2. 3D
Prin(ng
• Lots
of
different
kinds
of
3d
prin(ng
• Some
use
powder,
metal,
etc.
• Primary
home/hobby
prin(ng
is
“FDM”
–
Fused
Deposi(on
Modelling
– Basically:
A
glue
gun
controlled
by
a
printer
– Assembly
is
layer-‐by-‐layer
3. Models:
Makerbot
• Consumer-‐targeted
3d
printer
• Designed
to
be
‘no
setup’;
easy
for
consumers
• Costs
about
$2200
4. Models:
Printrbot
• Originally
kickstarter
• Typically
sold
as
kits
(but
can
buy
assembled
for
$100)
• Varies
in
cost
from
$300-‐$800
• Targeted
at
hobbyists.
5. Materials
• PLA
– Biodegradable
– Produced
from
corn
– Lower
mel(ng
temperature
(compared
to
ABS)
• ABS
– Higher
temperature
– Higher
mel(ng
temperature
• Can
print
in
other
things
(teflon;
nylon;
wood
filament)
–
much
less
common
(and
more
expensive)
6. Costs
• “Filament”
(plas(c
used
as
input
to
the
printer)
typically
costs
about
$30/kg
– Can
be
found
as
low
as
$20,
but
“you
get
what
you
pay
for”
• Many
small
items
can
be
made
for
50
cents
or
so
worth
of
plas(c
7. What
can
you
make?
• Just
about
anything
plas(c
with
enough
care
• Limited
by
build
volume
(Printrbot
Plus
is
8”
cube)
and
layering
approach
– You
aren’t
going
to
build
a
car
with
a
3d
printer
very
quickly
– You’re
also
not
going
to
build
a
chandelier
very
easily
–
anything
with
overhangs
can
be
difficult
8. How
it
works:
Sodware
• Take
a
3D
model
(STL
file)
• Use
a
‘slicer’
to
turn
it
into
layered
paths
for
the
head
of
the
printer
• Slicer
intelligently
fills
in
solid
spaces
with
material
– Also
tries
to
minimize
plas(c
on
the
insides
of
pieces
so
as
to
not
waste
material
9. How
it
works:
G-‐Code
• Slicer
generates
“G-‐Code”
–
a
set
of
“move
here,
at
this
rate”
instruc(ons
• G-‐Code
was
originally
designed
in
the
1980s
for
driving
other
computer-‐
driven
manufacturing
• G-‐Code
can
be
interpreted
by
firmware
on
the
electronics
aiached
to
the
printer
10. How
it
works:
Repe(er
• Sodware
to
control
overall
interac(ons
with
the
printer
• Communicates
over
USB
to
printer
• Has
UI
to
control
posi(on,
heat,
fan,
etc.
• Repe(er
also
has
slicing
and
G-‐Code
visualiza(on
11. How
it
works:
Prin(ng
• Melts
3D
plas(c
in
a
heated
head
(~200
degrees
C)
• Prints
onto
flat
surface
–
important
to
get
the
first
layer
right
so
it
s(cks
• Motor
feeds
material
through
the
hot
end,
pushing
plas(c
out
the
other
side.
• Motors
move
the
bed
and
the
print
head
in
3
dimensions
to
print
12. How
it
works:
Complex
Prints
• Some
3D
models
can’t
be
printed
without
overhangs
• Two
basic
components:
Bridges
and
support
material
• Bridges
are
connec(ons
between
two
exis(ng
pieces
of
plas(c
• Support
material
is
thin
layers
designed
to
form
a
basis
for
bridges
–
temporary,
intended
to
snap-‐away
13. How
it
works:
Complex
Shapes
• Not
all
complex
shapes
are
complex
prints
though
• Some
shapes
with
lots
of
holes
in
them
can
s(ll
be
printed
(rela(vely)
easily
• Common
style:
Voronoi
surface
14. How
it
works:
Bigger
Shapes
• 3d
prin(ng
bigger
shapes
usually
works
via
snap-‐fit
or
press-‐fit
pieces
• Push
pieces
together
to
get
them
to
stay
15. Coolest
Items
• Ar(culated
excavator:
“Liile
Digger”,
thing:
208315
• Prints
as
one
piece
• Wheels,
cab,
and
arm
move
17. Finding
Models:
Thingiverse
• Thingiverse
is
a
3d
model
repository
that
offers
lots
of
3d
models
• Social
–
can
also
share
3d
models,
share
‘makes’,
etc.
• Supported
by
Makerware
• Good
to
find
first
things
to
print
–
toys,
puzzles,
printer
improvements…
18. Designing
Models:
OpenSCAD
• OpenSCAD
is
3D
Modeling
for
programmers
• You
write
3D
models
with
code
• Can
import
and
export
common
formats
19. Designing
Models:
Sketchup
• Sketchup
–
formerly
from
Google
–
is
another
design
tool
• Free
plugin
to
support
export
to
STL
• Can
be
used
as
a
visual
design
tool
(rather
than
code)
20. Crea(ng
your
own
Filament
• Filament
extruders
can
be
purchased
as
kits
for
a
few
hundred
$
• Take
in
plas(c
pellets
($7-‐$10/kg
instead
of
$30-‐$40)
• No
commonly
available
way
to
re-‐melt
prints
currently,
but
people
are
working
on
recyclers
21. Other
types
of
3D
Prin(ng
•
•
•
•
Powder
bed
3d
prin(ng
Laser
sintering
Laminated
Light
Polymerized
22. Things
to
know
• 3D
Printers
–
at
least,
printrbot
–
is
*not*
a
commercially
ready
tool
– It
requires
a
lot
of
(nkering
and
tweaking
to
get
good
prints
– When
the
answer
from
support
to
a
problem
is
“Pull
out
your
mul(meter
and
measure
the
resistance”
you
know
you’re
in
a
hobbyist
market
• If
you
buy
a
kit
–
expect
it
to
take
a
while
to
build
• Bed
level
is
important:
Bed
level
and
belt
tension
are
the
two
most
important
aspects
of
good
prints
23. FAQ
• Have
you
printed
a
gun?
– No.
This
is
a
silly
use
of
3d
prin(ng,
there
are
lots
of
easy
ways
to
build
your
own
gun.
• How
long
have
you
had
it?
– About
two
weeks
• Is
it
made
of
wood?
– Yep
