3D Printing
What is 3D printing?
3D printing is the process of producing a physical object directly from a digital
3D file. We have two different types of printing technology, FDM and SLA. FDM (Fused
Deposition Modeling) uses melted and extruded plastic filament to produce an object.
SLA (Stereolithography) printers use a laser to cure a liquid resin. FDM is faster
and easier but produces a much less detailed part.
Who can use the 3D Printers?
All Binghamton University students, staff and faculty may use the 3D printers.
How does 3D printing work?
It all starts with a virtual 3D file of the object you would like to print. This can
be created from scratch using 3D modeling software or scanned using a 3D scanner (both
available for use in at ETS). Online communities like Thingiversehost virtual models of 3D objects that can be shared and downloaded freely.
Once finalized, the object needs to be 'sliced' in a process where it is converted
into GCode. This instructs the printer how to construct the object layer-by-layer,
contains all of the information regarding the object's interior, size, and other printer
settings.
In the studio, we have the following printers available for use:
- Prusa i3 MK3S [5x]
- Raise 3D Pro2 [1x]
- Formlabs Form 3 [1x]
- Formlabs Form 2 [1x]
A little confused about which 3D printer to go with? Stop by the studio and the staff will guide you to achieve your desired result.
