3D Printing for Dummies, 2nd Edition

Title Page......Page 2
Copyright Page......Page 3
Table of Contents......Page 6
Introduction......Page 14
Foolish Assumptions......Page 15
Icons Used in This Book......Page 16
Where to Go from Here......Page 17
Part 1 Getting Started with 3D Printing......Page 18
Chapter 1 Seeing How 3D Printers Fit into Modern Manufacturing......Page 20
Embracing Additive Manufacturing......Page 21
Defining additive manufacturing......Page 22
Contrasting with traditional manufacturing......Page 23
Understanding the advantages of additive manufacturing......Page 26
Exploring the Applications of 3D Printing......Page 30
Working with RepRap......Page 31
Exploring Basic Forms of Additive Manufacturing......Page 32
Photopolymers......Page 33
Granular powders......Page 37
Laminates......Page 40
Filament-based production......Page 41
Considering fabrication rates......Page 42
Identifying object design constraints......Page 43
Understanding material restrictions......Page 44
Chapter 3 Exploring Applications of 3D Printing......Page 46
Rapid prototyping......Page 47
Direct digital fabrication......Page 48
Restoration and repair......Page 49
Household goods......Page 52
Buildings......Page 53
Lost-material casting......Page 56
Medical implants......Page 57
Clothing and textiles......Page 59
Military operations......Page 61
Space......Page 62
Part  2 Outlining 3D-Printing Resources......Page 64
Chapter 4 Identifying Available Materials for 3D Printing......Page 66
Exploring Extruded Materials......Page 67
Thermoplastics......Page 68
Extruded alternatives......Page 72
Sugar and salt......Page 74
Metal powders......Page 75
Sand and natural granular materials......Page 76
Exploring Photo-Cured Resins......Page 77
Understanding Bioprinting......Page 78
Bioprinting food and animal products......Page 79
Identifying Other Uses for Materials......Page 80
Producing food......Page 81
Caring for people......Page 82
Chapter 5 Identifying Sources for 3D-Printable Objects......Page 84
Vendor repositories......Page 85
Community repositories......Page 87
Designing in the Computer......Page 88
Scanning Objects......Page 91
Capturing Structure from Photographs......Page 95
Preparing Models for Printing......Page 98
Mesh repairers......Page 99
Part 3 Exploring the Business Side of 3D Printing......Page 100
Democratizing Manufacturing......Page 102
Curated artifacts......Page 103
Expanded opportunities......Page 104
Creating a unique design......Page 107
Fabricating a unique product on demand......Page 109
Creating “Impossible” Objects......Page 111
Moving beyond solid blocks......Page 112
Creating the tool that will create the tool......Page 113
Transforming Production......Page 116
Displacing the production line......Page 117
Abbreviating the manufacturing chain......Page 118
Providing local fabrication......Page 119
Challenging Intellectual Property Laws......Page 120
Threatening IP protections......Page 121
Leveraging Expired Patents......Page 123
Working around patents......Page 124
Protecting intellectual property rights......Page 125
Imposing Ethical Controls......Page 126
Building Fundamental Technologies......Page 128
Crafting educational tools......Page 129
Expanding 3D-printing options......Page 131
Creating Functional Designs......Page 132
Drones, robots, and military applications......Page 133
Von Neumann machines......Page 134
Expanding Material Selection......Page 135
Supporting Long Space Voyages......Page 136
Creating Medical Opportunities......Page 138
Part  4 Employing Personal 3D-Printing Devices......Page 140
Adorning the Body......Page 142
Personalizing Your Environment......Page 144
Incorporating Individualism in Design......Page 145
Visualizing the Abstract......Page 147
Sharing Art......Page 149
Chapter 10 Considering Consumer-Level 3D Printers......Page 152
Examining Cartesian 3D Printers......Page 153
Exploring Delta Options......Page 156
Understanding Polar Fabrication......Page 159
Getting to Know SCARA and Robot Arm Motion......Page 160
Building Emerging Alternatives......Page 161
Open innovation and community designs......Page 164
Understanding Shore ratings......Page 165
Printing with soft filaments......Page 166
Sampling 3D Food Printers......Page 167
Prusa i3 MK2......Page 172
Sigma......Page 173
LulzBot Taz 6......Page 174
Ultimaker 3......Page 175
