3D printing pool

The 3D printing pool is a facility of the model construction workshop of the Department of Architecture. The print pool focuses on student work in the areas of experimental model, mould and tool making as well as prototypes or very small series and tries to explore the extended possibilities of new materials, construction and joining options.

The service is primarily aimed at students of architecture and related departments at TU Darmstadt, but is also open to external users.

The service includes the assessment and evaluation of the general printability of submitted 3D geometries and the production of the print.

The print pool currently offers fixed opening times on three weekdays for queries regarding model submission and print collection. For staffing reasons, however, no enquiries or model consultations can be handled by telephone or e-mail.

Service hours

Opening hours in the summer semester 2020:

Due to the current Covid 19 situation, the 3D printing lab will not be open for the time being. However, requests for prints can still be processed and will take place digitally.

Please send your file (in stl-format), as well as information on the desired material and qualities by e-mail to:

Equipment

  • 8 fused deposition modelling (FDM or filament) printers for one-material printing
  • three FDM printers for two-material printing
  • two 3D resin printers (SLA)

Printer details

Filament printer (FDM) for one-material printing

  • Print space (max.): 223 x 223 x 205 mm
  • Material: PETG, Polylactide (PLA)
  • Available colours: black, white, transparent, yellow, woodfill
  • Filament printer (FDM) for two-material printing
  • Print space (max.): 330 x 240 x 300 mm
  • Material: PETG, polylactide (PLA), second nozzle: polyvinyl alcohol (PVA, water soluble)
  • Available colours: black, white, transparent, yellow, woodfill

Resin printer (SLA)

  • Print space (max.): 145 × 145 × 175 mm
  • Material: methacrylate photopolymer resin
  • Available colours: transparent, black, white, grey, elastic

Status: January 2020

Data submission

Supported data formats:
Stereolithography / *.stl (binary)

  • The digital model must fit into the corresponding installation space!
  • The digital model of an object to be printed must be correctly scaled as a separate, closed 3D mesh or polysurface.
  • If several models are printed, the files should be saved individually in stl format
  • Drawing units are millimetres
  • The digital model must be closed, waterproof (“Watertight”)
  • Subsequent editing is only possible to a limited extent