3D Printer Appointment Booking

3D Printing Services

The IRC Learning Innovations 3D Print Lab offers 3D printing for faculty, staff, and students across the College of Education and Human Services. Our lab runs a fleet of 13 Bambu A1 printers, so we can handle everything from quick single prints to larger batch jobs.

We specialize in educational materials, including math manipulatives like Array Rods, Numicons, Fraction Tiles, and Place Value sets, all designed to support classroom learning. We also print prototypes, classroom tools, and custom projects to bring your ideas to life.

Please read our policies and procedures below before you book an appointment.

Who can print using our printers?

Anyone is welcome to print using our 3D printers. We welcome users of all knowledge levels of 3D printing.

Cost

Printing using our printers costs $0.05 per gram of filament used. This cost is calculated before printing begins and paid at your appointment.

Policies

Print Pickup:

• Payment for prints must be completed before printing begins
  • The lab currently accepts cash and online card payments. Apple Pay and physical cards are not accepted. Please have your card details with you. Card payments will have a 3% card fee.
• Estimated cost is based on filament weight and slicing software
• Users are notified when prints are complete and available for pickup, further instructions will be provided.

Staff Assistance

• All sliced files must be reviewed by lab staff before printing
• Staff can assist with:
  • Orientation to the printer
  • Basic slicing settings and troubleshooting
  • Equipment guidance and lab procedures
• Staff cannot:
  • Create or edit 3D models
  • Redesign user files
  • Guarantee print success

Reprints and Failures

Unfortunately, failures are a normal part of 3D printing. These can include prints coming off the plate, collapsing, and more. We do everything we can to prevent such failures, but they still happen. In the event that your print fails, lab staff will notify you and explain why your print likely failed. If you wish to reprint, ------

Process

1. Book an appointment using our booking form at least 24 hours in advance.
2. Upload an unsliced OBJ, STL, or link to 3D model in an email to learninginnovations@kent.edu before your appointment. If you're not sure how, staff can help you with file transfer when you arrive.
   1. TinkerCAD Tip: click Export, Download, and .OBJ. Multi-color prints must be in .OBJ format.
3. At your appointment time, head to the 3D Print Lab located in 221B White Hall (IRC). You don't need to be present for the full print time, only the consultation and payment, which usually take about 15 minutes.
4. Lab staff will check over your file with you and set up the 3D printer. You're welcome to set up the print with lab staff assistance, but this is not necessary. Payment must be completed before the print begins.
5. You'll get an email from lab staff when your print is ready, with pickup instructions.

Contact

If you have any questions regarding policies or procedures for personal 3D printing appointments please email the lab at: learninginnovations@kent.edu