This summer, the Huntsman Library acquired a MakerBot Replicator desktop 3D Printer, and we’ve really been enjoying playing with it.
If you’ve never seen one in action, a 3D printer will reproduce a 3D model using a
special filament. It does this by dividing the object into layers 0.1 mm thick, then
slowly “printing” each layer by melting the filament in exactly the right place. The
possibilities opened up by this technology are amazing.
There has been a fantastic response by both faculty and students who have had a chance to experiment with it. If you are interested in trying it there are two easy ways to get started:
Here are some objects we’ve been able to create with the printer. Hopefully they demonstrate
some of the fun and educational possibilities available with this technology. If you’d
like to print something, just save your file to a USB drive. If you’re in Ephraim,
simply bring it over to the library and we’ll get you started. If you’re in Richfield,
Carol Kunzler can get the file to Ephraim, and we can have the object sent back by
courier the next day. If you have any questions, just ask. We’re here to help you
and your students succeed.