Using the 3D Printers
- Reserve up to four hours per week.
- Reserving more than one piece of equipment is not permitted.
- If the machine is not reserved it is available for walk-ins on a first-come, first-served basis!
About the equipment
We have the following 3D printers available.
2 x Filament 3D Printers - Ultimaker S3
- The Ultimaker S5 has a print space of 12” x 9” x 11”. Great for printing prototypes and small parts. These machines print with a rigid material (PLA) or a semi-flexible material (TPU)
Resin 3D Printer - Formlabs Form 3
- The Formlabs Form 3 has a print space of 5” x 5” x 7”. Good for highly detailed, precise objects. This machine prints with a rigid light-reactive thermoset material called “resin.”
If you are utilizing a 3D printer for the first time, we highly recommend watching our in-depth 3D printer tutorial first, then making a minimum reservation time of two hours. This allows time for our staff to walk you through finding/preparing a 3D model, setting up the software, and time for your model to print.
FAQ
Yes! We created an in-depth tutorial for using our filament 3D printer:
Here are the manufacturers PDFs for set up and use:
The only thing you need to bring is the file for 3D model you wish to print. We recommend .stl or .obj file types that are smaller than 10mb in size. You can bring your file on a storage device or access it via cloud storage or URL.
We provide all the materials for our 3D printers.
Our Ultimaker S3 3D printer is equipped with PLA or polylactic acid, and TPU or thermoplastic polyurethane. PLA is a rigid material that it is derived from renewable resources like corn starch or sugar cane. TPU is a flexible material that combines the properties of rubber and plastic.
Our Formlabs Form 3 SLA 3D printer uses a light-reactive thermoset material called “resin.” The specific type of resin we utilize is a solid gray color and is a general prototyping resin that is extremely durable.
You can print overnight on the 3D Printer - Ultimaker S5, but not on the Formlabs Form 3 resin printer. To print overnight, reserve the last evening slot for the 3D Printer and we can run the print past closing. Patrons are limited to one 3D print overnight per week, limited to eight hours total print time. Please check-in with MakerSpace staff before printing to ensure a successful print!
Some exceptions can be made for prosthetics, community projects, etc. Ask us about how we can accommodate your project.
A great way to get started 3D modeling is using a free web-based program like TinkerCAD, known for its simplicity and ease of use.
We have a variety of different types of 3D modeling software including Fusion 360, Blender, and Rhino.
If you are wanting to get inspired with ideas and download files created by others in the 3D printing community, we recommend checking out the following sites.
The Ultimaker S3 uses Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), also known as Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). In FDM, a strand of material (in this case thermoplastic) is deposited in layers to create a 3D printed object. During printing, the plastic filament is fed through a hot extruder where the plastic gets soft enough that it can be precisely placed by the print head. The melted filament is then deposited layer by layer in the print area to build the workpiece.
The Formlabs Form 3 uses Stereolithography Apparatus (SLA), or simply stereolithography. Like FDM, SLA is an additive method: Models are built layer by layer. SLA, however, uses a curable photopolymer – typically a liquid resin – that is hardened by applying focused light or UV light (this process is called curing). SLA printers usually build the models upside-down, that is, the build platform lifts the model upwards, out of the resin bath.
We recommend starting out with a FDM style 3D print on our Ultimaker S3 3D printers. Once you have a good understanding of that machine and its process and capabilities, you might try out a model suited for the resin printer!
Get started with some basics from Formlabs on the why, how, what of resin 3D printing. After that, ask a MakerSpace facilitator if your 3D modeling project is a good candidate for the resin printer, and we will help you get started utilizing the machine!
We recommend a minimum reservation of 4 hours on the Formlabs Form 3 resin printer.
Resin printing can lead to some very detailed and impressive parts but there are some things that need to be checked before hitting the print button. The object to be printed needs to oriented to correctly to ensure printability and optimize surface finish. Please check out the model orientation article from Formlabs to learn how you can ensure a good print.
Each of these provide a fairly deep dive into 3D printing, enjoy!
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FDM 3D Printing – Simply Explained from All3DP
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The Complete Guide to 3D Printing from Xometry
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Complete Engineering Guide to 3d Printing from 3d Hubs
No. Per the Johnson County Library's Patron Code of Behavior and described in Kansas Statute 21-4201 weapons are not allowed in the library.
