WHAT IS 3D PRinting?

3D printing is a manufacturing process in which material is laid down, layer by layer, to form a three-dimensional object. This is deemed an additive process because the object is built from scratch, as opposed to subtractive processes in which material is cut, drilled, milled, or machined off. Although 3D printers employ a variety of materials (such as plastic or metal) and techniques, they share the ability to turn digital files containing three-dimensional data—whether created on a computer-aided design (CAD) or computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) program, or from a 3D scanner—into physical objects.

The first 3D printer, which used the stereolithography technique, was created by Charles W. Hull in the mid-1980s. Stereolithography is largely an expensive commercial technique, with machines often costing $100,000 or more. In 1986, Hull founded 3D Systems, a company that today sells 3D printers that use a variety of technologies.

3D printing is not as new as you may think! In 2009, Stratasys’ (Minnesota) 20 year FDM patent lapsed/expired and the technology became public domain. When this happened, 3D printing became such a hot topic that it was easy to believe it was a brand new innovation.

3D Systems: Rock Hill, SC by way of Valencia, CA by Chuck Hull in 1986.

Statasys: Eden Prarie, MN by S. Scott Crump in 1989.



Brief: 3D Printing isn’t new. Took off around 2010 when a 20 year patent lapsed. A professor at the University of Bath in London, Adrian Bowyer started the “RepRap” project which is self-replicating machines, meaning you can 3D print a 3D Printer. Makerbot out of Brooklyn, NY is seen to have started the desktop revolution by making “kit” printers out of plywood and hardware/automotive parts.



Benefits

With 3D printing, designers have the ability to quickly turn concepts into 3D models or prototypes (a.k.a. "rapid prototyping"), and implement rapid design changes. It lets manufacturers produce products on demand rather than in large runs, improving inventory management and reducing warehouse space. People in remote locations can fabricate objects that would otherwise be inaccessible to them.

From a practical standpoint, 3D printing can save money and material versus subtractive techniques, as very little raw material is wasted. And it promises to change the nature of manufacturing, eventually letting consumers download files for printing even complex 3D objects—including, for example, electronics devices—in their own homes.



THE Future

The past few years, we have seen an explosion in the variety and uses of 3D printers. It's similar to where personal computing was circa 1980. Though it's easy enough to see some of the areas the field of 3D printing will branch into, others are beyond our ability to predict, just as no one around in 1980 could have imagined much of what the personal computer would turn into.

GE Printing Leap engine

Brief: Not putting people out of jobs, just shifting the landscape. Safer, faster, cheaper, less waste, etc. Offered both technologies without any preconceived notion or use of either, which would you choose? 3D printing.

On a Nickel-Alloy 3D Printed Jet Engine Fuel Nozzle..

“The nozzle met the team’s wildest expectations. Morris’ machine not only combined all 20 parts into a single unit, but it also weighed 25 percent less than an ordinary nozzle and was more than five times as durable. “The technology was incredible,” Ehteshami says. “In the design of jet engines, complexity used to be expensive. But additive allows you to get sophisticated and reduces costs at the same time. This is an engineer’s dream. I never imagined that this would be possible.”

The clandestine effort paid off. Within 18 months, the team was able to print half of the machine, reducing 900 separate components to just 16, including one segment that previously had different 300 parts. The printed parts were also 40 percent lighter and 60 percent cheaper. “To make these parts the ordinary way, you typically need 10 to 15 suppliers, you have tolerances, you have nuts, bolts, welds and braces,” Ehteshami says. “All of that went away.””



3D Printing in the Classroom

Why Now?

As mentioned earlier, 3D Printers have been around for 25-30 years. You’re seeing it more now costs are coming down, making 3D printers more readily available to the public.

What does it mean for my students?

It’s evident that 3D printing has its place in education and will continue to have a significant impact in the classroom. Here are some of the ways 3D printing is changing the way our children learn:

  • Architecture students can easily 3D print models of their designs or other famous ones

  • Auto class students can print replacement or modified car parts

  • Biology students can print cross sections of hearts and other organs

  • Chemistry students can print out molecules to study

  • Students interested in Dentistry can print models of teeth and the mouth

  • Engineering students can print fully working models

  • Geography courses can print out maps showing the topography, population or demographics of an area

  • Graphic design students can create 3D versions of their artwork or print prototypes of their designs

  • History classes can print out historic artifacts for closer examination

  • Cooking class students can design intricate molds for ices, gelatin, or cake