In the MAKE prototyping network, students access a wide range of tools and equipment tailored to their project needs, with safety protocols based on the level of danger.
Open access after training. Easy to use FDM 3D printer with a 250 × 210 × 210 mm build volume. For PET-G, technical PET-G and TPU parts.
Open access after training. Fast and reliable FDM 3D printer with a 250 × 210 × 210 mm build volume. For PET-G only.
Only under supervison. FDM 3D printer with 2 extruders and a 360 x 360 x 360 mm build volume. For big and/or multi-material parts :-)
300x300x605mmDual extruder3D printer using plastic (PETG) Filament
Rotates and exposes partsTo UV Can be used with multiiple material. Adjustable Time and Temperature
Washing tank for resin Models
PETG shredder forRecycling purposes
CO₂ laser cutter, 700 × 500 mm
Laser cutting compatible with many materials such as wood, PMMA, leather...
Probably the coolest cabinet you’ve ever seen. It contains everything you need to quickly prototype basic electronics. You’ll find:
This cabinet, open during coach presence hours, allows you to find all sorts of useful accessories. Some might choose to bring only a knife to a deserted island, but I’d choose tape!
Circular box to recycle electronics and components. Once your project is finished, you are free to drop off components that can be reused in future projects. Everything in this Aladdin's cave is free, and it is everyone's responsibility to ensure that the components dropped off or taken work.
sewing machine withDifferent sewing tools
This cabinet contains 3 proxxon grinders, 6 makita drills and Batteries available for self-service for prototyping work. All necessary accessories (bits, attachments, etc.) are directly in each corresponding locker. Charged batteries are located on the left side of the cabinet.
3... 2... 1... ignition! Because not all ignitions are good news, a fireproof cabinet with detectors is available to prevent thermal runaway.
Filament dry cabinetFor storing purposes
Prusa enclosure to print in aControlled environment
cabinet for the storage of chemical Products
polymer dryer for filamentRecyclingMaerial : PETG
Filament extrusion system, used for recycling PETG waste into new filament! This equipement is part of an ongoing recycling project. Only students involved in the project can use it.
Only under supervison. SLA (resin) 3D printer for high quality surfaces, precision, details, specific properties.
Chemical hood for safely handling resin printers.
A simple 3D scanner at your disposal for you 3D scanning needs. Can be used as a handheld or table top scanner. Contact Sébastien for further information.
Keeps filament dry and sealed continuously during 3D printing.
The PICOMAX 21 fulfills even the highest requirements for maximum precision and handiness for state-of-the-art workshops. It is used for drilling, thread cutting and milling operations in the demanding prototype and tool production, as well as for training purposes. This machine forms a solid basis for an up-to-date machine fleet. The proven machine concept is continuously being further developed and refined and contributes to the efficient and precise production of mechanical components on more than 10'000 shop floors world-wide every day.
Lathe
Robust and user-friendly precision coordinate drilling and milling machine.
3000W Fiber laser Workpiece size of 580x595mm
Can cut through different metals
150 W Glass tube Workpiece size up to 1600x1000mm Compatible software: Lightburn (with existing material library)
!!! WARNING : This licence software are reserved for members of interdisciplinary projects !!!
Not a fan of daylight and think outdoor vacations are overrated? Then look no further, you’ve found the perfect place to work! These fully equipped workstations are made for you ! Hardware: Intel i7-11700 CPU (2.5 GHz) with 16 virtual cores, 64 GB RAM; GPU NVIDIA Quardo RTX 4000 Operating system: Windows Server 2022 with terminal services
The available softwares installed on these machines are the same you can find on the remote desktops. You can find the list of software on the following page.
This guide (written in French) is intented to any student participating to a MAKE project, from the occasional supporter to the highly active committee member. It explains why and how to act on sustainability in the frame of the project.
You can access it here : https://www.epfl.ch/education/educational-initiatives/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Guide-de-la-durabilite.pdf It is also available as a hardcopy in the ideation and sustainability kiosk, in the ideation space of SPOT : https://make-dev.epfl.ch/equipment/ideation-&-sustainability-kiosk-161
Many different resources (games, tools, books) regarding ideation and sustainability are available on a set of shelves in the ideation space at SPOT (second floor, mezzanine, DLL EL 1 20).
Many samples of innovative materials and their datasheets are available for observation and manipulation on the first floor of SPOT, between the main entrance and the cafeteria, on shelves.
You can also request the access to the whole MateriO online database (thousands of innovative materials datasheet) at the SPOT front desk.
Only under supervison. Very fast and high performance FDM 3D printer. Build volume: Ø300 × 400 mm. For PET-G but also more technical materials, including PEEK!!!
If you need a tool to communicate in your team effectively, different tools exists.
However the most popular tools are either not free (for example slack) or not safe (for example discord). At EPFL, a matrix server is available for team communcation. This server is safe, free and respecting EPFL guidelines in terms of secrecy (data are stored in Switzerland - on EPFL campus - and are properly encrypted). Matrix is using clients (similar to emails). We strongly advise interdisciplinary projects to use this tool for their team communication.
