FabLab.iMAL

Julien Maire - Long term Residency Corneel Cannaerts: Encoded Matter Étienne Cliquet: Terrain d'Envol First stereolithography print test with the Form 1 Cécile Babiole: DIAPO Lamp Luc Hanneuse: Headphone Box Studio With A View: designers in residency Felix Luque: Different Ways to Infinity Creative Fab - ERG Creative Fab - La Cambre Creative Fab - ARBA Sophie Bélair Clément: Formes d'Egale Résistance Thomas Van Bouwel: lamp clip replacement Cécile Babiole: GOBO GOBO HEY! Lumisokea & Legoman: "Selva" vinyl album covers Alix Welter: Redux Cubic Baskets Julien Deswaef: Generative Pop-up Erato&Katerina: Girl's Scream Frederic De Bleser: Political Profiles

Equipment

Our equipment is composed of CNC and digital fabrication machines as well as standard DIY tools (drills, saws, hammers,...) and electronics components: the fablab is indeed a Maker Space.

Our machines

The Lasercutter

Our lasercutter is a Cyborg LS-1080-K (from Ketele) with a working area of 100x80cm and powered by a 130W CO2 laser. It can cut through wood, acrylic/plexiglas, fabrics,... but no metal or glass. Although the machine can be used for engraving, the model we have (without a z axis but with a powerful laser) is more suited for cutting.

The control software, SmartCarve, can import DXF 2D vectors files (that can be exported from Illustrator or Inkscape) and bitmap images (BMP, JPG, GIF,..).

More info on Wikimal

The CNC Mill

iMAL CNC routing/milling/engraving machine is a High-Z S-720 from German manufacturer cnc-step.

It's a 3 axis machine with a working area of 720x420mm (and 110mm in height).  It is equipped with a Kress 1050W (10.000-30.000 rpm) spindle. We have a first set of tools (mills, drills) to cut and sculpt wood, plastic or soft metal (e.g. aluminium) and engrave PCB. The machine can be expanded to 4 axis and equipped with more powerful spindle for working harder material.

A dedicated PC is configured with various softwares to generate tool paths (machine gcode instructions) from 2d and 2.5d designs. Besides the basic softwares supplied by the manufacturer (Win-PC NC and ConstructCAM), we are using Deskproto and Galaad softwares.

More info on Wikimal

There is also the PocketNC, is a little 5 axis CNC milling machine. More info here.

3D printers

We have some Fused Filament Fabrication (aka FDM) printers using ABS or PLA plastic:

  • Ultimaker 2+
    Extruder: 0.6mm (min layer: 0.1mm)
    Printing volume: 23x23x20,5cm, heating bed (PLA only)
  • MicroDelta Rework
    Extruder: 0.4mm (min layer: 0.1mm)
    Printing volume: 10x10x20cm, heating bed (PLA, ABS, PET)
  • Stacker S2
    Extruder: 0.4mm (min layer: 0.1mm)
    Printing volume: 39x31,5x52,5cm (PLA only)
    2 extruders for parallel or different materials printing
     
    stacker
  • Markforged 2
    2 extruders: 1 nylon, 1 fiber glass (min layer: 0.1mm)
    Printing volume: 32x13,2x15,4cm, heating bed

  • Mendel 90
    Extruder: 0.4mm (min layer: 0.1mm)
    Printing volume: 20x20x20cm, heating bed (ABS uniquement)

Mendel 90 - 3D printer

  • Ultimaker 2 GO
    Extruder: 0.6mm (min layer: 0.1mm)
    Printing volume: 10x10x10cm (PLA only)

Ultimaker 2 GO

All 3D printers can import 3D models in the STL format.

More info on Wikimak about the Ultimaker 2+, Ultimaker 2 Go, Stacker, Mendel et Markforged.

Thermoforming

iMAL's vacumm forming machine is a Formech 508FS. The machine is melting a sheet of plastic in order to be cast by a mold (an object, a 3D print etc).
Thermoforming is usefull for making molds, packaging or modelism.

Material size must be 508 x 457mm, thickness up to 6mm.
The baseboard size is 482mm on 432mm. The maximum depth of draw is 290mm.
The fablab can sell you some plastic sheets, more info here.

More infos on Wikimal about this machine.
Vinyl cutter

iMAL's vinyl cutter is a Silhouette Cameo 3, an affordable and accessible machine but it still a powerful one.
It can cut stickers and you can use a transfert film to make signages. It can also replace the cutter with markers and transform the machine into a plotter.
More info about materials here.

More info about this machine on Wikimal.
Wood and metal tools
  • Cut off/mitre saw Proxxon KGS 80

Can cut up to 25mm with a precise angle. Cut wood, plastics and aluminium.

Cut off/mitre saw

  • Jigsaw

Cut a width up to 22mm. The height of the blade can be adjusted precisely. The blade tilt precisely up to 45 °. Cut wood, Plexiglas, fiber glass ..., non-ferrous metals.

Table Saw

  • Drill press Bosh PBD 40

  • Mini-lathe Axminster SC2 300, with all the accessories

Mini-lathe for wood and metal. Max length 300mm, diameter max 160mm. 100 to 2500 RPM. Resolution up to 0,025mm. Automatic feed and the ability to change the speed ratio.

Mini lathe

Purchased with the support of Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Loterie Nationale,  Fondation Orange and projet ERDF CASTII.

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