BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A new technological lab to help create a variety of products is now ready to go at the Brownsville e-Bridge Center.
The Blueprint Lab will enable users to with work with oversized, single-piece prototypes and turn them into real things.
Cori Peña, president and CEO of the Brownsville Community Development Corporation (BCIC), said the lab is the result of a partnership between her group and several entities, including the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley.
“This is about providing tools and technology to develop something real,” she said. “And this came about from a $1.2 million grant we received about a year ago.”
According to BCIC, the Blueprint Lab "is the eBridge Center's prototyping and R&D space. The new equipment includes a Modix large-format 3D printer, Bambu desktop 3D printers, CNC machining tools, and vinyl design systems, giving entrepreneurs, UTRGV students, and industry partners the tools to design, test, and refine physical products locally. The Modix large-format printer enables users to produce oversized, single-piece prototypes that would typically require outsourcing to larger markets, while the desktop printers and CNC tools support rapid prototyping, small-batch manufacturing, and design education."
The lab is equipped with advanced prototyping capabilities, for things like industrial 3D printing. The idea is enable BCIC to attract, develop and retain talent while supporting the growth of small businesses and industries, Cesar Lopez, the board chair with BCIC, said.
The lab was unveiled on Tuesday, May 5, and it’s located on the second floor of the eBridge Center on East Adam Street in downtown Brownsville.
The room is equipped with an array of tools unseen to most people and each plays a role in the development of products found in larger and outside markets.
Veronica Gonzales, senior vice president of government and community affairs with UTRGV, said the new lab is the first one in this region of South Texas.
“This lab is not just for students,” she said, “but to share with the community.”
Gonzales said a university student will be working in the lab for 15 hours a week to train and to work with students and people wanting to further their skills.
Brownsville Mayor John Cowen, Jr., said the new lab represents the power of partnership.
“This is an exciting day for everybody,” he said. “I can’t wait to see what this will entail.”
Daniel Silva, vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation at BCIC, described the new tool as a fantastic addition.
“This is great to give more opportunities for our entrepreneurs,” he said. “We are going to create a curriculum so they can learn how these new machines work.”
The unveiling of the Blueprrint Lab was held in conjunction with Brownsville Chamber of Commerce.
