Every student safe. Every machine accountable.
Machine authorization, training-linked permissions, and local operating records for K-12 woodshops, CTE programs, and university makerspaces. Put the configured access check at the equipment before power is enabled.
Safety can’t depend on the honor system.
Running a workshop with dozens of students and dangerous equipment is a daily exercise in risk management. Paper sign-offs and verbal check-ins aren’t enough.
Paper certifications have no teeth
Sign-off sheets get lost, forged, or ignored. When a parent or administrator asks for proof of training compliance, you’re scrambling through filing cabinets. No timestamps, no digital trail, no defense.
Policies need an operating backstop
Training records and posted rules matter, but compatible machine authorization can also participate when a student presents a credential at the tool.
No data for budget justification
When the principal asks if the CNC router is worth the investment, you have nothing but anecdotes. No utilization reports, no student engagement metrics, no evidence for grant applications.
Four systems. One platform.
Use one local platform to coordinate machine authorization, usage records, environmental monitoring, and dust collection. Start with the operating problem you need to solve, then add compatible capabilities over time.
Access Control
A credential reader and matched Trigger can keep a compatible machine unavailable until the local Hub confirms the configured permission.
- RFID reader on each controlled tool — lockout at the power level
- Real-time certification verification before equipment powers on
- Can use supported credentials already carried by students and staff
- Complete audit trail — who accessed what, when, for how long
- Multi-tier permissions: student, TA, instructor, admin
Time & Access
Automatic session logging from tap-in to tap-out. Know exactly how many hours each student spends in the shop, on which machines, every semester.
- Automatic session start/stop tied to RFID access events
- Per-student, per-machine usage reports exportable to CSV
- Utilization data for grant applications and budget requests
- Lab hour tracking for course credit and certification programs
Environmental Monitoring
Use fixed sensors to track local PM2.5 conditions and duct-pressure trends, then alert staff or activate compatible filtration at configured thresholds.
- Real-time PM2.5 particulate monitoring with threshold alerts
- Ductwork static pressure tracking for collection efficiency
- Local particulate and pressure trend history
- Operating context for facilities and EHS review
Dust Management
Automated blast gates and VFD-controlled dust collection. When a student powers on a tool, the correct blast gate opens and the collector adjusts — instantly.
- Motorized blast gates open/close automatically per tool activation
- VFD speed control adjusts collector power to match active tools
- Filter pressure monitoring with replacement alerts
- Integrated with access control — collection starts when a certified user taps in
Running in 30+ facilities.
From high school woodshops to R1 university fabrication labs, GRIT is the access control and safety platform institutions trust.
University of Illinois
- Siebel Center for Design
- Architecture Fabrication Lab
- Krannert Center
- Mechanical Engineering Metal Shop
- Mechanical Engineering Wood Shop
- Art and Design Wood Shop
University of Arizona
- Engineering Design Center
- Salter Labs
- Library Makerspace
Pennsylvania College of Technology
- Campus Makerspace (200+ users)
Stevens Institute of Technology
- MakerCenter
Missouri S&T
- Innovation Lab
CCAC West Hills
- Community College CTE Program
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
- KAO Innovation Lab
University of Wisconsin–Platteville
- Huff Innovation Lab
Built for how schools actually work.
No subscription lock-in. Data stays on your network. Works with what you already have.
Works with existing student IDs
No new card system needed. RFID readers work with your current school ID credentials and Apple/Google Wallet.
CSV bulk import
Import 200+ students from your student information system in minutes. Works with Canvas LMS and standard SIS databases.
No required subscriptions. Ever.
Capital expenditure model. Buy once, own it. No monthly per-seat fees. No SaaS budget surprises. Budget-friendly for schools.
On-premise mesh network
Student data stays on your school network. Offline-first. FERPA-friendly. No cloud dependency. Your IT team stays happy.
Canvas LMS integration
Certification requirements can sync from your Canvas courses. Students complete a module — their access updates automatically.
Apple & Google Wallet
Students add their lab credential to their phone. No lost IDs, no replacements. Just tap to access certified equipment.
