Polifactory

• Additive manufacturing: FDM 3D printers of various sizes and a stereolithography machine for high quality 3D printing (SLA) to prototype and manufacturing products and experimenting/testing innovative materials for 3D printing in collaboration with companies (in partnership).
• Subtractive manufacturing: laser cutting machine, 3 axis CNC big milling machine and two 3 axis CNC desktop milling machines to materialize prototypes (parts and components for IoT).
• Physical Computing: technical equipment to design, prototype, materialize and debug PCBs for prototypting and developing electronics hardware an open hardware.
• Moulding and casting: combined use of CNC machines and electro tools to create small molds for casting and thermoforming objects and experimenting/testing DIY materials (a concept of self-produced materials, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127515300964)

Polifactory is a 300 sqm makerspace that collaborates with companies and public bodies and organizations to materialize interactive product-service systems integrating design, digital fabrication and embedded technologies. It develops, coordinates and manages competitive research and experimental projects exploring the relationship between design and digital transformations in manufacturing. Polifactory offers the following set of services to large scale companies, SMEs, public bodies and institutions:

• consultancy activities focused on the strategic use of design and digital fabrication processes within innovation and manufacturing processes;
• research activities on design and prototyping of digital product-service system included development, validation and testing with users (groups and communities);
• development of pilot-projects at local, national and international institutions stimulating the collaboration between professional creative communities (designers, engineers,...), makerspaces and manufacturing companies;
• development of training activities stimulating SMEs and micro-enterprises to introduce/adopt design and digital fabrication in their manufacturing processes;
• development of experimental didactical activities such as design workshops and hackathons organized with public and private subjects and focused on the use of design, digital fabrication and interactive/embedded technologies to developing concepts and prototypes of interactive product-services;
• coaching services. Polifactory supports "pre-incubation" of ideas developed by communities of young professionals. PhD and master degree students in design, mechanics, electronics, computer science and bioengineering are selected through open calls and hosted in the lab as “talents in residence” in order to design and prototype their product-service ideas.

Polifactory experiments and tests innovative materials for 3D printing (filaments) in partnership with local manufacturers.