Archimedes Fab Lab Grand Opening

The Santa Fe Business Incubator [SFBI] is pleased to announce the grand opening of the Archimedes Fab Lab, a digital fabrication maker space that is now a part of the international Fab Lab Network based at the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms in Cambridge, MA.  

Officially opened in July 2016, the initial Archimedes Lab was the centerpiece of the Incubator’s 2016 Manufacturing Day tours in October. Remembers Ms. Longserre, “Everyone that attended our tours enjoyed meeting the SFBI clients, seeing what they were doing, and visiting the Archimedes Lab.” 

SFBI resident companies credit the Archimedes Fab Lab with fostering innovation. Dave Aley, who is working to develop novel and rapid point-of care products for the objective management of concussion and other traumatic brain injuries for SFBI client BioDirections, finds the Archimedes Fab Lab to have been a tremendous resource.  Dave says: “Having access to 3D printers at the SFBI increases the flexibility in the way I design things for my functional purpose rather than to fit into the cost constraints set by a machine shop.  We recently saved over $1,000 rapid prototyping fixtures and parts that hold cameras, serve as wire strain reliefs, and support various pieces of tooling on a robot using the 3D Printers as compared with traditional methods.  We also reduce turnaround time from 2 to 3 weeks to about 24 hours.  Most impressive is the ability for iterative design.  As the needs of our project have changed, I’ve been able to redesign our products and test the new prints quickly. The speed with which I can do these changes with the Archimedes Fab Lab 3D printers has really facilitated our troubleshooting process.”

Fab Lab Hub is another SFBI resident who has taken advantage of the Archimedes Fab Lab.  “Marie Longserre’s visionary leadership and the strong team she has built are what brought us to SFBI.  She understands that innovation is what drives economies and has brought in the resources Santa Fe needs to lead in a digital world. The SFBI has given us access to the tools needed to train young people and Veterans for New Collar Jobs”, says Fab Lab Hub founder Sarah Boisvert.  “Blue Collar jobs have changed to embrace the digital revolution and at SFBI we can provide hands-on training to meet the needs of today’s smart manufacturing companies with digital fabrication tools.”  The Fab Lab Hub created the North American Digital Fabrication Alliance In response to requests from Fab Labs, Makerspaces and startups in the United States, Canada and Mexico for support and collaboration. “Our work is focused on workforce development, digital fabrication certifications, startup creation, entrepreneurship and STEAM education.”

The Santa Fe Business Incubator is pleased to host the Fab Lab Hub here in Santa Fe New Mexico as an outstanding resource for digital fabrication programs across the country and North America.