Located at the Sylabs co-working space , the GE Garages features 3D printers and laser cutters, technologies at the heart of faster, leaner, more “democratic” production that reduces the cost and time involved in prototyping. This not only improves the entire creative process of production but also enables micro-factories and artisanal, small-scale manufacturers.
Jointly launched by GE and Sylabs, the program for the university students is called ‘Prototype It’. Eight student projects have been selected for printing at the GE Garages. They include a project that took 30 hours to print: a robotic operating system for a drone.
An open house for also was part of the Prototype It program. More than 50 people participated, gaining hands-on experience with Advanced Manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing and laser cutting.
This program supports the broader objective of the GE Garages at Sylabs to support Algeria’s start-ups and entrepreneurs, foster innovation and build the “maker” community in the country. This helps drive growth in the small and medium enterprise sector and nurtures the local supply chain. Alongside GE Garages, a key element of GE’s activities in this sphere includes the I.D.E.A. (Industry and Entrepreneurship Development in Algeria) initiative that GE runs in partnership with Sonelgaz, Algeria’s National Electricity and Gas Company.
Two other student graduation projects also have been printed. They include a robotic arm with a six-degrees-of-freedom servo motor controlled via a telephone Arduino tablet and Bluetooth module, and a small-scale model of the Whisper 100 wind turbine, a full-sized version of which is operating on the campus.
Sylabs nurtures Algerian start-ups, not only with workspace and rapid-prototyping opportunities, but also by hosting workshops and conferences to stimulate creativity and promote skills development, as well as simply offering a place where entrepreneurs can meet, collaborate and connect.
GE has been a partner to the Algerian economy and its national development for more than five decades in electricity and water, oil and gas, healthcare, aviation and transportation.
Source: This article first appeared on GE Hewar Blog.
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