3D Printing For Dummies

Get started printing out 3D objects quickly and inexpensively!

3D printing is no longer just a figment of your imagination. This remarkable technology is coming to the masses with the growing availability of 3D printers. 3D printers create 3-dimensional layered models and they allow users to create prototypes that use multiple materials and colors.  This friendly-but-straightforward guide examines each type of 3D printing technology available today and gives artists, entrepreneurs, engineers, and hobbyists insight into the amazing things 3D printing has to offer. You’ll discover methods for the creation of 3D printable objects using software, 3D scanners, and even photographs with the help of this timely For Dummies  guide.

• Includes information on stereolithography, selective sintering, fused deposition, and granular binding techniques
• Covers the potential for the transformation of production and manufacturing, reuse and recycling, intellectual property design controls, and the commoditization of traditional products from magazines to material goods
• Walks you through the process of creating a RepRap printer using open-source designs, software, and hardware
• Addresses the limitations of current 3D printing technologies and provides strategies for improved success

3D Printing For Dummies is the must-have guide to make manufacturing your own dynamic designs a dream come true!

Table of Contents

Part I: Getting Started with 3D Printing
Chapter 1: Seeing How 3D Printers Fit into Modern Manufacturing
Chapter 2: Exploring the Types of 3D Printing
Chapter 3: Exploring Applications of 3D Printing

Part II: Outlining 3D Printing Resources
Chapter 4: Identifying Available Materials for 3D Printing
Chapter 5: Identifying Sources for 3D-Printable Objects

Part III: Exploring the Business Side of 3D Printing
Chapter 6: Commoditizing 3D Printing
Chapter 7: Understanding 3D Printing’s Effect on Traditional Lines of Business
Chapter 8: Reviewing 3D Printing Research

Part IV: Employing Personal 3D Printing Devices
Chapter 9: Exploring 3D-Printed Artwork
Chapter 10: Considering Consumer-Level 3D Printers
Chapter 11: Deciding on a RepRap of Your Own

Part V: Creating a RepRap 3D Printer
Chapter 12: Assembling Structural Elements
Chapter 13: Understanding RepRap Control Electronics
Chapter 14: Assembling the RepRap Extruder and Upgrading RepRap
Chapter 15: Identifying Software and Calibrating Your 3D Printer

Part VI: The Part of Tens
Chapter 16: Ten Ways That Rapid Prototyping Will Disrupt Traditional Manufacturing
Chapter 17: Ten Examples of Direct-Digital Manufacturing and Personalization
Chapter 18: Ten Impossible Designs Created Using Additive Manufacturing