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Intro to 3D Printing at the IDEA Lab

A brief guide to 3D printing and 3D printing resources on and around the UIUC campus.

Meet our FDM Printers!

Meet Our Printers!


FDM Printers

Prusa i3 Mk3S+ 

  • Maximum Build volume of 250 x 210 x 210
  • Uses 1.75 mm diameter filament
  • Easy learning curve
  • Allows for greater detail when printing compared to bigger printers
  • Because it has a smaller nozzle and uses smaller filament it may take longer for prints that could be put on other printers
  • Automatically recalibrates before every print job
  • Uses a SD Card as print medium
  • If print fails to adhere then add a brim

The LulzBot TAZ Pro Dual Extruder

  • Maximum build volume of 280 x 280 x 285 mm
  • Uses 2.85 mm diameter filament
  • Uses USB as print medium
  • Warm up procedures clean off nozzle
  • Must watch warm up calibration to make sure extruder does not bend plate bed

   Lulzbot Taz 5

  • Maximum build volume of 298 x 275 x 250 mm
  • Uses 2.85 mm diameter filament
  • Our oldest running printers
  • Uses SD card as print medium
  • Best for geometric prints
  • Will not stop if it runs out of filament
  • ALWAYS SET FLOW RATE TO 65% 

LulzBot TAZ Pro XT

  • Maximum build volume of 280 x 280 x 586 mm
  • Uses 2.85 mm diameter filament
  • Uses USB as the print medium
  • Strictly reserved for oversized print jobs
  • Warm up procedures to clean off nozzle
  • Must watch warm up calibration to make sure extruder head does not bend the print bed

  

Meet your Resin Printers!

Resin Printers

Elegoo Saturn 2

  • Maximum build volume of 218.88 x 123.12 x 250 mm
  • Uses Resin
  • Uses Masked Stereolithography Apparatus (MSLA) to cure resin
  • Our largest resin printer
  • Allows for the production of parts once thought to be too fragile and small
  • Prints with the highest detail
  • Use if print cannot fit on the Mars

Elegoo Mars

  • Maximum build volume of 119.88 x 68.07 x 154.94 mm
  • Uses Masked Stereolithography Apparatus (MSLA) to cure resin
  • Oldest and smallest resin printer
  • Allows us to print high detail prints smaller than ever before
  • Use the Mars for smaller print jobs