3D printing in Education - Beginners

Eva 3D, Sep 15, 2023

A general introduction to 3D printing

Table of Contents

  1. Benefits of 3D printing in Education
    1. About 3D Printing
    2. Why 3D printing in the classroom?
    3. Overview about 3D printing and inclusion
    4. 3D printing in the school can be cool
  2. From Model to Object
    1. Printing 3D models
    2. Which steps do I have to go?
    3. Troubleshooting
  3. Examples
    1. 10 Best 3D Printing Meme Ideas
    2. printing BARAVELLE SPIRAL
    3. Download a 3D model from GeoGebra
    4. Examples to print

1.

Benefits of 3D printing in Education

  • 1. About 3D Printing
  • 2. Why 3D printing in the classroom?
  • 3. Overview about 3D printing and inclusion
  • 4. 3D printing in the school can be cool

1.1.

About 3D Printing

What does 3D printing mean?
3D printing is a technology for additive manufaturing. In contrast to eg. CNC milling, there is no material taken away to produce a part but material is added until a part is built.[br]It can be compared a bit to the difference between a sculpture where a person is carved out of a rock like Michelangelos David in contrast to a snowman where snow is collected in balls until a hat and a nose can be attached.[br]Material is usually added in layers, like a cake often consists of layers that are connected by some cream. For 3D printing, the layers can be connected in different ways, regarding on the technology.[br]
How old is 3D printing?
For many people, 3D printing is a very new technology which they only discovered recently. However, the for some surprising truth is that 3D printing is a rather old technology. One technologiy - Stereolithography - was developed in 1981 and patented in 1984. The first program for developing 3D models was available since 1983 meaning it is even older than the World Wide Web which was developed in 1989.[br]In fact, 3D printing is already used for prototyping quite often in the industry. It was just not widely used by end users as of yet.[br][br]
Why is 3D printing getting more popular?
In the year 2009, the patent for the Fused Deposition Modeling technology expired. As a result, enthusiasts especially from the field of mathematics started to develop cheap versions of machines using this technology. The now cheaper machines lead to a dropping of prices from 20.000€ and above to only a few hundred within only a decade for really affordable machines.[br]Other patents expired in the last years allowing more affordable machines as well.[br]Not only did prices get more affordable, also the technologies themselves developed and gained better quality by the advent of using 3D printing for the quick production of items or prototypes. And as 3D printing is now more in the focus, more interesting fields like sophisticated materials or new fields of usage open up.
Technology Overview
Technologies can be cathegorized by their used materials and the way they add each layer of material to existing hardened material. Materials cover powders, liquids, endless filaments, granulates, and more. What they all currently share: a layer of material each is hardened and fused with another layer of material until an entire item can be taken out of the machine.[br][br]
FDM/FFF - adding layers until an item is produced
In FFF, a filament which is an endless material string [b]a)[/b] of a thermoplast material is transported to a head that heats up the material [b]b)[/b] and then melts and extrudes it through a nozzle layer per layer [b]c)[/b]. Often, the platform also moves [b]e)[/b]. This technology needs support structures [b]d)[/b] at certain angles to avoid falling layers. Image by Scopigno R., Cignoni P., Pietroni N., Callieri M., Dellepiane M. (2017). "[url=http://vcg.isti.cnr.it/Publications/2017/SCPCD17/DigitalFabricationForCH.pdf]Digital Fabrication Techniques for Cultural Heritage: A Survey[/url]". Computer Graphics Forum 36 (1): 6–21. [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_object_identifier]DOI[/url]:[url=https://doi.org/10.1111/cgf.12781]10.1111/cgf.12781[/url].
FDM/FFF - Fused Deposition Modeling/Fused Filament Fabrication
The 3D printing technology which is very affordable and widely available is FDM or FFF which works basically like a glue pistol adding material layer per layer through a nozzle. The technology was developed by S. Scott and Lisa Crump who were part of the company Stratasys. The company Stratasys still holds the patent of the name FDM, thus the RepRap movement - a group of enthusiasts with mostly a mathematical background - created the name FFF which can be used without constraints.[br]This technology uses so called thermoplasts as material. A thermoplast is a material which melts when heated up, is then squeezed through a nozzle and afterwards hardens when cooling down. Often, those [br]thermoplasts are sold as filaments, long strings without any end in one color. [br]As explained before, each melted layer hardens in order to allow another layer to be extruded on top of the old layer. The precision of this technology relies heavily on the layer thickness and the nozzle diameter. The smaller both is, the slower but more accurate the production process is. FDM needs support material for overhangs usually bewtween 30 to 40 degrees.[br]Colors of FDM printed items have the color of the filament used. Most printers use one filament and thus produce items in one color.
SLA - Stereolithography
Developed in 1981 and patented in 1986 by Robert C. Hull, the oldest 3D printing technology uses a material that hardens when exposed to UV light by eg. a laser and is usually a photopolymer - resin is often used today as a material. This technology allows a very high precision. However, it needs to be postprocessed since the sun emits UV light leading to an ongoing hardening process turning it brittle over time. [br]Hull also developed the STL file format. The items produced have the color of the used photopolymer which is usually one color but since it has to have a coating due to the UV hardening, it can be colored afterwards. A variation is spraying photopolymer as droplets through a nozzle hardening the material directly afterwards using a UV lamp. This technology needs support since it is either produced within a liquid or [br]into air.
SLS/SLM - Laser Sintering/Laser Melting
This technology uses a powder, often a variation of Nylon and thus a bit flexible but still very robust, which is applied in layers in some kind of building space, heated up until right before melting together and [br]then shot at by lasers to heat up the material all the way up until they sinter or melt together. Afterwards, the material has to cool down and then can be dug out of the remaining material like a geologist would dig[br] out items from dust. Material only comes in Black, White and variations inbetween so usually, white material is print and the objects are then dyed to achieve colors. Support is not needed since below each layer of material is an existing powder layer of material.
Binderjetting/Inkjet 3D Printing
Just as SLS, Binderjetting uses powder as material, usually gypsum or ceramics but also metal is possible. The material is added in layers, afterwards glued together and then the item is dug out of the remaining [br]powder just as the SLS process - only without a cooldown phase. Furthermore, support is not needed and the majority of unused powder can just be reused.[br]Since the glue can be colored, this technology can produce colorful items.
– Eva 3D

