Intro To Fab Lab Limerick
Table of Contents
A Space for Makers in Limerick City
We started in 2012 as an elective course at the School of Architecture in UL. With students and staff, we built open source 3D printers, CNC routers and laser cutters.
3D Printer, Lasersaur builds, SAUL Compiled Jan/Feb 2013
In 2014 this self-build equipment was moved to an empty building in the city centre owned by Limerick City and County Council.
What's Happening Now
Since then, Fab Lab Limerick has evolved into a laboratory for digital fabrication that offers cultural, educational and research programmes on digital fabrication, bridging the gap between these technologies and creatives from all disciplines.
In 2022 the Fab Lab moved to the UL City Campus, Sarsfield Street, Limerick V94 DW21.
Education
As a Fab Lab, our committment to public courses and education is very important to us. We do this in a number of ways,
- Engagement with Primary and Secondary Schools
- Electives and other third-level Modules
- Our Certificate in Digital Fabrication course (Springboard+)
- and Regular Equipment Tutorials
Our public courses and tutorials will be publicised on our website, fablab.saulstudio.ie, and if you would like to enquire about setting up a workshop for your class or group, you can send an email to fablab@saulstudio.ie.
For kids' events, we have run Summer camps and weekend events. These will be publicised on our website, fablab.saulstudio.ie too.
Video by Lucia Pola and Vlado Turk
Community
Fab Lab Limerick has been host to many events over the years. From the beginning, The Makers' Club have met for Makers' Night every Thursday Evening from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. The Makers' Night is a space to discuss technology and topics, to talk about 3D printing and software and electronics and to talk about projects that you have been working on. If you would like to take part, just drop in, or sign up to the Facebook group
Research and Previous Projects
+CityxChange
The Positive City Exchange (+CityxChange) project explores the development of a structured approach to decarbonising cities. In order to move away from using fossil fuels like oil and gas to meet our energy needs, +CityxChange is demonstrating a concept known as Positive Energy Blocks in Limerick (Ireland), Trondheim (Norway); and cities in Romania, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Bulgaria and Spain.
The Fab Lab was involved in a number of aspects of the project including Open Calls and workshops about Do-It-Together sensors (lead by Javi of Colaborativa) and small-batch electronics manufacture equipment, which includes our Pick-and-place, Reflow Oven, PCB Mill and Fuse1 SLS Printer.
Check out +CityxChange over at citizeninnovationlab.ie/
Limerick City Model
A 3d-printed design tool for Limerick City. A 1:500 model of the city based on surveying and modelling by SAUL students, grads and makers. With data from Ordinance Survey Ireland and Limerick City and County Council. Funded by Limerick City of Culture 2014 - application by Seán Collins, Michael McLaughlin and Gerard Walsh.
We share the 3D models and other files through wikifactory.com.
WikiHouse
Photo with students erecting the prototype in Limerick
WikiHouse.cc is an open-source project. WikiHouse enables users to download Creative Commons-licensed files from its online library, customize them using SketchUp, and then use them to create jigsaw puzzle-like pieces out of plywood with a CNC router.
Galway City Bench
picture curtesy of Hottmar Loch
A public Street Furniture project, temporarily installed in Galway City in 2015. The project was designed and built by students, Hottmar Loch, Aoife Barry, Haidê Neves, Luiz Felipe Ferreira, during their student bursaries at Fab Lab Limerick.
The project was instigated by the School of Architecture at University of Limerick, Galway City Council, and the Woodquay Residents and Business Association. The project was supported by JP Corry's, McSwiggan's and Foley's Hop House of Woodquay, Galway.
It was featured on ArchDaily as one of the best student design-build projects of 2016!
Will be uploaded to wikifactory.com soon.