Equipment and Materials
A 3D printer.
Minimum requirements:
A 3D printer with two extruders (“dual extrusion” capability), to print both regular and conductive material.
Recommended:
A cartesian 3D printer (as opposed to a delta 3D printer), to make printing more consistent throughout the print volume and easier to predict in general.
Nice-to-have’s:
A 3D printer with even more than two extruders , to also print “breakaway” or dissolvable material for ‘scaffolding’ prints above the build plate.
An Ultimaker-brand 3D printer.* All Ultimaker-brand 3D printers are cartesian 3D printers.
An Ultimaker 3 (or Ultimaker 3 Extended), as used in our project development.
An Ultimaker S3, the successor to the Ultimaker 3.
More than one 3D printer:
More than one of the same make & model, to more quickly test print settings, test designs, and create complete devices – get up and running faster.
More than one of different models, to try them out and similarly get up and running faster at the cost of less consistency and predictability.
A spool of regular 3D printing filament, preferably just 250 grams for sensor structures, or to start with for large albeit partially-hollow prints.
A spool of conductive 3D printing filament (e.g., 500 grams of LulzBot-brand black 2.85-mm PLA), preferably just 250 grams, which is more than enough.
Nice-to-have: A spool of “breakaway” or dissolvable 3D printing filament, preferably just 250 grams, which is more than enough.
Recommended: One or more good-quality crafting/hobby knives with a forward-facing cutting edge (e.g., that of an X-Acto #18 blade) to help remove prints from the print bed.
Recommended: One or more good-quality crafting/hobby knives with a slanted cutting edge (e.g., that of an X-Acto #2, #11, #19, or #24 blade) to help remove prints from the print bed, and help touch them up afterward.
Recommended: One or more pairs of tweezers, to help clean the extruder nozzles of the 3D printer.
Recommended: A set of hex keys, to disassemble and reassemble the filament feeders before and after cleaning/clearing them.
Optional: One or more compressed air canisters used for dusting, to clean most of the 3D printer (and workspace) of filament dust and stray pieces, during and after printing.
Nice-to-have: A shop supply of compressed air, to clean most of the 3D printer (and workspace) of filament dust and stray pieces, during and after printing.
Caution: Compressed air lines are at very high pressures. Always wear safety goggles when working with a compressed air line. Never point its nozzle at yourself or others. Failure to do so may result in bodily harm.
Note: Compressed air lines are at very high pressures, much higher than that of a compressed air canister. Test their force a meter from the 3D printer first. Failure to do so may damage the more delicate parts of the printer.
Optional: ScotchBlue or similar tape, to form a layer on the print bed for making prints stick to it better during fabrication, while making it easier to remove afterward.
* We do not endorse or represent Ultimaker or any of the other brands named in this documentation.