# Digital Method of the Month ## Schedule: 12:00-12:10 Welcome and housekeeping 12.10-12.25 Introduction to attendees and their work 12:25-12:50 Discussion of GitHub document 12.50-13:00 Discuss further reading or where to turn next ## Intro 3D printing has been around for a long time but in the last 10-15 years it has become much more affordable and accessible. Be careful not to get caught up in the hype surrounding 3D printing unless you're just interested in it for fun. For those who work with or produce material objects, 3D printing may have obvious applications, but it's worth thinking about whether it's practical for you even if you don't deal directly with material objects. E.g. you might 3D print data visualisations for research dissemination. ## Brief Glossary of Jargon/Acronyms AM—additive manufacture, synonymous with 3D printing CAD—Computer Aided Design CFF—Continuous Filament Fabrication CLDP—Continuous Direct Light Processing CLIP—Continuous Liquid Interface Production CNC—Computer Numeric Control, synonymous with SM—Subtractive Manufacturing DLP—Direct Light Processing DMD—Digital Micromirror Device **DMLS—Direct Metal Laser Sintering** DOD—Drop on Demand EBM—Electron Beam Melting **FFF aka FDM—Fused Filament Fabrication/Fused Deposition Modelling** MJF—Multi Jet Fusion NPJ—Nano Particle Jetting **SLA—Stereolithography** SLM—Selective Laser Melting **SLS—Selective Laser Sintering** ## Overview There are so many acronyms, so never be apprehensive in asking someone to explain their acronyms if you don't know what they mean. Ultimately 3D printing is an umbrella term for a variety of different technologies. Below is a table breaking down some of the main processes. | 3D Printing | | |---|---| | Material Extrusion | FFF | |Vat Polymerization | SLA, DPL | | Powder Bed Fusion | Plastic: SLS | | | Metals: DMLS, SLM, EBM | | Material Jetting | Material Jetting DOD | | Binder Jetting | | ## Accessing 3D Printing - The UoE has a good number of 3D printers around the campus, many of which can be made available to students, a detailed list for these resources is in the works. - Explore utilising third party 3D printing organisations such as _3D Hubs_, _Shapeways_ and _Sculpteo._ - The best way to learn a few basics is to attempt to design and make a simple problem-solving object (use the free printers available at the UoE). ## Timing The time it takes to learn to use 3D printing for your purposes really depends on what you're trying to do. There are simple 3D printers at the university (e.g. makerbots) which are very straightforward to use. You could be up and running within a day or so of learning and experimenting. Then again, for many these printers simply aren't good enough for their projects, and it might be necessary to use more complex machines. Understanding and working with 3D printers and design can be a full-time job, so if you're a researcher it is worth thinking when it is more realistic to work with expert technicians to handle the complex machinery so you can focus on the data. The most time-consuming element can be learning to use 3D modelling software, rather than learning how the limitations of various 3D printing processes might impact how you work with 3D data, or construct your designs. ## Things to watch out for - Don't get distracted from your objectives as there are so many red herrings. To use 3D printing you don't need to be an expert in operating the equipment (although knowledge of the equipment can save design mistakes). - 3D printing might not be the best process for you, consider other processes like CNC. - Make sure you export your .stl files at the right resolution ([see this tutorial](https://www.hubs.com/knowledge-base/3d-printing-stl-files-step-step-guide/)). ## 3D data files ### Software Free software: [_AutoDesk_ Suite](https://www.autodesk.com/education/edu-software) e.g. AutoCAD/Inventor (free for staff and students), [_TinkerCAD_](https://www.tinkercad.com/) (by Autodesk is free to all), [_FreeCAD_](https://www.freecadweb.org/), [_Sketchup_](https://www.sketchup.com/)_,_[_Blender_](https://www.blender.org/)_,_ [_Onshape_](https://www.onshape.com/en/education/#form-container)(Cloud based software free for staff and students). Paid software: [_Rhino_](https://www.rhino3d.com/)(student discounted licenses available), [_Solidworks_](https://www.solidworks.com/)_,_ [_ZBrush_](http://pixologic.com/)_,_ Others are available. ### Exporting data All software will let you export your 3D model as a .stl file, usable for CNC and 3D printing. ### 3D Scanning You can use data from laser scanning or CT scanning for 3D printing though the data will need subsequent processing before it's usable. ## Resources - Redwood, Ben, Filemon Schöffer, and Brian Garret. _The 3D Printing Handbook_. Amsterdam: 3D Hubs B.V., 2017. **Highly recommended.** - Forthcoming training on 3D printing: [https://www.cdcs.ed.ac.uk/events/designing-and-handling-3d-data-3d-printing](https://www.cdcs.ed.ac.uk/events/designing-and-handling-3d-data-3d-printing) - [https://www.hubs.com/3d-printing/](https://www.hubs.com/3d-printing/) - [https://www.shapeways.com/](https://www.shapeways.com/) - [https://www.sculpteo.com/](https://www.sculpteo.com/) - Get in touch with the University's uCreate studio to get started with 3D printing: [http://www.ucreatestudio.is.ed.ac.uk/](http://www.ucreatestudio.is.ed.ac.uk/) - It may also be of interest to learn about 3D scanning: [https://github.com/DCS-training/Digital-Method-of-the-Month/blob/main/DMM%20Docs/3DScanning.md](https://github.com/DCS-training/Digital-Method-of-the-Month/blob/main/DMM%20Docs/3DScanning.md)