MakerBot......Page 176
Chapter 11 Deciding on a RepRap of Your Own......Page 178
Do you want a RepRap or another 3D printer?......Page 179
Do you buy a ready-built 3D printer or use a kit?......Page 180
Licensing and Attribution......Page 181
RepRap designs......Page 184
Home 3D printer kits and self-sourcing......Page 189
Experimental designs......Page 192
Thermoplastic......Page 194
PLA/PHA plastic......Page 196
PET......Page 198
Composite or filled materials......Page 199
Paste......Page 200
Extruder......Page 202
Build plate......Page 206
Control electronics......Page 207
Slic3r......Page 208
Simplify3D......Page 210
Part 5 Creating a RepRap 3D Printer......Page 214
Locating Materials......Page 216
Kits......Page 217
Self-sourcing......Page 219
Online marketplaces......Page 220
Obtaining Printed Parts for Machine Assembly......Page 221
Understanding the Machine Motion......Page 222
Z-axis motion......Page 223
X and Y motion......Page 225
Building the Frame Structure......Page 227
Assembling the Prusa i3 Y-Axis Frame......Page 232
Assembling the Moving Axis......Page 233
Assembling the Prusa i3 moving Y axis......Page 236
Assembling the Prusa i3 moving Z and X axes......Page 237
Joining the Z, X, and Y axes......Page 240
Sensing the Home Position......Page 241
Understanding RepRap Electronics......Page 244
RAMBo......Page 245
Minitronics......Page 247
Elefu-RA V3......Page 248
Megatronics......Page 249
Preparing for electronics assembly......Page 251
Fitting the positional sensors to the frame......Page 252
Fitting the heated bed to the Y carriage......Page 254
Preparing and fitting the main electronics......Page 255
Preparing and connecting the power supply......Page 256
Connecting the motor and position-sensing wiring......Page 257
Installing stepper-motor driver modules......Page 259
Selecting position-sensing modules......Page 262
Identifying power-supply requirements......Page 263
Installing add-ons......Page 266
Connecting RepRap Wiring......Page 268
Configuring Firmware......Page 269
Configuring Prusa i3 firmware......Page 271
Uploading Marlin firmware to RAMPS electronics......Page 276
Thermoplastic Extrusion......Page 278
Filament drive mechanism......Page 279
Idler wheel......Page 283
Assembling the extruder idler pressure bearing......Page 286
Fitting the assembled extruder to the X carriage......Page 287
Wiring the extruder to RAMPS......Page 288
Multicolor Print Methods......Page 292
Three-way color mixing......Page 293
Two-color printing......Page 294
Layer-selective color printing......Page 295
Cut-and-follow-on printing......Page 296
Extruder Operation and Upgrades......Page 299
Fixing a blocked hot-end or extruder......Page 301
Acquiring an assortment of extruders......Page 302
Cooling extruders with fans......Page 304
Finding 3D Design Software and Models......Page 308
Using design software......Page 314
Verifying models with Netfabb......Page 316
Configuring Slic3r......Page 318
Processing models with Slic3r......Page 321
Calibrating Your 3D Printer......Page 328
Leveling your print bed......Page 329
Calibrating extruder distance......Page 331
Printing Objects......Page 335
Printing vases, pots, and cups......Page 339
Printing tiny or highly detailed objects......Page 341
Printing many objects at the same time......Page 342
Improving print quality......Page 343
Being Productive with 3D Printing......Page 344
Refining Your Print Preparations......Page 346
Examining a Design Example......Page 349
Designing Parts for 3D Printing......Page 353
Material......Page 354
Orientation......Page 355
Infill level......Page 357
Manual finishing......Page 359
Assisted finishing......Page 360
Coatings......Page 361
Printing Big: Bonding and Joining Parts......Page 362
Recycling......Page 364
Duet......Page 367
Part 6 The Part of Tens......Page 368
Producing 3D-Printed Food......Page 370
Fashioning Biological Replicas......Page 371
Crafting Clothing and Footwear......Page 372
Making Hollywood Spectacular......Page 373
Reaching beyond the Sky......Page 374
Constructing Robots......Page 375
Printing 3D Printers......Page 376
Personalized Objects......Page 378
Dental Repair......Page 380
Printed Drones and Aircraft Parts......Page 381
Custom Objects Created in Space......Page 382
Locally Fabricated Items......Page 383
Body Parts......Page 384
Index......Page 386
EULA......Page 0