Rectilinear
Best forFast general-purpose infill
Lines alternate by 90 degrees between layers, avoiding same-layer crossing buildup and giving strong top support per material. It is the only recommended option at 100% infill.
Maker Station equipment
3D
printers
Prusa MK4 FDM printers that build plastic parts layer by layer from sliced 3D models.
Training and hours
3D printing and 3D scanning are taught together as one route of two three-hour sessions. You must complete both sessions. View the workshop route.
Complete the relevant workshop route before booking a 3D printer.
Once you have completed every session in the route you can book a printer through SISO and use it for your own projects.
The station uses Prusa MK4 printers.
Workflow
- Inspect the model. Confirm units, dimensions, mesh integrity, minimum features and licence.
- Choose orientation. Balance strength, surface quality, stability, supports and print time.
- Select local profiles. Match the Prusa MK4, fitted nozzle and station PLA profile in PrusaSlicer.
- Set process choices. Use the local starting profile, then make only justified layer, wall, infill and support changes.
- Slice and preview. Inspect every layer for unsupported areas, gaps, unexpected toolpaths and support access.
- Save the project. Keep a 3MF project with the model, orientation and settings as well as the machine file.
- Prepare with staff. Follow the local bed, filament, transfer and pre-print procedure.
- Stay with the print until the first layer has finished. Confirm that the complete first layer adheres cleanly. A detached or poorly adhered first layer can produce a large accumulation of loose filament around the bed and nozzle. Follow the station procedure before leaving a print to continue unattended or overnight.
- Remove and finish. Wait for the bed and removable spring-steel sheet to cool. Lift the sheet from the printer and flex it gently to release the part, then return it flat and clean the area.
Prepare, slice and preview
Design the part for printing
Design for 3D-Printing by Rahix is the recommended in-depth guide to orientation, strength, tolerances, supports, clearances and designing features around the FDM process.
Prefer 3MF for projects
3MF can retain units, multiple parts, orientation and slicer settings. STL stores only surface geometry and can lose unit context.
Prepare the model
Layer direction affects strength and finish. Thin walls, steep overhangs, tiny details and exact fits need deliberate testing.
- Confirm the model is a closed volume without accidental internal surfaces.
- Measure critical features and verify import units instead of scaling by eye.
- Place the strongest layer direction across expected loads where practical.
- Split complex work when doing so reduces risky supports or improves orientation.
- Print a small fit or detail test before committing to a long final print.
Slice and preview
The printer, filament and print profiles work together. A plausible-looking toolpath can still be wrong for the selected machine. Check the preview for:
- First-layer footprint and bed contact
- Unsupported islands and bridges
- Perimeters around thin features and holes
- Support placement and whether it can be removed
- Unexpected gaps, missing features or toolpaths outside the model
- Material estimate and total duration
Choose an infill pattern
Infill supports the internal space of a print and gives top surfaces something to bridge over. More infill does not automatically make a part stronger: orientation, walls and perimeters, material, layer adhesion and geometry all matter.
These ratings are a qualitative selection guide derived from Prusa's infill pattern guide, not engineering test data. Higher means more of the named property: for print speed, higher means faster; for material saving, higher means less material used.
Pattern photographs are from the same guide and remain the property of Prusa Research.
Grid
Best forA fast, solid lattice
Both perpendicular directions print in every layer. Material can accumulate at their crossings, creating a risk that the nozzle strikes the raised points.
Gyroid
Best forBalanced strength in every direction
A continuous 3D structure with good strength-to-weight performance. Its curved toolpath does not self-intersect within a single layer.
Cubic
Best forEnclosed air pockets
Corner-down cubes create enclosed air pockets, which can be useful when exploring insulation or flotation applications.
Honeycomb
Best forMaximum mechanical resistance
A hexagonal grid with no crossing paths within a layer. Mechanical resistance is its main advantage, paid for with roughly 25% more material and up to twice the print time of the faster patterns.
Support Cubic
Best forFast top-layer support
Density increases toward top surfaces along Z to support upper layers with little material. It does not improve mechanical qualities.
Lightning
Best forDisplay parts using minimum material
Branches form only where needed beneath upper surfaces. This material-efficient support pattern is not structural infill.
Concentric
Best forFlexible and shape-following parts
Toolpaths follow the outer contours, useful for flexible or transparent work, but the pattern has a slow print time.
Filament
The Maker Station supplies 1.75 mm PLA for college work, subject to fair use and available stock. Discuss unusually large jobs with staff first.
PLA is the introductory material because it prints reliably at relatively low temperatures, adheres well to the prepared build sheet and has low warping compared with many other common filaments.
The other materials below are included for comparison. They are not currently offered for general use at the station and must not be loaded without staff approval, a compatible printer profile and the required bed, nozzle and ventilation setup.
Common filament families
Recycled, bio-based and filled filaments
Do not load without staff approval
- Any filament other than the station-supplied PLA
- Unknown, unlabelled or incorrectly sized filament
- Abrasive, fibre-filled, metal-filled, wood-filled or glow filament
- Flexible, high-temperature, support or soluble materials
- Pellets, fragments, bottle strips or other improvised feedstock
Use the temperature and cooling values in the verified local profile. Values printed on a spool or published online do not confirm compatibility with the installed nozzle, build sheet or ventilation.
Safety
Hot and moving parts
The nozzle and print bed can cause burns, while axes and fans can trap fingers, hair, jewellery or clothing. Keep clear while the printer is heating, homing or moving.
- Use only a trained and booked printer with the station PLA and approved profile.
- Do not reach into a moving printer or defeat a guard, enclosure or interlock.
- Let the bed and removable sheet cool before removing a print.
- Stop and alert staff for unusual noise, smell, smoke, filament buildup or repeated collisions.
- Do not service the hotend, change a nozzle or clear a jam unless specifically authorised.
Troubleshooting
Why will the first layer not stick?
Stop early rather than allowing a filament buildup. Ask staff to check the selected profile, bed condition, plate seating, first-layer setup and material. Do not change calibration values by guesswork.
What should I do if the print fails mid-job?
Pause or stop using the trained procedure and alert staff. Keep clear of the hotend and do not pull molten material from a hot or moving nozzle. Keep the failed part and project file for diagnosis.
Why will the supports not come off?
Return to the model and orientation. Consider rotating or splitting the part, changing support placement with staff guidance, or redesigning unsupported features.
Why does the model slice with missing walls?
Check wall thickness, mesh errors and feature size. Repair the source geometry where possible instead of relying on an unexplained automatic fix.
Resources
Model repositories, conversion and generator tools, slicers, textures, AI model generators and video tutorials.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know 3D modelling?
No. You can start from an existing model from one of the repositories on the resources page, but you are responsible for checking the licence and that the model is printable.
How long does a print take?
This depends on size, layer height, infill and geometry. The slicer gives an estimate once the model is prepared. Allow additional time for setup and the first-layer check.