Fab Lab Limerick started in 2012 as an elective course at the School of Architecture, UL in which open source 3D printers, CNC routers and laser cutters were built. In 2014 this self-build equipment was moved to an empty building in the city centre owned by Limerick City Council.
Since then, Fab Lab Limerick has evolved into a fully functional digital fabrication laboratory that offers cultural, educational and research programmes on digital fabrication, bridging the gap between these technologies and creatives from all disciplines.
The aim of this document, is to provide information to primary & secondary schools, to community groups, and other youth organisations about the services already on offer in Fab Lab Limerick.
Promotion of STEAM subjects is central to the ethos of Fab Labs, and in support of this we have already run many courses with various institutions. Fab Lab Limerick has collaborated with Limerick Festival of Science, Science Week Ireland, Munster Science and Maths Fair, with Coder Dojo Limerick and Nenagh, and taken part in Mini-Company projects and other Transition Year work. As well as running Easter/Summer Camps and other events for younger kids.
We offer guided tours of the Fab Lab space at no charge, where we introduce the Fab Lab space, the story behind the project, the facilities and various the open source and professional machines (As described here). Students will see 3D Printers, Laser Cutters and CNC cutters, and many examples from artists and technologists, students and professionals made in the Fab Lab.
Note: Tours are booked subject to staff availability, and the space being available. Each tour can cater for groups up to 30. Teachers must be present for the entire tour. Any other queries should be sent to fablab@saulstudio.ie, for the attention of the Education Coordinator.
Our tutorial courses are available for each of the machines at the Fab Lab. After taking part in this course, students are free to book individually in their own time, or as a group (see ‘Pricing for Workshops’ below).
Tutorials typically take 2 hours. Through a tutorial the students will learn the origin and concept behind the technology, health and safety, normal operation protocol, and preparing files.
We can do tutorials in a variety of different softwares, if your group has a particular preference, let us know. We teach through Illustrator, Inkscape, DraftSight, AutoCAD, and many more. In fact if you would like to learn more programs like these yourself, we regularly offer such software courses on our events page.
Costs: Introductory workshop €300. 25 students max.
Please Note:
• Teachers must be in attendance for the entire tutorial.
• For access to machines, participants are required to have attended the respective tutorials, whether in class structure as outlined above or by our public introductory tutorials, which you can see here.
• Students/Teachers, unless otherwise specified, laptops are not required for tutorials.
After a class has completed an introductory workshop, they are welcome to return under the teacher’s guidance to use the equipment. If they require further instruction/guidance from Fab Lab staff it will be charged at €30/hour. Laptops may are required.
Workshops generally take a looser format, take place under the tutorship of Fab Lab staff, but allow a class or group extended use of the machine(s)
| Tutor Rate | 30 €/hr |
| Machine Rate[2] | 25 €/hr |
| Space Rate | 50 €/hr |
| Hours | x 3 hrs |
| Total | 315 |
[2] The student rate for using the Laser Cutter is €25/hour. If you are using the CNC, the 3D printers or any other of the machines, details are found here, and then go to the respective machine page, to find the respective cost for those machines.
Please Note:
• Teachers must be in attendance for the entire workshop.
• For access to machines, participants are required to have attended the respective tutorials first. This can be done through our public introductory tutorials, which you can see here.
• Students/Teachers may bring their own laptops to workshops, discuss this with us first.