Tag Archives: 3D printer

Craig Billings wants to put a 3-D printer in every Louisiana school, library and museum

Felix 3D Printer - Printing Set-up With Examples
From Businessreport.com:

“When Craig Billings first heard about 3-D printers back in 2012, his first instinct was to buy one. As Business Report details in its new Entrepreneur feature, Billings, an engineer specializing in 3-D modeling, figured the machine would be a good professional investment, but a friend and colleague in a neighboring cubicle had another idea,

“Let’s build one,” said Robb Perkins, arguing it would be much cheaper to buy the parts and use their technical skills to make their own 3-D printer. They spent nights and weekends in Perkins’s garage and Billings’s kitchen building and testing.

Two years later—and for twice the amount they originally planned to spend—The Copperhead 3-D printer was born. By then, the idea that hatched in their cubicles had grown into a full-blown business venture.

“We were just designing a machine for us to use, but during the process—and certainly once we were finished—we realized we were onto something special,” Billings says. “No one else is doing this in Louisiana.”

Initially, Billings and Perkins hoped to manufacture and sell their printers to local businesses. But when Robb’s wife, Bree, saw the machine she immediately realized its potential in the education industry.

They formed Acadian Robotics in 2013, and by the following year they were working with schools and districts to provide teacher development and student preparation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, building lessons around The Copperhead.

“We made it as a kit so that we can easily repair the parts, but then we realized that the kit aspect was perfect for schools because students can assemble it, teaching them different aspects of engineering and electronics,” Billings says. “It’s STEM in a box.” ”

(read the rest of this article!)

Library Service in 3D: Let's Give A Kid A Hand!

You have probably seen the stories around the news: excited kid gets a 3D printed hand at the local library. In case you have not – or just want to see a great story about about public library service, check out this video from ABC News.

A few more details and photos from this success story are available here.

This is just another example of the state of library service: we are all using technology more often to connect our services to our patron’s needs. It may not look like a library from 50 years ago, or even 10 years ago, but we serve the needs of our patrons with all the tools at our disposal. And sometimes the results are fantastic!

Is someone in your library interested in learning more about 3D printed limbs?

Star_Wars_Bionic_hand
Cool kid with a Star Wars arm!
  • Disney is working with the organization Open Bionics to print Disney-themed arms! “Now kids can get excited about their prosthetics. They won’t have to do boring physical therapy, they’ll train to become heroes. They’re not just getting medical devices, they’re getting bionic hands inspired by their favorite characters.”
  • The organization e-NABLE is working to bring 3D printed hands and arms for people all around the world. Their site is filled with reference material, information, and stories to share. “The e-NABLE Community is made up of  teachers, students, engineers, scientists, medical professionals, tinkerers, designers, parents, children, scout troops, artists, philanthropists, dreamers, coders, makers and every day people who just want to make a difference and help to ‘Give The World A Helping Hand.'”

What other kinds of great things could your library do with a 3D printer? The possibilities are amazing! There are many websites filled with information about using your printer, and designs to follow. Thingiverse is one of the most popular, with all kinds of people sharing designs and learning from each other. “The Thingiverse community has uploaded over 606,640 3D models, and that number is growing every day. Check out all the incredible objects people have created, and get inspired to make your own!”

  • Maybe your cat needs armor? It’s here!
  • If the cat gets armor, your guinea pig needs some too, just to be fair.
  • frog dissection kit? Comes with lesson plans!
  • You probably need a Pokeball with a button-release lid, when you can use a break from your Pokemon Go app.
  • A very cool T-Rex skull would brighten up any library!
  • Maybe a wall mounted hairdryer holder could help your morning routine, and keep your time management skills sharp?
  • Did you lose the buttons to your Toyota Yaris key fob? No worries – just print new ones!

We want to hear from our libraries about your use of 3D printers! Great successes? Share them! The time you printed a 3D pile of sludge – that was supposed to be a Legend of Zelda shield  key chain?  We want to hear that too!

Are you considering 3D printers for your library? This would be a great topic for us to discuss in a group, so we can share experiences and make plans for the future. Email us if you are interested in some training sessions, or group discussions!

Libraries are all about service; this is one tool we might use to provide outstanding service to our communities!

3D Printing Education Modules for Middle Schools and High Schools

stratasys_logoDo you work in a setting where teachers are asking how to integrate 3D printers into their curriculum in a meaningful way?  We have seen plenty of demo widgets created with these printers, but a recent article from Business Wire tells the story of how Big Lake Middle School and John Paul II Catholic Secondary School have made international news with implementation in their classrooms.

Stratasys is a 3D printing and manufacturing solutions company that has created project-based learning and teaching modules for middle school and high school classrooms. They will be releasing seven new modules by the end of the school year.

“These modules are a great guide for instructors, helping them to integrate 3D printing into their teaching strategy, and they’re also vital to the students, helping empower them to revolutionize their understanding of the design and making process and maximize their potential at such an early stage,” according to Michael Santolupo from John Paul II Catholic Secondary School.

Click here to read more and get a link to 3D printer education modules too!

Stratasys' Logo courtesy of: www.stratasys.com

 

Having students build their own 3D printer

uZYSV4nuQeyq64azfVIn_15130980706_64134efc6e_o3D printers for libraries are on many wish lists, but could you build your own? That was the idea behind a series of weeklong workshops recently held in Pennsylvania. Joe Cilli, who runs the online school’s STEM program, turned the tables and had the students build their own 3D printer. “Each of the 24 participating students purchased entry-level 3-D printer kits for a discounted price of $200, which they assembled and were then able to keep.” The program utilized the Printrbot Play, an all-metal-body 3-D printer. Building their own tools has students using a makerspace to create a makerspace!

“The program exposes students to hands-on STEM opportunities where they meet peers from around the state with an interest in science and engineering,” Joe Cilli

Check out the whole article to learn even more!

New 3D Printer at CSB/SJU Benefits a Range of Departments

Makerbot Industries - Replicator 2 - 3D-printer 09CSB/SJU’s most newsworthy purchase of 2014 has students, staff, and faculty wanting more.  The new 3D printer has already been used by many different departments, from art to physics.  However, there is still room for the printer’s potential to be fully realized.

A lot of people think, ‘It’s just for art.  It’s just for making biology models.’

There are other ways to use it.

-Adam Bauer, Media Services Manager, CSB/SJU

Tiffany Clements of CSB/SJU’s report highlights the use of the 3D printer by a biology student at CSB.  The student, Mary Catherine Decker, was able to get more accurate results for her research project, but also added the experience to her applications to dentistry school.  Decker says that the experience is marketable because, “dental offices are starting to have porcelain 3D printers in the office.”

The printer is currently housed in the Creative Lab at Clemens Library at CSB.

For Clements’ full report, and to see two videos of the 3D printer in use, click here.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/m2xh4k5, licensed under CC BY 2.0