3D Printer
3D printing is known as an additive manufacturing process. A 3D object is made up by laying one layer at a time. The printer is given instructions on how to do this by a digital file.
Before using the equipment on your own, you will be guided through the induction by one of our volunteers.
The 3D Printer we have at Tanio Bermo is a Prusa MK4.
The basic process for 3D printing is outlined below. Articles and guidance about using the printer can also be found on the Prusa website.
Basic Process for 3D Printing
The information below was adapted from: How to 3D print? The Beginner’s Guide to 3D Printing.
Step 1: Find or Create a Design
1a) Places to find free designs: Thingiverse, Printables, Cults, Thangs
1b) 3D design software to create your own: Tinkercad - free online 3D design app, Paint 3D - comes as part of Windows 10 and 11, Onshape - online free for personal use, Fusion 360 - free version for personal use
Step 2: Export or Download the STL File
Either export a design of your own as an STL file or download the STL file from one of the sites mentioned in the previous section.
The STL file is what stores the information about your conceptual 3D object. STL is a file format commonly used for 3D printing and computer-aided design (CAD). The name STL is an acronym that stands for STereoLithography. You might also hear it referred to as Standard Triangle Language or Standard Tessellation Language. STL files are explained further here.
Step 3: Choose Your Materials
There are many different types of plastic filament that can be used with our 3D printer. Prusa website has a Materials Guide.
Tanio Bermo has a selection of PLA 1.75 mm filaments (Poly Lactic Acid - a plant based bio plastic polyester). PLA is economical and a good filament for beginners. We do not charge for small items for learning purposes. If you want to print something larger then there may be a small charge but the issue of printing large items is the practicalities of the time it takes. If you want to try other materials, you would need to buy them yourself (please talk to us before buying).
The filament has to be loaded into the printer. Objects can be made of multiple colours. On the Prusa MK4, the printing has to be paused and the filament changed to the new colour by hand before restarting the printing.
Step 4: Slicing - Create the Code For the Printer
Import the STL file into slicing software. At Tanio Bermo we use PrusaSlicer. The slicing software converts the information from the STL file into a g-code or bg-code file*, which is a specific code containing exact instructions for the printer.
There are various settings that you can change in the PrusaSlicer software, and you can alter the size, orientation, alter the amount of fill, add supports and put in pause points (to change filament). The programme gives you an estimate of how long it will take to print. You can scale down the object, if you want to try it out more quickly.
If you want to try out this software at home to practise, you can download it for free, or use it on the PCs at Tanio Bermo.
* B in bg-code stands for binary. Regular g-code contains ASCII text (normal readable text), while bg-code contains (mostly) binary data. In addition, the g-code is also compressed, which makes the file size smaller. The Prusa MK4 will accept either and the default for the latest version of PrusaSlicer is bg-code.
Step 5: Print
Transfer the g-code/bg-code to the printer. We do this via WiFi, using PrusaLink via the Chrome browser. The printer will heat up and go through a test routine, then create the object layer by layer. Depending on the size of your object, and the materials used, the job can be done in tens of minutes or over several hours. Once the object has been printed, it needs to be carefully removed from the base plate. There can be additional post-processing steps depending on what material you use and what surface effect you want.
The video below explains the initial tests that the printer makes when switched on and how to do one of the test prints.
Video: New User Guide