Tours

During ISAM 2024, six of the University of Sheffield’s makerspaces will be open and prepared to host you for tours.

Campus makerspace map


The makerspaces available to tour are:

The iForge’s main space, in the Diamond building, is the heart of our student-led makerspace. Founded in 2017, the iForge was the UK’s first student-led makerspace. It is run by 60+ iForge Reps, student volunteers who staff the space 12-8pm Mon-Fri for the general student population, in return for 24-7 access. It holds more traditional manufacturing equipment such as laser cutters and power drills, and it’s all free to use!

Our newest space in the refurbished Engineering building houses textile and vinyl equipment such as sewing machines and pin badge makers, as well as most of our 3D printers, a 3D scanner and more.

The Digital Innovation Zone (DIZ) is a collection of digital engineering technologies, brought together in one physical space and is made possible through a strategic partnership with Siemens. This alliance has been instrumental in developing the DIZ into a dynamic ‘living lab’ where students, academics, and industry experts can converge to push the boundaries of digital technology. Siemens’ involvement brings a wealth of industry knowledge and resources, further enriching the DIZ’s offerings, such as CAD tools, robotics, 3D printing, IoT technologies and a digital twin of Sheffield’s Diamond Pilot Plant. This collaboration not only accelerates digitalization and innovation but also enhances the educational experience, equipping students with the vital digital skills needed for the future engineering sector.

The Digital Commons is a new creative makerspace in the Information Commons offering 3D printing, Digital Stitchcraft, XR technologies, introductory coding, critical AI literacy and more.

The Print and Make workshop is a staffed facility that supports Architecture students in the curricular making. It has recently moved to larger premises and has a wide range of equipment. The print area offers printing, scanning and binding facilities, with printing available up to A0. It also houses the School’s 3D printers. The Make Workshop has a number of areas, including a casting room, digital workshop (with laser cutters and CNC machines), hand tools area, and a machine workshop with larger fabrication tools.

  • Open Access Mechanical Workshop

The OAMW is a mechanical workshop space situated in the New Caledonia Workshop (NCW) at The University of Sheffield with a range of metrology, hand and machine tools for use by engineering researchers and staff (principally PhD, post doctoral and academics) to fabricate simple hardware for experimental use or construct basic rigs. Whilst the NCW is the mechanical workshop for School of Electrical, Electronics Engineering, the OAMW is open for use across the engineering faculty. It is a complimentary initiative to the iForge Makerspace with a level of technical oversight and guidance relevant to the complexity and hazards of experimental apparatus, providing an opportunity to learn practical skills and specialist knowledge from technical staff relevant to the project at hand. 


All tours leave from the Support Desk on Diamond 1st Floor. Feel free to tag along with any tour.

Wednesday 11th September 2024

11:00 [iForge Makerspace, Architecture Workshop and Digital Commons]
14:00 [Digital Commons]

Thursday 12th September 2024

11:00 [Locations TBD]
13:45 [Locations TBD]
17:00 [iForge Makerspace and iForge Heartspace]

Friday 13th September 2024

11:00 [Locations TBD]
13:30 [Locations TBD]


Please sign up using our ISAM 2024 Makerspace Tours form