3D Printing and Education
As paper printers are disappearing from the marketplace and our homes (as of Fall 2014 I don't have one and have yet to feel the need to buy one!), a whole new kind of printer is changing the world. The 3D printer is becoming more and more affordable.
The possibilities with 3D printers boarder on Science Fiction. From make your own legos, to cellphone cases, to organs - you can make just about anything with a 3D printer. Take a look at this short video about four ways 3D printing will impact your life today.
The possibilities with 3D printers boarder on Science Fiction. From make your own legos, to cellphone cases, to organs - you can make just about anything with a 3D printer. Take a look at this short video about four ways 3D printing will impact your life today.
What can I print?The short answer is anything. So the question should be... what do you want to print? Would you like to make something yourself or find a design online that you can download and print? For my first 3D printing experience I chose to download plans for an iPhone case in the form of a ".stl" file. There are a lot of websites where you can go to find an .stl file. Here's a couple to help you get started:
3D Hug Thingiverse (MakerBot supported) Youmagine and you can find more from the Hongkiat Tech blog. |
What can you make yourself?It doesn't take a long time using a 3D printer before you'll want to start designing your own items to fabricate. This next step will require more than a few websites and file downloads, now you'll need to dive into some 3D design software or "CAD" programs.
MakerBot, one of the leaders in 3D printers, has created a list of tools you can use to design your own objects. Starting with simple online programs like 3dtin.com and Sketchup, then advancing all the way to the Open SCAD program. To read more about the many different ways to make your own 3D Printer plans, read the MakerBot blog post 3D Design Software 101. |
Michael's First 3D Printing Experience
After seeing a 3D printer demo at Jackling Elementary School in West Valley, Utah, I returned to my office anxious to create my own 3D printed object. Getting started was easy. First I downloaded the plans for an iPhone 6 case at 3D Hug and downloaded the .stl file from http://3dhug.com/technology/apple-exclusive/iphone-6-case-for-small-hands
Next, I saved the file to a USB drive and hiked down to the J. Willard Marriott Library to access one of the 3D printers made available to students. The hard part started when I had to make adjustments to the printer head, platform, printer speed, and other settings on the Lulzbot TAZ - an open source 3D printer that uses "ProntFace" to communicate to an iMac. With a little assistance from Mikio, a technician on staff at the library, I set up the computer and purchased some filament from the student resource center. At
Before turning on the printer I had to first export my .stl file into a .gcode file from the Gcode program that allowed me to adjust some of the precision settings for the printer. Uploading the new file, along with ".ini" file containing the printer settings, went pretty fast and within minutes the printer was heating the table and extruder head. My iPhone case was just a few minutes away and I was going to watch it be made right before my eyes, kind of. Two hours later I had my finished product. Check it out!
Next, I saved the file to a USB drive and hiked down to the J. Willard Marriott Library to access one of the 3D printers made available to students. The hard part started when I had to make adjustments to the printer head, platform, printer speed, and other settings on the Lulzbot TAZ - an open source 3D printer that uses "ProntFace" to communicate to an iMac. With a little assistance from Mikio, a technician on staff at the library, I set up the computer and purchased some filament from the student resource center. At
Before turning on the printer I had to first export my .stl file into a .gcode file from the Gcode program that allowed me to adjust some of the precision settings for the printer. Uploading the new file, along with ".ini" file containing the printer settings, went pretty fast and within minutes the printer was heating the table and extruder head. My iPhone case was just a few minutes away and I was going to watch it be made right before my eyes, kind of. Two hours later I had my finished product. Check it out!