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Brighton
Brighton
Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 4GL
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Slough
2 Brunel Place, Slough SL1 1FQ
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All locations

Prototyping workshops

State-of-the art prototyping, product development, and batch production facilities in Brighton and Slough. Plus X Innovation workshops are equipped with world-class machinery and led by a specialist workshop team to help your product get to market faster.

We pride ourselves on being an accessible space where you're invited to make mistakes, get messy, and fail with the support of our community of makers on a mission.

Our workshops

We have workshops in Brighton and in Slough. Choose your closest location to explore what is available in the workshops:

Brighton heavy workshop
Brighton
Heavy workshop
Best for big projects, and working with power tools and machines on materials like wood, metal and plastic.

Use for high-precision products like furniture or metal machining, or for quick and dirty prototyping

Choose from woodworking power tools, machining tools for metal, and a variety of CNCs

Get better results with the full suite of Festool power tools for woodworking

Itech Flatbed CNC Router
Machining
  • 5 Tool auto tool changer
  • Vacuum hold-down bed
  • 2.2Kw spindle, suitable for anything up to soft metals like Aluminium / Brass
  • V-carve support
  • Trotec Q500 Laser Cutter
    Laser Cutting
  • 120 Watts
  • Bed size: 1300 x 900 mm
  • Cut up 15 mm thick flat pieces of material
  • Engineering Mill and Lathe
    Machining
    • Manual machining of metals and plastics
    Power Tools
    Woodwork
    • Pillar Drill
    • Bandsaw
    • Sanders
    • Festool rail saw, router, biscuit jointer, and other hand power tools
    • Shaper Origin handheld CNC router
    Roland MDX540 CNC Mill
    Machining
    • CNC milling machine
    • Bed size – 500 x 400 x 125mm, Spindle speed range – 400 – 12,000 rpm, Maximum feed rate – 125mm/sec
    • Resolution: – 0,001mm, Spindle motor – 400W

    Man working on machine in heavy workshop
    Slough
    Heavy Workshop
    A wide selection of Machinery and Tools for high-precision engineering and manufacturing prototypes in metal, plastic, or wood. Including CNC milling, Manual milling, Wood and Metal lathes, bandsaws, Sandblasters, Hydraulic press, and much more.

    Use for high-precision products like furniture or metal machining, or for quick and dirty prototyping

    Choose from woodworking power tools, machining tools for metal, and a variety of CNCs

    Get better results with the full suite of Festool power tools for woodworking

    Roland MDX540 CNC Mill
    Machining
    • CNC milling machine
    • Bed size – 500 x 400 x 125mm, Spindle speed range – 400 – 12,000 rpm, Maximum feed rate – 125mm/sec
    • Resolution: – 0,001mm, Spindle motor – 400W

    Datron Neo - CNC Milling
    Milling Machines
    • Integrated 3D measuring probe
    • 24 tool slots
    • Pneumatic Clamping Set
    • Ethanol Cooling
    • Bed Size: 500mm x 400mm, Spindle speed range: 400-40,000 rpm
    Warco GH1360 Engineering Lathe
    Shaping
    • Digital readout system 3 axis
    • Chuck 3 jaw 160mm D1-4 camlock with inside & outside jaws
    • Chuck 4 jaw 200mm independent
    • Coolant system
    Axminster SX4 - Digi Milling Machine
    Milling Machines
    • Digital readout system 3 axis
    • Table Size: 240mm x 820mm
    • Range: X: 450mm, Y: 250mm, Z: 415mm
    • Spindle Speed range: 0-1600 RPM
    Hand Power Tools
    Hand Tools
    • Festool TS55FEBQ-PLUS Plunge Saw
    • Mirka Deros Orbital Sander
    • Makita Grinder 150mm
    • Jigsaw and planers
    • Makita RP1800 Router
    • And more...
    3D printer in the Central Research Laboratory workshop
    Slough
    Electronics and 3D Printing
    A wide selection of 3D printers and Electronics equipment. Including Clean Assembly desks and other equipment including Ovens, Compression and Tensile testing machines, Vinyl Cutter and Laser cutter.

