Fabrication Shop
| GREENE BUILDING, ROOM #014 518-276-6870 |
Manager: Bill Bergman Supervisor: Jim Van DuyneRobotics Lab Supervisor: Torrance Fish |
The School of Architecture Fabrication Shop, a testament to our commitment to collaboration and innovation, boasts a recently expanded shop with an eclectic and unique grouping of equipment and technical abilities. Centrally located at the zero level of the Greene Building, it is a convenient resource for the studios above. Supervised by three full-time staff and an enthusiastic group of student monitors, the shop is usually open 7 days during the Fall and Spring semesters with an online calendar linked below.
The SoA Fabrication Shop is one of many academic shops on campus, including one professional machine shop and a material testing lab. The shops frequently collaborate to address unique and time-sensitive projects. The RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) Shop community implemented an online Manufacturing, Prototyping, and Lab Safety Orientation course. The School of Architecture has also developed an online training program with critical information about the Fabrication Shop and its equipment.
Shop safety and technique are addressed immediately in the School of Architecture’s first-year experience and is reinforced throughout the architecture curriculum.
Useful Links
- Fabrication Shop EZBook
- Training Site [VPN required]
- Fabrication Shop Hours (Schedule)
- School of Engineering shop listing: https://manufacturing.eng.rpi.edu/facilities
- Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences facility listings: https://hass.rpi.edu/facilities, https://hass.rpi.edu/corridor-creativity
Fabrication Areas: Main Equipment & Tools
Wood Machine Room
1 – Saw Stop 10” Table Saw
1 – Powermatic 8″ helical jointer
1 – Powermatic 20″ helical planer
1 – Powermatic floordrill press
1 – benchtop radial drill press
2 – 10” and 12” miter saws
1 – disc/belt sander
1 – benchtop oscillating spindle sander
2 – scroll saw
2 – clamp racks
1 – Safety Speed panel saw
2 – Powermatic 14″ bandsaws
1 – 18″ x 12″ x 3″ vacuum former
1 – vertical mill
Various hand tools
Assorted corded and cordless power tools
1 – benchtop spray booth
Ceramics Lab
1 – Large oval Bailey Kiln
1 – Paragon Caldera test kiln
1 – Bailey pug mill/mixer
1 – Ram 30-ton press
1 – large glazing table
1 – Slip casting table
1 – Slip casting pump/mixer
3D Printing
2 – Raise3D Pro2 Plus
Prints PLA, ABS, PETG
Build Volume (W × D × H)
Single Extrusion Print: 305 × 305 × 605 mm (12 × 12 × 23.8 inch)
Dual Extrusion Print: 280 × 305 × 605 mm (11 × 12 × 23.8 inch)
2 – Raise3D Pro3 Plus
Prints PLA, ABS, PETG
Build Volume (W × D × H)
Single Extruder Print: 300 × 300 × 605 mm (11.8 × 11.8 × 23.8 inch)
Dual Extruder Print: 255 × 300 × 605 mm (10 × 11.8 × 23.8 inch)
2 – Formlabs Form 2
General purpose and engineering resins available
Build Volume (W × D × H)
145 × 145 × 175 mm (5.7 × 5.7 × 6.9 inch)
1 – Modix BIG-120X
Build Volume (W × D × H)
1200 x 600 x 640 mm (~47.2×23.6×25.2 inch)
1 – 3D Potterbot XXL
Clay 3D printer.
CNC Suite
1 – Techno LC 49″ x 97″ x 8″3 axis CNC router
8” gantry clearance with 4” maximum material capacity
Armor SPEED upgrade
Vacuum Table
3HP spindle
1 – Laguna IQ 24″ x 36″ x 10″ 3 axis CNC router
10” gantry clearance with 4” maximum material capacity
High vac dust collection
Laser Suite
1 – 50W Universal VLS 4.60 24” x 18”
1 – 50W Universal XLS 660 32” x 18”
2 – 150W Laguna EX 51” x 36” lasers
Robotics Lab
The School of Architecture Fabrication Shop has a dedicated robotics lab featuring an ABB IRB 2600 six-axis robotic arm with an IRC5 controller. Students can expolore projects in foam cutting, clay extrusion, precision material placement, drawing,scribing, and much more with the lab’s three project workstations, variety of end effectors, and ability to create custom tools and mounts. Shop Staff welcomes and supports end effector creation if certain conditions are met.
ABB IRB 2600 1.65M, a six-axis robotic arm with IRC5 controller.
End effectors:
Foam Cutting – Large and small hot wire bow, variable size hot knife, foam saw.
Small single gripper, Large Double gripper
Pointing stylus and pen tool
Heliodon
Clay extruder
Camera Mount
Incremental metal forming tool
Programming and 3D scanning computer
Soldering/Arduino station
Two heavy setup tables with mounting fixtures
General purpose central work surface
Various hand tools, cordless driver, and impact wrench
Documentation backdrops
GoPro Hero
All Robot Lab users must first complete the Rensselaer Manufacturing and Prototyping Laboratories Safety Orientation training on Percipio.
(Shop safety training certifications are valid for one year)
All Users of the Robot Lab must complete the in-person Robot Lab Guidelines training.
At least one person in the Robot Lab must have completed the in-person Student Robot Lab Monitor training, while the robot is operational.