3D Printing For Dummies, 2nd Edition

3D Printing For Dummies, 2nd Edition

by Richard Horne, Kalani Kirk Hausman
Released May 2017
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781119386315

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Book description

The bestselling book on 3D printing

3D printing is one of the coolest inventions we've seen in our lifetime, and now you can join the ranks of businesspeople, entrepreneurs, and hobbyists who use it to do everything from printing foods and candles to replacement parts for older technologies—and tons of mind-blowing stuff in between! With 3D Printing For Dummies at the helm, you'll find all the fast and easy-to-follow guidance you need to grasp the methods available to create 3D printable objects using software, 3D scanners, and even photographs through open source software applications like 123D Catch.

Thanks to the growing availability of 3D printers, this remarkable technology is coming to the masses, and there's no time like the present to let your imagination run wild and actually create whatever you dream up—quickly and inexpensively. When it comes to 3D printing, the sky's the limit!

  • Covers each type of 3D printing technology available today: stereolithology, selective sintering, used deposition, and granular binding
  • Provides information on the potential for the transformation of production and manufacturing, reuse and recycling, intellectual property design controls, and the commoditization of products
  • Walks you through the process of creating a RepRap printer using open source designs, software, and hardware
  • Offers strategies for improved success in 3D printing

On your marks, get set, innovate!

Table of contents

    1. Cover
    2. Introduction
      1. About This Book
      2. Foolish Assumptions
      3. Icons Used in This Book
      4. Beyond the Book
      5. Where to Go from Here
    3. Part 1: Getting Started with 3D Printing
      1. Chapter 1: Seeing How 3D Printers Fit into Modern Manufacturing
        1. Embracing Additive Manufacturing
        2. Exploring the Applications of 3D Printing
        3. Working with RepRap
      2. Chapter 2: Exploring the Types of 3D Printing
        1. Exploring Basic Forms of Additive Manufacturing
        2. Understanding the Limitations of Current Technologies
      3. Chapter 3: Exploring Applications of 3D Printing
        1. Looking at Current Uses of 3D Printing
        2. Designing for the Future with 3D Printing
        3. Examining Molding and Casting through 3D Printing
        4. Applying Artistic Touches and Personalization
        5. Customizing Designs on the Fly
    4. Part 2: Outlining 3D-Printing Resources
      1. Chapter 4: Identifying Available Materials for 3D Printing
        1. Exploring Extruded Materials
        2. Identifying Granular Materials
        3. Exploring Photo-Cured Resins
        4. Understanding Bioprinting
        5. Identifying Other Uses for Materials
      2. Chapter 5: Identifying Sources for 3D-Printable Objects
        1. Exploring Object Repositories
        2. Designing in the Computer
        3. Scanning Objects
        4. Capturing Structure from Photographs
        5. Preparing Models for Printing
    5. Part 3: Exploring the Business Side of 3D Printing
      1. Chapter 6: Commoditizing 3D Printing
        1. Democratizing Manufacturing
        2. Establishing Personal Storefronts
        3. Creating “Impossible” Objects
        4. Building New Tools
      2. Chapter 7: Understanding 3D Printing’s Effect on Traditional Lines of Business
        1. Transforming Production
        2. Challenging Intellectual Property Laws
        3. Leveraging Expired Patents
        4. Imposing Ethical Controls
      3. Chapter 8: Reviewing 3D-Printing Research
        1. Building Fundamental Technologies
        2. Creating Functional Designs
        3. Expanding Material Selection
        4. Supporting Long Space Voyages
        5. Creating Medical Opportunities
    6. Part 4: Employing Personal 3D-Printing Devices
      1. Chapter 9: Exploring 3D-Printed Artwork
        1. Adorning the Body
        2. Personalizing Your Environment
        3. Incorporating Individualism in Design
        4. Visualizing the Abstract
        5. Sharing Art
      2. Chapter 10: Considering Consumer-Level 3D Printers
        1. Examining Cartesian 3D Printers
        2. Exploring Delta Options
        3. Understanding Polar Fabrication
        4. Getting to Know SCARA and Robot Arm Motion
        5. Building Emerging Alternatives
        6. Examining Printers for Flexible Materials
        7. Sampling 3D Food Printers
        8. Going beyond RepRap
      3. Chapter 11: Deciding on a RepRap of Your Own
        1. Evaluating Your 3D Printing Needs
        2. Licensing and Attribution
        3. Selecting a 3D Printer Design
        4. Choosing Print Media
        5. Identifying Components
    7. Part 5: Creating a RepRap 3D Printer
      1. Chapter 12: Assembling Structural Elements
        1. Locating Materials
        2. Obtaining Printed Parts for Machine Assembly
        3. Understanding the Machine Motion
        4. Building the Frame Structure
        5. Assembling the Prusa i3 Y-Axis Frame
        6. Assembling the Moving Axis
        7. Sensing the Home Position
      2. Chapter 13: Understanding RepRap Control Electronics
        1. Understanding RepRap Electronics
        2. Adding Electronics to Your RepRap 3D Printer
        3. Adding Modular Components, Sensors, and Motors
        4. Connecting RepRap Wiring
        5. Configuring Firmware
      3. Chapter 14: Assembling the RepRap Extruder
        1. Thermoplastic Extrusion
        2. Prusa i3 Extruder and Hot-End Assembly
        3. Multicolor Print Methods
        4. Extruder Operation and Upgrades
      4. Chapter 15: Identifying Software and Calibrating Your 3D Printer
        1. Finding 3D Design Software and Models
        2. Working with Slic3r
        3. Calibrating Your 3D Printer
        4. Printing Objects
      5. Chapter 16: Refining the Design and 3D-Printing Process
        1. Being Productive with 3D Printing
        2. Refining Your Print Preparations
        3. Examining a Design Example
        4. Designing Parts for 3D Printing
        5. Postprocessing, Recycling, and Finishing an Object
        6. Printing Big: Bonding and Joining Parts
        7. Using a Web-Based 3D-Printing Interface
    8. Part 6: The Part of Tens
      1. Chapter 17: Ten Examples of Direct Digital Manufacturing and Personalization
        1. Producing 3D-Printed Food
        2. Printing Tissues and Organs
        3. Fashioning Biological Replicas
        4. Crafting Clothing and Footwear
        5. Customizing Jewelry
        6. Making Hollywood Spectacular
        7. Creating Structures
        8. Reaching beyond the Sky
        9. Constructing Robots
        10. Printing 3D Printers
      2. Chapter 18: Ten Impossible Designs Created Using Additive Manufacturing
        1. Personalized Objects
        2. Medical Implants
        3. Dental Repair
        4. Self-Deploying Robots
        5. Printed Drones and Aircraft Parts
        6. On-Demand, On-Site Manufacturing
        7. Custom Objects Created in Space
        8. Art on Demand
        9. Locally Fabricated Items
        10. Body Parts
    9. About the Authors
    10. Advertisement Page
    11. Connect with Dummies
    12. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: 3D Printing For Dummies, 2nd Edition
  • Author(s): Richard Horne, Kalani Kirk Hausman
  • Release date: May 2017
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9781119386315