In this blogpost, we'll give you an overview of the news of the last months & a preview of what you can expect in fall in our makerspace!
The first six months of 2023 are already behind us and because a lot has happened at Happylab in this period, it's worth to do a short review. New machines, two new staff members, a makeover for the lounge and more - if you're reading this blog post, you'll be up-to-date again and know what future plans you can look forward to!
New offers for Start-ups & Gründer*innen
In March 2023, we dedicated the Maker Start-up Day to the needs of start-ups and founders and set up a program around prototyping and product development. For this occasion, we have also come up with new offers that will make working at Happylab easier for members who work in teams and on larger projects:
- Group memberships for teams: Teamwork makes the dream work! In order to use Happylab even better as a team and to be able to work on a project with united forces, we are offering group memberships at reduced rates since March. For each membership package, any number of additional cards can be booked at -50% of the rate.
- Co-Working Space (Flex Desk) included in PRO membership: The use of our Co-Working Space is included in every PRO membership since March. Starting at €179.90 per month, Happylab members can not only use the machinery at Happylab around the clock, but also work on their projects in our Co-Working Space.
- Project Storage: For the storage of large parts (e.g. for work lasting several days) we have come up with a new storage format: Project Storage allows projects to be stored on a mobile mesh cart on a daily (9€) or monthly (49€) basis. Happylab members can easily book Project Storage themselves in the Happylab Member Portal.
With AustrianStartups and Industri Engineering, we have also brought two new cluster partners on board who support founders and perfectly complement the offers we have at Happylab!
Welcome to the team, Andreas & Martin!
We are very happy that two new employees have joined the Happylab team at the beginning of 2023:
Andreas (pictured left) is an electronics engineer and passionate about technology. He loves to combine his programming and soldering projects with digital manufacturing. Last year, Andreas was on the road with a mobile Makerlab in Viennese youth facilities and will help us with his experience to expand and improve the workshop offerings at Happylab. He will also dedicate himself to the electronics area at Happylab.
Martin (pictured right) is a trained carpenter and technical draftsman. In the last years he gained a lot of experience in different manufacturing companies. Martin loves the combination of technical construction and classic craftsmanship and expands the Happylab team with his extensive expertise with wood and metal as Lab Manager!
New Machines & Trainings
There have also been some new additions to our machinery:
- Since April 2023 our kiln is available for our members! During an individual kiln training session with Lab Manager Lukas, you will learn how to use the machine for your own projects, how to program your own heating curves and what you need to pay attention to for safe handling.
- More individual training sessions are available since the beginning of the year for the conventional lathe (metal), the conventional milling machine (metal), MAG welding and TIG welding.
In addition, three more cool machines arrived at Happylab in April & June 2023, which are currently being tested internally by us before going into member operation soon:
- The Makera Carvera CNC mill will be used at Happylab mainly for PCB fabrication (without the hassle of etching!) in the electronics area. Andreas from the Happylab team has tested the machine extensively and is currently developing training formats that will start in fall 2023. You can read his conclusion about the machine in this blog post!
- For the recycling of plastic waste, which arises during 3D printing, for example due to misprints, we will use a shredder & injection molding machine at Happylab. With the shredder, we can produce fine granules from the 3D printing waste. From this granulate, new objects are created with the help of the injection molding machine. The two machines have already passed the first successful tests! We are working on training sessions and workshops to make the machines available to our members and in children's workshops in the future. Stay tuned!
Makeover for our Lounge
Our lounge at Happylab got a makeover in spring 2023! You'll find a new JURA coffee machine with a selection of coffee specialties from espresso to cappuccino to latte macchiato (new coffee: "Caffè Crema Bio" from J. Hornig), sweet and salty snacks, cold drinks and new seating on which you can get comfortable!
The billing of coffee, snacks & drinks runs very uncomplicated via the Happylab membership card with the monthly statement. Have fun tasting through the new assortment!
New products in our 24/7 Shop
At the end of 2022 our new 24/7 shop went live. Since then, we are constantly expanding our range! New in the store since the beginning of 2023 are among others:
- Wood screws and metric screws (M3 - M10) in various lengths as well as nuts and washers - packaged in small quantities for your maker projects!
- LOCTITE® specialty products such as 2K epoxy adhesives, screw adhesives and repair adhesives that are not easily available in retail stores.
- Taps for hand & machine use for threads in sizes M3 - M10
Our 24/7 store is open for you around the clock! You will find it in the hallway next to the workshop room (first door on the right), access and payment at the self-service cashier is easy with your Happylab-Membercard. A list of all store items including prices and current stock levels can be found in the Happylab Member Portal!
Preview
Here's just a little taste of what you can expect soon at Happylab:
- After a short summer break, our Repair Café will start again in September! Every last Monday of the month (except holidays) you can repair your broken small appliances at Happylab under the guidance of our repair experts.
- In fall, welding courses with locksmiths Doris Kern and Maud Eiselsberg with reduced workshop tickets for women* will take place. Also on the agenda: welding courses for girls from 7 - 12 years. We'll keep you posted on dates & links to sign up in our newsletter!
- A new round of our Distributed Design Residency starts in September. Creative talents at the intersection of design & making will again be supported for six months in our residency program to realize their projects. Learn more about the final projects from the last round here!
- Training sessions for the Carvera CNC milling machine will take place regularly starting in fall - we will inform you about the dates in the Happylab newsletter!
Of course, you can be curious about what else we will come up with for you! Stay tuned - best via our newsletter, Instagram channel or Facebook page. See you soon at Happylab✌️