Materials for a talk about 3d printing in higher education. Given to Lawrence University, for an ACM workshop.

1. From liberal education to the replicator
Lawrence University - 2016

2. 1. Technology
overview
2. Uses in
education
3. Strategies
a/k/a an
overview
and the big
picture

3. Ground rules for today
• Please ask questions. We forbid
embarrassment.
• We are assuming a baseline
awareness of being new to 3d
printing.
• Please contribute thoughts. This
is a rapidly developing field!

4. Science fiction entering reality
4http://www.siliconliving.com/surgeon-replaced-vertebra-3d-model-saved-life-patient-cancer/

5. Science fiction entering reality
5https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601330/robot-spiders-weave-products-from-plastic-in-a-new-spin-on-3-d-printing/

6. Science fiction entering reality
6
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/news/releases/2015/piece-by-piece-nasa-team-moves-closer-to-building-a-3-d-printed-rocket-engine.html

7. Science fiction entering reality
7
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-charlie-kaufman-anomalisa-telluride-20150904-story.html

8. Science fiction entering reality
8
http://qz.com/600405/kids-are-designing-their-own-3d-printed-superhero-cyborg-prosthetic-arms/

9. I. THE TECHNOLOGY
Wikipedia definition:
3D printing, a popular term for what is
now known as additive manufacturing
(AM), refers to various processes used
to synthesize a three-dimensional
object. In additive manufacturing
processing, successive layers of
material are formed under computer
control to create the object…

10. I. THE TECHNOLOGY
Wikipedia definition, continued:
…These objects can be of almost any
shape or geometry and are produced
from digital model data 3D model or
other electronic data source such as an
Additive Manufacturing File (AMF) file.

11. I. THE TECHNOLOGY
Industry definition:
3D printing or additive
manufacturing is a process of
making three dimensional
solid objects from a digital
file. The creation of a 3D
printed object is achieved
using additive processes…

12. I. THE TECHNOLOGY
Industry definition, continued:
…In an additive process an
object is created by laying
down successive layers of
material until the entire
object is created.
http://3dprinting.com/what-is-3d-printing/

13. I. THE TECHNOLOGY
Several types:
•Additive (layers) (also material
jetting)
• ex: fused deposition modeling
(FDM)
•Powder bed fusion (“An additive
manufacturing process in which
thermal energy selectively fuses
regions of a powder bed”)

14. I. THE TECHNOLOGY
Several types:
•Binder jetting (“An additive
manufacturing process in which a
liquid bonding agent is selectively
deposited to join powder materials.”)
•Sheet lamination (“An additive
manufacturing process in which sheets
of material are bonded to form an
object”)
Quotes from the ASTM International Committee F42 on Additive Manufacturing
Technologies

15. I. THE TECHNOLOGY
Several types:
• Subtractive (block)
• Selective laser sintering and melting
• Stereolithography
• Material extrusion http://the3doodler.com/
• Continuous liquid interface production (
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/a1
/)

16. Parts
The printing materials:
Plastic
• Ex: ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene)
• Ex: PLA (polylactic acid)

17. Parts
More printing materials:
• Filaments
• Metals and alloys
• Powders
• Concrete
• Photopolymer resin
(stereolithography)

18. Parts
Even more printing materials:
• Paper based, Mcor IRIS, http
://mcortechnologies.com/school-art-institute-chicago-di
/
• Cloth (Disney:
http://thenextdigit.com/20306/disney-develops-printer-
/) (High fashion: http://
www.popsci.com/sxsw-2015-3d-printed-fashion-activated
)
• Food (Sugar: http://the-sugar-lab.com/ChefJet)
(Cornell: http://
creativemachines.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/SFF09_
)

19. Parts
Software
• Controller or client program
• 3D authoring and editing (CAD, Sketchup,
Maya)
• Pre-existing files (Shapeways, Sketchup 3D
Warehouse, Thingiverse,
http://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/)
• STL files (STereoLithography)(.stl)
• G-code to translate file into printing (
http://slic3r.org/)

20. Parts
Scanner
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/535596/high-resolution-3-d-scans-built-from-d
/

21. Printer examples
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tbuser/4856161776/

22. Printer examples
Afinia
-filament based

23. Printer examples
Mcor IRIS, Paper
based,
http://mcortechnologies.com/school-art-in

24. Printer examples
RepRap
• Open
source
hardware
• Can serve
as a
recycler
• (
http://reprap.org
/)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/watsdesign/17280506475/

