UW-Madison CoE Makerspace

What UW-Madison CoE Makerspace does

The Grainger Engineering Design Innovation Lab (also referred to as DI Lab, Makerspace, or TEAM Lab) is a university-affiliated makerspace operated by the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering. The facility spans approximately 40,000 square feet across two locations — Wendt Commons (rapid prototyping) and the Engineering Centers Building (precision machining, welding, woodworking, sheet metal, composites) — plus the Phil Myers Automotive Center (PMAC) for student car teams. It serves CoE undergraduates (free access), graduate students ($100/semester), faculty and staff (free access), CoE-affiliated student organizations, M-Pass holders from the broader UW community ($150/semester, Wendt only), and K-12 students through the Engineering Summer Program (~100 high school students/year).

The lab's equipment portfolio is unusually broad for a university makerspace, encompassing 20+ Bambu Lab FDM printers, Formlabs SLA/SLS systems, Stratasys F370, Markforged Onyx Pro, metal 3D printing (via PCBWay concierge), 7 CNC mills (Eisen, TRAK DPM2), 3 Haas ST 15 CNC lathes, multiple laser cutters, a Laguna CNC router, MIG/TIG welding, 20 Hakko soldering stations, metrology (Creaform Handyscan 700), and the Kohler Innovation Visualization Studio with wall-sized touch screen and AR/VR headsets. Service offerings include a tiered Design Hub (free coaching → $75/hr → full project management), fee-for-service fabrication, structured training/certification programs, Canvas LMS modules, the Fab Fellows graduate program, and interdisciplinary senior capstone projects with industry partners including Plexus and Polaris.

The business model is a hybrid of university-subsidized educational service and modest commercial revenue. User fees (grad access, M-Pass) and on-site materials sales (mini-marts) generate limited direct revenue; fee-for-service fabrication and design support provide professional-services-style income; and corporate gifts (notably Plexus Corporation's $240,000 in 2020) fund interdisciplinary programs. Bulk operating costs are absorbed by the parent institution. GTM is community-led and event-driven: weekly free workshops, course integration with CoE instructors, student-organization network activation, and outreach via Instagram/YouTube/LinkedIn organic channels, with no paid acquisition.

Name

UW-Madison CoE Makerspace

Legal name

Grainger Engineering Design Innovation Lab - University of Wisconsin-Madison

Website

https://making.engr.wisc.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Grainger Engineering Design Innovation Lab is a UW-Madison College of Engineering makerspace providing prototyping, CNC machining, fabrication, and design support to CoE students, faculty, staff, student organizations, and K-12 STEM participants across two 40,000 sq ft locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

University Makerspace Services

NAICS

Industrial Design Services (54142), Industrial Design Services (541420)

SIC

Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821)

akta.pro primary industry

Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios) (EDAMADAC), 3D Printing, CAD & Digital Fabrication Programs (EDAMADAH), Additive Manufacturing Research & Innovation Labs (IMAAAJAA), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), Science & STEM Lab Equipment & Supplies (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Makerspaces) (EDAEAIAC)

Keywords

• University makerspace services
• Rapid prototyping services
• Digital fabrication services
• CNC machining services
• 3D printing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. CoE Graduate Student Access Fee: CoE Graduate Students pay a $100 access fee per semester. TAs have fees waived automatically. Non-CoE UW students and faculty/staff may purchase an M-Pass at $150/semester for Wendt-only access. Undergrads and CoE faculty/staff do not pay access fees.
2. Materials and Consumables Sales: Mini-marts at both Wendt and ECB locations sell commonly needed materials including plastic, wood, nuts, bolts, epoxy, electronics, metal stock (stainless, mild steel, aluminum, copper, brass), sheet goods, vinyl, textiles, adhesives, sandpaper, and hardware.
3. Fee-for-Service Fabrication and Design: Fee-for-service fabrication and design engineering services for University-related projects. Design support ranges from free basic coaching to $75/hour intermediate and full design/fabrication at fixed cost estimates. Includes metal 3D printing concierge service.
4. Plexus Partnership Funding: Plexus Corporation partnership supporting interdisciplinary academic programs with a $240,000 gift to advance design-focused educational pathways.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Grainger Engineering Design Innovation Lab is a university-operated makerspace providing access to rapid prototyping equipment, CNC machining, fabrication services, design consultation, and training for UW-Madison College of Engineering students, faculty, staff, and student organizations. Core deliverables include additive/subtractive manufacturing, welding, woodworking, electronics, AR/VR, 3D scanning, fee-for-service fabrication, multi-tier Design Hub support, structured training programs, and academic programs (Senior Capstone, Fab Fellows, Plexus Interdisciplinary Design, K-12 ESP). Materials are sold on-site through Mini-Marts at both locations.

