Here’s a nice article about 3D Printing in our MADLab:
http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/tPwr74Id5VwgykRhvCmh/full

Our colleagues, Erica Lenton and Carolyn Dineen from Gerstein Library, do a very nice job describing what’s involved in setting up a 3D printing service:

“We use a certification process designed to train users on the printers, introduce them to design software, and test them on their knowledge of the equipment and printing process … The issues with our service are predictable. For example, how can we expect people to get into 3D printing with no prior experience or hands-on assistance? There are at least six hoops that users have to jump through before getting to the printer! Isn’t that a bit much? This is a conundrum of a “mediated” DIY service: How do you provide unfettered access to technology, encouraging experimentation and hands-on, self-directed learning, while also ensuring everyone’s safety and security in an unsupervised environment? Our solution is to inject as much support as we can, at each step of the creative process, from imagining the design, to troubleshooting design and printing issues, to sharing the final product.”