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). Some additional resources are also made available in the PRL's facilities in building 610, primarily to support ongoing research.

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

Quick Links

• PRL Summer Schedule Outlook Calendar (See below for info on subscribing)

Lab Rules

The PRL is open to Stanford affiliates with a full service SUNet ID and @stanford.edu email address.

Safety is our top priority. 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.

      • 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 each user's safety status is reset at the start of Autumn Quarter each academic year. A new safety walkthrough or completion of a safety renewal quiz for returning users is required before making use of PRL resources.

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.

Calendar

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 link, or

2. Subscribe using the ics link 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.

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.