Cleaning and Straightening Station:

The Design Lab is a shared community workshop! Leaving your workspace clean is a critical part of our lab etiquette. A clean station ensures the next user can get started right away and helps keep our equipment in perfect working order.

Before you leave, please complete this short checklist:

Process Your Part: Remove any temporary support structures or brims from your object. All plastic scraps, failed prints, and support material must be placed in the designated 3D printing scrap bin, not the regular trash.
Return the Tools: Wipe off the spatula with a paper towel and return it to its designated holder.
Unload the filament: Use the printer’s LCD menu to navigate to the Unload filament option and follow the on-screen instructions. Once the filament is removed, carefully place the spool back into its original box and return it to storage. This is a crucial step to protect the filament from air moisture, which preserves its integrity for the next user.

THE FINAL, MOST IMPORTANT STEP: Give the printer's steel build plate a final, thorough wipe-down with a paper towel and Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA). This leaves the surface pristine for the next person, guaranteeing them the same great start you had.

Share Your Work on Our Blog!

You made something awesome, and we want to see it! Sharing your project is a fantastic way to inspire others, contribute to our community's knowledge base, and create a portfolio of the amazing work done in our lab.

You are required to write a short post about your project for the Design Lab's Blog, Lab Notes. Here’s what to include:

A great photo of your finished print.
A brief description: What did you make? Why did you make it?
A lesson learned: Did you overcome a tricky design challenge? Discover a new slicer setting? Share one piece of wisdom that could help another user.
A link to the model (if you're willing to share your design or found it in a web library!).

Here's one example; you can check out more on the blog.

When you're ready, simply email your text and photos to shapirodesignlab@umich.edu and we'll feature it on our site!

If we do not receive your blog post within two weeks of print completion, your access to Design Lab resources may be suspended.

What to do if you are not finished with your project during your reservation time:

We understand that schedules are tight and you may not be able to be present the exact moment your print finishes. Here is our policy:

Our Priority is Printer Availability: To be fair to all users, a printer must be made available for the next person at the start of their reservation.
Staff Will Remove Your Print if necessary: If your reservation time ends and you are not present before the next user arrives for their appointment, Design Lab staff will carefully remove your finished object from the build plate. It will be placed on the "Completed Prints" shelf at the station.
Lab Is Not Responsible for Damage: While we always handle objects with care, the lab is not responsible for any damage that may occur during the removal or storage of an unattended print. The best way to ensure your object's safety is to be present when your print job is scheduled to finish.

Printing Failure:

If your print fails while SDL staff is present we will attempt to correct any issues and start the print again. However, if there is not enough time within your 24 hour reservation window for the print to complete you will need to make another appointment to come in and try printing again.

Scheduling future reservations:

Ready to start your next project? We hope so!
Once you have successfully completed this entire training module and passed the final quiz with a 100% score, your printing privileges will be activated.

At that point, you will gain access to our online scheduling system, where you can reserve a printer for your future projects. This system ensures fair and organized access for all members of the community and is the only way to reserve a printer.