Professional FDM 3D printing services for prototypes, models, and design exploration.
| What |
Details |
| Location |
Room 114A – 3D Printing Lab |
| Hours |
Posted on Canvas 3D Print Queue & lab door |
| Cost (White PLA) |
$0.03 per gram — college-provided filament only |
| Cost (Other PLA) |
$0.05 per gram |
| Cost (PETG) |
$0.05 per gram |
| Cost (Black TPU) |
$0.07 per gram |
| Printers |
BambuLab P1S (primary) and Prusa MK3S+ (backup) |
| Submission |
Via Canvas → 3D Print Queue (connected to PaperCut) |
- Check your PaperCut balance: Login to PaperCut portal
- Export your 3D model as STL (see model prep checklist below)
- Submit your job: Go to Canvas → 3D Print Queue → “New Order” → Upload your STL → Include your name and project title
- Wait for notification: Expect 1–3 days, longer during peak times
- Pickup: Head to Room 114B with your invoice attached to the print
✅ That’s it. If you follow the model prep checklist below, you’ll be successful.
❌ If you skip it, expect delays or rejected jobs.
Your file must meet these three rules:
- Your model must be watertight: no holes, open edges, or gaps.
- In Rhino, use
ShowEdges. Look for “0 naked edges.” If there are any, fix them before proceeding.
- Always model in millimeters or inches, never feet.
- Use
Units in Rhino to check.
- Example mistake: A 6-ft wall modeled in feet might export as a tiny 6 mm wall!
- Go to File → Export Selected → STL (.stl)
- Choose Binary format (smaller file size, recommended)
- Click Options and set mesh tolerance — a good FDM setting is:
- Maximum distance edge-to-surface: ~0.125 mm (0.005")
- After export, re-import the STL back into Rhino and check with
ShowEdges again.
🔗 References:
- Log in via Canvas with LinkBlue credentials & navigate to the FabLab page.
OR
Directly open the 3D Print Queue
- Select “New Order”
- Upload your STL file (250 MB max) and name it with your name and project title.
- Select your Material Type/Color under the Details section.
- Enter your program information (Department/Year).
- Ensure your PaperCut account has enough funds (minimum $1 recommended).
- FabLab Staff will slice your model, estimate cost, and begin the job.
- Staff review and slice files using the latest stable version of Bambu Studio.
- Jobs assigned to printers (usually BambuLab P1S).
- Printing time varies:
- Small parts: ~1–4 hours
- Larger models: 12–24+ hours
- You’ll get a pickup email once the print is done.
- You’ll receive an email when your print is ready.
- Status will change to “Completed” in PaperCut.
- Go to Room 114B, find your print + invoice, and inspect it.
- If equipment-related issues caused failure, staff will reprint or refund.
Primary Fleet
- 13× BambuLab P1S — 220×220×220 mm max build volume
- AMS for multi-color printing
- High reliability (98% success rate)
Phasing Out
- Prusa MK3S+ printers — used only as backups
Do this:
- ✔ Check units before export
- ✔ Use college-provided filament only
- ✔ Submit early (especially near finals)
- ✔ Do a small test print for complex models
- ✔ Keep STL files under 250 MB
Don’t do this:
- ❌ Submit jobs in the wrong file format (.3dm, .skp, etc.)
- ❌ Expect same-day turnaround during peak times
- ❌ Use your own filament
- ❌ Ignore geometry errors (open meshes, naked edges)
Last Updated: October 20, 2025