Use Rhino, Solid Works, or other three-dimensional software packages to create a 3D file. Files must then be exported or saved as an .STL file type.
It is recommended that you use T-splines or Magics to check your file for errors that could prevent printing.
3D Print File Submission
We do not allow the use of USB drives or CDs in the Rapid Prototype Studio. When a file is complete, please allow up to one week to print, depending on the size of the files.
All files ready to print should be sent via the secure CCA Dropbox to rpstudio@cca.edu.
Please check with the SF Studio managers for more details.
Checklist
Follow this checklist to ensure your file is ready to be printed.
The .STL file has been checked/repaired in Magics (available in the computer labs, where you can also download a brief tutorial). Files should be solid (no open edges).
Each separate part should be separated into distinct files.
The part is scaled to the correct size for whatever units it is designed using.
No parts are thinner than the recommended minimum for the machine being used. (Eden: 0.03”, Dimension: 0.04”, ZCorp: 0.125”)
How to Order a 3D Print
- Complete a 3D print order form.
- Upload the file using the secure CCA Dropbox and send the file to RPStudio@cca.edu.
3D Print Queues
Once files are submitted, they are entered into a queue on a first-come, first-served basis. Allow for a minimum of three days. (Longer wait times may occur depending on the time of the semester.)
After submitting your file and form, you should receive an email by the RP Studio stating the cost of the 3D print and the day and approximate time to pick up and pay for it.
Payment & Pick Up
Prices vary between printers. Cash (exact change) or checks only are accepted. Payment is due when picking up your printed part.
Price Breakdown
Measuring the volume of your model can be done in Rhino, Solidworks, or Magics. The prices of the Dimension and ZCorp printers are based on volume.
The Eden is priced by mass, so that can be calculated by an RP Studio monitor. Upon receiving your model, you will receive a notification of whether or not the model is acceptable to print and the amount owed.
Objet Eden 333
Clear model = $0.25/g
VeroGray opaque = $0.30/g
Support material = $0.15/g
See RP Studio Manager for CCA-discounted pricing on prints outsourced to local service bureau and check the RP Studio calendar for ongoing print schedules.
Dimension FDM
White model = $5.50/cu in
Support material = $5.00/cu in
ZCorp
cement based material = $4.00/cu in (not including infiltrant)
Disclaimer
When a part is finished in the ZCorp printer, it is very delicate and must be reinforced with cyanoacrylate or salt water. The excavation process is risky, depending on the overall thickness and structural integrity of the part.
Our monitors are trained to carefully remove parts without damaging them. We are not responsible for the damage of any 3D printed part.
You may, therefore, request to excavate your part. If so, you must be present at the time the printing finishes. By being late, a part may be removed by a trained RP Studio monitor.
Printer Details
Eden 333
The Eden 333 is a fine-feature three-dimensional printer that is located in the Rapid Prototyping Studio on the San Francisco campus.
PolyJet technology drives the precision inside the Eden 333. Eight jetting heads simultaneously deposit identical amounts of photopolymer on the build tray with each pass along an x-axis.
Ultraviolet (UV) bulbs alongside the jets immediately cure and harden each layer. The result is a perfectly smooth surface of super thin layers down to just 16 microns (0.0006 inch).
Unlike the messy, multistep baths and post-processing typically associated with expensive laser and SLA machines, PolyJet technology fully cures each layer of super fine UV photopolymer model and support materials as they are precisely deposited.
No special baths or time-consuming post-processing is required.
Eden ModelsSupport material separates easily from the fully cured model by using a water jet that is located in the plaster room, adjacent to the Model shop. Models can be cleaned by hand, using warm water and a brush. No extra finishing treatment is required.
Model material readily absorbs paint and can be polished, machined, drilled, chrome plated, or used as a mold.
Dimension BST
The Dimension BST incorporates Breakaway Support Technology. It requires a manual-support removal process where the designer removes the model from the system and breaks the support away by hand.
The model material is printed by extruding white ABS plastic. The support material is vertically extruded where cantilevered elements in the model exist, allowing the part to be fully supported during the printing process.
Models can be smoothed further by brushing acetone onto the surface.
ZCorp 310+
The ZCorp 310+ printers use a composite plaster material. It is fairly high-resolution (later thicknesses of 0.0035” - 0.008”), but very brittle when it is taken out of the machine. The parts are printed layer by layer in a bed of powder.
Because of this printing process, the powder surrounding parts acts as a structural component to the process, and no additional structure is needed.
All unused plaser powder is recycled and parts are later “excavated” from the machine. One must infiltrate a part with either a highly concentrated salt-water solution or cyanoacrylate (e.g., Zap-a-Gap, Crazy Glue) depending on how much it is going to be handled.