Category Archives: 3D printing

Find out more about our 3D printing services

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Whether you’re experienced in 3D model making or just want to try out 3D printing for the first time, why not try out the RSL3D printing service? This service is only available to members of Oxford University.

Gif of an object wrapped in gold foil in a clear plastic bag floating in the air. A hand reaches out and touches it and starts it spinning.

What is 3D printing?

3D printing enables a three-dimensional (3D) object to be created from a model, via computer control, most commonly by creating an object layer by layer and then fusing the layers together.

3D printing allows you to “print” a 3D object out of a variety of materials, such as plastic, metal, and organic materials. In the RSL, we offer 3D printing in PLA plastic in a variety of colours or PET-G plastic in black or white. Using a process called Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), a 3D printer deposits hot plastic on to a build plate in layers that set instantly to build up a 3D object.

What have we been 3D printing?

The technology of 3D printing offers a wide range of uses and endless possibilities. We have used 3D printing for objects from a Peruvian flute to items created for a space experiment carried out on the International Space Station (ISS).

This ISS project featured a truss assembly and outer cover for an experiment investigating ferrofluids in microgravity, incorporating a series of electromagnets. This project, created by the ISSET-Oxford payload development team and developed from high school student-proposed research projects for the ISS, ran a successful experiment on the ISS in 2022.

How do I create my own 3D object?

Do you have a project of your own that you’d like to create in 3D form? To submit a 3D printing job, send us a 3D file of your model, and we’ll print it out for you. Find out more about how to submit your 3D printing project here.

3D printed models

What is the cost?

Depending on the size and scale of the model, the costs vary. Once your model has been approved for printing, we will get back to you with an estimated print time and cost. We charge £2 for the first hour, and £1 for every hour after that. A typical job takes about 5 hours and so would cost £6.

We aim to print models within 10 working days, although this may vary depending on demand and the size of the print job.

Find out more about our 3D printing services, including tips, resources, FAQs and more, here.

3D printing downtime

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Unfortunatrly due to staff shortages and moving equipment back to the Radcliffe Science Library we’ll be unable to take orders for our 3D printing service after 31 July. Any orders paid for on or before 31 July will be printed though it may take a few days depending on how busy the service gets.

Orange construction sign which says "Temporarily closed for construction"We apologise for the inconvenience and we’ll have the service up and running again when we reopen the RSL. Our guide will still be avilable for information on 3D printing.

If you have any questions please let us know.

3D Printing Services – what can we print for you?

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The range of things that the RSL 3D printing service can create may be larger than you think.

We’ve printed pieces that have combined with traditional movable type for the Bodleian Bibliographical Press. The square block of type can now be freely rotated 360 degrees. It’s great to see old and new technology working together. The Bodleian Presses are still in use and you can see more informtation about them on our website.

Traditional printing block with Miller & Richard engraved into the top. In the centre are movable plates held with wood blocks and 3D printed sections in red plastic.For the Department of Zoology, we have printed GPS collars for deployment on domestic dogs in Ethiopia. This allowed tracking of domestic dogs in an effort to protect native wildlife.

Photograph of a dog in a field with a large 3D printed collarOur colleagues in the TSS lab needed new combs to help run their PCR tests. Their old combs did not allow for a reference ladder and were getting brittle and damaged. We successfully printed new combs for them significantly cheaper than if they went through a commercial provider. More details on their blog.

Photograph of red comb in gel for scientific testing.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss using the service, please contact rsl3dprinting@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Further information, including how to submit an order, can be found on the online guide.

3D Printing in Space

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The 3D printing services at the RSL are out of this world and I’m not just saying that! Recently objects that we printed went up to the international space station. Let’s tell you how it happened.

Gif of an object wrapped in gold foil in a clear plastic bag floating in the air. A hand reaches out and touches it and starts it spinning.

The 3D printing covers the ferrofluid experiemnt. It is wrapped in foil and plastic for protection.

The Project

The NG-18 robotic resupply spacecraft launched 7 November 2022, amongst its supplies it brought several experiments to the International Space Station (ISS) including an experiment investigating ferrofluids in microgravity. Ferrofluids are attracted to the poles of a magnet and the experiment’s aim was to investigate how the ferrofluids would act in in negligible gravity. This experiment was assisted by the ISSET-Oxford payload development team, who designed the structure for the experiment, the truss assembly, and the outer cover. This team specialises in developing high school student-proposed research projects for launch to the ISS. The experiment contained a series of electromagnets, which were used to manipulate a ferrofluid sample through a sensing coil.

The truss, electromagnet coil holders and outer casing were printed by the 3D printing facilities in the RSL. Our New and Emerging Technologies Officer, Richard Smith, discussed the designs with the ISSET-Oxford payload development team and arranged for them to be printed. The structures were printed using Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) which is NASA safety compliant.

They were then shipped to NASA Wallops Flight Facility for assembly and launch in November 2022. The assembly was designed in Solidworks and Onshape design software by Dr Daniel Cervenkov, Jack Enright and Dr Mike Foale.

On the ISS, the experiment ran successfully within the 3D printed structure and the results were saved to an SD card. That card returned to Earth on 11 January 2023 as part of the SpaceX CRS-26 Commercial Resupply Service mission along with the results of other experiments.