Product overview

The Grainger Engineering Design Innovation Lab is a comprehensive university makerspace providing a unified portfolio of prototyping and fabrication equipment and services across two locations. The Wendt Commons facility offers rapid prototyping (3D printers from Bambu Lab, Formlabs, Stratasys, and Markforged; laser cutters; electronics; CNC routers) and visualization tools (VR/AR headsets, the Kohler Visualization Studio), while the ECB location houses precision machining (CNC/manual mills and lathes), welding, woodworking, and sheet metal fabrication. Core services include Design Support consultation, Fee-for-Service Fabrication, structured training programs, and academic programs (Senior Capstone, Fab Fellows, Plexus Interdisciplinary Design, K-12 STEM). Additional offerings comprise 3D scanning, student organization spaces (PMAC), and materials sales through Mini-Marts. The lab operates as an educational and innovation hub supporting the entire engineering lifecycle from concept to finished product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kohler Innovation Visualization Studio: Collaborative space featuring a wall-sized touch screen for teaching and learning, accommodating approximately 32 co-working users or 14 VR headset users, located on the 1st floor of Wendt Commons.

Products and services

• Rapid Prototyping Equipment Access (3D Printing, Laser Cutting, Electronics) Wide range of rapid prototyping equipment available at the Design Innovation Lab @ Wendt for student and faculty project work, including 3D printers (Bambu Lab FDM, Formlabs SLA/SLS, Stratasys, Markforged), laser cutters, and electronics workstations (Hakko soldering stations, oscilloscopes, power supplies, reflow ovens, Arduino/Raspberry Pi microcontroller kits). Open to CoE students/faculty/staff (free), CoE graduate students ($100/semester), and M-Pass holders ($150/semester, Wendt only).
• CNC Machining Services CNC and manual machining capabilities including 7 CNC mills (4 Eisen S-3AII, 2 Eisen S-3AB, 2 TRAK DPM2) with ProtoTRAK EMX 2-axis CNC, 3 Haas ST 15 CNC lathes, TRAK TMC7 Toolroom Machining Center, and two 2OP Vertical Machining Centers. Available at the Design Innovation Lab @ ECB with progressive CNC training (CNC Mill 2/3 and CNC Lathe) required for certification.
• Fabrication Services (Wood, Welding, Sheet Metal, Composites) Complete fabrication capabilities including wood shops, MIG/TIG welding, sheet metal equipment, and composites lab at the Design Innovation Lab @ ECB. Specialties include GTAW/GMAW welding, brazing, precision grinding, heat treating, abrasive blasting, and metal hardness testing. Available to CoE students, faculty, and staff.
• 3D Scanning Services 3D scanning services using Creaform Handyscan 700 (professional-grade sub-millimeter resolution) and Creality RaptorX (wireless hybrid blue laser and NIR scanner) with post-processing support for reverse engineering and metrology applications.
• Virtual + Augmented Reality (VR/AR) Development VR/AR equipment including Microsoft HoloLens AR headsets, Oculus Quest/Quest 2 headsets, Samsung Gear 360 cameras, and VR development equipment in the AR/VR Development Room (Room 106) at Wendt Commons, featuring 4 workstations, green screen, tethered VR headsets, and photo documentation equipment.
• CNC Router (Laguna) Laguna CNC router for cutting operations using V-Carve software for toolpath generation, available for reservation through the Fusion platform.
• Design Support (Design Hub) Design consultation services provided by the Design Hub team offering three tiers of support: Basic (free 1-hour consultation), Intermediate ($75/hour + materials), and Full project management (fixed cost estimate at $75/hour + actual materials with markup). Services span problem definition, CAD, FEA, and prototyping for CoE students, faculty, and staff.
• Fee-for-Service Fabrication Fee-based fabrication services for university-related projects including design and engineering, metal 3D printing, CNC machining (Haas-CNC Lathe, CNC Machining Center), waterjet cutting, welding (GTAW, GMAW, brazing), ultra high vacuum welding, precision grinding, heat treating, abrasive blasting, and metal hardness testing.
• Metal 3D Printing Concierge Service Metal 3D printing service managed through PCBWay, where the lab orders, manages, pays for, and receives prints on behalf of users, then bills their UW payment account. Includes design consultation.
• Mini-Marts (Materials Sales) On-site material stores at both Wendt and ECB locations selling consumables including plastics, wood, hardware, electronics components, adhesives, and metal stock (stainless, mild steel, aluminum, copper, brass), sheet goods, vinyl, textiles, sandpaper, nuts, bolts, and epoxy. Purchases made via Wiscard, debit, credit, or UW funding strings.
• Kohler Innovation Visualization Studio Collaborative visualization space on the 1st floor of Wendt Commons featuring a wall-sized touch screen accommodating approximately 32 co-working users or 14 VR headset users. Used for teaching, learning, and immersive visualization projects.
