PRL Summer Policy

The Stanford Product Realization Lab (PRL) is a teaching facility in Mechanical Engineering with resources to support education in design and manufacturing.

In comparison with the Autumn/Winter/Spring academic year, the PRL maintains limited operations during summer months. Summer staffing and resource allocations primarily enable access to rapid prototyping in the PRL's Autodesk Making + Prototyping Space (AMPS). For research users only, some additional resources are also made available in the PRL's facilities in building 610.

Please read this page in its entirety before reaching out with questions.

Quick Links

• PRL Summer Access Request Form

• Summer Schedule Outlook Calendars

  • AMPS (Huang Room 036) Summer Schedule

  • PRL Bldg 610 Machining Lab Summer Schedule

  • See below for info on subscribing to these calendars

PRL Summer Access Request Form

Summer access to PRL facilities is approved on an individual basis. Each user must complete and submit the Summer Access Request Form and receive written approval before beginning work in the lab. This applies to all users regardless of past usage or access to the PRL.

Access

After you submit the PRL Summer Access Request form (linked above), a member of the PRL team will review your information and reach out regarding your approval status. Approved users are welcome to use the lab during open hours.

Building 610

The machining lab in building 610 will be open on a limited basis to approved research students only.

Autodesk Making + Prototyping Space (AMPS)

AMPS (Huang 036) is accessible to currently-registered students who are either:

• Enrolled in Summer Quarter courses or pre-arranged workshops

• Involved in official Stanford research/projects

Students are granted summer access on a case-by-case basis. Generally, if you have been an active member of the PRL during the current academic year, are affiliated in an official capacity with Stanford over the summer, and are working towards clearly defined goals, you are a good candidate!

Faculty and Staff are able to use the PRL only in support of teaching endeavors. Research projects are supported in the PRL, in so far as students are performing the work in furtherance of their learning about design and manufacturing methods. Instructors who wish to incorporate AMPS into their summer course or workshop should contact Dan Somen dansomen@stanford.edu to make arrangements. Please include a copy of the syllabus or project goals. 1-2 weeks notice is appropriate, although the sooner the better.

As a teaching facility, the PRL is not able to support staff or faculty working on research or hobby projects.

Schedule

Graduate student course assistants (CAs) provide support for open lab hours over the summer. Hours of operation are determined on a weekly basis depending on CA availability.

Due to variability of the schedule, webshop’s reservation system and calendar will not be used.

AMPS

On average, the AMPS schedule accommodates roughly 30 hours of open lab time each week. Requests for specific open hours or activities are reviewed and handled on a first-come first-served basis.

Building 610

The Bldg 610 schedule accommodates 10-20 hours per week, primarily in the machining lab. Other lab areas may be opened depending on availability and level of demand.

Calendars

Publicly posted Outlook Calendars will be updated on a weekly basis. To view the calendars, you can:

1. Check the schedule online anytime through the html links (AMPS) (Bldg 610), or

2. Subscribe using the ics links (AMPS) (Bldg 610), to add to your calendar.

   • Subscription instructions are available for Outlook (See "Subscribe to a calendar") and for Google Calendar (See "Use a link to add a public calendar")

   • Please subscribe to receive updates. Importing the calendar will not push updates.

Lab Rules

Before doing any work in the lab, every PRL user must complete a safety orientation once per academic year, Sept-Aug. This covers the general rules and an overview of safety hazards present in the labs. 

1. 1. Visit webshop.stanford.edu and follow the link to the PRL's Safety Quiz. A passing score will allow you to complete your webshop profile.

   2. Attend a safety walkthrough.

      • Once you have completed your webshop profile, login and visit the Safety Signup tab to sign up for a pre-scheduled safety walkthrough timeslot.

        • Each Safety Walkthrough begins in the Machining Lab of Bldg 610.

        • Wear appropriate personal protective equipment for the lab. University guidelines require closed-foot shoes and long pants in all lab spaces, including the PRL. A pair of safety glasses will be provided to you at the beginning of your safety walkthrough. Please retain these for subsequent visits. Several pairs of safety glasses are also available to borrow when entering the lab. If none are available, you may also purchase a new pair.

        • Each walkthrough can accommodate up to 10 people.

        • Additional lab rules and guidelines are covered during the walkthrough.

Note that all user accounts are erased at the start of Autumn Quarter each academic year. All users must complete the steps above each academic year before continuing to use the PRL.

Materials

Materials may be purchased from AMPS for project use. Cash and check are accepted forms of payment. Receipts can be written upon request.

Payment through PTA (Stanford's internal financial system) may be arranged if approved in advance. Please use this form to initiate the setup.

Suggested Alternative Manufacturing Resources

While capacity of the PRL is limited over the summer, we understand that design and manufacturing is ongoing. If the PRL is not able to meet your needs, local 3rd party vendors are happy to provide alternative manufacturing services, often with educational discounts. The additive manufacturing page of the PRL website offers an extensive, though not exhaustive, list of vendors: https://productrealization.stanford.edu/index.php/resources/processes/3d-printing

Please address any questions to Dan Somen dansomen@stanford.edu.