ACCESS: 3D printing equipment requires 3D modeling experience and technical knowledge. Although authorized users are not required to complete training before use, tutorials are available and highly recommended. dFAB personnel do not provide in-depth 3D printing assistance outside of courses.
PREPARATION: 3D print files must be prepared correctly and submitted with a completed dFAB_3Dprinting_01dec2018 file naming convention. Users are charged for all successful print jobs and as well as unsuccessful print jobs caused by user error during file preparation. dFAB personnel will not make edits to submitted files.
TOLERANCE: All 3D models should meet the minimum wall thickness requirement. dFAB will not charge users for broken 3D prints that meet these minimum requirements. If the model’s minimum wall thickness is less than the minimum, the user will be charged the full price for the 3D print even if the 3D print is unsuccessful.
QUEUE: Printing operates on a "first come, first served" basis. Files that have been incorrectly submitted or insufficiently prepared are removed from the queue. Equipment failures and malfunctions are addressed on weekdays between the hours of 10:00am-5:00pm. In the event of equipment failure, the printing queue will resume as normal once the equipment resumes functional status.
COST: Cost varies by machine. Please see Equipment section of the website for more information.
COMPLETION: 3D prints require post-processing that may take up to hours or days to complete.
3D PRINTING AREA: Only dFAB staff are allowed in the 3D printing area of the lab.
LEAD TIME: During most times of the semester, please allow a minimum of three (3) days from the time of submission for your print to be completed. Allow a minimum of seven (7) days during end-of-term reviews.