3D Printing
Print 3D objects using plastic filament. Get creative and print anything from figures, phone holders, and jewelry to key chains and basic prototypes. 3D printers use filaments to print, which are plastics (aka polymers) that can be shaped and moulded when heated and solidified when cooled. Our 3D printers use PLA filament of 1.75 mm (+/- 0.5) with a 0.4 mm nozzle. Note that only library-provided filaments and materials can be used in our printers.
HARDWARE
Ultimaker 3
The Ultimaker 3 is an innovative dual extrusion machine with a build area of 215.9 x 215.9 x 203.2 mm.
- Cost: $1.00/hour
- Location: Downtown
- Bookable: Yes
Ultimaker 3S
A small but mighty dual extrusion 3D printer with a building space of 230 x 190 x 200 mm.
- Cost: $1.00/hour
- Location: Downtown
- Bookable: Yes
SOFTWARE
Cura
Ultimaker’s design software, available on all public workstations in the library. Prepare your 3D design and then finalize it using Ultimaker’s Cura software. Use a computer in Creative Spaces to send your print from Cura to the 3D printer or save to a USB to run the print job. Compatible formats include .STL and .OBJ files.
For designing, Sketchup or TinkerCAD are used to teach the basics of 3D design. Try Thingiverse to find new designs and upload your own. There you will find an ever-expanding collection of designs that are free to download and print for yourself.
- Cost: Free
- Location: Downtown
Get Started
Helpful links
- Tinkercad: A free web app used for creating 3D models. A great place to start with 3D modelling.
- Thingiverse: A website for sharing user-created designs. Open-source designs for sharing and learning.
