3D Printing For Dummies

Description

Get started printing out 3D objects quickly and inexpensively! 3D printing is no longer just a figment of your imagination. This remarkable technology is coming to the masses with the growing availability of 3D printers. 3D printers create 3-dimensional layered models and they allow users to create prototypes that use multiple materials and colors.  This friendly-but-straightforward guide examines each type of 3D printing technology available today and gives artists, entrepreneurs, engineers, and hobbyists insight into the amazing things 3D printing has to offer. You’ll discover methods for the creation of 3D printable objects using software, 3D scanners, and even photographs with the help of this timely For Dummies  guide. Includes information on stereolithography, selective sintering, fused deposition, and granular binding techniquesCovers the potential for the transformation of production and manufacturing, reuse and recycling, intellectual property design controls, and the commoditization of traditional products from magazines to material goodsWalks you through the process of creating a RepRap printer using open-source designs, software, and hardwareAddresses the limitations of current 3D printing technologies and provides strategies for improved success 3D Printing For Dummies is the must-have guide to make manufacturing your own dynamic designs a dream come true! Contents at a Glance Table of Contents Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book How This Book Is Organized Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here Part I: Getting Started with 3D Printing Chapter 1: Seeing How 3D Printers Fit into Modern Manufacturing. Embracing Additive Manufacturing Exploring the Applications of 3D Printing Working with RepRap Chapter 2: Exploring the Types of 3D Printing. Exploring Basic Forms of Additive Manufacturing Recognizing Specialized Forms of Additive Manufacturing Seeing the Limitations of Current Technologies Chapter 3: Exploring Applications of 3D Printing. Creating Objects Directly Using 3D Printing Today Fabricating Tomorrow Using 3D Printing Examining Molding and Casting through 3D Printing Applying Artistic Touches and Personalization Deploying Technology to Strategic Locations Part II: Outlining 3D Printing Resources Chapter 4: Identifying Available Materials for 3D Printing. Enumerating Extruded Materials Identifying Granular Materials Exploring Photo-Cured Resins Understanding Bioprinting Identifying Alternative Materials Chapter 5: Identifying Sources for 3D-Printable Objects. Exploring Object Repositories Designing in the Computer Scanning Objects Capturing Structure from Photographs Preparing Models for Printing Part III: Exploring the Business Side of 3D Printing Chapter 6: Commoditizing 3D Printing. Democratizing Manufacturing Creating Impossible Objects Building New Tools Chapter 7: Understanding 3D Printing’s Effect on Traditional Lines of Business. Transforming Production Challenging Intellectual Property Laws Leveraging Expired Patents Imposing Ethical Controls Chapter 8: Reviewing 3D Printing Research. Building Fundamental Technologies Creating Functional Designs Expanding Material Selection Providing for Long Space Voyages Creating Medical Opportunities Part IV: Employing Personal 3D Printing Devices Chapter 9: Exploring 3D-Printed Artwork. Adorning the Body Personalizing Our Environment Returning to Personal Creation Visualizing the Abstract Chapter 10: Considering Consumer-Level 3D Printers. Examining Cartesian 3D Printers Exploring Delta Options Understanding Polar Fabrication Building Emerging Alternatives Chapter 11: Deciding on a RepRap of Your Own. Evaluating Your 3D-Printing Needs Open, Closed, and Licensing Selecting a 3D Printer Design Choosing Print Media Identifying Components Part V: Creating a RepRap 3D Printer Chapter 12: Assembling Structural Elements. Locating Materials Obtaining the Printed Parts for Machine Assembly Understanding the Machine Motion Building the Frame Structure Assembling the Prusa i3 Y Axis Frame Assembling the Moving Axis Sensing the Home Position Chapter 13: Understanding RepRap Control Electronics. Overview of RepRap Electronics Adding Electronics to Your RepRap 3D Printer Modular Components, Sensors,and Motors RepRap Wiring and Connections Firmware Configuration Chapter 14: Assembling the RepRap Extruder and RepRap Upgrades Thermoplastic Extrusion Prusa i3 Extruder and Hot-End Assembly Syringe and Paste-Based Extrusion Multi-Color Printing Extruder Operation and Upgrades Chapter 15: Identifying Software and Calibrating Your 3D Printer 3D Design Software and Model Resources Working with Slic3r Calibrating Your 3D Printer 3D-Printing Objects Part VI: The Part of Tens Chapter 16: Ten Ways That Rapid Prototyping Will Disrupt Traditional Manufacturing. Reducing Time to Market Eliminating Mass Manufacturing Displacing Transportation Industries Consuming Alternate Materials Reducing Material Requirements Going Green Curtailing Planned Obsolescence Eliminating One-Size-Fits-Most Crafting What You Wish Providing Basic Necessities Chapter 17: Ten Examples of ­Direct-Digital Manufacturing and Personalization. Producing 3D-Printed Food Printing Tissues and Organs Fashioning Biological Replicas Crafting Clothing and Footwear Customizing Artwork Making Hollywood Spectacular Creating Structures Reaching Beyond the Sky Constructing Robots Printing 3D Printers Chapter 18: Ten Impossible Designs Created Using Additive Manufacturing. Personalized Objects Medical Implants Self-Deploying Robots Printed Aircraft On-Demand, On-Site Manufacturing Custom Objects Created in Space Printed Finger Foods Locally Fabricated Items Body Parts Custom Drugs Index About the Authors