At the Makerspace Help Desk we offer two methods of 3D printing: FDM and SLA.

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is the most common type of 3D printing. An FDM 3D printer takes a 3D drawing rendered on a computer and extrudes a plastic filament to "print" the object. The Makerspace Help Desk has three FDM 3D printers and one SLA resin printer available for patron use so that you can make your creations a reality. Scroll down further to learn more about SLA 3D printing!

For more information, read about 3D printing here.

For a glossary of 3D printing terms visit here (thank you Lyndhurst STEM club)

3D printing is fun and easy.  Go ahead and give it a try!

Here are some quick facts about the 3D printers in the library.  

• Printer: Prusa XL
• Print Bed Dimensions: 14.17×14.17×14.17 inches

• Printer: Prusa Mini
• Print Bed Dimensions: 7 x 7 x 7 inches

• Type of Plastic: Our machines only use PLA (polylactic acid) which is a strong, starch-based plastic
• Plastic Color: We only offer white but it can be painted to suit your needs
• File Types Accepted: .stl .obj 
• Print Resolution: 0.2 mm per layer
• Cost: $0.10 per gram (please note that price increases exponentially with size/surface area)
• Support Material: Automatically generated and printed by our print software if needed for things like large overhangs or parts of your object above the print bed with nothing underneath.  It is easily removed to reveal your final product.

Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printers cures liquid resin into hardened plastic. Unlike our FDM printers which extrudes filament from a nozzle, our Prusa SL1 printer uses UV light to cure thin layers of resin. This process allows the resin printer to achieve very fine detail that FDM printers can't. This method of 3D printing is a great option for highly detailed prototypes that require tight tolerances and smoother surfaces.

Prusa SL1 Specifications:

• Print Volume: 5 x 3.14 x 5.9 in
• Print Resolution: 0.05 mm
• Cost: A flat $2.50 per build plate use + $0.25 per milliliter

Desk Hours:

Monday-Thursday: 8am - 9pm

Friday: 8am - 6pm

Saturday: 10am - 6pm

(Closed Tuesday from 10:45-12:00 for University Devotional)

(Closed Thursday from 10:45-12:00 for Makerspace Team Meeting)

Location:

Email: makerspace@byu.edu

Phone: 801-422-8981