With the MAKE team we are still using slack but we are planning to transit to matrix in the future for a safer forum workspace.
Model: Custom CNC shop Material: Wood and foam Working dimensions: 1280 x 1220 x (127) mm
Modèle: Beck Rapid 400 Matériau: Bois Hauteur de coupe: 190mm
Open access after training. Easy to use FDM 3D printer with a 250 × 210 × 210 mm build volume. For PET-G, technical PET-G, PLA and TPU parts.
Modèle: Zortrax M200, Filaments: Z-ABS et Z-PLA Volume impression: 20 x 20 x 18.5 cm
Custom model
Model: Bodor BCL-0605MU Dimension: 600x500mm Matériau: Bois, carton et PMMA
This electronics corner has everything you need for quick prototyping of electronic circuits. It includes soldering iron kits, lab power supplies, function generators, an oscilloscope, various electronic tools, as well as basic components.
Model: Elna eXpressive 900 - Bernina B 590
Model: Cameo Silhouette 5
Model: PRESSE CT-3838 II Surface: 38x38cm
Open access after training. Fast and reliable FDM 3D printer with a 250 × 210 × 210 mm build volume. For PET-G and PLA.
6-degree-of-freedom standalone virtual reality headset
VR headset developed in collaboration with Valve and Microsoft
The first true mixed reality headset
Latest evolution of Varjo's premium VR/XR headsets
Industry leading precision motion capture and 3D tracking systems for animation, virtual reality, robotics, and movement sciences.
3-sided projection system with beamer
Simple welding station, easy to use (~30-minute introduction needed). For structural welding only on steel.
The tool which can transform the spot into dust in less than 1 seconde.
Do you also think TIG welding looks cool? Well, style has to be earned, so get ready to spend the necessary hours. Go and find as much scrap metal as you can, because it's by welding that you become a great welder!
Congratulations, you've just assembled your electronic prototype! Now it's time to test it and see if everything works. These workstations allow you to take measurements and test your circuit, helping you decode step by step what's happening in that maze of wires and electronic chips.
There is also a repair station, designed to help you troubleshoot and fix any issues with your electronics projects. Whether it's a faulty connection or a malfunctioning component, this station provides everything you need to diagnose and repair your circuits efficiently. That station is equipped with:
After all the theory and design on the computer, it's time to get hands-on. It's time for some SMD soldering! These workstations will allow you to assemble SMD components and solder all kinds of electronic chips. These stations are equipped with:
A mixed reality head-mounted display developed and manufactured by Microsoft
Knowledge management is fundamental for good project management. The typical solution adopted (by default) by most projects, is to create a collaborative drive for the team that becomes quickly messy and where part of the information is not often consulted by team member.
This is the reason why an archive storage solution has been developped. This solution is designed to preserve interdisciplinary project history at EPFL. Designed specifically for long-term storage, each project gets up to 10TB of free storage space to securely store past years' data and media content (videos, pictures).
The data is stored on EPFL servers making this solution compatible even for sensitive documents. You can create subfolders with restrictive access or subfolders to share outside of your team (with sponsors etc..)
However, this isn't your everyday collaborative drive. This solution is designed for archiving documents, not frequent file access. Perfect for keeping important project records safe and sound, but not ideal for files you need to check regularly or edit with multiple users simultaneously. Think of it as a digital time capsule, preserving your work for future generations!
WARNING !!! This storage solution is reserved for members of interdisciplinary projects only!!!
Do you have a great prototype that you'd like to connect for remote control? Or simply an embedded device that needs an Internet connection to work? On the EPFL campus, you should not create access points with your smartphone (i.e., connection sharing) because of EPFL policies. For this reason we created a dedicated IoT (Internet of Things) WiFi network named SPOT-iot, allowing you to safely to connect your objects to the Internet via EPFL's network, and to access them from your computer.
For all the details and to enable your access, please click on the link below.
MQTT is a protocol widely used for IoT (Internet-of-Things) devices, typically to transmit sensor readings and events. An MQTT server is provided at dllprot-mqtt.epfl.ch. To use the server, you first need to activate your IoT WiFi account (see https://make.epfl.ch/equipment/241). You can then authenticate from your devices using your SCIPER as username, and the same password as for the IoT WiFi network. If you need a non-personal account for long-term use by a project, please ask.
Everything you need for PCB assembly.
Soldering paste placement
Pick and place
Oven
!!! WARNING : This licence software are reserved for members of interdisciplinary projects !!!
This software is accessible either on the workstations in SPOT's IT space, or using remote desktop.
You can check out the list of available licenses here.
As of August 2026, they include:
Cutting
Drilling
Sanding and milling
Other
Cutting
Drilling
Folding
Bearing tools
Other
Tools are available in the layettes, the electrical workbenches, mechanical workbenches, as well as various storage areas around the atrium.