling services require that the student provides their own wood for use.
To start out at the lab, all that is needed is an idea of what to create or a 3D print file, which the interns, like Alora Leon, a senior communications major intern would assist in helping find students ideas or printable files to what they may be looking for.
“A lot of the students that come in here are from the engineering or the art department, but anybody can come in. We do help people from outside, and most of them come either for projects for their classes or they come for something like personalization,” said Alora Leon.
The interns are there to help the students with their orders and to help them learn how to use the programs and machines to help make their vision come true.
There is some wait time, as the process is based on how much material and how large the project is. The different materials for the 3D prints can range from liquid material that turns to a solid form, known as resin, to an eco-friendly bio-degradable plastic that comes in different colors. These projects can range broadly, students walk in making a print request for office decoration meant to assist in organizing the workspace, to more hobby related projects, like a custom designed deck box for a trading card game.
Many of the 3D printer files can be found on websites like Thingiverse and Cults3D that the assistants at the Fab Lab would help you find, as long as you help provide the file. They also help set up the print process with one of their laptops and set it up in the program based on what material is specifically wanted.
Once they receive the information and the print process is set up, students will fill out a print receipt to keep track of what they paid for, as they can turn that into the financial office, which may pay for the cost of the prints.
Notably, some files found online may come at a price, as those designs were made by talented sculptors. So if there is something that one deeply wants to envision having, then they must be prepared to make a financial investment. These services are available Monday through Friday during school hours.
There is so much to do with 3D printing that the only limit is what’s available, allowing users the means to make something they have envisioned into reality.
