Chautauqua – 3D printing is something that caught my interest several years back, the first time I saw a demonstration on a science program. Back then they were still calling it rapid prototyping, but by any name it is quite impressive. The ability to push a button and have a useful item appear is very appealing to a lot of us, perhaps owing to the replicator aboard vessels in Star Trek. It wouldn’t be the first time that life imitated art.
In basic terms 3D printers are simple robots that create exacting designs using liquefied plastic filament extruded thru a moving nozzle. Printing times vary greatly depending upon size and resolution of detail. Very large detailed projects can take up to 24 hours or more to print, while less sophisticated items can easily be printed in just a couple hours or so, depending.
As impressive as 3D printing is, it is by no means as simple as pushing a button; that’s just a step in the process. A process that involves many technical and specific steps; with a strong attention to detail. Success is measured in micro millimeters!
If you’re thinking about getting a 3D printer, the first decision is, which one? Currently there’s quite a wide variety of 3D printers available in the consumer marketplace; ranging in price from just a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Most of the industry leading printers are in the $1200 to $4000 dollar range. The more budget friendly printers are generally small desktop models, with a small build surface; which is just fine for small projects. The mid to upper range printers are larger, with correspondingly large build surfaces to accommodate bigger builds.
The first step is to determine your needs for a 3D printer. If all you want to make are functional household objects, toys and geometric art; a smaller desktop printer will likely suffice just fine. However, if your imagination is broader than that, or your needs are more specific in nature, you’ll be wanting a more sophisticated platform. Indeed, even the smaller, cheaper units are capable of doing very fine detailed work; if its not too large an item.
The hardware is only half the equation, so you’ll be wanting a unit with state-of-the-art software & firmware as well. Much will depend upon one’s technical background and experience with computer based modalities such as CAD drawing programs and related software. Some printers software is open source, meaning the user can modify & update it. Other printers software is proprietary meaning upgrades & modifications can only come thru the manufacturer.
For those wishing to create their own 3D files for printing there are a number of software programs available which are relatively user friendly: some of the more popular ones are, Blender, MeshMixer and OpenSCAD. With these or other similar software programs you can create your own files, import files from a scanner, and edit existing files. For example, you could easily take a file obtained elsewhere, then add to or modify it as you desire for personal use. What you cannot do is take someone else’s file then sell prints on ebay. Doing such is not only against the law, it is also bad form!
Some research will not only be helpful, it may well spare you both money and aggravation in the long run. There are many factors to consider before you put your money on the table. Do you want a 3D printer with single or dual print heads? Heated or unheated build plate? Some printers can only use PLA filament, some only ABS filament; and some can do either, as well as some of the newer filaments being developed.
You’ll need space for the printer, as well as supplies, spools of filament, etc Keep in mind also, that 3D printers do make some degree of noise during operation; this of course varies from machine to machine, the point being that none of them are totally silent, so that ambient noise is another factor to consider. I actually find the sounds of servos working, and the “R2D2” like sounds emitting from my printer almost relaxing. Continue reading . . .
SF Source Augureye Express Mar 2016
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I think you may be right. Everyone is going to want a 3d printer eventually. Though I would say the days of a “consumer” 3d printer being in every home is probably still a ways off. But being able to replace just everyday items could be useful, especially if one could just download the files they needed to replace the broken faucet or the door handle. Thanks for sharing!