    Use for rapid prototyping to test designs, get feedback and iterate quickly

    Get started with 3D printing and explore what you can make

    Make high-quality batch production parts for low volume manufacturing and product customisation

    FDM 3D Printers
    3D Printing
    • Ultimakers 2 and 2 Extended
    • PRUSA I3 MK3S+
    • Raise Pro 2 plus
    • PETG and PLA filament
    Industrial and Reflow Ovens
    Ovens
    • Clarke 200FD  
    • REFLOW OVEN Model RF100
    SLA 3D Printing
    3D Printing
    • Formlabs Form 3L, 3+ and 2x Form 2
    • Wide Variety of Resins Available
    • IPA cleaning and UV curing chambers
    Trotec Q400 Laser Cutter
    Laser Cutting
    • 120 Watt C02 Lasser
    • Working Area: 1030mm x 630mm
    • Cuts and engraves a wide range of Woods and Plastics
    Electronics Stations
    Electronics Equipment
    • Metcal GH120 Soldering and MFR Dual Port Desolder System
    • Metcal hot air system
    • Rigol MSO5204 200MHz, 4CH Digital Oscilloscope
    • FLIR C5 Thermal Imaging Camera
    • Treston ESD work stations x2
    • Solder Fume Extraction
    Person working in the Brighton Fablab
    Brighton
    Fablab
    Best for making production parts or prototypes from digital designs.

    Use for rapid prototyping to test designs, get feedback and iterate quickly

    Get started with 3D printing and explore what you can make

    Make high-quality batch production parts for low volume manufacturing and product customisation

    Prusa i3 MK3S FDM 3D Printers
    3D Printing
  • 6 x FDM 3D Printers
  • Build volume = 210 (l) x 210 (w) x 250 (h) mm
  • PETG and PLA filament
  • Trotec Speedy 300 Laser Cutter
    Laser Cutting
  • High accuracy CO2 laser cutter
  • Bed size: 720 x 430 mm
  • Cut up 6 mm thick flat pieces of material
  • Materials: Plywood, Card, Acrylic, Foam (subject to verification)
  • Canon Pro-1000 Inkjet Printer
    Reprographics
    • A2 photo-quality printing
    • 12 ink system
    • Print on wide variety of art papers
    Roland GS 24 Vinyl Cutter
    Reprographics

    Rolls - 610 mm (l) x 25 meters (w)

    3devo 350 Filament Extrusion System
    Materials development
  • Experimental filament extrusion machine
  • Can produce 1.75 - 3mm filament
  • Can work with PLA, PETG
  • Person working in the bio area in the Brighton workshop
    Brighton
    Wet lab
    Work with messy materials such as plaster and silicone, or develop new biomaterials.

    Use to mould and cast parts, and experiment with formulations and materials

    Learn about materials and processes with our extensive materials library

    Post-process resin and water-based materials

    Degassing Vacuum Chamber
    Moulding and casting
  • Useful for casting and moulding, removing bubbles from silicone and resin
  • Can be used for dehydrating substances
  • Other Bio Area and Wet Lab Information
    Materials development
  • Fridge, Oven, Dehydrator, Hobs, Sink
  • AML Z3 X500 Tensile Tester - Website* Loading cells = 5kN and 500N
  • 26 kN toggle press with coupon die cutters
  • RS pro ultrasonic cleaner
  • Wet Room
    Slough
    Wet Room
    All chemical based prototyping is completed within this room using the Bofa Fume Cupboard. The room is a clean space when working with Resin and Silicone, or in the creation of materials.