Find out more about 3D Printing on our guide or by emailing rsl3dprinting@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

3D printing and VR services

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3D printing and scanning services

We would like to remind all our readers that the Radcliffe Science Library has a low-cost 3D printing service which is available to all members of the University. We also have 3D scanning equipment for the creation of virtual 3D objects.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss using the service, please contact rsl3dprinting@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Further information, including how to submit an order, can be found on the online guide: https://libguides.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/3dprintingscanning

VR equipment lending service

The RSL has VR headsets and a 360° camera which are available for loan. Please contact newtech.rsl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk with any queries about this service.

Further information can be found at https://libguides.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/vr.

3D printing service relaunched

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The Radcliffe Science Library’s 3D printing service has resumed.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss using the service, feel free to contact Richard Smith at rsl3dprinting@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Further information, including how to submit an order, can be found on the online guide:  https://libguides.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/3dprintingscanning

3D printing milestone at the RSL

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RSL staff have now completed more than 1000 print jobs since the launch of the our 3D printing service in December 2014. This amounts to over 3500 hours of 3D printing. Congratulations to Richard Smith, Ollie Bridle and their team of helpers for making a great success of this very popular service! Full details of the 3D printing and scanning service can be found in the 3D printing LibGuide (http://libguides.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/3dprintingscanning).

3D Scan & VR Party with the Oxford 3D Printing Society

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VR_3DScan_Combined_lowWe hosted an event with the Oxford 3D Printing Society (http://oxford3dprintingsociety.com/) last week from within the RSL. It featured 3D Printers, 3D scanners and a virtual reality headset from HTC. We would like to thank Shin from the 3D Printing Society for putting on such a great event.

VR3DEvent_01_lowThe RSL 3D Printing Team was at hand to showcase our 3D printers and scanners to all the guests who arrived for the event, some even got themselves scanned and 3D printed! This was a great way to introduce people to the technology in a novel and fun way, we hope this will inspire them to use 3D printing/scanning in more creative and academic ways in the future.

HTC_Vive
HTC were also there to showcase their virtual reality headset the ‘HTC Vive’. This was a great introduction to the world of ‘VR’ for many who had a chance to try it out. At the RSL we have been interested in VR for awhile now and it was a great chance for the staff who hadn’t experienced it to finally give it a go. The ‘HTC Vive’ received great feedback from everyone who tried it and proved to be enjoyable for all the spectators to watch their peers jump around avoiding zombies and painting interesting works of art in a virtual world. This technology is going to change the way we interact with computers and at the RSL we look forward to being a part of it in the future.

3D printed prosthetic hands

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HeaderThe RSL 3D printing Team has recently been involved in an exciting and innovative project with researcher Ed Choi, working in the Department for Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at the Churchill Hospital.

Ed Choi(right) with a healthcare worker in the northern city of Makeni.

He has been using the RSL’s 3D printers to create 3D prosthetic hands, downloaded from Enabling the Future, to show to charities in Sierra Leone for potential use for people who have lost limbs due to the civil war and the blood diamonds trade.

Two plastic hands were printed and taken on show to the Makambo Amputee Camp in Sierra Leone where a ‘fitting ceremony’ was held.  3D printing of plastic hands is a very cost-effective way to produce hands to a custom fit; the plastic hands cost £30-50 to make, a fraction of the cost of traditional prosthetic hands, and can be assembled relatively quickly.

The 3D models can be downloaded from http://enablingthefuture.org/, who offers many different options for you to choose from depending on the needs of the user. We printed these in four groups by colour, as seen in the picture above.

The hands took a total of 14 hours to print each one. We varied the resolution of each group to optimize printing time and quality depending on the part. The smaller pieces were printed at a higher resolution (0.2mm layer height.) to preserve the smaller details, whereas the larger pieces were printed at a lower resolution to optimize the printing times (0.3mm layer height).

These machines are available to all University students and staff, giving people the chance to learn about this cutting edge technology, and stimulate ideas about how 3D printing can be used in teaching, learning and research.

Several 3D Printer ‘bring a design/object’ events are scheduled throughout Hilary and Trinity Term and are open to students and staff from all disciplines. The events are running on Friday 11 March, 6 May and 10 June between 10-1pm, and 2-5pm. (http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/science/use/3d-printing)

For further details on the 3D printing and scanning, please contact Richard Smith: Richard.smith@bodleian.ox.ac.uk, or view the online Lib Guide: http://ox.libguides.com/3dprintingscanning.

3D Printing at the RSL

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The Radcliffe Science Library recently acquired a MakerBot Replicator 2 3D Printer. We also have available two 3D scanners.

The Replicator 2 is able to produce three-dimensional models using a biodegradable plastic called PLA (Poly(lactic acid)). Models for the printer can be designed using a CAD program (such as SketchUp or TinkerCad), download from object repositories such as Thingiverse or copied from existing physical objects using a 3D scanner.

The library has acquired a printer in order to give researchers and students at the University the opportunity to learn about and use this exciting technology for very little cost. We hope that people will be inspired to think about new ways in which they can use 3D printing to explore their own areas of research.

Throughout 8th week we will be running a series of demonstrations of the 3D printer. These will take place in the Entrance Hall of the RSL. Our first demonstration will be at 2 pm on Monday 1st of December. On Wednesday 3rd of December, also beginning at 2 pm, there will be a series of talks taking place in the RSL Entrance Hall in which researchers will talk about how they already use 3D printing in their work. Please join us for one or all of the talks.

We are very much looking forward to seeing what people make of (and with!) our printer. You can find out more details on the 3D Printing LibGuide – http://libguides.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/3dprintingscanning

You can download a full programme for the 3D Printing in Action talks on December 3rd using the link below –

3D Printing Talk Flyer