TechLab

Techlab is equipped with licensed software, equipment and machines that enable the complete production process, from design in a computer environment (CAD and 3D scanning), machine programming (CAM) to production with one of the classical, additive, or subtractive technologies. We are a unique center in Montenegro that has so much high-quality equipment in one place, renowned manufacturers of equipment and machines that are international leaders in their field of production. Among the equipment and machines used in the Laboratory, the following stand out:

Independently or integral use of the mentioned technologies enables the production of functional prototypes or parts with precision that meets industrial standards, with the use of a wide range of materials that includes several types of steel, aluminum, copper, industrial plastics, wood, and other plate materials, as well as thermoplastics and liquid resins that we use in the 3D printing process. The choice of material and manufacturing technology primarily depends on the client’s idea and is chosen in accordance with their ideas as well as the conditions of exploitation and the purpose for which the manufactured part will be used.

The services that Techlab currently provides to clients through a support system or under commercial terms include:

Since its establishment, Techlab has supported over 20 projects free of charge, through which innovators, students, and representatives of the SME sector from the territory of Montenegro and the surrounding area received a 3D model with technical documentation, a functional prototype for testing and presentation purposes or an improved product that they brought as a basis. Support projects resulted in the creation of prototypes based on clients’ ideas, with the aim of improving many areas of social activity from electronics, agriculture, energy to medicine and pharmacology. In the upcoming period, we envision providing robust support and fostering collaboration with all entities affiliated with our business incubator, partner institutions bound by signed Memoranda of Cooperation, and project partners seeking consulting or development services utilizing the available technologies within the Laboratory.

Commercial services are an indispensable part of every production system, and although they are not currently the narrowest focus of the Laboratory’s operations, in the past period dozens of services were performed under commercial conditions. What is pleasing is the high degree of client satisfaction with the service provided and the quality of the completed projects. From the commercial services provided, the projects for the production of parts for the needs of MI Goranovic and the foundry of the Black Metallurgy Institute stand out, because the activities of Techlab resulted in solutions that made it possible to overcome production problems in those entities. In the future, through the acquisition of new equipment and tools, efforts will be made to expand possible services to clients, while maintaining the quality at a high level.

An important part of Techlab’s activities is the design and organization of workshops and trainings aimed at popularizing the technologies represented in TechLab and bringing them closer to a wider audience, with a special emphasis on high school students, students and persons registered at Employment institute of Montenegro. By mastering CNC machine management technologies and 3D modeling and printing technologies, participants, in addition to expanding their technological knowledge, also increase their competitiveness in the labor market of Montenegro and abroad. Among the conducted training sessions, a noteworthy highlight is the CNC operator training, covering the operation of both CNC milling machines and CNC routers. This program successfully equipped six unemployed individuals with valuable skills, supported by the Municipality of Niksic. Looking ahead, collaborative efforts with the Center for Adult Education and Employment institute of Montenegro are underway to initiate the licensing of training programs and professional retraining for unemployed individuals within TechLab’s modern educational center.

Support for master’s and doctoral students is an indispensable part of the work of the Laboratory, primarily bearing in mind the fact that a large number of students do not have access to modern technologies that are necessary for the professional design and creation of the projects they have imagined. By employing all the software and production resources of the Laboratory as a result of the support, the students received a functional prototype with a 3D CAD model and associated technical documentation. The creation of a robotic manipulator and the creation of test rings made with 3D metal printing stand out from the student support projects.