3D prints can either be purchased from the Ruth Lilly Medical Library or free 3D prints can be printed with supervision through our Makerspace (IB202) either in person or via Zoom. All proceeds from paid 3D print requests goes back to the 3D print service and Makerspace to purchase materials and maintain equipment.

The Ruth Lilly Medical Library 3D printing service is exclusively available to anyone affiliated with the IU School of Medicine or IU Health - this includes students, faculty, and staff. This does not include undergraduate students at IU or Purdue unless also a staff member at IU Health or IU School of Medicine. If you are affiliated with an IU School of Medicine campus outside of Indianapolis, your 3D print will be shipped to you at no extra charge. 

Those looking to receive card swipe access to the Makerspace are required to complete safety training on all of the equipment in the Makerspace including the 3D printer, Virtual Reality headsets, and Soldering Iron. Training will be conducted in-person in the Makerspace by one of the Makerspace staff members. In order to complete 3D printing safety training, student must be able to demonstrate the ability to print five 3D models of the Makerspace staff’s choosing without their assistance. If asked, the student must be able to produce proof of having completed this safety training.

Other 3D Printing services are also available at Indiana University.

Faculty projects are handled somewhat differently as they often require larger amounts of material and specialized materials. In the case of faculty projects, we recommend that faculty members discuss their project with us and receive a quote from us as to how much filament would be needed for their project and then purchase filament for the project. Due to the nature of 3D printing, various factors such as surface area and infill density are taken into account when creating quotes and there is no way to know how much filament a print will use until we've prepared the 3D model file for printing.

Filament typically costs around $35 per one kilogram spool of filament. Those looking to purchase materials for their projects will receive links to where to purchase filament along with their quote.

We will hold onto spare filament for future projects for up to six months, at which time the filament is forfeit to the Makerspace as filament has a shelf life and would otherwise need to be thrown away.

All faculty projects will require a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) before printing can begin.

Faculty with student liaisons:
Please note that Makerspace staff are only available Monday through Friday, from 9:30am to 6:00pm. The Makerspace staff do not work on weekends, evenings, or early mornings. If you have specific deadlines involving 3D printing or modeling services, please remember that our scheduling depends on current projects, staffing capacity, and general availability. Expect a minimum of two weeks turn around on any 3D printing or modeling. The students are typically not able to use the Makerspace outside of its open hours which limits their ability to work on projects without the Makerspace staff present. For urgent or special requests, feel free to reach out directly to the Makerspace staff. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping everything to run smoothly.

Models can be found from the model repositories listed on our 3D Modeling Resources page.

Library printers cannot be used to print any object that is:

• illegal or prohibited by local, state or federal law
• in violation of copyright, patent or trademark protection
• used for clinical purposes
• otherwise considered by library staff to be inappropriate 

Models are to be used for non-clinical applications only. If seeking models or prototypes for clinical usage, please contact IU Indianapolis legal counsel Joe Scodro or Tom Gannon.

The Ruth Lilly Medical Library reserves the right to refuse any 3D print request. 

1. Read the Policies and Procedures in their entirety. The Ruth Lilly Medical Library 3D print service is only available to IU School of Medicine students, staff, faculty, and affiliates.
2. Fill out the 3D Print Request Form, linked below.
3. Wait to receive a response from rlmltech@iu.edu. Typically, you should hear back from someone within 2 business days (48 hours).
4. Depending on how many print requests are in the queue, patrons on the Indianapolis campus can expect a minimum wait time of 2 weeks from the date they receive a confirmation email until their print is ready for pickup. Prints may take longer to reach patrons at statewide campuses due to shipping times.

• The larger and more complex the print, the more time it will take (some take several days). 
• Prints with organic shapes may require PVA support material, which makes the print time longer and also requires post-processing to remove the supports (1 to 2  days overnight in a water bath to dissolve the support material).