3D Printing & Education

2015 NYLA Annual Conference Lake Placid, NY

Dana Haugh, Queens Public LibraryMeredith Powers, Brooklyn Public Library

Laura Costello, Stony Brook University

bit.ly/NYLA3DPrinting

3D Printing: Why the Library?➔ Experience new technologies

➔ Get help using them

The Wide Worldof 3D Printers

Fused deposition modeling

Stereolithography

Selective laser sintering

Types of Printing MaterialsPlastics, Composites, Metals, Wood

PLA - Polylactic Acid

Low melting point

Rigid, brittle

Not best for interlocking or pin-connected pieces

Low melting point

Created from plant products like corn, potatoes, or sugar-beets

Earth-friendly - can be composted at commercial compost facilities

Does not have the classic “plastic” smell

Pros Cons

ABS - Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene

Incredibly strong

Mildly flexible - will bend under pressure

Durable

High temperature resistance

Parts can be fused together with acetone

Strong ‘melting plastic’ smell

Must be printed on a heated bed to avoid shrinking/lifting

Pros Cons

Laywood - Recycled Wood Filament

Combined with polymer binders to create ‘meltable’ wood

Smells like wood

Feel like wood

Doesn’t shrink, warp, or require a heated bed

Expensive (4x the price of PLA/ABS filaments)

Needs special tool head

Pros Cons

Stainless Steel PLA (great for jewelry, figurines, props)

Conductive PLA (used for low-voltage applications like switches and internal wiring)

Magnetic Iron PLA (sculptures, busts, architectural details)

3DCeram (ceramic printing)

Food! (notably, chocolate)

Other filament options...

3D Printer Models

MakerBots

The ReplicatorMost common desktop 3D

printer. Connects to WiFi or USB/Ethernet

Uses PLA Filament$2,899

The MiniCompact 3D printer. Best

for small projects.Uses PLA Filament

$1,375

The Replicator Z18Best for large,

professional projects.Uses PLA filament

$6,499

Lulzbot TAZ 5

Easy to use design with large print plate

Supports PLA, ABS, HIPs, PVA, and Wood filaments

Equipped with a heated glass surface

$2,283

Ultimaker 2

Fast printing speeds

Great for any skill level

Supports PLA, ABS, and U-PET filaments

Equipped with a heated bed

$2,499

Getting Started with Software

3D printing is easy,but 3D modeling is hard.

Slicing & Printing Host Software

➔ Platform dependent software◆ MakerWare◆ UP

➔ Cross platform tools◆ Ultimaker Cura◆ Craftware◆ ReplicatorG

3D Modeling Software

➔ CAD tools➔ Freeform modeling

tools

➔ Sculpting tools

CAD software

➔ 123D Design

➔ SketchUp

➔ Tinkercad

Freeform modeling tools

➔ 123D Creature

➔ Blender

Sculpting tools

➔ 123D Sculpt

➔ Leopoly

➔ Sculptris

➔ SculptGL

Public Library Use Cases

Richmond Public Library- Columbia, South Carolina

2 MakerBot Replicators located in the library’s “maker space” area

Popular with teen patrons

Host programs and 3D design workshops that teach patrons to use 3D design software like Tinkercad.

Challenges mainly reside with the technology (finicky printer, maintenance, time consuming, printing errors)

Detroit Public Library - Detroit, Michigan

“…[Libraries have a responsibility to introduce new technologies to patrons]…”

Workshops and programs on 3D printing and design

Primarily targets teen population

Challenges include finding a designated area for a “maker space” within the library, finding those knowledgeable enough to teach the design software, funding

Academic Library Use Cases

➔ Makerspaces

◆ University of Alabama

◆ North Carolina State University

➔ Mediated service

◆ University of Nevada, Reno

◆ Michigan State University

➔ Scanning-enabled

◆ Pennsylvania State University Libraries

◆ University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill

School Library Use Cases➔ Developing collections of

manipulatives

◆ hands-on models

◆ dissection kits

➔ Teaching students to create their own

◆ design & build from scratch

◆ augmented reality images: Kevin Vance; NIH 3D Print Exchange; Adam Gardner

Other Library Use Cases➔ Art Institute of Chicago

➔ Metropolitan Museum of Art

➔ Cooper Hewitt Design Museum

➔ Smithsonian X 3D

Thanks!Laura Costello

Stony Brook University LibrariesDana Haugh

Queens Public LibraryMeredith Powers

Brooklyn Public Library

What are some of your library’s stories and

experiences?