3D Printing For Dummies

Richard Horne (RichRap) has worked as an engineer, marketer, and product designer. He blogs and shares ideas on making 3D printing easier for everyone. Kalani Kirk Hausman has experience as an IT consultant, enterprise architect, auditor, and ISO. He conducts research on integrating 3D-printed materials into educational curricula.

Introduction 1 About This Book 2 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 3 Beyond the Book 4 Where to Go from Here 4 Part 1: Getting Started with 3D Printing 5 Chapter 1: Seeing How 3D Printers Fit into Modern Manufacturing 7 Embracing Additive Manufacturing 8 Defining additive manufacturing 9 Contrasting with traditional manufacturing 10 Understanding the advantages of additive manufacturing 13 Exploring the Applications of 3D Printing 17 Working with RepRap 18 Chapter 2: Exploring the Types of 3D Printing 19 Exploring Basic Forms of Additive Manufacturing 19 Photopolymers 20 Granular powders 24 Laminates 27 Filament-based production 28 Understanding the Limitations of Current Technologies 29 Considering fabrication rates 29 Exploring size constraints 30 Identifying object design constraints 30 Understanding material restrictions 31 Chapter 3: Exploring Applications of 3D Printing 33 Looking at Current Uses of 3D Printing 34 Rapid prototyping 34 Direct digital fabrication 35 Restoration and repair 36 Designing for the Future with 3D Printing 39 Household goods 39 Buildings 40 Bridges 43 Examining Molding and Casting through 3D Printing 43 Lost-material casting 43 Sintered metal infusion 44 Applying Artistic Touches and Personalization 44 Medical implants 44 Biological implants (organs) 46 Item personalization 46 Clothing and textiles 46 Customizing Designs on the Fly 48 Military operations 48 Space 49 Part 2: Outlining 3D-Printing Resources 51 Chapter 4: Identifying Available Materials for 3D Printing 53 Exploring Extruded Materials 54 Thermoplastics 55 Experimental materials 59 Extruded alternatives 59 Identifying Granular Materials 61 Plastic powders 61 Sugar and salt 61 Metal powders 62 Sand and natural granular materials 63 Exploring Photo-Cured Resins 64 Understanding Bioprinting 65 Bioprinting food and animal products 66 Replacement tissues and organs 67 Identifying Other Uses for Materials 67 Recycling materials 68 Producing food 68 Caring for people 69 Chapter 5: Identifying Sources for 3D-Printable Objects 71 Exploring Object Repositories 72 Vendor repositories 72 Community repositories 74 Designing in the Computer 75 Scanning Objects 78 Capturing Structure from Photographs 82 Preparing Models for Printing 85 3D model viewers 86 Mesh modelers 86 Mesh repairers 86 Part 3: Exploring the Business Side of 3D Printing 87 Chapter 6: Commoditizing 3D Printing 89 Democratizing Manufacturing 89 Derived designs 90 Curated artifacts 90 Expanded opportunities 91 Establishing Personal Storefronts 94 Creating a unique design 94 Fabricating a unique product on demand 96 Creating Impossible Objects 98 Building New Tools 99 Moving beyond solid blocks 99 Creating the tool that will create the tool 100 Chapter 7: Understanding 3D Printings Effect on Traditional Lines of Business 103 Transforming Production 103 Displacing the production line 104 Abbreviating the manufacturing chain 105 Providing local fabrication 106 Eliminating traditional release cycles 107 Challenging Intellectual Property Laws 107 Threatening IP protections 108 Assigning legal liability 110 Leveraging Expired Patents 110 Working around patents 111 Protecting intellectual property rights 112 Imposing Ethical Controls 113 Chapter 8: Reviewing 3D-Printing Research 115 Building Fundamental Technologies 115 Crafting educational tools 116 Expanding 3D-printing options 118 Creating 3D-printed electronics 119 Creating Functional Designs 119 Drones, robots, and military applications 120 Von Neumann machines 121 Expanding Material Selection 122 Supporting Long Space Voyages 123 Creating Medical Opportunities 125 Part 4: Employing Personal 3D-Printing Devices 127 Chapter 9: Exploring 3D-Printed Artwork 129 Adorning the Body 129 Personal