The AACE Lab is a fabrication resource shared by all members of the Cooper Union community. To keep the AACE Lab a welcoming and productive space that fosters learning, experimentation, and collaboration, it is important that we all contribute positively to this culture. The rules outlined below are supplemental to the Cooper Union Code of Conduct, which still applies in its entirety to everyone on campus.
Use of the AACE Lab is a privilege. Violating the code of conduct or any of the lab’s rules put you at risk of losing access to the Lab.
The AACE Lab is a self-service fabrication lab and is not a service bureau. To use any equipment in the lab, you will need to learn how to safely operate it, and will be the one to produce your work. Please do not ever expect an AACE Lab staff member to run your job or produce your work for you. If you are interested in learning a new tool, ask any AACE Lab staff member and they will do their best to guide you!
If you don’t know, ask! AACE Lab staff are always happy to help. Attempting to use a tool that you have not been trained on puts you and others at risk of injury and may also result in costly damage to the tool.
Be respectful to everyone in the lab. This includes students, staff, faculty, or anyone else in the space. The use of disrespectful language will not be tolerated. Be patient while waiting for the next available laser cutter; some jobs require a longer time to complete. Be polite when you ask how much longer the job will take to complete.
Do not rush. Digital fabrication relies on often complex machines, software, and workflows. Rushing or attempting to move too quickly will often result in making mistakes.
Be Patient. Hofstadter's law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law.
Respect the AACE Lab’s hours. Use of the lab outside of the scheduled open hours is not permitted unless given explicit permission by the Director. Please be aware of when the lab closes and make sure to clean up in time to leave. Before running a job later in the day, make sure to estimate the job time so you don’t go over-time.
Machines must not run unattended. You must be present and monitoring any machine that you are actively using. If you need to walk away from the machine: you must pause the job or arrange for someone else (but is not an on-duty staff member) who is trained on the use of the machine to monitor it for you. The only exceptions to this rule are the 3D printers which are okay to run unattended and often run all night long.
If you break something, say something! Mistakes happen, especially when you are new to a specific tool or process. If you break something, please let a student or staff technician know. This is important so that we can teach you how to prevent the mistake moving forward, and also so we can effectively repair or replace whatever broke. Breaking something and knowingly hiding it is against our code of conduct and makes the lab worse for everyone.
See also: Cooper Union Code of Conduct