3D Printer Safety

 

Our goal is to make this space as welcoming as possible to the entire UCSC community.  We believe that providing a safe environment is an important part of this goal. This page lists our safety protocols and provides a variety of information related to the safety of the equipment that we provide access to. 

If our DSI Student Assistants request that you stop doing something because it's unsafe, you are expected to comply.  Failure to comply can lead to being asked to leave the space and potential loss of access to the equipment. 

The following safety protocols must be observed at all times. 

  • 3D printers must remain in their safety enclosures AND the enclosures cannot be moved from their location underneath the sprinklers.
  • 3D printers can only run when the DSI is open and DSI student workers are around to attend to the printers in the event of printer error.

IMPORTANT:  This means the longest print you can do is calculated by taking the remaining amount of time the DSI is open and subtracting 1 hour.  For example, if it is 10am and the DSI closes at 5pm, you can start a 6 hour print. You should come to pick up your print within 30 minutes of its end time.

  • Only library provided or approved filament may be used in the 3D printers.
  • Never touch parts of the equipment that are hot. In the case of the Bambu printers this is the nozzle. 
  • Never put your hand in the machines while it is moving. Only when it is not hot and not moving can you put your hand in the printer.
  • Always ensure that the print settings are appropriate for the filament that you are using.
  • You are not allowed to print weapons, illegal items, items specifically for resale, or anything outside of fair use or copyright restrictions.
  • You should stick around until at least the first layer is complete before you return the key, leave the space, and let the printer run under our supervision.
  • The doors of the printer enclosure should be closed when you're not actively using the printer, and the doors should be locked when you're done setting up your print and before returning the key.

DSI Assistants will stop your print under the following circumstances:

-it is not matching the description you put on the print sheet when the printer is checked out

-the print is obviously failing or has an error that could cause damage to the printer

-the DSI is closing.