3D Printing for Scientists and Engineers

3D printing is an often-misunderstood subject; the main reason being the large pay and skill floors that are thought to exist between the average person and a 3D printer. 3D printing Is thought to be a semi-exclusive resource accessible only to specialists in businesses and large educational institutions, however in actuality 3D printing is very easy and beneficial to get in to. 3D printers can be used in several applications including prototyping, custom parts for an experimental apparatus, and demonstration aids. For example, we used our printer to prototype a low-cost, functional, 3D printed prosthetic hand. For all of these applications 3D printers provide a low-cost solution with rapid turnaround time. This presentation will give a brief overview of the fundamentals of 3D printing and how anyone can take an inexpensive 3D printer and modify it to produce professional quality prints. The goal of this presentation is to give an understanding of the intricacies of 3D printing and dispel concerns about elements of 3D printing such as how it works, price points, filament types and uses, and applications, as well as discuss how to turn an idea into a tangible 3D model from scratch.