The Media and Maker Commons has eight 3D printers. These printers use fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology.

3d printers

Training

Before using the 3D printers available at the Media and Maker Commons, you will need to complete two levels of training: online (via Canvas) and in-person.

Online training in Canvas

The online training covers:

orientation to the Media and Maker Commons
safety guidelines that you need to follow
basic operation principles of 3D printing.

Hands-on training with Media and Maker Commons staff

After you finished the online training you will be able to book a 3D Printing appointment in our reservation system. In this training, you will learn the minimum skills required to operate the Ultimaker 3 printers. If you are not already familiar with 3D printing, you will learn the basic principles needed to create a 3D model. No prior experience is required.

3D printing equipment and materials

The Media and Maker Commons has eight 3D printers available. These printers are based on fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology and use a PLA filament as printing material.

PLA is a fully biodegradable thermoplastic polymer. PLA plastic or polylactic acid is a vegetable-based plastic material, which commonly uses cornstarch as a raw material. PLA is an easy-to-print material, ideal for prototyping 3D models with pleasing aesthetics. It has good surface quality, is somewhat glossy, and prints details with a high resolution.

Booking and using the 3D printers

After you finish the hands-on training YOU ARE READY TO WORK! Just book a printing slot using our reservation system and bring your design to the Media and Maker Commons. You can book one printing time per week.

When you come to the Media and Maker Commons wait for our staff to set you up. They will check your design, give you advice if needed and check that your printer is ready to work.

From Mondays to Fridays, we have between 4 and 6 printing slots available daily. These printing times are staggered throughout the day to accommodate various schedules. Printing slots end at 9am the following day, so we do need to implement some limits on your printing time.

If you need additional printing time you can contact the MMC staff at lib-mmc@sfu.ca.