The Moblie Maker Lab made a two-day stop at the New England Laborers’ Construction Career Academy recently, spending two days at the school.

Groups of about a dozen students rotated through the lab during the day, visiting the hands-on learning stations inside and learning more about the technologies on display and the manufacturing jobs that go along with them. The lab is sponsored by IYRS, Polaris MEP, Rhode Island College, the Rhode Island Commerce Corp. and the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.

Seth Weisman, designer and development manager for the lab, said several changes have been made to the lab since its last visit to NEL/CPS last year.

“We spent the fall testing out the layout, and then a year ago we made more thorough purchases and we think the space is well-positioned to fit the groups of students coming in,” he said. “While they’re in here, they will learn about computer numerical control technology, additive and subtractive processes, take a photo to be used with the laser cutter, learn about two- and three-dimensional processes, and they’ll also get to use Tinkercad to make their nameplates with the 3D printer, all in the 30 minutes they’re in here.”

In speaking with the groups of students, Weisman described some of the digital fabrication technologies and how they can be connected to the math the students are learning now, such as geometry, and where they can be put to use, such as in the medical field.

A glossary on the wall gave the students a clear understanding of the terms being used during their rotations through the stations.

Weisman discussed the fact that these types of technological advances are only getting better and more accurate, and therefore will be used for more and more applications.

“The sky’s the limit here,” he told them. “The more high-grade the technology is, the better the results.”

The students were able to return at the end of the day to retrieve their laser-cut wooden photographs and their 3D printed nameplates.