The Media Center’s 3D printing service is available to KIT students and staff, subject to availability and for a fee.

 

The Media Center has two filament (FDM) 3D printers:

• Prusa i3 MK3s - Print size: 21 cm × 25 cm × 21 cm (length × width × height)
• Formbot Vivedino Troodon – Print size: 40 cm × 40 cm × 50 cm (length × width × height)

 

Various thermoplastics in different colors and with different properties can be printed. A list of the filaments available at the Media Center and their properties can be found below. Please note that the list may quickly become outdated, or that the remaining material on a spool of filament might not be sufficient to print your object. It’s best to check directly with the Media Center. A specific filament or a different color can also be purchased upon request.

Bring your 3D model (ideally an STL file) to the Media Center. The remaining parameters can then be discussed on site.

 

Please understand that the Media Center does not create 3D models itself: There is no 3D scanner on site, and the Media Center does not have the staff resources to design models for third parties. The Media Center team is always happy to give you tips on how to design the models yourself.

 

You can also use models from the website https://www.thingiverse.com or adapt them to your needs if necessary. You may even find an object there that suits your needs. Please be sure to observe the applicable licenses and copyrights!

 

Every beginning is difficult, and that’s true for 3D printing as well. To minimize waste at the start, it’s best to consult with the Media Center team regarding the printability of the model and the material used. Every printer has its own quirks, and the same goes for filament. Even experienced printer owners occasionally have failed prints, which can sometimes take a very long time to complete.

There are now many different thermoplastics that can be processed in a filament printer. As a general rule, the Media Center only prints materials that are neither toxic nor emit harmful fumes during printing. These include PLA-based filaments, PETG, Flex (TPU/TPE), nylon, and PC. Although ABS is an inexpensive thermoplastic, it emits harmful fumes during printing; therefore, we will not print any ABS-based filament at the Media Center. You can also find a brief overview on the Filamentworld website under “Finding the Right Filament.”

 

PLA (polyactide) is a synthetic polymer that is fairly easy to process and is typically made from cornstarch. This makes it biocompatible and usually (depending on the added dyes or materials) food-safe as well. There are PLA filaments that are mixed with, for example, carbon (for reinforcement), wood, copper, steel, or aluminum particles, which give the print new properties. The downside is that it may break more easily and generally warps at relatively low temperatures (approx. 60°C). There are now also high-temperature PLA filaments that remain dimensionally stable up to about 100°C, but must be “baked” after printing to retain this property. However, we cannot perform this “baking” process in the media center.

 

PETG (polyethylene terephthalate, or PET for short) is quite well known; it is used in almost all plastic bottles. It is generally food-safe and offers better dimensional stability than PLA (up to about 80°C). It is a very stable and, moreover, cost-effective all-purpose material.

 

Flex (thermoplastic elastomer, TPE/TPU) comes in various degrees of hardness. It’s very well suited for device feet (e.g., for tripods that shouldn’t damage the floor) or for equipping components with flexible elements (joints). However, very soft TPE is difficult to print with our Multi Filament Upgrade, which could result in scrap under certain circumstances.

The Media Center cannot offer the 3D printing service for free. However, since we want to encourage staff and students to experiment with 3D printing or to print a replacement part or similar item, prices are based on the actual printing costs. These costs consist of the filament costs, the time required, and the electricity costs.

 

To minimize administrative overhead, the minimum price for a print is currently 5.00 EUR. After the model has been sliced, the Media Center can provide you with a cost estimate before printing.

 

The fees in detail:

Cost Factor	Fee
Minimum price per print	5.00 EUR
Material costs (depending on the filament)	approx. 25.00 EUR per kilogram
Cost per duration (including electricity costs)	approx. 1.00 EUR per hour

Two editing rooms, which can be linked together, each with 4 PC workstations. These are equipped with PCs running Davinci Resolve Studio, Avid Pro Tools Studio, and Affinity Suite.

Location: InformatiKOM, 2nd floor, Room 214/215

To use the editing room, please register at the Media Center. After registering, you will receive access to the editing room using your KIT Card.

If you have any questions about using the PCs and the software, please contact the Media Center.

If you are planning a lecture or other course at KIT, you can consult with the Media Center regarding sound, lighting, and video technology, borrow the necessary equipment, and have your staff trained in how to use it. Unfortunately, the Media Center cannot supervise or run your course. To record a lecture, please contact the Lecture Recording Team.

As a KIT employee, you can have radio and television programs recorded that you need for your course or research.

These programs are available in the KITopen Repository. For copyright reasons, these programs can only be accessed on Internet-connected computers at KIT Library South. Upon request, you can receive the recording on DVD. Please send an email with the details of the desired program to the KITopen team.

Processing usually takes 2–3 business days. You will receive a notification as soon as the program is available. This service is free of charge.

The Media Center converts and copies recordings in most analog and digital formats for KIT students and staff. If, for example, you would like to transfer an analog recording to a DVD, you can request this service.

Upon request, the media can also be digitally edited (noise reduction, color correction, etc.). Prices are available upon request from the Media Center team.

Projects created in collaboration with KIT can also be carried out and billed for external clients.

Video formats

• MiniDV/DVCAM (DV/HDV – PAL/SECAM) Recording/Digitalization
• S-VHS
• DVD (without copy protection—please observe copyright laws!)
• Betacam
• All digital output formats, including high-definition formats (codecs: AVI, QuickTime, WMV, MPEG, Shockwave, RealMedia, etc.)

 

Audio Formats

• Digitalization of audio cassettes, including post-processing (removal of clicks and hiss)
• Professional-quality digitalization of vinyl records, including post-processing (removal of clicks and hiss)
• Minidisc
• DAT
• All digital codecs (MP3, WAV, etc.)

 

DVD productions

The Media Center can burn and print DVDs and Blu-ray discs from fully edited videos.