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2.

From Model to Object

  • 1. Printing 3D models
  • 2. Which steps do I have to go?
  • 3. Troubleshooting

2.1.

Printing 3D models

What do I need to print 3D models?
For ptinting 3D models, you need a 3D model, a [b]slicer [/b]that cuts your 3D model into slices, and a 3D printer.[br][br]The 3D model has to be watertight with walls that are thick enough to withstand the laws of physics and the file size should be at least below 30 MB, the smaller, the better. Also it needs to be smaller than the building space of your printer - otherwise, you need to cut the 3D model into smaller pieces.[br]This 3D model needs to be turned into so called G-CODE which is understandable by your 3D printer.[br]
Connecting to a printer directly
Software exists that lets you connect to a printer directly.[br]Usually, a 3D printer comes with a slicer that was set to operate your type of printer by the manufacturer. They often have more than one 3D printer model they offer so sometimes, you might need to check the manual which printer you should choose.[br]Major pitfalls: installing a language you do not understand (even more careful with letters you can not read) or selecting the wrong 3D printer from the manufacturer.[br][br]But there is also [url=https://www.geogebra.org/m/hdqxz2vj#material/hxhz33bg]software that has common slicers implemented[/url] and can operate the printer by manually setting the options. Careful! Using this can be quite cumbersome but gives you a lot of control you would not have otherwise.
On the right side is one layer of 169 layers of the 3D model on the left. You can see that the outer line is 2 lines thick and there is a crossing layer structure in the center. This structure is a filling that gives the print stability from the inside.
How do I start the printer?
Starting and stopping the printer depends on how you connect to it. [br][br]Usually, you take a storage device like an SD card or USB drive, slice, save the resulting [url=https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code]G-CODE[/url], go to your printer, insert the device and press "print" there. Please read the manual of the printer for this.[br][br]In our case, this is either done directly on the printer if the 3D model was stored on an SD card or indirectly by Repetierhost. After slicing you can choose to either save the G-CODE to your computer or to an SD card or to send it directly to your printer after pressing "print" in the Print Preview.[br]But do not be impatient, the nozzle for melting the filament needs some time to heat up. After the heating, the print will start automatically.[br]
After slicing, you can print the 3D model, save the GCODE to your computer or save the GCODE to an SD card.
How do I stop the printer?
Also, the printer will stop automatically after your print is finished - no manual stopping needed.[br]In case of a bad print you do not want to finish you can stop the printer at "Manual Control" but it will not stop immediately to print. There are a few lines of G-CODE that are stored ahead on the printer to help overcome communication troubles with remote sources like your computer that will be carried out.[br]In case of any emergency it is best to not stop the printer but remove the power plug.[br][br]Always keep in mind that the nozzle is very hot to be able to melt the material!
– Eva 3D

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3.

Examples

  • 1. 10 Best 3D Printing Meme Ideas
  • 2. printing BARAVELLE SPIRAL
  • 3. Download a 3D model from GeoGebra
  • 4. Examples to print

3.1.

