www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/csaddevelopment
CSAD to open Wales’ first official MIT Fab Lab CSAD’s new building will house Wales’ first Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) accredited Fab Lab at its core. We will be full members of the global Fab Lab network and this will be the first official UK Fab Lab attached to a university. The term ‘Fab Lab’ is short hand for fabrication laboratory. Fab Labs are a global network of local labs, linked through video conferencing technology. They enable invention and innovation by providing easy access to tools for digital fabrication and prototyping. The lab will extend the School’s existing digital prototyping facilities to offer computer controlled circuit board manufacture, a large CNC router capable of dealing with 2.4 metre X 1.2 metre sheets, a large and powerful laser cutter as well as numerous CNC machines, various 3D printers, large format digital printers, a CNC vinyl cutter, 3D scanners and so on. Flexible provision will ensure that our students have access to world class facilities which we will also be able to offer to members of the public when our students don’t need them.
CSAD’s strategy of linking enterprise, research and learning & teaching missions will mean that the new Fab Lab will be at the core of exciting activities. It will, for example be used as a base from which students can study optional modules in robotics, musical instrument design or computer embedded product prototyping. At the same time, it will serve as a base from which many of the School’s research staff and PhD students can operate and will be a rich public resource for access to the latest digital fabrication techniques. Continual Professional Development courses will be available and the Fab Lab’s facilities will also be available to provide direct access to the machines themselves. A key part of CSAD’s Fab Lab strategy is that we will be able to offer our own graduates access to the best possible base from which to start their own businesses, giving them continued access to the machines they used during their time with us. Thus the university’s facilities will become the base from which our graduates can begin their professional lives. We aim to make that partnership a long and fruitful one.
Facilities in the new building The new facilities will house a suite of modern, well-designed and safety-conscious workshop areas. These will be provided on one whole floor of the new build and a remodelled floor of our existing accommodation. Wood Area New and traditional machines are supported by highly skilled and motivated practitioners. The workshop will provide students from all courses with the opportunity to work with one of the most elemental of all materials in either self-directed or guided sessions. Metals The centre of our metals workshop is our new foundry and hot metal space, run by our RCA trained Technician Demonstrator. Pieces, both large and small, will be cast and used by a variety of different artists and makers. The workshop will also house a range of Mig & Tig welders, plus plasma cutters along with drilling, bending and milling facilities.
Ceramics The ceramics workshops will house well equipped kiln, plaster, clay and glaze areas. The workshop will also house glass slumping kilns, clay and plaster preparation facilities. Externally, students will have access to soda kilns and Raku firing facilities. This forward-looking facility reinforces CSAD’s commitment to this, the largest ceramics centre in Europe. Textiles Our facilities in this area employ traditional techniques alongside up-to-date digital printing and laser cutting equipment. Professional sewing machines, over-lockers and digital embroiders are employed by a wide range of CSAD courses. Printing workshop Students have access to a range of printing techniques including screen-printing, intaglio, etching, engraving and stone litho facilities. The workshop will continue to have a complete high pressure screen cleaning washing area with adjacent equipment for drying and developing the largest of screens.
our new home ready 2014
Photo-media This area will house a darkroom with production of RC and fibre based silver gelatin prints; Photograms; Cyanotypes and Liquid Light. In the film developing room, you can process black and white film 35mm 120 or 5X4. Colour is handled via our Colour Machine for production of colour RA4 Prints from negatives. Digital Printing is carried out on Epson 9500 large format and Canon 950 A3 printers. In our studios you can expect to find continuous lighting and portable flash equipment, our copystand can be used to document all types of artwork using a digital camera. Also available is an infinity background for documenting small to medium sized objects plus a large flash unit for studio photographs. Our stores contain a large selection of 35mm film cameras and compact digital cameras for student loan, including 5X4 Film cameras, 120 film camera, DV tape video cameras and HD video camera equipment.
Audio and Video For video work we have camcorders, lighting, microphones and audio recorders available for use. There is bookable studio space, where we also do basic green screen work. We currently have four Mac based Video Edit Suites running Final Cut Pro Studio. In our Audio suite we have a Mac based recording studio utilising Pro-Tools. We have a selection of instruments, amplifiers, microphones and outboard gear. Our Macs run Pro-tools, Logic and Reason, 3D workshops and Fablab. This facility will continue to develop, in line with technology. Here you will find a suite of CNC milling machines, laser cutters, routers, and 3D printers. Add to this our area for developing electronic control systems and you have an area where concepts can become reality in a short time.