The IE University Fab Lab uses all of the latest digital fabrication technology, such as laser cutters, large format and precision CNC milling machines, and 3D printers, as well as a wide range of different traditional machines and tools.

Our laser cutter machines use CO2 to produce a laser powerful enough to cut through material such as wood, paper, cardboard, acrylic, plastics without PVC, textiles, and cork, to name a few. Laser cutting is a highly practical technique that allows you to make 2D and 3D structures by joining 2D surfaces.

A 3D Printer uses what we call an additive process to construct a model. This simply means that a solid object is created by layering materials on top of each other. In the Fab Lab, our students have access to three different types of 3D Printers depending on the material they wish to use: plastic, curable resin or clay. With 3D printing, our students can design and build extremely intricate geometrical shapes that would otherwise be extremely difficult.

In contrast to 3D printers, CNC milling machines use subtracting processes to produce objects. This means that the machine removes excess, unnecessary materials from a workpiece until the desired design is reached. Using these machines, we can carve materials such as wood, extruded and expanded polystyrene, acrylic, and plastic. In this way, we can create molds for casting, prototypes in 1:1 scale, and PCBs (circuit boards).

A vinyl cutter machine uses a blade to cut a very thin layer of adhesive material (vinyl) that you can use then to customize almost any kind of surface.

With our vacuum thermoforming machine, you can use plastic to replicate the surface of an original piece previously fashioned by laser cutting, CNC milling, 3D printing, or woodworking.