• Fab Fellows Program Graduate student employment program offering tuition remission, stipend, training on fabrication equipment, and after-hours lab access in exchange for 20 hours per week supporting lab operations, machine maintenance, and undergraduate mentorship. 1-2 year appointments available to engineering, art, and industrial design graduate students.
• Engineering Summer Program (K-12 STEM) Pre-college STEM program introducing engineering concepts to underrepresented high school students (first-generation, low-income, diverse communities, women), with approximately 100 students annually using the makerspace for collaborative design and STEM skill-building activities.
• Senior Capstone Projects Interdisciplinary capstone projects connecting engineering students with industry partners (e.g., Polaris drone-on-ATV testing, Collegiate Wind Competition wind tunnel testing, Badgerloop SpaceX Hyperloop pod design) across Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, Materials Science, and Biomedical Engineering departments. Housed in the DI Lab.
• Student Organization Spaces (PMAC) Dedicated lab spaces at the Phil Myers Automotive Center (PMAC) at 1550 Engineering Dr for CoE student car teams: Wisconsin Racing Formula SAE, Wisconsin Baja SAE, Clean Snowmobile, Wisconsin Autonomous, and Bucky Wagon.
• Lab Training Programs (Orientation, Shop Tools, Machining) Structured training programs including Lab Orientation, Intro to Shop Tools, Intro to Machining, and progressive CNC training (CNC 1/2/3 and CNC Lathe) for equipment certification. Delivered via Canvas LMS learning modules for enrolled UW students and instructors.
• Specialty Training (Laser Cutting, Welding, Woodworking) Specialized training programs covering laser cutting, MIG/TIG welding, woodworking, and composites processing with hands-on certification requirements for equipment access.
• CAD Support and Training Computer-aided design support and training primarily using Onshape (free for students), with additional support for SolidWorks, Autodesk, and NX. Includes tutorials, best practices, and design consultation.
• Plexus Interdisciplinary Engineering Design Program Partnership with Plexus Corporation supporting interdisciplinary academic pathways including high school pre-engineering (ESP), first-year Inter-EGR-170 design course, senior capstone projects, and Fab Fellows graduate positions, supported by a $240,000 gift to the Grainger Engineering Design Innovation Lab.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of companies surveyed at CoE career fair said they are more likely to hire a student that has worked on a project with engineers outside their major (supporting interdisciplinary capstone value)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Plexus CorporationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Plexus Corporation partnership advancing the development of interdisciplinary academic pathways for Engineering students at early, intermediate, and Capstone levels. Includes a $240,000 gift to the Grainger Engineering Design Innovation Lab supporting high school pre-engineering (ESP), first-year design (InterEGR 170), senior capstone, and graduate Fab Fellows programs.
• PolariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolaris partnered with UW-Madison capstone students to develop testing methods for landing a drone on a moving All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV). Students design, build, and test solutions using DI Lab equipment.
• Collegiate Wind CompetitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDI Lab supports student teams participating in the Collegiate Wind Competition's wind tunnel testing, where students develop mechanical, electrical, and aerodynamic wind turbine designs for testing.
• Badgerloop (SpaceX Hyperloop)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent team using DI Lab facilities to design and build a hyperloop pod for the international SpaceX Hyperloop Competition. Team works in Mechanical Engineering Building lobby and uses DI Lab for fabrication.
• PCBWaycoreTechnology or IntegrationPCBWay is used as the metal 3D printing 'concierge service' — the DI Lab orders, manages, pays for, and receives metal prints on behalf of users, then bills their UW payment account. The lab recommends PCBWay as easy to quote and quickest/cheapest among online service bureaus.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Virginia Tech DREAMS Lab: Virginia Tech's DREAMS (Design, Research, and Education for Additive Manufacturing Systems) Lab focuses on additive manufacturing and student-led design. Comparable in mission overlap (making, design curriculum, K-12 outreach) with a stronger specialization in 3D printing.
• FAB Foundation / Fab Lab Network: Global network of community fab labs originating from MIT's CBA, offering digital fabrication (3D printing, laser cutting, CNC) to community and educational users. Thematically comparable in mission (access to fabrication) though community-oriented rather than university-anchored.

