DWS Digital Workshop

Digital Workshop Rules

• Reservations aren’t possible — first-come, first-served
• Come prepared: file in the correct format, material already purchased, relevant tutorial viewed beforehand
• Don’t tie up a machine troubleshooting problems with your file
• Help others when you see they need it
• Only use materials stated in the machine tutorials
• Stay logged in for the duration of your machine session — this keeps billing accurate and lets us track machine use
• If all lasers are occupied: 1hr session limit, one machine per user
• Leave the machines and workspace as you found it, and sort waste correctly
• Be aware that the all digital workshop machines will automatically log out users when the workshop closes (18:00 during the semester).

Sharing the workshop

The DWS serves 1000+ students, so a few extra considerations keep it running smoothly for everyone — especially during the last two weeks of the semester, when queues can get very long.

• If a queue has formed, let the next person know when you’re in cutting your final sheet so they can start preparing their file while it is cutting
• Clean up and remove your material and offcuts promptly once you’re done 
• Be mindful of space around shared work surfaces and temporary storage spaces
• For very long cutting jobs, consider whether the full cutting file is necessary to represent your project, or whether there’s another way to produce the parts

Machine Safety

Laser cutter:

• Never leave a running laser unattended due to fire safety fire risk. 
• Only cut permitted materials; the wrong plastic can release toxic fumes. 
• Small flames below the material (e.g. on acrylic) are normal. If flames rise above the material, pause the job and monitor closely — if they don’t self-extinguish, press the emergency stop, evacuate others in the room, and alert a staff member immediately.

Zünd cutter: 

• keep hands clear of the blade path during operation. 
• Do not leave personal items other than material on the machine
• Only use approved materials.

3D printer (Bambu A1): 

• The nozzle is hot during and shortly after printing — avoid touching. 
• Wait for the first layer to complete before leaving a print unattended, and don’t leave the workshop until you’ve confirmed the print has started successfully.

Invoicing & Pricing

Charged for logged-in time, rounded down to the last full minute, invoiced monthly to your ETH account. Check your balance [here].