Engineering Fabrication Laboratory
Hands-On Engineering Skills
We provide numerous opportunities for creativity, competition, and leadership experiences.
Download: Hands-On Engineering Movie (requires the free Quicktime Player)
Number of students using the EFL: 700+
Number of student visits to EFL: 6000+ per year
Staff experience in design and fabrication: 50+ years
Value of equipment available to students: $1,000,000+
2 full-time staff, 6 student assistants
Supports 3 curriculum courses and 6 – 8 student competitions
In the classroom, I have learned how to design something which can withstand the necessary forces and stresses. But, it is in the Fab Lab that I have learned how to design something which can be built and it is in this lab that I have acquired the skills and confidence to build it.
Jessica Revell
2006 – 2008 Steel Bridge Team Co-Captain
Civil Engineering '08
The machine shop gives you a chance to put down the books and gain invaluable hands-on experience in the processes available to you in machining parts.
Seth Humphreville
Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering '07
Welcome to the Engineering Fabrication Laboratory (EFL), also known as the “Fab Lab.” The EFL is a supervised facility that provides students with opportunities for hands-on manufacturing and fabrication in a safe environment. We also offer instructional support to students, faculty and staff of the College of Engineering as they work on projects for classes, independent study, research, and student design competition clubs. The EFL facilities include the Student Machine Shop area (1220 Bainer Hall), whose primary purpose is to support teaching, and the Student Project Area (1230 Bainer Hall), which is primarily used by student design competition clubs.
Hours of Operation
The EFL is open Monday through Friday, except for university holidays and furlough days, and on most Saturdays during winter and spring quarters. The hours of operation are as follows:
Fall Quarter
Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 12 noon, 1 PM to 5 PM
Winter and Spring Quarter
Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 12 noon, 1 PM to 8 PM
Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM (starting mid-February)
Summer Sessions
Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 12 noon, 1 PM to 5 PM
Inter-Quarter Periods
Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 12 noon, 1 PM to 5 PM
Shop Access
The EFL is open to students, staff and faculty of departments in the College of Engineering as detailed in the EFL Access Policy.
Student Machine Shop Safety/Orientation Class
If you are a student in the College of Engineering and want to work in the Student Machine Shop, please sign up for the Machine Shop Safety/Orientation Class.
Contacts
Jeffrey L. Feerer, EFL Manager, 1042 Kemper Hall, 754-6593
Shawn Malone, Student Machine Shop Lead, 1220 Bainer Hall,
752-1109
Michael Akahori, Student Project Area Lead, 1220 Bainer Hall,
752-1109