This post is intended for USNA students, faculty, and staff and I have sent a similar direct email. Please review these revised guidelines entirely:
The initial guidance is out from USNA leadership that we will resume in-person format instruction next week starting 29Mar21. I expect more guidance will be forthcoming about research activities, but nominally I would expect that the MakerSpace will be fully available for students in person starting next week. Please review the following revised guidelines:
- The MakerSpace is only open students who already have specific permission this weekend, i.e. the new reopening does not go into effect until Monday. I am stressing this because I will use this weekend to rebaseline the MakerSpace for next week.
- I expect the MakerSpace to be EXTRAORDINARILY busy next week. Please be respectful of MakerSpace staff and other students and be patient.
- No personal printing is authorized. Every print job should be associated with a class assignment, Capstone work, or research work unless very specific permission is given by MakerSpace staff.
- No remote printing. All jobs should be started from the MakerSpace in person (you may use your laptop through SEADEVIL like normal).
- The priorities are very clear: (1) prints for classes (like the AM class and others), (2) prints for Capstone research projects, and (3) prints for research projects.
- Specific permission must be granted to use the following printers: Form3L (large format SLA), Fuse1 (SLS nylon), DesktopMetal, Intamsys, and any LulzBot printer.
- Please bring your laptops to the MakerSpace in case one of the workstations is not available.
- Please use the PC workstations in Ri226 only for printing work if there are other MIDN in the MakerSpace. I do not mind MIDN using the PCs for other school work but please give everyone access if the MakerSpace is busy.
- Log off the workstations when complete (do not just lock).
- We are almost out of MakerBot filament but a shipment should already be on the way. We have plenty of Ultimaker Filament.
- For SLA printing, only use Grey Pro or Tough2k unless you specifically need a different resin. Look closely at resin trays and cartridges. If there is ANYTHING on the container that you do not fully understand (like a label) then DO NOT use that resin. We have several very custom resins but all are clearly marked.
Finally, please be very mindful of your print jobs and avoid the following common mistakes:
- Build adhesion is critical. Glue is required in almost all cases.
- Please make sure you look closely at support requirements. Next to build plate adhesion, lack of or improper supports is the next most common mistake.
- Please stay in the MakerSpace until your job transfers and ideally check on your job during the first hour when failures are most likely to occur.
- Check on consumable level (e.g. filament) prior to starting a job. Printers that run of filament during a job usually fail even though all printers have measures to ideally prevent this.
I know many of you are under time constraints and are trying to catch up on Capstone/research work. We can and will support you, but the rush makes it more important that we all work together. Happy printing!
R/CAPT Brad Baker