NEW ORLEANS – Don’t you just hate when you want to print something with a 3-D printer but don’t know where to go?
Fab Lab NOLA at Delgado Community College can help with that.
The innovate digital fabrication lab, created and funded by Chevron’s Fab Lab Foundation, opened in 2016 for school groups, small businesses, entrepreneurs and community members who want to utilize 3-D printing, laser cutters, vinyl cutters and CAD design.
Community hours, open to everyone who registers online, are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7 p.m.
The lab is free to use for anyone who registers. Classes entitled, “3-D printing focused free time” and “open build time” aim to inspire New Orleanians to become the next generation of innovators and provide access and instruction to idea makers.
Projects on display in the lab, that were done by students and individuals, include buttons, animal figures and decals – all made with the 3-D printers. Through hands-on learning, the lab supports individual creative passions by providing the information and tools of science, math, and digital fabrication.
Under the direction of Sam Provenza, Fab Lab manager, students and adults can learn the basics of digital fabrication and learn how to use digital manufacturing equipment and software to create physical objects. Mastering these skills can help spark creativity and problem-solving in the classroom, workplace and beyond.
Provenza has a list of projects for school groups suitable for all ages.
Lab hours are as follows:
Monday: 7 a.m. -6 p.m.
Tuesday: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Wednesday: 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Thursday: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday: 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday (bimonthly): 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The lab is located at Delgado Community College, 615 City Park Ave. Building 22, Room 140.
Groups and individuals can sign up for a space online at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/fab-lab-nola-14479997394. For more information, contact Sam Provenza at Sprove@dcc.edu or call 504-671-5656.
-By Jenny Peterson, Associate News Editor, Biz New Orleans
