Dimensional Design

A talk about 3D Printing with Susan Hinton

The basics: what is 3D Printing?

3D printing is a process of making a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model. 3D printing is achieved using an additive process, where layers of material are laid down in different shapes.

(thanks Wikipedia)

Additive vs. Subtractive?

Additive manufacturing is the process of starting with nothing and building an object by adding more and more material. Example of additive manufacturing: 3D printing.

Subtractive manufacturing is the process of starting with a set amount of material and building an object by taking away the exisiting material. Examples of subtractive manufacturing: milling, routing, carving.

You can print things in:

Plastic
Stainless Steel
Silver
Titanium
Aluminium/plastic hybrid
Ceramic (tea, earl grey, hot)
Sandstone
Glass
Food
Organic matter/cells

What's the potential of 3D printing?

Revolutionising power!

"While installation is the dominate cost for solar power, it is estimated that precision 3D printing could drop production costs by 50%."

guardian.co.uk / gu.com/p/3exzx/tw

Straightening your teeths!

Invisalign braces are made with 3d printing!

3d Systems / bit.ly/13d52Nb

3D printing on the moon!

"By using the Moon’s loose rocks (regolith) as a base for concrete, robots based on Monolite’s D-Shape 3-D printer will be able to build up a structure that uses as many local materials as possible."

Wired / bit.ly/YuAalr

Sparking a new industrial revolution

"...the front lines of a new industrial revolution as today’s entrepreneurs, using open source design and 3-D printing, bring manufacturing to the desktop." - Chris Anderson, from his book 'Makers - the New Industrial Revolution'

Buy the book / http://amzn.com/0307720950

When did my 3D printed journey begin?

Dr. Ninian Peckitt

Dr. Peckitt presented an amazing talk at the 2009 TEDxMelbourne event about his part in a new approach to reconstructive surgery: 3d printed body parts.

Let's just say that I stayed up all night googling 3D printing.

And so I read all of the internet

I started modelling

Then I took a random bet and printed my pieces via Shapeways.com

Why did I choose to make 3D printed jewellery?

1. 2D wasn't enough anymore

2. I knew how to do CAD

(and it excited me more than traditional jewellery making techniques)

3. Doing something different gets you noticed

What is my process?

Lots of sketching

sometimes limitations require some creativity

I use Blender.org to model my pieces

I start with simple, primitive shapes and build up from there

Once happy, I export them to STL format

The model is now ready for printing!

I use either Shapeways professional printing, or home printing

Hello I am a Printrbot Jr.

I cost $400.

So what about YOU?

Should you buy a 3D printer right meow?

Ask yourself:

How much do I want to spend?
How much space do I have for one?
What do I want to use it for?
How much do I care about style?
Am I a tinkerer, or do I want it to 'just work'?
Do I want to build my own?
Do I want to support open source?
What kind of material choices are right for me?

Dimensional Design – A talk about 3D Printing with Susan Hinton

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