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3D Printing
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are demonstrating the potential of this technology. There are already 3-D 3D printing is an additive 3D printing, also known as printers that can print process, meaning that desktop fabrication, can form any material that can there is no wasted material. circuit boards, making complex electronics from This makes it incredibly be obtained as a powder, efficent compared to CNC scratch. Yet others print layer by layer, into a 3D icing onto cupcakes and machining. object. extrude other liquid foods, including melted chocolate. In terms of rapid It references a digital prototyping, 3D printers 3D-model, which can be With communities such as drawn using CAD software, can allow designers and thingiverse and commercial created from a scanned 3D engineers to quickly services such as shapeways, image, or downloaded from turn their ideas into hobbyists are developing the internet. This 3D-model tactile objects, speeding up development times and sharing products that is usually saved in STL can be freely adapted by format and then sent to the significantly without the others. need for retooling. printer. What is it?
Why is it important?
The process of printing a three-dimensional object is similar to inkjet printers, but works over multiple layers to build up the Z-axis.
While commercial 3-D printing only works with limited metals and plastics, researchers are experimenting with more exotic materials, from wood pulp to carbon nanotubes, that
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3D printing has the potential to revolutionise a great number of industries including automotive, medical, dental, business, industrial equipment, education, architecture, and consumer products.
Laser Cutting
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What is it?
Why is it important?
A laser cutter is a flat bed CNC machine that moves a powerful laser across an xy plane to cut through a range of materials, including woods, plastics and metals.
The price of laser cutters (both commercial and personal) have fallen dramatically in the last 5 years. This, combined with their ease of use, has made them the most popular fabrication tool amongst Makers.
Interpreting a 2D image file into points, the laser cutter is capable of following complex paths and producing results with a fine level of detail. The laser can either burn a thin line though a sheet of material or, by varying its intensity, burn partly through it, to etch or engrave
They have been called the 'gateway drug' of fabrcation technogies as they are often the first machines that people have access to. It's flexibility with materials makes it an invaluable resource that can speed up a project and increase the quality of finish. They're fast, quiet and accurate, in contrast to
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power tools and machinery which would traditionally be used for the same work. Some CAD software is capable of brekaing down a 3D object into 2D layers that can be fabricated on a laser cutter.
CNC Machining
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What is it?
Why is it important?
CNC (computer numerical control) machining is a subtractive fabrication technology that comes in a variety of different forms for different purposes.
CNC technology is used at all scales of automated manufacturing, Cars, aeroplanes and furniture are all produced with ths method.
They work by translating a digital file into paths that can be followed by a router or mill, controlling the position and speed of the drill across the x.y and z axis to accurately cut away material.
Unlike laser cutters, CNC machines are able to accurately define the depth that they are cutting to. This allows it to machine blocks of material.
Modern CNC machines can opeerate on 5 axis, allowing it to work much more accurately in 3 dimensions.
CNC machines are extremely flexible, allowing them to work with a wide range of plastics, woods and metals. It is a very fast method of prototyping. Products are able to be machined, tested and tweaked
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repeatedly until they are perfect. Specialised CNC machines such as vinyl cutters, embroidery and quilting machines have been developed to deal with specific fabrication challenges aand their application will onlycontinue to increase in the future.
3D Scanning
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What is it?
Why is it important?
3D scanning is a system for realitry capture of physical objects to a digital file.
3D image capture is the most efficient way to digitally capture physical objects.
Using a fixed projected image and cameras, a 3D model is constructed from polygons. This digital file can be archived, replicated, manipulated and distributed across the internet.
Having a digital file of a physical object creates new methods of distrobution, allowing creators to share their designs across the internet It removes one of the barriers of entry for Makers by letting them modify existing, real-world objects. This means that 3D objects do not have to be designed from scratch, allowing those with limited experiece in 3D modelling to still realise their projects. 3D scanners come in a range of different
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3D scanners will become as cheap and easy to use as their 2D counterparts, and editing software will become more intuitive and intellegent. The potential of 3D scanning as archival technology is vast, and museums are already scanning their collections.
Electronics
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What is it?
Why is it important?
Electronics can be used to make intelligent products that solve real-world problems.
The Maker Movement is increasingly concerned with making smarter, web-connected physical objects by using sensors that observe the world around them and respond. This is becoming known as the "internet of Things". Electronics is a fundmental element of this.
Simple hackable physical computing boards such as Arduino allow hobbyists to make projects come to life.
Open source hardware is become commplace among Makers, meaning that there is a wealth of projects being worked on by communties using common hardware and shared. Arduino is the posterchild of these boards and boasts sales in the millions, and thousands and
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thouands of shared online projects on websites such as adafruit and instructables. Getting started with electronics has never been easier, with online stores and communities providing the nuche products, instructions and resources for anyone to realise their project. There are a great number of companies that can print circuit boards for a project at any scale from single digits to millions.