Welcome to MIDAS FabLab. This page offers summaries and links to finding out more about our equipment, becoming a MIDAS member, the skills/courses required for you to use equipment and the courses offered at MIDAS.
“FabLabs are a global network of local labs that are democratizing access to digital fabrication, allowing anyone to make almost anything. FabLabs are asking – and answering – how we will live, learn, work and play in a world where data can become things and things can become data.”
$400,000 of the best “FAB”rication equipment for public, academic & commercial use. The building is a newly renovated accessible space with state of the art, enterprise-level equipment and training on that equipment including: 3D Printers, 3D scanners, CNC milling equipment, woodworking, an electronics lab, teaching and co-working space and more…
Why is this valuable to our region?
- new technology and processes are increasingly valuable across industries, and MIDAS will allow every resident to experience, learn, use and benefit from innovation in digital fabrication;
- showcasing and increasing our regional expertise (we already have an impressive expertise pool in this sector and MIDAS will focus on it);
- attracting businesses needing this expertise;
- training locals (students and employees) to become qualified operators on this equipment;
- providing prototyping access locally for our businesses, instead of them having to go out-of-region to prototype;
- incubating business start-ups, new product development and research and development locally;
- provide space for public Maker groups and technology club meetings.
Hours Of Operation, Membership Pricing & Purchase
To access MIDAS equipment you can either:
i) become a member for ongoing access, and/or;
ii) take a course to try MIDAS and become certified on that machine/s.
Want to become a member? The membership options for individuals and companies are listed below.Once you register as a member, you will receive an email from MIDAS on next steps, how to pick up your MIDAS badge, how to check in and next steps to use the MIDAS facility.
Note: to use any MIDAS equipment, you have to demonstrate competency on the equipment FIRST by either completing an audit, or by taking a competency course ($15).
This is for your safety, safety of other members, and MIDAS lab equipment care – your competency can be assessed by:
1. Taking a competency course on that piece of equipment / lab area or;
2. If you already are proficient, book an audit ($5 per test) with the Lab Director at director@midaslab.ca
General Membership:
Open to: Beginner to experienced individual members.
Click the memberships below to Purchase.
Day Drop in: $25/day
Multi-Month Memberships*
1 month: $100/month (recurring)
3 months: $225.00 ($75.00/month)
6 months: $300.00 ($60.00/month)
12 months: $480.00 ($40.00/month)
HOURS: General membership holders
Monday, Thursday & Friday: 1-7 p.m.
Weekly tours are Thursday from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Commercial Membership:
Open to: companies, startup companies and company member employees (typically manufacturing, repairing, modifying, making, creating, prototyping, building things – engineers and artists too). Limit 4 designated employees per one company’s commercial membership.
Note: MIDAS is NOT for high volume production runs! You can prototype, do one-offs and custom work, and short runs to market-test products, but not high volume or ongoing production of retail stock
Commercial bonuses:
- Use the space in the morning when General Members do not have access
- Use of business spaces: video conference system, co-work space and boardrooms
Commercial Multi-Month Memberships*
One month: $900.00/month
3 months: $2097.00 ($699/month)
6 months: $3300.00 ($550/month)
12 months: $4800.00 ($400/month)
12 month pre-authorized payments ($400/month)(12 months may be paid monthly with credit card pre-authorization)
*Multi-month memberships are non-refundable.
HOURS for Commercial Membership holders
Tuesday & Wednesday: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Special Saturday access may be arranged for commercial members: email director@midaslab.ca )
This is the exciting stuff. MIDAS has invested $400,00 in the most critical pieces of Rapid Prototyping and digital manufacturing technology. The community model means you and/or your business can access this equipment to learn how it can be used, create your idea, or improve your business’ existing processes and/or products. The advancement of 3D scanning, 3D printing, CNC cutting is here for you to take advantage of.
Visit the Equipment Page to view major equipment & specs.
FEATURE ITEM: 3D Scanning: this hand-held scanner can detect microns of depth, if you ever have to measure, use calipers, reverse engineer a part or entire widget (or person). This device can do in minutes what takes hours by hand-rendering. The item is scanned into a CAD (or other) file ready to be edited, reproduced, printed, scaled or data extracted.
(We will not lie – the scanning is easy – if you do not know the software mentioned, editing the image can take time to learn.. but if you are a builder, engineer, maintenance, etc. or you don’t need to edit the file this will blow your mind..and save you tons of time and money.)
Click here for more gear in the ELECTRONICS LAB……
FEATURE ITEM: ShopBot CNC (btw: means Computer Numerical Control. This means a computer converts the design produced by Computer Aided Design software (CAD), into numbers. The numbers can be considered to be the coordinates of a graph and they control the movement of the cutter. i.e. a robot arm cuts your work out for you.) Meaning this bad boy can take your design upload, tell you how much material after calculating the most efficient way to cut the pieces out of the material … and then cut it all for you. When it is done you have flat stack pieces ready to assemble. And it doesn’t just cut – it also etches/reduces so it can produce topographical / layered designs into your work material as well. MIDAS has a Bot capable of 4’x8′ sheets as well as “mini” for beginners (8″x10″)
See details here
MIDAS offers several levels of instruction from “competency” to use MIDAS equipment to longer courses. MIDAS is also partnered with Selkirk College to offer programs through their Continuing Education Dept.