3D Printing Guidelines

3D Printing Overview

The Boston College Libraries provide basic support for creating 3D models that can be printed on a 3D printer maintained by ITS' Help Desk staff. The 3D printer is a Makerbot Replicator+ that uses PLA filament which is made from biodegradable renewable resources.

3D printers work by heating up a thin thread of filament and extruding it onto a platform. The object is slowly built up, layer by layer, from the bottom to the top. Due to the slow building nature of the process, please expect multiple days of processing time before you receive your object. A more precise time estimate will be made after you submit your project. At this time, there is no fee for our 3D printing service.

3D Printing Policy

Please read the following policy prior to submitting your 3D print request. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding the policy.

The library's 3D printer may be used only for lawful purposes. To that end, users are not permitted to use our 3D printer to create material that is:

• Prohibited by local, state, or federal law as well as Boston College and University Libraries' policies.
• Unsafe, harmful, dangerous, or poses an immediate threat to the well-being of others. (Such use may violate terms of use of the manufacturer.)
• In violation of another's intellectual property rights. For example, the printers will not be used to reproduce material that is subject to copyright, patent, or trademark protection.
• Please note that the library reserves the right to not print any materials that are deemed inappropriate.