Ross Wilkers
Northrop Grumman has opened a new aerospace technology laboratory at its Space Park campus in Redondo Beach, Calif. that more than 70 company employees developed the idea of and helped create.
The Fabrication Laboratory, dubbed “FabLab,” will house both engineers and non-engineers in an environment that is intended as a collaborative environment to share ideas on and move forward on new aerospace technologies, Northrop said Friday.
“Built by and for employees, it will give them hands-on access to a range of tools, equipment and materials, and the freedom to turn their ideas into reality,” said Peggy Nelson, vice president of engineering and global product development for Northrop’s aerospace systems segment.
“We’re really excited to see what new ideas will emerge from this environment of imagination, collaboration and opportunity.”
Tony Long, a radio frequency and microwave design engineer at Northrop, led the effort to create FabLab and said goals of the new laboratory include “empowering innovators to create intellectual property, accelerate technology and improve design.”
“FabLab is not a ‘nice-to-have,’ it’s a smart business investment,” Long said.
The new laboratory covers 5,500 square feet of space and contains jet lathes and a milling machine to fabricate metal.
FabLab also contains saws for woodwork, an optical bench and soldering station for electronics and a 3D printer built to help prototype parts and models for existing programs.
