Roland DG Sponsors FAB9, The 9th International Fab Lab Conference, as a Vision Sharing Partner

Hamamatsu, Japan, August 1, 2013 – Roland DG Corporation (TOKYO: 6789), the world’s leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and 3D devices announced today that it will sponsor FAB9 as a Vision Sharing Partner, Platinum Sponsor. The weeklong event will be held in Yokohama from August 21-27, 2013.

A Fab Lab (Fabrication Laboratory) is an open workshop offering digital fabrication as well as analog tools with the aim to make "almost anything.” The concept was originally proposed by Prof. Dr. Neil Gershenfeld, the Director of the Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Fab Lab concept quickly became popular and Fab Labs have spread from inner-city Boston to rural India, and from South Africa to the North of Norway. There are currently upwards of 200 Fab Lab locations in 50 countries around the world.

FAB9 is the ninth annual Fab Lab forum and gathering of Fab Lab managers, core members, FAB researchers and reflective practitioners from the global Fab Lab network and beyond. A packed week of activities includes dialogue sessions, hands-on workshops and a one-day symposium offered by Global FAB LAB Network based on the theme of “PERSONAL FABRICATION as the dawn of New Renaissance.” FAB9 is hosted by The Social Fabrication Laboratory at Keio University SFC in Japan, in conjunction with the CBA at MIT, Yokohama Creative Center (YCC) and the Global Fab Lab Network (including Fab Lab Japan Network). More than 200 Fab Lab representatives from countries all over the world are expected to take part.

Roland DG’s Experience in 3D Digital Devices

Driven by its vision of “Transforming Your Imagination into Reality,” Roland DG has been developing proprietary 3D digital devices for more than 25 years. These include 3D milling machines, 3D laser scanners and engraving machines that are based on core technology to control XYZ-axis positions, a function which replaces skilled hand movements and can thereby bring the benefits of digitalization to craftsmen. These 3D products all share the same characteristics: compact size, ease of use and affordability. We have been promoting since 1986 the concept of “desktop fabrication” that enables users to easily transform images into real objects simply by connecting our products to computers, even without specialist knowledge of digital milling.

“Roland DG and Fab Lab share the same spirit of craftsmanship,” commented Roland DG President Masahiro Tomioka. “Our concept of desktop fabrication and Fab Lab’s concept of personal fabrication are the same in the sense that they both aim to inspire people’s enjoyment of creativity through the application of digital technology while expanding the potential of craftsmanship.”

Since Fab Lab started out in 2002, Roland DG’s Modela MDX-20 small 3D milling machine and CAMM-1 GX-24 vinyl cutting machine have been installed in Fab Labs around the world, where they are used as recommended machines. At the FAB9 venue, we will set up a special exhibition booth where visitors will be able to see our craftsmanship solutions, including Roland DG digital devices. Roland DG will continue to support Fab Lab activities while developing digital tools to broaden the potential of digital craftsmanship.

For an introductory video on Roland DG’s “desktop fabrication,” see: http://youtu.be/mBZBWN9gNiQ

Contacts:

Roland DG Corporation
Corporate Communications Section
+81-53-484-1400
E-Mail：rdg-koho@rolanddg.co.jp