Start small. Scale fast.
One Hub Pro covers your entire lab. Add readers and triggers as you grow. Here’s a 4-tool starter deployment.
Education Starter Kit
A four-tool scope can combine a Hub Pro, supported credential readers at the selected machines, matched Triggers, and a shared SignOn station. GRIT reviews the equipment and installation path before the system is configured and commissioned.
- 1 GRIT Hub Pro — manages all readers, triggers, and student records over a local mesh. No cloud required.
- 4 GRIT Track RFIDs — mounted at each tool. Students tap their ID card; only certified students get power.
- 4 120V Triggers — inline between tool and outlet. No certification = no power. Plug-and-play, no electrician needed.
- 1 SignOn Station — shared check-in kiosk for student sign-in, certification status, and session logging.
Retrofit installation
Keep the machines your program already owns.
GRIT adds credential readers, matched Triggers, and local coordination around compatible equipment instead of requiring a new machine fleet.
From policy to enforcement.
GRIT doesn’t just document your safety rules — it physically enforces them. Every tap, every denial, every session is logged.
Twenty-two students file into the woodshop. Each taps their school ID at the door reader.
22 students signed in, 18 certified on the table saw, 12 on the band saw, 7 on the CNC router.
and taps their ID. Red light. Access denied — they haven’t completed Module 3 yet. The machine stays locked. No confrontation. No guesswork. The system handled it.
reads 14 µg/m³. The dust collector is running at 60% — exactly what’s needed for the three active tools.
every session is logged. Every access attempt — approved and denied — is timestamped. That’s your audit trail.
What lab directors say.
In practice — Champaign, IL
The founders went back to their high school.
In 2026, GRIT donated a $41,000 workshop safety system to Champaign Central High School — the same school three of the founders graduated from. CTE teacher Abraham Haile called it “cutting edge — frankly things I haven’t seen before.” WAND News covered the story.
Get started
Build your lab setup today.
Tell us how many machines and students you need to cover. We’ll put together a configuration and a quote your administration can act on.
Every student safe. Every machine accountable.
Machine authorization, training-linked permissions, and local operating records for K-12 woodshops, CTE programs, and university makerspaces. Put the configured access check at the equipment before power is enabled.
Safety can’t depend on the honor system.
Running a workshop with dozens of students and dangerous equipment is a daily exercise in risk management. Paper sign-offs and verbal check-ins aren’t enough.
Paper certifications have no teeth
Sign-off sheets get lost, forged, or ignored. When a parent or administrator asks for proof of training compliance, you’re scrambling through filing cabinets. No timestamps, no digital trail, no defense.
Policies need an operating backstop
Training records and posted rules matter, but compatible machine authorization can also participate when a student presents a credential at the tool.
No data for budget justification
When the principal asks if the CNC router is worth the investment, you have nothing but anecdotes. No utilization reports, no student engagement metrics, no evidence for grant applications.
Four systems. One platform.
Use one local platform to coordinate machine authorization, usage records, environmental monitoring, and dust collection. Start with the operating problem you need to solve, then add compatible capabilities over time.
Access Control
A credential reader and matched Trigger can keep a compatible machine unavailable until the local Hub confirms the configured permission.
- RFID reader on each controlled tool — lockout at the power level
- Real-time certification verification before equipment powers on
- Can use supported credentials already carried by students and staff
- Complete audit trail — who accessed what, when, for how long
- Multi-tier permissions: student, TA, instructor, admin
Time & Access
Automatic session logging from tap-in to tap-out. Know exactly how many hours each student spends in the shop, on which machines, every semester.
- Automatic session start/stop tied to RFID access events
- Per-student, per-machine usage reports exportable to CSV
- Utilization data for grant applications and budget requests
- Lab hour tracking for course credit and certification programs
Environmental Monitoring
Use fixed sensors to track local PM2.5 conditions and duct-pressure trends, then alert staff or activate compatible filtration at configured thresholds.
