[OPLIN 4cast] OPLIN 4Cast #294: 3D Printing

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OPLIN 4Cast

OPLIN 4Cast #294: 3D Printing
August 8th, 2012

Why would your library have any interest in 3D printing? You probably 
have enough trouble with your 2D printers, right? Well, a small handful 
of libraries have decided to foster the creative tendencies of their 
patrons and supply 3D printers for public use, perhaps as part of a 
library Fab Lab <http://www.fflib.org/about-us/services/fablab> or as a 
result of hosting a Maker Faire 
<http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/07/ux/westport-library-unveils-new-maker-space/>. 
Libraries that want to offer their users an opportunity to experience 
and learn about new technology might include 3D printers, as Cleveland 
Public Library has in their new TechCentral 
<http://www.cpl.org/TheLibrary/SubjectsCollections/TechCentral.aspx>. 
And as you can see from the stories below, the possible uses of 3D 
printing seem to be limited only by the user's (patron's?) imagination.

  * Using 3-D printing to recreate the calls of a Wooly Mammoth
    <http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670299/using-3-d-printing-to-recreate-the-calls-of-a-wooly-mammoth>
    (Co.Design/Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan) "Since graduating,
    [Marguerite] Humeau has focused on the speech boxes of three other
    long-extinct mammals - no small feat, given that a smattering of
    bones is all that remains of these creatures. In May, the
    25-year-old unveiled the fruits of her research: three massive
    3-D-printed models of prehistoric vocal tracts, installed in
    Saint-Étienne's Cité du Design <http://www.citedudesign.com/>."
  * Rapid prototyping used to create bespoke helmets for Team GB
    <http://www.eurekamagazine.co.uk/article/42767/Rapid-prototyping-used-to-create-bespoke-helmets-for-Team-GB.aspx>
    (Eureka/Laura Hopperton) "To create them, Crux began by utilising
    new CAD methods and taking 3D laser scans of each individual athlete
    to ensure the best fit. Additive manufacturing methods were then
    used to turn the 3D models into rapid prototypes over night.
    According to the company, the prototypes were physically used as
    part of the helmet fitting process; giving the athletes confidence
    that their helmet fit would be flawless."
  * Now you can get a 3D replica of your fetus
    <http://en.rocketnews24.com/2012/07/30/now-you-can-get-a-3d-replica-of-your-fetus-because-thats-not-creepy-at-all/>
    (RocketNews24/Steven Simonitch) "The fetus is first photographed
    using MRI and the resulting image data processed using special 3D
    software. A 3D printer is then used to construct the model, using
    clear resin for the mother's body and white resin for the fetus. The
    position, posture and appearance of the baby appear exactly as it
    does in the mother's uterus."
  * Adding a '3D print' button to animation software
    <http://www.seas.harvard.edu/news-events/press-releases/adding-a-3d-print-button-to-animation-software>
    (Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences/Caroline Perry)
    "'Perhaps in the future someone will invent a 3D printer that prints
    the body and the electronics in one piece,' [Moritz] Bächer muses.
    'Then you could create the complete animated character at the push
    of a button and have it run around on your desk.' Harvard's Office
    of Technology Development <http://www.otd.harvard.edu/> has filed a
    patent application and is working with the Pfister Lab to
    commercialize the new technology by licensing it to an existing
    company or by forming a start-up."

*/Industry fact:/*

If you're wondering if 3D printing might be just a passing fad, you 
should know that the 3D printing business is projected 
<http://on3dprinting.com/2012/08/06/infographic-how-3d-printing-works-industry-growth-stocks-and-more/> 
to grow 300% in the next eight years.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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