The 3D printing technology used at Fablab Descartes is FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling).
This technique consists in melting a filament of synthetic material, usually ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) or PLA (Polyactic Acid) type plastic through a nozzle. A small wire of molten plastic with a diameter of about a tenth of a millimetre is deposited and forms the different layers of the 3D model.
In order to use these machines you must come with a 3D model created with CAD software (Solidworks, Blender, Freecad, Fusion360, Onshape, etc.) in .stl or .obj format.
You can also take part in one of our training courses or come and practice at Fablab to create your 3D model.
You will then have to pass your file through the slicer of the machine in question (Simplify3D, Cura or Slic3r) to generate the Gcode which will be interpreted by the machine.
Machines and features
All our 3D printers have a heated platen to improve the hold of the part on its support.
Ultimaker – Ultimaker 2 Extended Printing volume : 22,3 x 22,3 x 30,5 cm