Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

See our contacts page.

See our contacts page for lab operating hours.

Currently, there are no set staffed hours for the FabLab. If you require face-to-face assistance, please book a consultation through our Staff Appointments Calendar.

For information on induction procedures, see this section. For other general inquiries please contact us.

The AMME FabLab operates in compliance with the University of Sydney guidelines for staying COVID safe on campus as well as the current directions provided by the NSW Government. Authorised users of the FabLab must observe the following:

• The maximum occupancy of users in the FabLab is currently limited to 15 people. This will be monitored by the card reader system at the front door which will grant access based on the number of people currently in the FabLab.
• Keep a physical distance of 1.5m between yourself and others.
• Avoid crowding around equipment.
• Use hand sanitiser upon arrival and leaving the FabLab.
• Stay at home if you feel unwell.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to speak to a lab staff member.

At a minimum, all users must wear enclosed shoes while using the FabLab. Students/staff wearing open-toed shoes such as thongs or sandals will be asked to leave immediately. Personal protective equipment (PPE), such as safety glasses, should be worn based on the type of task being performed in the lab.

See the eligibility section on the training process page here.

Please see this page regarding the training/induction process to the FabLab.

Yes. All users – new and existing – must undergo the new induction process to ensure that everyone is up-to-date with the new lab procedures involving the safe use of the space and equipment, as well as for internal recordkeeping/liability purposes.

Yes. Even though you may already know how to use the machines, you must still complete the induction and training specific to the AMME FabLab in order to use our resources and equipment.

A list of all equipment can be found here. Please remember that the use of FabLab equipment should be regarded as a privilege; treat all equipment as if it were your own.

The use of machines, tools, and consumables of the AMME FabLab is free of charge for authorised users. However, our credit system implements fees internally to ensure fair usage.

Yes, lockers can be provided upon request for authorised FabLab users to store project items and personal belongings whilst using the lab space. The rules and regulations for using the lockers can be found here.

See our credit system page for more information.

The purpose of the FabLab is to expose students and researchers to a range of fabrication technologies and provide an opportunity for hands-on learning. The FabLab should not be regarded as a manufacturing service. While we do our best to maximise the availability of staff and ensure equipment remains functional, things don't always go as planned. Sometimes It can be difficult to keep up with the needs of many users during peak semester times, or equipment still fails despite proper maintenance. Therefore, the FabLab cannot guarantee equipment or staff availability and will not be held accountable in supporting any number of projects to completion.

We encourage any feedback regarding this to be submitted via our feedback form.

We are glad to hear that you'd like to apply your acquired engineering knowledge in other contexts and want to encourage this. Unfortunately, at the FabLab's current stage of development, this is not something we can feasibly cater for. Priority of lab space, resources and equipment must always be given to university-related projects.

Our lab staff are dedicated to teaching users how to safely operate equipment and tools autonomously in alignment with the vision of the FabLab. As such, work requests to the AMME FabLab will not be accepted.

If you are unable to complete your work in the FabLab, you may want to consider external suppliers and manufacturers. You may want to consider:

• Sydney Manufacturing Hub for local additive manufacturing, characterisation and post processing, and heat treatment and melt processing.
• Phaser 3D for local 3D printing.
• PCBWay for PCB manufacturing, CNC machining, 3D printing, sheet metal fabrication, and injection molding.
• JLCPCB for PCB manufacturing

You may post on our forum at any time, or see us in the lab during staffed hours.

The FabLab is structured around three main systems:

1. Canvas - For training and assessment management
2. Forum - For questions and discussions
3. This Wiki - A central knowledge base for all equipment and resources