FabLAB Asturias is the digital production and fabrication space of LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial. Its function is to provide technical and artistic advice on the projects of the artists in residence and execute their productions, prioritizing the use of open source tools.
Developments
EQUIPmenT
The equipment at FabLAB Asturias is constantly being updated, and includes filament and resin 3D printers, laser cutting and engraving, CNC machining, vinyl cutting, electronics station, painting, finishing tool shop and specific electronics, machining and assembly workspaces.
Resin printing
- Application: Printing of industrial precision parts, up to 20 microns.
- Dimensions: 25 x 22 x 12 cm.
- Use: For industrial and mechanical parts, moulds, miniatures and sculptures.
- Other features: Chemical room, UV curing and active gas extraction.
3D Printer
- Application: Production of 3D parts, rapid prototyping and final part.
- Dimensions: 25 x 25 x 25 cm.
- Materials: Filament 1,75mm. PLA, PLA+, PETG, Nylon,…
CNC numerical control milling machine
- Application: Cutting of large pieces: furniture, scenography and structures. High quality and precision finishes.
- Dimensions: 2000 x 950 cm.
- Use: Cutting of aluminium, wood, foam and polycarbonate, among others.
Large format laser cutting and engraving
- Application: Cutting and engraving of medium-sized parts. Fast cutting.
- Dimensions: 1600 x 900 cm. Maximum effective 1400×700 cm. Max. thickness 15mm.
- Use: Cutting of wood, methacrylate, fabric, leather, cardboard, latex, glass.
Formation
The monographic training courses serve to transfer the creative techniques used by the resident artists to the general public.
Courses have been organised on biomaterials, the manufacture of binaural heads, laser engraving on leather, 3D design in Blender oriented towards 3D printing, Arduino programming, drone design and construction, and other areas of our own lines of research.
Artist presentations
fabLAB regularly organises guided tours in which the resident artists explain how their work has been executed, what techniques they have used and other interesting details of the production process.
research
In FabLAB Asturias we develop 2 ways of research: one around the updating of traditional techniques and the other around technological development.
The contribution to traditional techniques is innovation in the various means of production, simplifying processes without affecting the quality and imprint of the artist. Residents are provided with new resources and skills to face their productions from innovative perspectives. Some examples are the application of laser techniques to traditional woodcut, the use of 3D modeling and production of bioplastics in sculpture, or laser cutting in materials applied to fashion.
The other line of research makes intensive use of digital tools, such as the programming of boards with sensors and actuators, the creation of mechanical electronic elements. The application of these techniques are mainly used in the production of artistic work, and include 3D modeling and parametric design, production of mechanical parts with 3D printing of filaments with PLA, nylon, fiberglass or resin, programming, creation of electronic circuits, programmable LED lighting, design and manufacture of control interfaces, and so on