MakerLab Policies

• Appointments can be made for most of our equipment, and priority will go to those who have made appointments in advance. If there are no appointments scheduled, our equipment is available on a first come, first served basis.
• The MakerLab is open to the public, but first priority is given to Salisbury University students, faculty, and staff.
• Minors 14 years of age or younger must be accompanied by an adult.
• Printer use is restricted to 1 printer per person at a time so that as many patrons as possible can have a chance to use the printers.
• Patrons are not allowed to take any tools or equipment out of the MakerLab.
• The MakerLab is staffed during our open hours. Patrons should not attempt to use the equipment directly, but rather ask a staff member to handle the equipment for them.
• Although small amounts of food are allowed in the MakerLab, please do not eat or drink anything near the printers or computers. Larger meals and messy food are prohibited.
• Visitors are responsible for the safe and responsible use of all equipment. Disregard for MakerLab policies, equipment, or supplies may result in a ban from the MakerLab and/or the SU Libraries. If in doubt, please ask MakerLab staff for assistance.

• The amount charged for prints will be based on the amount of material used. No charges will be assessed for failed prints.
• We cannot start print jobs within 30 minutes of closing.
• Print jobs totaling $15.00 or more must be approved by a MakerLab supervisor before being printed.
• 3D printing of certain items is prohibited, including but not limited to:
  • Weapons of any kind
  • Items that are obscene or inappropriate in a university environment.
  • Items that may be unsafe, harmful, or dangerous.
  • Items prohibited by local, state, or federal law.
  • Items that infringe on another's intellectual property rights (ex. copyright).
• After a model has failed to successfully print once, we will not print the model again unless the problem can be ascertained and addressed. Retrying against the advice of MakerLab staff requires pre-payment that will not be refunded if the print fails again.
• We do not allow patrons to supply their own materials for 3D printing unless it comes from a pre-approved vendor.
• Ultimately, MakerLab staff reserve the right to make the final judgement on whether a design may be printed using MakerLab printers.

Due to the high demand for our equipment, the SU Libraries MakerLab allows patrons to make appointments for some of our services. Please make sure you are aware of all of our policies below before making an appointment.

• Appointments can only be made for times up to 1 hour before the lab closes.
• Appointments must be made at least 1 day in advance, and can be made up to 2 weeks in advance.
• Patrons are allowed only 1 active appointment at a time.
• Please show up on time for your appointment. If you do not come to the MakerLab within 15 minutes of your appointment time, you may lose your appointment to a waiting patron.
• Unfortunately, making an appointment does not guarantee that we will have a printer available for you. While we will make every effort to ensure you can print when you arrive, it is difficult to estimate exactly how long a print will take and the print before yours may take longer than expected. It is also possible that printers will jam or malfunction. If you'd like to be sure a printer will be available when you arrive, feel free to contact us through our live chat and we will let you know what will be available.
• Making an appointment allows you to make one print attempt. If your print fails, you will need to make another appointment to try again if other patrons are waiting.

Make an appointment

If you need a department on campus to pay for a 3D print, you can do so by bringing a work order to the MakerLab. Normally we would recommend that you visit the lab to set up and start your print first so we can give you the cost for your item. When you pick up your print, simply bring a completed work order and we can accept that as payment for the item.

If you would like your department to pay for prints for students in your class, we require you to fill out a Departmental Charge Preauthorization Form. You can download a form online or pick one up from the MakerLab. The form requires you to list the students that will be printing, as well as specify a maximum dollar amount to allow for each student. The preauthorization form must be signed by your department's budget approver so we know we have departmental approval before starting the prints. You can return a completed form by bringing it to the MakerLab or emailing it to makerlab@salisbury.edu.