Most of the objects incorporated in this study were printed from models developed by Scan the World and made available through My Mini Factory. Scan the World is an initiative that seeks to create an archive of 3D models of various historical objects from institutions around the world. Additional models were downloaded from Thingiverse and CGTrader. You can find a list of printed objects and the model sources here.
All of the objects printed for this project were manipulated, or sliced, in the Ultimaker Cura program. This program allows the user to change the size, shape, and dimensions of a 3D file, processing it into a file the printer can read. In Cura, and other slicing programs, users can change the speed of the print, the temperature of the nozzle, add supports for print stability, and control dozens of other variables.
The printers used in this project are the Monoprice Select Mini v2, and the Ender 5 Pro. The Monoprice has a build area of 120 x 120 x 120mm; the Ender Pro 5 has a build area of 220 x 220 x 300mm. Both printers use PLA (polylactic acid) filament, although the Ender 5 Pro can be modified to print in other materials. PLA is the most common and readily available filament and is made from plant starches. Generally, PLA is printed between 185 and 220 degrees Celsius. It is a fairly durable material, although prolonged exposure to sunlight will cause it to degrade.
A few issues can arise during preparing and printing the models. In some cases, the object model may have gaps created during the scanning process. Some models are created for animation purposes rather than printing, which means it may not allow printing (due to model gaps). Some models may also require scaling before printing—scaling up can lead to a loss of detail. Other times, the model size may too large for the build plate and may need to be scaled down. The most common issue that arises during printing is the levelling problems on the printer’s build plate. The plate needs levelling every four or five prints. If the bed is not reasonably flat, the filament will not properly adhere, ruining the print.