Libraries employees will evaluate the print, and if everything looks good they will convert it to a .gcode file that the printer understands. We will not accept .gcode files that were prepared by someone else.
We reserve the right to turn away print jobs if they require too much time, material, or inappropriate designs .
Printing for class use may be prioritized over personal prints.
Please only request one print at a time to allow usage by a larger number of students. If you have a print in mind, check if it consists of multiple little prints that go together as that takes more time and effort than a simple print.
Patrons will be responsible for removing excess material from their printed object(s). This can be a time consuming process for delicate prints, so we ask the patron to spend the time carefully removing excess filament that is used as support material. This is generated due to heated filament being a liquid that cannot defy gravity when building an extended arm for example.
Prints not picked up in two weeks will be released to the public (unless otherwise noted)
Material: PLA
Colors: See form for currently in-stock colors
Printer: Creality Ender 3 Pro
Maximum dimension: 220 x 220 x 250mm (8in x 8in x 9.8in)
Default Infill Density: 20% unless otherwise approved
Default Infill Pattern: Cubic unless otherwise approved. Click here for a list of Infill settings.
Other considerations: The object should be of the patron’s own design or be licensed under GNU General Public License v3 (GPLv3) or a Creative Commons (CC) License which allows your intended use. If you realize that the license has been applied by someone who probably does not have the right to give you permission, then the libraries may refuse to print your item. The libraries reserve the right to not print objects. Patrons will be responsible for removing excess material from their printed object(s).
3D printing services are available at Henderson Library in Statesboro and at the Learning Commons on the Armstrong Campus.
Map to the Henderson Library in Statesboro: https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/map/?id=208
Map to the Learning Commons on the Armstrong campus: https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/map/armstrong/?id=7
Students, faculty and staff of Georgia Southern are able to request 3D prints. When submitting the request form you will be asked for your email and Eagle ID number for verification, so please have that handy.
Members of the community who are not affiliated with Georgia Southern cannot print at the Georgia Southern University Libraries, but can print at the FabLab ( https://research.georgiasouthern.edu/big/big-programs/fablab/) or at the Statesboro Regional Public Library ( https://strl.info/statesboro-service-fees/).
We ask that you bring a USB flash drive with your print file on it to the listed location below, depending on what campus you are on. We will write your information down and keep the flash drive with it, to help identify who requested what object. Once the print is done we contact you and return the flash drive.
Statesboro: IT Helpdesk on the 2nd floor of Henderson Library, fill out the 3D print request form on the computer facing the main stairwell.
Learning Commons (Armstrong): Visit the service desk, scan the QR code to view the form and fill it out.
Acceptable file formats are: .STL (Preferred format), .3MF, and .OBJ.
Patrons will be notified when their printed objects are available for pick-up from the IT Helpdesk on the 2nd floor of Henderson Library or at the checkout desk at the Learning Commons.
3D printing is free of charge for current students and employees at Georgia Southern University. The libraries accept donations, if you would like to make a donation to support libraries services.
Easy CAD software which allows making models for 3D printing is available at https://www.tinkercad.com . A beginner level tutorial for Tinkercad is here https://www.tinkercad.com/learn/overview/OQW3E48IYB2HI9X;collectionId=O2C1PXBIQ2KHCOD . Working through this tutorial should get you to a point where you can make some basic 3D models in software. You can search in the "Projects" tab to search for other people's projects and step by step tutorials on how to make a similar design for each Project.
Things to think about as you design a model include:
After making a design, the design gets prepped with settings for the specific printer. The libraries will do this for you. The default settings the libraries will use are listed in the "How to Request 3D Printing from the Libraries" section of this 3D printing guide. Essentially, at the libraries, we want the 3D model, and then we will slice it for you in software and make the printer file.
YouTube has many tutorial videos about 3D printing projects, including software tutorials, and taking a project start to finish.
You can also find models from the following sites:
Popular websites for user shared content:
Museums and government websites:
Other:
As of summer 2022, 3D scanning services are only available at Henderson Library on the Statesboro campus. In the future, scanning services may become available at both campuses.
Henderson Library has an Afinia EinScan-SE (Elite) 3D Scanner with Turntable. Basically, it's a tabletop 3D scanner for scanning smaller objects between 1.5 and 10 inches in any dimension. A video about how the Einscan-SE works is available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNHbPjbl8ug .
To make a 3D scan of an object, email Libsystems@georgiasouthern.edu and ask about making a 3D scan. Library employees will schedule a time to meet with you and help you 3D scan an object.
Objects should be larger than 30x30x30MM (1.2x1.2x1.2 inches) and smaller than 250x250x250MM (10x10x10 inches) in any dimension. Objects should weight less than 11 lbs.
Items larger or heavier than the above specifications can be scanned using a tripod using Fixed Scan Mode. To see a demo of scanning a larger item a similar 3D scanner, watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H-7s72rhyc . Instructions on large object scanning with the Einscan-SE are here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NINKaJ0TiKw .