25. A growing technology
• Replacement body parts, “bioprinting”
(Yale: http://
news.yale.edu/2014/12/03/yale-joins-leader-
)
• Food (ex: Choc Edge, CocoJet)
• LEDs (Princeton:
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/532
/)

26. A growing technology
• Aircraft parts (http://
www.bbc.com/news/technology-
)
• Building components
• Entire buildings

27. A growing technology
4d
printing?
http://www.popsci.com/4-d-printed-flowers

28. A growing technology
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/15628687807/

29. A growing technology
Challenges and issues:
• Intellectual property
• Economic impact (slow down trade?)
• Ecological impact
• Backlash (ex: guns)
• New era of individual customization +
creativity

30. II. 3d in higher education
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/7729488378/

31. Reasons to do 3d
visualization
• teaching
• also research
and creative
work
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:3D_printed_Spinosaurus_skull

32. Reasons to do 3d
making stuff
• Prototyping
• Design thinking
• Sheer creativity
• example: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2MSXho_Kl
• Save $$ in object purchasing and
replacement
• Project-based learning

33. Which academic fields?
• Classical studies and archaeology
• Creative arts (i.e., fashion, studio
art, theater)
• Engineering
• Robotics

34. Which academic fields?
History

35. Which academic fields?
http://digital.vpr.net/post/students-recreate-historic-buildings-3d-printers

37. Which academic fields?
• Math
• Geography and geology
• Life sciences, allied health
fields
• Media studies ("critical making")
• Business (study impact; new
opportunities)

38. Which academic fields?
Snapshot of a LAC:
“At Hendrix, we were using it to model
Theatre sets, in Art for Design, and had even
made some inroads into the Anthropology
department, scanning and printing stone
tools (a couple of years back, a student
broke a 10,000 year old original stone tool,
so there is some real “value” to handling
replicas rather than the real thing in class).”
https://bryanalexander.org/2015/06/11/3d-printing-and-education-a-workshop-repo

39. Strategic questions
What is the liberal arts approach to
3d printing?
• Learner-driven
• Interdisciplinary
• Undergraduate research

40. Strategic questions
• Which disciplines show interest?
• Is interest aimed at research or
teaching?
• Will you partner with off-campus
interest and/or support?
• How to structure professional
development?

41. Campus sites
• Library
• Makerspace (Abilene Christian
University,
http://go.nmc.org/rema)
• 3d lab

42. Campus sites
• Fine arts program
• Paracurricular centers (ex:
stats lab)
• Shop
• Professor’s office

43. Campus sites
• Departmental office
• IT department
• Multiple sites (Northeastern:
https://
soundcloud.com/educause/cni-podc
)

44. Operational questions
• Who owns the printing
ecosystem?
• Do you charge users?
(intra-preneurial
possibility)

45. Ongoing problems
• Dealing with fumes
• “ “ products
• Frustrating 3d modeling
process
• “ printing “ (time, support)
• Possible hype cycle

46. Suggestions for starting
• Outsource printing
first
• Print playful objects
• Have objects to show
• Student workers

47. Suggestions for starting
Expectation management
http://memory-

48. Case study: Brandeis
• Maker
space
• Library
• Student
and/or
faculty
projects
48

49. Case study: Brandeis
Best practices
•having at least one full-time person
•carefully managing project intake and
scheduling
•assuring room access/safety
•using outside entities (peer campuses,
trade shows, vendors, a local makerspace)
to win community interest
49

50. Case study: Brandeis
More best practices
•identifying mission-oriented projects (for
Brandeis that includes social justice) (
http://enablingthefuture.org/)
•getting 3d printed artifacts (cup-holders,
signs, replacement parts, nameplates,
etc) in campus spaces
•combining 3d printing and drones
•making sure to maintain a sense of fun
50

51. Case study: Yale Architecture
• Get students to shift from
representation to design
• Increase speed and iterations of
rapid prototyping
• More + lower-quality machines
51

52. Case study: Yale Architecture
• Makerbot farm
52

53. Case study: Yale Architecture
Lessons learned include:
• setting up online printer job management so
students and faculty can track progress (
https://github.com/wildbillcat/RepRancher);
• charging students by the weight of their final
product;
• having students process G-code;
• setting up an open printing and hardware
ecosystem alongside a closed one;
• teaching first-year students to think through
media including multiple forms of 3d printing
53

54. Acknowledgements
• Fred Hagemeister, University of
Richmond
• Debby Kurti, Table Top Inventing
• James P Mclean, George Mason
University
• Jane Livingston, Yale University
• Ian Roy, Brandeis College

55. http://bryanalexander.org
bryan.alexander@gmail.com
http://twitter.com/bryanalexander