Direct peers

• MIT MITERS: Student-run makerspace at MIT providing fabrication, machining, electronics, and 3D printing for the engineering community. Comparable in operating model (university-based, student-staffed) and equipment breadth, with a stronger emphasis on student autonomy and project culture.
• Purdue University Makerspace: Purdue operates a network of makerspaces including the Bechtel Innovation Design Center with 3D printing, laser cutting, and electronics at scale. Comparable as a large Big Ten peer university with multi-location makerspace footprint.
• Cornell Maker Lab (and Rapid Prototyping Lab): Cornell Engineering operates multiple makerspaces serving the College of Engineering with CNC, 3D printing, and laser cutting, integrated into design coursework. Direct peer in mission and academic integration.
• Georgia Tech Invention Studio: Student-run makerspace at Georgia Tech offering 3D printing, laser cutting, woodworking, and textiles with a strong student-staff training pipeline. Closely comparable to UW-Madison's student-led, multi-location model with active org integration.
• Carnegie Mellon Maker Space: CMU College of Engineering operates multiple fabrication facilities (Hammerschlag Hall, Tech Spark) supporting rapid prototyping, machining, and electronics. Direct peer in scope, equipment breadth, and curriculum integration.
• UC Berkeley Jacobs Hall / CITRIS Foundry: Bait-and-switch: UC Berkeley Jacobs Institute houses student makerspace and CITRIS Foundry offering fabrication, electronics, and prototyping. Comparable as a top-tier public university innovation hub with industry and student org engagement.
• Stanford Product Realization Lab: Stanford's hands-on fabrication facility for SoE students and faculty, offering CNC, 3D printing, laser cutting, and electronics in a single integrated shop. Direct peer in mission, equipment mix, and university-industry partnership orientation.

Regional players

• Artisan's Asylum: Large community makerspace in Somerville, MA offering fabrication, woodworking, electronics, and metalworking with memberships and classes. Comparable as a multi-modal fabrication facility, but commercially operated vs. UW-Madison's educational mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCA275nVzXdl49sd7eWhEt7g
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uw-madison-college-of-engineering-makerspace
• Instagraminstagram.com/uw_di_lab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UW-Madison CoE Makerspace