3D Printing: 3D Printers & Cost

About the MakerGear M2

Cost: $0.12 per gram 

Located in B.E.S.T. Library, the MakerGear printer is a precision machine that melts and extrudes ABS plastic a layer at a time. Layer heights (the thickness of an individual printed layer) are measured in small fractions of a millimeter; while typical layer heights are between 0.3mm and 0.1mm, the MakerGear can print layers as thin as 0.05mm. A millimeter is about the thickness of 10 sheets of ordinary laser printer paper. That means that the MakerGear can build layers half the thickness of a piece of paper, allowing us to print fine details not available on other machines.

• Build Volume: 8" x 10" x 8"
• Layer Height: .1mm to .25mm 
• On smaller prints we can adjust layer height down to .05mm (NOTE that this increases the potential for failure)

About the Mcor Iris Full Color Paper Printer

Cost: $0.25 per color page
$0.15 per mono color page

True Color Includes unique 360° high-definition color accuracy, International Color Consortium (ICC) color map, 1+ million colors and 5760 x 1440 x 508dpi, delivering accurate, consistent, rich, realistic color from part to part, screen to part, as well as on undercuts and sidewalls

• Letter Paper: 9.39 x 6.89 x 5.9in
• A4 Paper: 256 x 169 x 150mm

Note: If you have a job with specifications you are unsure our printers can meet, or which machine it would be best to build with, please ask us!  We are always willing to work to meet customer needs, and to take on a challenging print if we think we will be able to meet your specifications.

About the Statasys Dimension 1200es SST

Cost: ​$0.30 per gram

The Dimension printer, is state-of-the-art. It uses two print heads: one extrudes ABS plastic in the same way our other printers do, but the other head prints a dissolvable support material. This allows the Dimension to print complex projects flawlessly, and without the scarring that typically results from the support material that complicated designs often require. Though not capable of ultra-fine detail work, the Dimension produces consistent, high-quality pieces.

• Build Volume: 10" x 10" x 12"
• Layer Height: 0.254mm or 0.33mm 

​About the Solidscape 3Z Pro Wax Printer

Cost: Model Material $20.00 per crayon
Support Material $16.00 per crayon

The accuracy of the Solidscape® PRO produces models of intricate designs with ultra-fine feature detail and a smooth surface finish that are ideal for wax masters, 3D printer jewelry applications, and more. Solidscape is the leader of 3D printer companies in the industry.  Solidscape designs its three-dimensional printing machines with detail and clarity as a high priority.

• Build Volume: 6" X 6" X 4" (152.4 X 152.4 X 101.6 mm)
• Layer Height: 0.00025in ↔ 0.003in (6.3µm ↔ 76.2µm) in ¼ mil (6.3µm) steps

About the Form 2

Cost: Base Resin $0.21 per mL
Flexible Resin $0.25 per mL
Tough Resin $0.25 per mL

The Form 2, from FormLabs, is the first SLA printer that the library is using. This printer has incredible dimensional accuracy and a wide variety of materials.

• Build Volume:  5.7" × 5.7" × 6.9"
• Layer Height: 25µm, 50µm, or 100µm

Our charges for the printers are intended for cost recovery for the material used.  For certain high-risk projects (where we have serious doubts about being able to print the model successfully), it may be necessary to also charge for repeated failed prints. If you want to print on something other then the recommended printer that our specialist suggest you will also be required to pay for failed prints We will notify you in advance if this will be the case, and we will always seek to build objects using the most cost-effective tactics feasible.