Growing up, David Florian would take things apart to see how they worked, then put them back together. So, it’s not surprising that years later the Vanderbilt engineer heads a digital fabrication lab that teaches students how to operate computer-controlled machines and produces a popular YouTube channel with nearly 165,000 subscribers that provides instruction on how to make them.
“If you’re looking for a job to make a physical part, I’m teaching the next generation to manufacture it,” said Florian, known has Dr. D-Flo to the online world.
He said what led him to his current position as director of the Digital Fabrication minor was an interest in creating physical solutions and building his own tools. He noticed early on how expensive commercial machines were, so he took a do-it-yourself approach. In 2015, he built a CNC router, which he used to make and sell products like cutting boards, bottle openers, and plaques. He then reinvested that money into more components and eventually used those to build his own 3D printer. Around that same time, he started making YouTube videos to document and share his projects. One popular video shows Florian 3D printing a life-sized, fully licensed Benchy boat that he sailed on the Duck River in Tennessee. The video has received more than 300,000 views.
“I really enjoyed the feedback and interaction with viewers, which in hindsight was probably my first exposure to teaching through making,” said Florian, who is assistant professor of the practice of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Vanderbilt.
Early on, he saw solutions for the human body – whether therapies or prosthetics – as an impactful form of engineering. That idea, Florian said, of creating physical solutions that directly improve people’s lives was what initially drew him into the field.
While working on a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at Vanderbilt, Florian found that his DIY skills and machines could be adapted to his research, which included automating some of his work.
Florian completed his Ph.D. in the lab of Scott Guelcher, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Vanderbilt. In 2021, he co-taught a special topics course on biofabrication with Guelcher. Through that and other interactions, he said they heard consistent feedback that students wanted more hands-on, project-based learning. He said Guelcher helped formalize that need by putting together a survey to document student interest and identify gaps.
“Prof. Guelcher had the vision for expanding hands-on manufacturing education at Vanderbilt,” Florian said. “My role was developing and building out the curriculum itself. I designed the three core courses that now define the program: rapid prototyping, additive and polymer-based manufacturing, and subtractive manufacturing.”
The Digital Fabrication Minor is open to all undergraduate students at Vanderbilt. It provides hands-on experience in computer-controlled manufacturing, like 3D printing, and CNC mills, machines that automate the process of cutting, drilling, and shaping materials such as metal, plastic, or wood using computer-guided tools. In addition to hands-on instruction, the Digital Fabrication lab provides opportunities for students to work on undergraduate research, personal projects, or capstone senior design projects.
On his YouTube channel, Florian offers instruction on programming as well as how to build instruments like a 3D printer or laser cutter. It’s something he’s done in his own garage, such as the creation of a large format 3D printer, which is used to make chairs, among other things.
“When I build something, and it works, I get this great feeling,” Florian said. “If my students do that, and it works, I get that same feeling.”
Several of his students have gone on to work for companies like SpaceX, Medtronic, and defense manufacturers.
Parker Friedli, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering, already has a job lined up with British aircraft manufacturer BAE Systems in its New York office after graduation. She said she’s ready for the real world.
“Where I’m going, I’ll probably be working on commercial aircraft controls, and other electronic components,” said Friedli, who also completed a minor in digital fabrication. “But regardless of what I’m doing, the hands-on instruction and exposure to various technologies through the Digital Fabrication minor and other Vanderbilt classes has prepared me, and I’m confident I will succeed.”