Faculty, students, and staff are welcome to follow the instructions and use this form to request a print from the IDEA Lab 3D Printing Studio.
- The IDEA Lab processes requests on a first-come, first-serve basis. Once you have submitted a request, a member of our staff will contact you within 2 business days to discuss next steps.
- Print price is calculated by a $4.00 base cost per print + $0.10 per gram of print material. (Ex: a 63-g print would be $10.30)
- Cash is not accepted. Requests must specify a CFOAP or a general campus account for billing.
- Before the print is initiated, you will be emailed an estimated cost for the job. The IDEA Lab requires email acceptance of the estimated cost before we begin your print.
- All print requests must be submitted as .stl files. If you would like multiple objects printed, please submit each file in a separate form.
- Once the print is completed, you will receive an email. Finished prints will be available for pick-up at the IDEA Lab Help Desk during our open hours. Please bring your iCard to retrieve your print.
Questions? Reach out to us at idealab@library.illinois.edu or fill out our Consultation Form!
- UV-curable resin
- PLA
- NinjaFlex
- PETg
- ABS
The 3D Studio hosts three Prusa i3 MK3S+ printers. These each have a maximum build volume of 250 x 210 x 210 mm (9.84 x 8.3 x 8.3 in). The print surface is a magnetic heatbed with removable PEI spring steel sheets. The Prusa printers accept filament that is 1.75 mm in diameter. Supported materials include a wide range of thermoplastics: PLA, PETG, ASA, ABS, PC (Polycarbonate), CPE, PVA/BVOH, PVB, HIPS, PP (Polypropylene), Flex, nGen, Nylon, Carbon filled, Woodfill and other filled materials. Our nozzles are the Prusa default size, 0.4 mm in diameter. The nozzle can reach a maximum of 300 °C, while the hotbed reaches 120 °C. All Prusa printers require SD cards as print medium.
The TAZ 5 printers are our longest-standing machines. We have three of them in the Studio. These boast a print volume of 20,500 cubic cm (1238 cubic in). They feature a heated borosilicate glass bed covered with PEI print surface, and hot end nozzles that also reach 300 °C. Capable materials include ABS, PLA, HIPS, PVA, wood filled filaments, Polyester (Tritan), PETT, bronze and copper filled filaments, Polycarbonate, Nylon, PETG, conductive PLA and ABS, UV luminescent filaments, PCTPE, PC-ABS, and more. Accepted filament is 2.85 mm in diameter. Print medium for the TAZ 5 is an SD card.
Among our newest tech are three TAZ Pro printers with Dual Extruder Tool Heads, added to the Studio just earlier this year. The tool heads allow for multi-material printing for complex parts. The TAZ Pro printers have an industrial capacity, with a build volume of 22344 cubic cm. New features of these machines include automated X/Y/Z offset calibration, nozzle wiping, and self-leveling capabilities. Compare to the TAZ 5 above, or see here for further information. Print medium is USB drive. Filament must be 2.85 mm in diameter.
The 3D Studio is also proud to say we have one TAZ Pro XT machine. The LulzBot TAZ Pro XT allows us to create larger-than-ever products in a tall, 23″ build area. With the same advancements as the TAZ Pro printers, as well as filament runout detection and cable chains and reinforced electrical connectors for longer wire harness life, we encourage you to visit room 053 and check it out. The extruder takes 2.85 mm filament and is capable of printing high-strength composite polymers like PA-CF and carbon-fiber filled Nylon along with more traditional materials like ABS, PETg, PLA, and NinjaFlex. Print medium is USB drive.
Our Elegoo Mars printer is the only resin 3D printer we have in the Studio currently. This is one of the printers that operates using a USB drive, not an SD card. The UV Integrated Light (wavelength 405 nm) strikes the material using LED Display Photocuring technology to create prints. The build volume of this machine is our smallest at 4.72 x 2.68 x 6.1 in.