10 Best 3D Printing Meme Ideas

As the year is still new, it's time to refresh some amazing 3D printing memes! The previous several years have certainly been an up-and-down journey, and that is something that we cannot dispute. At times, laughter is the only way to get through all of the crazy. There are always memes to keep you delighted, such as good morning memes, happy birthday memes, wholesome memes, cat memes, and puppy memes; however, this compilation is all about the best of the best in the 3D industry![br][br][br]
What is the Origin of the Term "Meme"?
A meme is "a humorous or fascinating object (such as a captioned photo or video) or genre of things that gets distributed extensively online, particularly via social media." Memes are often composed of funny pictures and text and are frequently utilized as a form of social or political criticism. [br][br]A GIF, however, is not the same thing as a meme. A moving picture file known as a GIF is almost identical to a brief video clip taken from a movie. After then, the video is played in a never-ending loop. GIFs are distinct from memes in that they are animated, while memes are often still images.[br][br]Because there are so many humorous memes floating around the internet, you've probably given some consideration to trying your hand at making one of your own. You can create memes with the help of several different applications and tools, like Canva and Imgur, both of which have built-in meme generators and even Photoshop. [br][br]If you want some meme ideas for the 3D industry, we have you covered! Let's look at some of the most popular meme ideas!
10 Best 3D Printing Meme Ideas.
1. 3D Printing Your Food!
Desperate times indeed call for desperate measures. Did you realize that a 3D printer may perform functions other than those of a traditional printer? This may be the most effective way to fry your dino nuggets! If you ever need an oven or stove, you may want to consider using your 3D printer as an alternative. We all have once been in such a situation more often than we like to admit. But this meme covers it all![br][br][br]
2. The Lack of Inspiration
There always comes a moment in everyone's lives when they can't find the right resources for upgrading their skills. On the one hand, it can be used to make a meme, but on the other, we also offer you a solution to your troubles. [br][br]SelfCAD can help you prepare designs for 3D printing all in one program without having to switch to a different software. In addition to easy to use and powerful tools, SelfCAD also has a powerful [url=http://www.selfcad.com/slicer]Online Slicer[/url] that you can use to slice your designs without needing a separate software. This efficiency gives you even more reasons on just how self-sufficient the software is, and its ability to meet your 3D designing and printing needs. [br][br][br]
3. A 3D-Printed You!
Finally, a way to trick the boss. Funny, isn't it? Can you see a 3D-printed version of yourself? Share with us the crazy ideas you would implement if you had a copy of yourself to play handle! With so many options up your sleeve, the first is to scare your friends with a twin they never knew existed![br][br][br]
4. Are You Still Living in The 2D World?
Are you still living in the past, or are you all caught up with today's technology? With the speedy technological advances, 3D printing is gaining popularity with every passing day, so much so that people still using 2D are being seen as targets for a hilarious meme!
5. What's Self-Driving in Front of a 3D-Printed Car?
This meme is witty, yet it also offers us all something to think about. When one achieves success in a task that was earlier seen as very difficult or unattainable, one always experiences a sense of satisfaction. Who'd have even thought of a 3D printer before? But can you print a car in 3D? As long as one doesn't start running on the streets, it is the target for good humor in the 3D industry![br][br][br]
6. An Oven or a 3D Printer?
This meme definitely makes us think of a cool name for a 3D- printed oven. But if it were a game, what would you call a 3D-printed oven? As long as we get cooked meals out of it, we wouldn't mind calling it a hea-oven! But if this became possible, quite a lot of industries might come crashing down, and people might start printing all their stuff from scratch, maybe their own 3D printers too!
7. The Struggle is Real!
Knowing the printer specifications and requirements is a must for 3D printing. 3D printing isn't as easy as it seems. Without the right settings, the end product might not look as you had imagined! You might want to print one thing but come up with completely different end products. But by properly setting your 3D printer and designing your model appropriately in programs like SelfCAD, you can overcome most of your 3D printing troubles .
8. I just Blinked!
Has it ever happened to you before? You turn your back for a second, and everything goes completely crazy! If you came up with one such situation, we bet you are all prepared to start 3D printing because it is like boiling milk at the right temperature! You take your eyes off for one split second, and you won't know what hit you! Feel free to share with us some of your crazy 3D printing stories!
9. Printing a 3D Meme?
All jokes aside, what if we tell you there are actual figurines of the funniest and most popular memes available for purchase? Now, this is what we call "thinking outside the box." It is just amazing how memes can now be in 3D-printed versions. Gift these statuettes to your friends and be the best gift giver! You can check more such hilarious 3D figurines.[br][br][br]
10. The Dad of the Year Award Goes To!
Depressed? Sad? Find yourself someone who can cheer you up, like the dad who printed a wooden elephant for his child! Who thought 3D printing could be the best thing to relax your mood? But isn't that just the best way to make someone smile? Who is crying? You are. Someone, please give him the 3D-printed "World's Best Dad" mug.[br][br][br]
Conclusion
We hope these memes made you laugh and got your creative juices flowing for making more such hilarious content. What most people don't realize is that creating memes is an art. It's about hitting the right spot for the humor to be relatable. The creation and maintenance of a design system is a time-intensive process.[br][br]One can sense that memes are static, unique creations that, in most instances, do not need reusable components. However, this is not the case. Whether or not this perception is correct, it may signal that there is a lack of consistent strategy across projects and that an opportunity to enhance efficiency has been missed.[br][br][br]
– Lilchong

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