Fabrication    

Underground

The Fabrication Underground provides the U of M community access to makerspace resources one would need to transform ideas into physical reality. You will find work surfaces, hand tools, several types of 3D printers, a laser cutter, a small CNC printed circuit board cutter, 3D scanners, and electronics workbenches ready to handle a variety of activities.

Access to Fabrication Underground resources requires the appropriate certification and reservation. To see the collection of online training materials we have to offer please refer to our Equipment Certification Canvas course.

3D Printing Resources

The Fabrication Underground has a wide selection of 3D printers for a variety of uses. We offer full service 3D printing, 3D printers to support learning, and we host the 3D Printing Club student organization. If there is something we can help you with please let us know (dc-fabrication@umich.edu).

3D Printing Service

The Fabrication Underground operates four industry-standard 3D printers to handle a variety of needs: small parts, big parts, full color parts, clear parts, and parts that require variable ‘Shore A Softness’ values. To learn more please see our 3D Printing Service page.

3DP-TIPS: 3D Printing Training & Instructional Printing Support

Our 3DP-TIPS service differs from a typical 3D printing service in that the student get much more 'hands-on' with the technology. We offer easy access to entry level, general purpose and large format 3D printers. To learn more please visit our 3DP-TIPS page.

3D Printing Club

The 3D Printing Club is a Student Organization which organizes projects, competitions, and collaborative learning workshops to ultimately enhance the knowledge and increase interest in the field of additive manufacturing. If you are a student at the University of Michigan who is interested in 3D printing and working with like minded individuals this organization is for you! 


Fabrication Resources

Workbenches and Tools

The Workbenches in the Fabrication Underground can be reserved for workshops or to work on projects that require hand tools. When used properly, a hand tools can be quite effective, safe, and easy to use. 


Wood Working

The woodshop is equipped with the tools needed to support basic wood working projects to include: saw horses, hand tools, a jigsaw, drills, and Dremel rotary tools.


Laser Cutting

The Fusion Pro is the perfect tool to quickly cost effectively cut or etch compatible materials such as acrylic and laser safe wood products. For more advanced users, a rotary drive is available to etch cylindrical objects.

Electronics Resources

Tools for Electronics

The Fabrication Underground's Electronics Workbench is equipped with most of the tools one would need for small scale electronics projects.

Multimeter | Oscilloscope | Function Generator | Bench Power Supply | Soldering Station | Solder | Hot Air Gun | Solder Wick | Solder Sucker & De-soldering Iron | Fume Extractor | Magnifying Lamp

PCB Milling

From mills to lathes to industrial grinders, there are many types of CNC machines, each with their own unique capabilities. The Fabrication Underground offers access to a Bantam CNC mill for cutting Printed Circuit Boards (PCB).  

3D Scanning Resources

Laser 3D Scanner

3D Scanning is the process of sampling physical objects to collect data sets which can be used to construct 3D computer models. Primary uses of 3D scanners include: design, engineering, mapping, virtual reality, the entertainment industry, and more.

Training and Certification

Equipment Certification

Access to Fabrication Underground resources requires the appropriate certification and equipment reservation. Online training materials are available through our comprehensive Canvas course.

Be sure to plan ahead as it will take 1-3 business days to create your account once your training is complete. If you get stuck, skilled student staff are available to assist.

Reserving equipment at the Fabrication Underground is a 3 step process:


See the Ground Connections (GC) Knowledge Base additional learning materials, material data sheets, manufacturer’s instruction manuals, and more!


We are here to help

If you have questions please stop by the Fabrication Underground or email dc-fabrication@umich.edu.