    Use to mould and cast parts, and experiment with formulations and materials

    Learn about materials and processes with our extensive materials library

    Post-process resin and water-based materials

    DS-26P Degassing chamber
    Graphics & Finishing
    • 26L capacity
    • 99% vacuum in around 30 seconds
    Fume FumeCab 1000iQ
    Graphics & Finishing
    • Suitable for Light Glue and Paint spraying and Solvent use
    • Combined HEPA/Gas filters offering effective filtration of 99.997% down to 0.3 microns
    RS Pro Ultrasonic Cleaner
    Curing & Washing
    • 6.5L capacity
    • Heater 0-80℃
    • Ultrasonic Frequency 40,000 Hz
    • Useful for casting and moulding, removing bubbles from silicone and resin
    High Precision Scales
    Other Tools
    • Kern CKE 3600 – 2: 3.6kg Limit, 0.01 gram Precision
    • Kern EMS 12k0.1: 12kg Limit, 0.1gram Precision
    Spray Booth Facilities in Brighton at Plus X Innovation
    Brighton
    Spray Booth
    Add the finishing touches to your prototype in a safe, clean, and controlled environment

    Apply paints and other finishes to your product in a controlled environment to the highest possible quality

    Protect your health with a full room extraction system

    Big enough to spray a piece of furniture or a small vehicle

    HVLP Spray Gun
    Finishing
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    Moving into a dedicated hardware space has been a huge step for our organisation. It allowed us to quadruple our prototyping speed and perfect our technology in ways we didn't think possible.
    Andrei Danescu
    Co-founder and CEO,
     BotsAndUs

    Frequently asked questions

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    Have another question?

    Speak to one of our team
    Get in touch

    Frequently asked questions

    How do I access the workshop?

    Workshop access comes as part of Resident or Studio & Office memberships. If you’d like to use the workshop but don’t need a fixed desk, we also offer a discount on the Resident membership for workshop-only access. Ask at Reception or give us a call.

    Can I get a day pass?

    We offer day passes for the Slough workshop at £35 plus VAT. Any inductions and machine training will also be an extra charge at £60 an hour. Day pass members are restricted to Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm.

    We do not offer day passes for the Brighton workshop, however you can become a member for one month only for short term access to the workshop.

    How much does it cost to use the machines?

    There are no charges for use of most machines. Members provide their own consumables (e.g. materials, or milling cutters) We only charge for consumables where members cannot practically provide their own (e.g. resin for our Resin 3D printers).

    Can you teach me how to use the tools?

    We provide training on all tools. This includes how to use tools safely and the basic operations. We are always on-hand to provide advice and support, or re-training if required. We also have an amazing community of members who have diverse expertise across all sorts of tools and processes, and we all help each other out however we can.

    Can I bring in my own tools or specialist/hazardous materials?

    We discuss the requests on a case-by-case basis, so we can manage safety, space, and access in the workshop. Please get in touch using the form if you have a specific enquiry.

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    Create and innovate with a community of makers.


    Through inspiring, thoughtfully-designed workspaces, state-of-the-art specialist facilities,
    innovation programmes, and extensive member events, our vibrant spaces are made for you to feel at home, and designed for you to grow, thrive, and collaborate.

    Innovation Community

    As a Coworking or Resident Member, you will have a year-round calendar of social and networking events, and access to a supportive and powerful ecosystem of world-class mentors, experts, investors, innovators, academics, and industry partners to help you connect, innovate, and collaborate.

    Innovation Programmes

    As a Coworking or Resident member, drive growth in your business with access to business support and game-changing innovation programmes. Join the 500+ startups that have gone on to raise over £165m and create 1000+ jobs after benefitting from the expertise within the Plus X Innovation team and expert network.

    Innovation Facilities

    Unleash your creativity in our expertly curated workshop and maker spaces, with discounted or free access. With your Coworking or Resident membership, enjoy state-of-the- art machinery, tools and a specialist team on-hand to help in the workshop, a custom-built photography studio, and a high-spec podcast suite.

    We’re here to help

    It doesn’t matter what it is, no question is too big or too small.

    Thank you! Your submission has been received!
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    People working in a sunny coworking space at Plus X Innovation Brighton

    We’re here to help

    Send a message to our friendly Locations team to find out more about memberships and workspace, using our specialist facilities, event spaces and meeting rooms, and how you can connect with the Plus X Innovation community.