Digital Skills : 3D Printing

3D Printing: Module 5 of 9

3D Printing is a form of additive technology manufacturing. An object is built-up layer-by-layer rather than being carved or sculpted out of a larger block of material. A common analogy is to refer to a 3D printer as a robotic glue-gun: the 3D printer squeezes out or "extrudes" melted plastic through a heated tip, while the head moves back and forth to print out the design. As the platform that the model sits on lowers, the model builds up, layer-by-layer.

Tips

Bring the correct file format.Make sure to bring your print job as one of the common 3D Printing file formats: stl or .obj.
Know which material you’re printing with.Most common personal 3D printers use PLA as the filament material, keep this in mind when designing as this may affect functionality of an object.
Find a design online, or create your own.You can print designs from online repositories, such as Thingiverse opens in a new window, or create your own in 3D modeling software, such as Tinkercad opens in a new window, or by using 3D scans.
Slice your design AFTER you’ve measured your filament.You can use the printer’s software to slice your design but you will need the exact measurements of the filament first.
Make modifications to reduce print time.3D printing can take a long time. You can decrease the size of the object and/or reduce the print quality to shorten the time required to print the object.
Persevere.Perfect results are not guaranteed. The more you 3D print, the more you will achieve better results. Allow for testing before a final print is due.