UNC Charlotte is first public university in the U.S. to open a Super Fab Lab

UNC Charlotte has become the first public university in the U.S. to establish a Super Fab Lab, a designation by the non-profit Fab Foundation. This novel resource, led by the William States Lee College of Engineering in collaboration with the College of Computing and Informatics, will provide undergraduate and graduate students an even deeper experiential learning opportunity. On Tuesday, April 15, faculty and staff from these two colleges toured the facility during an event designed to introduce them to the equipment and capabilities. 

Since only six facilities worldwide are recognized as Super Fab Labs, Charlotte’s addition has helped the university join an elite group of creative inventors and developers. Fostering this type of creativity, and prioritizing added value to the manufacturing industry, led Charlotte to invest in the infrastructure needed to pursue and obtain a Super Fab Lab. Additionally, the Super Fab Lab global network will give Charlotte students and faculty access to a digitally connected forum of like-minded researchers, makers and innovators, facilitating and streamlining the advancement of technology and ideas.

Terence Fagan Ph.D., associate teaching professor of mechanical engineering and engineering science, is the lab’s founding director.

“We need to break down barriers in the academic world and help bring manufacturing back to the United States,” said Fagan. He began exploring the Super Fab Lab concept as a way to mitigate the traditionally long production cycles of factory floors. 

“With the Super Fab Lab, our students can be more agile than industry,” said Fagan. “It puts the power in the students’ hands so they can reach a final product much faster than traditional methods.”

While students have a strong hand in the lab, they also are supported with guidance from faculty of the two driving colleges. David Wilson, Ph.D., professor of software and information systems in the College of Computing and Informatics, serves on the lab’s steering committee and provides insight for its students. 

“The Charlotte Super Fab Lab is an incredible resource for UNC Charlotte, offering invaluable learning opportunities for students and faculty alike,” said Wilson, who has also been instrumental in other digital fabrication initiatives, such as his college’s makerspace that opened in 2016. “The amazing creations and collaborations the Super Fab Lab will help bring to life will expand the horizons in our University’s mission to advance innovation for the benefit of society.”

Visit the link below for the full story: