General rules

On this site you can find all relevant info, know-how and tools to be able to take full advantage of the facilities of both the MMLab as the wood workshop.
The machines page provides an overview of the different production techniques and machines that are available at the lab. Of a number of machines there is a detailed description on how to use them safely and efficiently, including the necessary tutorials to be completed at the lab. Other machines require a hands-on explanation in the lab.

Make sure you have read through the safety precautions and check the  opening hours and calendar of the lab before making a reservation for the use of a machine. you are always welcome at the lab, when you want advice on something, you can do so at your own convenience without the need of an appointment. You can also always send an email if you prefer.

The MMLab has a stock of the most commonly used (maquette)materials. You are encouraged to work as much as possible with the materials at the lab, if we don't stock a certain material, you are free to bring your own. Make sure they are suited for the technique you want to work with. An overview of the available materials can be found below.

Be self-Relient

When working in the lab, you'll need to be as self-relient as possible. In order to work independently with a machine, you must successfully complete a machine specific tutorial. It is your responsability to ensure you've aquired the skills before you are facing a deadline!

The tutorials for the CAD/CAM can be completed at any available time at the MMLab on Thursday afternoons and Fridays, and infosessions will be planned throughout the academic year. This means:

• Semester 1: from week 1 until week 10 
• Semester 2: from week 2 until week 8

The right to work with a machine can be revoked at any time when the safety requirements are not followed or the machine is used improperly. If you have any doubt about the manufacturing process, it is imperrative that you check the manual, online or at the lab, or ask the help of the lab-manager.

During opning hours, the lab-manager is there to answer any questions or to help you. Don not hesitate to ask. You don't need an appointment for asking advice and you're always welcome to work in the lab in order to optimze designs and get help from the lab-manager. You can also contact the lab-manager using the  facebook page or via mail at:

• CAD/DAM: pieter[dot]coussement[at]kuleuven[dot]be
• HOUTWERKPLAATS: ambet[dot]manalo[at]luca-arts[dot]be

Sharing is caring

The MMLab is a place where experimentation, research and making are key. It is open for both students and professors. In the MMLab you can learn hands-on how to create a variety of prototypes and scale models with -mostly- CAD/CAM techniques.

You'll learn the most from eachother in the MMLab, therefor it it is essential to share your knowledge about the process with your peers. This way, everyone can make use of the lab in an efficiënt fashion and together we'll obtain the best possible results. . 

At the same time, building a shared knwoledge base will result into the chance of optimizing designs to a more cost-effective way of production.

Courtesy Counts

Working with short-loop production process often entails that designs are iterated upon. In many cases, this means that designs may initially not optimzed to be processed by CAM machines and therefor require adaptation. While we try to streamline the workflow as much as possible, each machine may have a different color scheme in regards to machine settings and different machines may require different approaches. Because of this, the machines are not always used in an optimal way, causing longer waiting lines at peak moments. To minimize this, the following rules apply:

• Making a reservation does not give you the sole right to use the reserved machine.
• Allow fellow students to test or start a short job when you are making adaptations.
• The computers connected to the machines are solely there to control the machines.
  • The computers should NOT be used to make adaptations.
  • Adaptations are done on your own laptop or on the computers available in the lab.
  • It is always a good plan to bring your own laptop.
  • As a rule of thumb, the use of the machine connected computers is reduced to:
    
    1. Open file
    2. Setup print
    3. Optimize vector ordering
    4. Material settings
    5. Execute Job

Prices

The use of the machines in the MMLab is -in principal- free of charge if you use the materials that are available for purchase at the MMLab. We have a varied stock of the most common materials at democratic prices. If the material you need or want is not available at the MMLab, you are allowed to bring your own. Please make sure that your material is compatible with the machine that you will be using, especially plastics can produce hazardous fumes. You will be asked to prove the compability by  providing a detailed overview of the composition of your material.