One small step for Manchester, a giant leap for manufacturing

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It's a long jump from industrial factory to digital work-plant, but the Manufacturing Institute is already driving for such a reality by spearheading a production revolution on its doorstep.

Crowds were wowed at the launch of the UK’s first hi-tech Fabrication Laboratory or Fab Lab - a community workshop where businesses, schools and entrepreneurs ‘can make almost anything'.

The opening of the Manchester Fab Lab at the landmark Chips building is one of 35 Fab Labs worldwide - each sharing information by a global communications network.

Fab Lab Founder and MIT Professor Neil Gershenfeld said the project "places Manchester firmly at the forefront of a new age", and argued "Manchester is now leading a new industrial revolution. Albeit a digital one."

The project began as an outreach project by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the eminent professor is now known as the man re-defining the boundaries between the digital and analog worlds - a pioneer in personal fabrication, or small-scale manufacturing, enabled by digital technologies, which gives people the tools to build literally anything they can imagine.

Bringing innovation to life

Equipped as it is with state of the art prototyping kit (laser cutter, CNC miller, 3D scanner, CNC Router, 3D printer, vinyl cutter, sewing machine, embroidery machine, electronics equipment and workshop tools) the digital workshops have fast gained momentum around the world by encouraging entrepreneurs, children and businesses to bring their ideas to life.

And businesses can use them to speed up product development and ensure products remain true to original concepts. This is of particular advantage to SME’s or start up companies unable to invest in expensive equipment.

Driving the project forward is Chief Executive of the Manufacturing Institute, Julie Madigan. She said: "This is a groundbreaking opportunity to broaden our innovation base and increase crucial invention skills. It’s a proven grass roots approach that will directly benefit the economy and different parts of the community."

Enthusiastic support also came from City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese who said this imaginative project "has the power to inspire invention and innovation, to empower businesses and individuals to create their own products."

A Fab Revolution on our doorstep

In a typical Fab Lab much of the learning and teaching comes from other users and by communicating with the worldwide Fab Lab network. Real time video equipment allows users to keep in touch, problem solve and brainstorm ideas with others as far a field as Pretoria, Ghana and Afghanistan.

The philosophy is open source and allows schools to use the centre for free in return for sharing full information with the global community. Businesses and inventors can opt to protect their product development ideas by paying a small fee to use the service.

Businesses can show their support by donating waste materials. The Fab Lab can utilse anything from MDF to plastics to cardboard.

Before cutting the ribbon to mark the UK’s first Fab Lab, Professor Gershenfeld looked to the future. He said: "This is just the beginning. As time goes on labs get faster, better and cheaper."

And it has elevated Manchester back to its customary status as a creative and industrial pioneer.

Get involved: If you want to use the Fab Lab then call 07854 960958 today.


Did you know

Fab Lab is supported by the Manchester Innovation Investment Fund: Nesta, NWDA, Manchester City Council, Manchester: Knowledge Captial, and the Commission for the New Economy.

The Manufacturing Institute is an independent charity, founded by the Northwest Manufacturers and Universities. It helps companies gain a competitive advantage from high impact skills building and productivity improvement programmes. All profit is returned to the charity and reapplied for the public good into projects, such as Fab Lab and Make It campaign for recruiting young talent into the industry.

Fab Lab inventions include:

a mobile phone to track sheep
a Sky Bay folding travel carrycot
a Crackit ultra-light cricket bat
a model wind turbine
a web browser for a parrot
an alarm clock you wrestle to wake you up
a 'scream body' that allows you to vent extreme frustration into a soundproof pouch and then release the noise later
a local telecoms infrastructure and prosthetic limbs
a Government backed project creating simple Internet connected computers that hook up to televisions and cost just $10

Read the Manufacturing Institute's Top 10 Manufacturing Myths here.