The UNC Charlotte Super Fab Lab will serve three purposes as detailed below:
Education, Outreach and Recruitment:
The primary mission of the Super Fab Lab facility will be to enhance the educational experience of students at UNC Charlotte. We expect the facility to have a significant impact on several courses across departments where a ‘hands-on’ component can be easily implemented, as well as improving the Capstone Senior Design experience. The Super Fab Lab facility will also play a significant role in the university’s outreach to K-12 students in the Charlotte area. While several schools have access to makerspace facilities, the Super Fab Lab will allow students to experience the complete process associated with manufacturing a product. Summer programs and camps can be organized, where K-12 students can have access to some of the equipment in the labs and learn hands-on skills. The Super Fab Lab will also provide opportunities to K-12 students from economically disadvantaged schools, who may otherwise not have access to such facilities.
Industrial Partnerships
The Greater Charlotte area is a major manufacturing hub, and is home to over 3600 manufacturers, and employs over 145,000 in this sector. We envision an active partnership program with the industrial base, including small-businesses in the area. Such a sustained partnership program with the industry will also support possible revenue streams for ongoing maintenance and material costs. The Super Fab Lab will have cutting edge equipment that can be made accessible to local companies, through an appropriate funding model. Similarly, the facility can serve as a platform for corporate training or apprenticeship programs with appropriate revenue sharing models. The Super Fab Lab will also support industry through participation in the Senior Design program.
Research
Due to the lab's culture of invention/innovation, the cross-disciplinary backgrounds, and the unique capabilities, the super fab lab will play an integral role in research at UNC Charlotte. We will build on long-standing research strengths in areas such as metrology and manufacturing, to support ongoing research in these areas. The facility can also support research projects operating with grant funding, where access to equipment can be based on a ‘recharge unit’ model. The outreach elements described above can be used to address ‘broader impacts’ in proposals in related areas, submitted to federal agencies that require such a discussion.