Printing of the future... 3D Printing

One of the emerging technologies in the library world is 3D printing.  According to writer Marcia Goodrich, 3D printing is makes things by laying down sub-millimeter-thin layers of plastic one after another in a specific pattern (p 9).  According to Amazon.com you can purchase and assemble a 3D printer for $350.00 (http://www.amazon.com/Printrbot-Simple-Printer-Filament-1-75mm/dp/B00HLSR0O8/ref=sr_1_135?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1398891791&sr=1-135&keywords=3d+printer+kit ).

An industrial sized 3D printer by 3D Systems is $1,300. A 3D printer can produce full-scale, physical prototypes that let designers and engineers assess how new parts and devices will look, feel, assemble, and behave (Brown, 2014, p 28). As 3D printers are becoming more affordable, libraries are adding them to their technology collection. According to author Steve Pryor, “ … the “maker” and open-source movements have taken on the concept and provided plans and software for hobbyists to build their own 3D printers inexpensively with readily available parts (p 1-2).

As libraries are offering their patrons 3D printing, people are able to make their own designs and parts.  Users can be charged to use the printer and the materials.   The materials used are ABS plastics, PLA, polyamide (nylon), glass filled polyamide, sterolithographary materials, silver, titanium, wax, photopolymers, and polycarbonate (www.3ders.org, 2014, sec 13).  A library does not have to use the more expensive material. The Lovejoy Library in Illinois charges $1.00 per hour of printing, and the user has to come up with their own designs (Pryor, 2014, p 5).

Offering 3D printing services at the library is the future for libraries to offer not only information but also resources. The prediction for 3D printers is that by 2016 the average cost of an industrial 3D printer will be a little over $5000 (Brown, 2014, p 29).  Library users by 2016 will be very familiar with 3D printing in their community library.  They will be able make and design in 3D.

References

Brown, A. S. (2014). BY THE NUMBERS: A BIG FORECAST FOR 3-D PRINTERS.
                Mechanical Engineering, 136(2), 28-29.

Goodrich, M. (2014). 3D Revolution. Research (Michigan Technological University), 8-11.

Pryor, S. (2014) Implementing a 3D Printing Service in an Academic Library, Journal of                       Library Administration, 54:1, 1-10, DOI: 10.1080/01930826.2014.893110

www.3ders.org. (2014, ). 3ders.org from http://www.3ders.org/3d-printing-basics.html