Fabrication Lab

Turn clinical observations and design ideas into usable solutions in RIT’s Fabrication Lab. Occupational therapy students create custom orthoses, adapt everyday tools, and develop prototypes that address specific functional needs. The lab supports traditional hands-on fabrication as well as digital design and 3D-printing workflows.

What is an Occupational Therapy Fabrication Lab?

The Fabrication Lab is a workspace for designing, building, fitting, and refining orthoses, adaptive equipment, and assistive devices. Students apply knowledge of anatomy, movement, materials, task demands, and occupational performance as they develop each solution.

Projects begin with a clearly defined need. Students determine what the device should accomplish, select appropriate materials, create and fit the design, and examine how well it works during actual use. Comfort, safety, durability, appearance, cost, and ease of use are considered throughout the process.

What Do Students Learn and Do in the Fabrication Lab?

Students learn to:

  • Assess an individual’s functional needs and define the purpose of a device
  • Take measurements and develop patterns for custom orthoses
  • Heat, shape, fit, trim, and finish low-temperature thermoplastic materials
  • Fabricate upper and lower-extremity orthoses
  • Design low-tech adaptive equipment for self-care, work, education, leisure, and community participation
  • Create and modify digital models
  • Prepare files for 3D printing
  • Compare the properties and appropriate uses of fabrication materials
  • Evaluate fit, comfort, mechanical function, durability, and usability
  • Test prototypes during functional activities
  • Gather feedback and revise a design
  • Document the clinical reasoning and fabrication process
  • Collaborate with students and faculty in engineering, design, computing, and other RIT disciplines

The lab is a direct expression of the OTD program’s Measure–Design–Make approach. Students identify and measure a functional problem, design a response, create the device, and evaluate its effect on performance.

What Technology and Equipment Will Students Work With?

The Fabrication Lab includes:

  • Orthotic fabrication workstations
  • Thermostatically controlled splinting pans
  • Low-temperature thermoplastic materials
  • Pattern-making, measuring, cutting, shaping, and finishing tools
  • Hand tools and materials for adapting everyday equipment
  • Desktop 3D printers
  • Digital design and scan-to-print resources
  • Filament materials such as PLA, PETG, and flexible TPU
  • Work surfaces and sinks for thermoplastic fabrication
  • Prototype hardware, fasteners, straps, padding, and attachment materials
  • Storage and safety equipment for fabrication tools and supplies

These resources allow students to move between fabrication and digital production while selecting the method that best fits the person, purpose, and setting.


 

More Facilities