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3D Design and Printing

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Print

3D printing is a process whereby a 3D design is turned into a real object.

First, software is used to slice the 3D design into layers before each layer is reconstructed on a 3D printer. 3D printing is great for prototyping and making unique one off items

 

3D Printing Policies

  • 3D printer are only handled by Staff and prints are only available in PLA.
  • The cost of printing is $0.10 per gram.
  • Patrons may only submit a total of 1 file at a time;  patrons cannot submit a new print until they have picked up their previous print.
  • Prints must be picked up within 3 weeks or they will be discarded.
  • Staff may refuse to print designs that are harmful or dangerous, based on their discretion. 

 

How do I use the 3D Printing Request service?

  1. Create or download your design.
  2. Submit a 3D Printing Request form, you can email your file or bring a drive to the Library.
  3. Once the print is complete, Library staff will contact you with information on how to pay for and collect your print.

Filament colors: Red (transparent), Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, White, Black, Natural (transparent)

 

Tips and Tricks

  • Save your design as an .STL file
  • Make sure your design is the right size or scale. Adventurer 3 has a 150*150*150mm print volume limit.
  • The infill density defines the amount of plastic used on the inside of the print. A higher infill density means that there is more plastic on the inside of you print, leading to a stronger object. An infill density of around 15% is used for models with a visual purpose. 

Visual Display of Infill Percentages

infill

Introduction to 3D Design

  • 3D Design Lesson Plan (coming soon)
  • Design a Keychain (coming soon)

Additional Resources

Thingiverse.com - MakerBot's Thingiverse is a thriving design community for discovering, making, and sharing 3D printable things.

Thangs.com - A free 3D community for collaboration; with unlimited downloads and secure storage. The only platform with geometric search.

Learn TinkerCAD - Free step-by-step lessons to learn about 3D Design basics and projects.

Reading list for 3D modeling and printing.