3D Printing

Capabilities

The College of Engineering hosts two 3D printers of the type popular in Industrial Research and Development: the Dimension sst-768 and the ZPrinter 450. Both printers use additive manufacturing technologies to build accurate models of parts and assemblies. Because the 3D printer's software interface accepts files in the STereoLithography (STL) format, designers may use any modern Computer-aided Design (CAD) software suite to create or render designs and objects. Designers may use other 3D digital design software, such as Rhino, Blender, GeoMagic, or 3DS Max, as long as the submitted file is in the STL format. The Dimension sst-768 and ZPrinter 450 use different build methods and have slightly different build capacities; below is a brief description of each with primary advantages and limitations.

Procedure

The procedure for requesting 3D print service is simple, but remember that this is not a free service and you should check traditional prototyping methods before pursuing 3D printing as tried and true methods are generally cheaper.

• First you must submit your STL files, state your preferred build material, and declare any preference in colors and finishing.
  
  
• Second, you must provide a funding source and have an approving professor contact ENG TSS direct and authorize both the process and payment. ENG TSS will generate an invoice which the designer must satisfy before releasing the finished models. If you order a model and do not pay the invoice, then ENG TSS will seek payment from the funding source and or authorizing professor provided by you in your initial request.
  
  
• Third, you must resolve any concerns or faults noted by the Tech Support technician and then approve the final plan to print. Remember that ENG TSS will not build your project without explicit authorization from a professor; student requests stating professor's consent or simply CC'ing the professor is not enough. We must have a funding source and professor's authorization in writing.
  

Cost Estimate

ENG TSS will provide a cost estimate based on your submitted STL files and stated preference. If you wish to guesstimate a cost, then use these values:

• Plastic model built in solid mode: $13.75 per cubic inch and 0.26 inch per hour vertical build rate.
  A model measuring 4.83 cubic inches with a height of Z = 1.87 inches will cost approximately $65 and take 7 hours to build.
  
  
• Plastic model built in sparse mode: $8.50 per cubic inch and 0.43 inch per hour vertical build rate.
  A model measuring 8.75 cubic inches with a height of Z = 6.30 inches will cost approximately $75 and take 15 hours to build.
  
  
• High Performance Composite model infiltrated with Epsom Salt: $1.50 per cubic inch, $0.15 per square inch of surface, and 0.9 inch per hour vertical build rate. A model measuring 32 cubic inch with 367 square inch of surface will cost approximately $180.00 and take 10 hours to build. Composite models require an additional 24 hours of cure time before extraction from the build chamber and need another 24 hours cure after infiltration.
  
  
• High Performance Composite model infiltrated with Z-Bond 101: $1.50 per cubic inch, $0.15 per square inch of surface, $0.45 per gram of Z-Bond, and 0.9 inch per hour vertical build rate.
  A model measuring 32 cubic inch with 367 square inch of surface will cost approximately $225.00 and take 10 hours to build. A surface area of 367 square inches will require approximately 45 gram of Z-Bond which increases cost by $40. Composite models require an additional 24 hours of cure time before extraction from the build chamber and need another 24 hours cure after infiltration.
  
  
• As a general rule, plastic models take a minimum of 3 days to complete and may take as long as a week in the print queue waiting its turn to build.
  
  
• As a general rule, composite models take 3 work days to complete and are normally run over a weekend to allow full curing before extraction. Composite models often break during the extraction process and require reprint.
  
  

Remember that ENG TSS will not build your project without explicit authorization from a professor; student requests stating professor's consent or simply CC'ing the professor is not enough. We must have a funding source and professor's authorization in writing.

 

Services

• Departmental Labs
• Research Support Services
• Poster Printing
• 3D Printing

Tech Support

If you require assistance, please contact us by submitting a ticket, emailing eng-tss@usf.edu or calling 813-974-4889.