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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
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If you can dream it, you can make it.
C
reation Labs’ Aaron Hartman had been designing
things on his home computer for years, but when he
got his first 3D printer in 2014, a whole new world
opened to him.
“My kids and I started making parts for their robotics team,
small toys, cell phone cases, and various trinkets,” Hartman said.
“But when I looked for printing material, I couldn’t find it locally;
I had to go to New York to find any, so I thought: ‘Maybe there’s a
business opportunity here.’”
After building up a clientele with leasing, renting, and selling
3D printers, Hartman began offering a 3D printing service. And
then he began thinking about his own makerspace, where
people could come and craft their own items. The idea is coming
to life this summer at South Hills Village Mall. “What’s great
about this is that you get to come in and get your hands dirty,”
said Hartman. “You have to get physically
involved, which is an experience that
you can’t get from today’s online
sales.”
So what can you make at
Creation Labs? “Virtually anything
that you can carry,” Hartman said.
People create everything from
Dungeons and Dragons game
pieces to architectural models
as big as a microwave. “Once you
see what these machines can do and
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learn how to use them, your
opportunities are unlimited. I
started seeing things around
my house that I could fix with
a 3D printed part. My wife lost a
climate control knob on her 2003
Jeep, so I measured one of the remaining
knobs and printed a new one. The wheel on our dishwasher
cracked, so I got out my calipers, measured it, and printed a new
wheel. For customers, I’ve made custom cookie molds, hanging
light brackets, items for model train layouts, tools for small
manufacturers, and toys of all sorts. The range is endless.”
What’s available at Creation Labs? It sells everything necessary
to set up your own makerspace at home. Or staff members
will design and print items for you. But most popular are the
memberships, which allow “makers” to come into Creation Labs
and have unlimited use of all the equipment. This includes a full
array of 3D printers and computers, laser cutters, design software
and work spaces for members to use. Printing material is priced
by the ounce.
What is the cost of membership? Regular pricing for adult
memberships is $75 a month, and students over 12 are $50 a
month. Youth memberships (8-11) are $100 but this includes a
full adult membership to encourage parent-child collaborations.
Membership not only includes access to all the equipment
Creation Labs has to offer, but also allows for discounted
members-only pricing on all classes taught, including 3D Design
Basics, Advanced Part Modeling, 3D Design for 3D Printing, and
Glowforge Overview and File Prep.
For more information on Creation Labs,
or to see examples of printed items, visit
the website at creationlabs.us. You
can call directly at 412.835.MAKE,
or email [email protected].
Better yet, visit Creation Labs in
South Hills Village Mall, upper
level at Macy’s entrance.