- Real-time PM2.5 particulate monitoring with threshold alerts
- Ductwork static pressure tracking for collection efficiency
- Local particulate and pressure trend history
- Operating context for facilities and EHS review
Dust Management
Automated blast gates and VFD-controlled dust collection. When a student powers on a tool, the correct blast gate opens and the collector adjusts — instantly.
- Motorized blast gates open/close automatically per tool activation
- VFD speed control adjusts collector power to match active tools
- Filter pressure monitoring with replacement alerts
- Integrated with access control — collection starts when a certified user taps in
Running in 30+ facilities.
From high school woodshops to R1 university fabrication labs, GRIT is the access control and safety platform institutions trust.
University of Illinois
- Siebel Center for Design
- Architecture Fabrication Lab
- Krannert Center
- Mechanical Engineering Metal Shop
- Mechanical Engineering Wood Shop
- Art and Design Wood Shop
University of Arizona
- Engineering Design Center
- Salter Labs
- Library Makerspace
Pennsylvania College of Technology
- Campus Makerspace (200+ users)
Stevens Institute of Technology
- MakerCenter
Missouri S&T
- Innovation Lab
CCAC West Hills
- Community College CTE Program
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
- KAO Innovation Lab
University of Wisconsin–Platteville
- Huff Innovation Lab
Built for how schools actually work.
No subscription lock-in. Data stays on your network. Works with what you already have.
Works with existing student IDs
No new card system needed. RFID readers work with your current school ID credentials and Apple/Google Wallet.
CSV bulk import
Import 200+ students from your student information system in minutes. Works with Canvas LMS and standard SIS databases.
No required subscriptions. Ever.
Capital expenditure model. Buy once, own it. No monthly per-seat fees. No SaaS budget surprises. Budget-friendly for schools.
On-premise mesh network
Student data stays on your school network. Offline-first. FERPA-friendly. No cloud dependency. Your IT team stays happy.
Canvas LMS integration
Certification requirements can sync from your Canvas courses. Students complete a module — their access updates automatically.
Apple & Google Wallet
Students add their lab credential to their phone. No lost IDs, no replacements. Just tap to access certified equipment.
Start small. Scale fast.
One Hub Pro covers your entire lab. Add readers and triggers as you grow. Here’s a 4-tool starter deployment.
Education Starter Kit
A four-tool scope can combine a Hub Pro, supported credential readers at the selected machines, matched Triggers, and a shared SignOn station. GRIT reviews the equipment and installation path before the system is configured and commissioned.
- 1 GRIT Hub Pro — manages all readers, triggers, and student records over a local mesh. No cloud required.
- 4 GRIT Track RFIDs — mounted at each tool. Students tap their ID card; only certified students get power.
- 4 120V Triggers — inline between tool and outlet. No certification = no power. Plug-and-play, no electrician needed.
- 1 SignOn Station — shared check-in kiosk for student sign-in, certification status, and session logging.
Retrofit installation
Keep the machines your program already owns.
GRIT adds credential readers, matched Triggers, and local coordination around compatible equipment instead of requiring a new machine fleet.
From policy to enforcement.
GRIT doesn’t just document your safety rules — it physically enforces them. Every tap, every denial, every session is logged.
Twenty-two students file into the woodshop. Each taps their school ID at the door reader.
22 students signed in, 18 certified on the table saw, 12 on the band saw, 7 on the CNC router.
and taps their ID. Red light. Access denied — they haven’t completed Module 3 yet. The machine stays locked. No confrontation. No guesswork. The system handled it.
reads 14 µg/m³. The dust collector is running at 60% — exactly what’s needed for the three active tools.
every session is logged. Every access attempt — approved and denied — is timestamped. That’s your audit trail.
What lab directors say.
In practice — Champaign, IL
The founders went back to their high school.
In 2026, GRIT donated a $41,000 workshop safety system to Champaign Central High School — the same school three of the founders graduated from. CTE teacher Abraham Haile called it “cutting edge — frankly things I haven’t seen before.” WAND News covered the story.
Get started
Build your lab setup today.
Tell us how many machines and students you need to cover. We’ll put together a configuration and a quote your administration can act on.