Tom Love Innovation Hub's Fabrication Lab reopens with new tools

Oct. 4—The Fabrication Lab at the University of Oklahoma's Tom Love Innovation hub has reopened, and students and the public can once again utilize various equipment that is often crucial to bringing ideas to life.

The OU Fabrication Lab inside the Tom Love Innovation Hub, 201 David L Boren Blvd., has state-of-the-art tools such as myriad 3D printers, laser cutters and a water jet, which startup companies and university students use for prototyping products.

The lab became a center for developing and fabricating personal protective equipment on campus after the onset of COVID-19. Many of the plastic screens and shields seen around campus and Norman were made there.

Tom Wavering, executive director of the Tom Love Innovation Hub, said they remodeled the hub in the transition back to a creative space.

There's even some new tech, including a new water jet cutter and a CNC milling machine center.

Additionally, the layout of the lab was reoriented — what was an old kitchen area is now a dedicated metalworking area. Wavering said the main area near the front of the lab is a space for specific tasks, like render a design on a computer or use a 3D or laser printer.

"That area kind of addresses the high-volume user," Wavering said. "Then we also have the folks who are really working on the big project working on their startup working on the really innovative idea, and they need more kind of dedicated space."

Wavering said since the Innovation Hub opened in 2016, the Fabrication Lab has played a unique role in supporting entrepreneurial projects. Their focus has always been on being open for all, and a large part of that was removing barriers around cost and training, he said.

Equally as important as access, Wavering said, is guidance and instruction.

"One of the keys to innovation is being able to get that diversity of thought into different ideas from different people in different backgrounds and different experiences," Wavering said. "It's not just engineers but folks from fine arts or journalism or business and then they're engaging with faculty or staff or retirees or community members or startup entrepreneurs."

Wavering described the mix of experts as something not seen in other places and underscored how that value is just as important as eliminating the cost barrier. Companies are taking notice of the expertise available at the lab.

"They've come to our facility and hired the people who work for us, because every day, they're dealing with these challenges and customer service and problem solving to fix things," Wavering said. "It's just a unique skill set that you develop."

The hub is developing some new student programs they expect to launch in fall 2023. Wavering hopes the new programming will allow more students to support the activities of the fabrication lab and expansion of its services and potentially, the locations of resources.

The Fabrication Lab is open noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Jeff Elkins covers business, living and community stories for The Transcript. Reach him at jelkins@normantranscript.com or at @JeffElkins12 on Twitter.