The Maker Hub has both FDM printers (Ultimakers) and SLA printers (Formlabs and Elegoo) available for use
You need an orientation from a Volunteer to use any of the 3D printers. See the Skills Calendar to find out when someone with the "3D Printing" skill is available, or just drop in.
3D Printing Policies
- Only trained Volunteers may start print jobs
- Print jobs are limited to 18 hours
- You must fill out the 3D Printing Tracking Form for each print job
Costs
- Ultimaker FDM printers: FREE! (within reasonable amounts)
- Elegoo SLA printer: FREE! (within reasonable amounts)
- Formlabs SLA printer: $10 per 50ml of resin used
Reservations
The 3D printers in the Maker Hub operate on a first-come first-serve basis. We do not take reservations for the 3D printers due to the challenge of predicting how long a print will take without the use of a specialized slicer software. If you are curious how long a certain model will take to print, please bring your model to the Maker Hub and speak with a Volunteer.
This table is updated in realtime to display the active 3D printers:
Things to keep in mind with 3D printing
- Some supplies listed here may be out of stock, and we receive new filament and resin all the time. Please contact the Maker Hub to confirm supplies, or drop by to see what we have available!
- If you are planning a 3D printing project, know that some 3D printing jobs will fail during the print. Failed jobs can occur for a variety of reasons, most of which are not the fault of the job owner. Please plan your project accordingly to avoid a failed print ruining your project!
If you want to learn more about the 3D printers we have available at the Maker Hub, check out our Workshops and Events page for "Introduction to 3D Printing" workshops.
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning provides 22 courses on 3D Printing, ranging from learning the basics to additive manufacturing.
What kind of 3D Printing does the Maker Hub offer?
The Maker Hub has both FDM printers (Ultimakers) and two SLA printers (Formlabs and Elegoo) available for use by Georgetown students, staff, and faculty. Let's learn a little more about each of these technologies:
FDM 3D Printing
FDM, or fused deposition modeling, is the most common type of 3D printing found at the consumer level. FDM 3D printers work by extruding thermoplastic filaments (the Maker Hub primarily uses PLA) through a heated nozzle, very similar to how a hot glue gun works. The plastic is deposited layer by layer to a build platform, with each layer laid down one at a time until the part is complete.
SLA 3D Printing
Stereolithography was the world’s first 3D printing technology, invented in the 1980s, and is still one of the most popular technologies for professionals. SLA 3D printers use a laser to cure liquid resin into hardened plastic in a process called photopolymerization. The layers in an SLA print are much smaller than in a FDM print, allowing the models to be much more detailed. The downside to SLA printing is that it requires time-intensive post-processing.