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ERIC Number: ED571304
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Jun
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
An Overview of the Past, Present, and Future of 3D Printing Technology with an Emphasis on the Present
Snyder, Robin M.
Association Supporting Computer Users in Education, Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) (47th, Myrtle Beach, SC, Jun, 8-12, 2014)
Just as the cost of high quality laser printing started in the tens of thousands of dollar and can now be purchased for under $100, so too has 3D printing technology started in the tens of thousands of dollars and is now in the thousand dollar range. Current 3D printing technology takes 2D printing into a third dimension. Many 3D printers are somewhat similar to ink jet printers in that that rolls flexible plastic is melted (instead of ink) and built up layer on layer to create a 3D artifact. A more expensive technology takes away from a black of material to so that the artifact produces is what remains. Each method has advantages and disadvantages. A related technology, laser cutting, is yet more expensive but, like the other technologies, is becoming less expensive each year. While information deals in intangible bits, 3D printing deals in tangible atoms. Soon the phrase "make it" may be as common as the phrase "print it". This paper/session will discuss the past, present, and future of 3D printing technology, concentrating on what can be done today with an actual demo of 3D printing in action. The general software language used to program 3D printers, CNC machines, for Computer Numerical Control, is g-code. One can do 3D printing, however, using available software packages, many Open Source. Software, hardware, and accessories necessary to get started will be covered. [For full proceedings, see ED571297. This paper was presented in the 2014 proceedings.]
Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE). 1513 Magnolia Drive, Surfside Beach, SC 29575. Tel: 606-218-5308; Fax: 606-218-5184; e-mail: president@ascue.org; Web site: http://www.ascue.org
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A