To meet the growing demand for 3-D printing resources,
Lehigh University’s Design Labs has established a new 3-D printing hub on its Mountaintop campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (USA). This hub is the newest addition to Design Labs, which has five main lab spaces across two locations.
The new hub at the Mountaintop campus joins the existing facilities at the university’s Wilbur campus, which features 30 networked filament 3-D printers, high-resolution SLA printers, a powder bed nylon 3-D printer, and direct metal 3-D printing capabilities. Over its decade-long operation, the 3-D printing facilities at Wilbur have accumulated more than 120,000 print hours across 40,000 projects, serving students from various disciplines.
The Mountaintop hub adds 10 more filament 3-D printers and an advanced, larger-scale SLA printer. This latest enhancement aims to reduce the high traffic and wait times experienced at Wilbur during peak times and encourage greater student engagement at other college facilities.
Mike Moore, the manager of Design Labs at Mountaintop, says the hub welcomes students from all colleges and majors, with or without 3-D printing experience. He said: “Staffed throughout the day by knowledgeable Design LabsTech Fellows who can help everyone make use of this amazing technology, the 3-D print hub is accessible to even the most novice user. Additionally, all the 3-D printers are networked, allowing students to send their designs from their dorms and then come to pick up the final product later.”
Nicholas Sawicki, an associate professor and chairman of the department art, architecture, and design (AAD), added: “AAD is heavily integrated with 3-D printing in our curriculum, and our students frequently use these technologies in the classroom for various assignments and projects. The new lab will not only benefit our department but also support a diverse range of disciplines and extra-curricular clubs that use the existing studios, labs, and shops at the Mountaintop campus.”