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From Superhero Rings to Tangled Plastic Spaghetti: Our Year With a 3D Printer. Wendy Prince Greg Toth Ken Wierzbowski The College at Brockport. 3D Printer. Introduction. The Drake Memorial Library has been working with a MakerBot Replicator 2 for almost a year.
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From Superhero Rings to Tangled Plastic Spaghetti: Our Year With a 3D Printer Wendy Prince Greg Toth Ken Wierzbowski The College at Brockport
Introduction • The Drake Memorial Library has been working with a MakerBot Replicator 2 for almost a year. • The initial excitement was quickly tempered by questions of logistics, management, application, and policy. • During the Spring 2014 semester, we made an effort to answer these questions, establish a place for the 3D printer in the library, and garner interest on campus from students, faculty and staff. • We will discuss the challenges we encountered as we try to move from a knick-knack factory to active faculty and student involvement.
Spring/Summer 2013 Timeline • Spring 2013 • LITS (Library, Information & Technology Services) purchases a MakerBot Replicator 2 3D printer • Summer 2013 • 3D printer is moved to the Drake Memorial Library • Library also receives a NextEngine 3D scanner through a Faculty/Staff Technology Grant • Summer spent learning how to operate and use the 3D printer • Librarians enraptured. Stare at printer for upwards of 2 hours each day. • MakerBot is brought to the Faculty/Staff Opening of School Convocation in late August.
Fall 2013 Timeline Fall 2013 • Received approval from library director to offer prints for free for the semester • Acquired a dedicated student assistant and a student volunteer to work exclusively with the 3D printer. • Created a 3D Printing libguide portal http://library.brockport.edu/3d • Accepted project submissions from campus community through webpage form
The Nitty Gritty • Filament supply chain secured through library secretary • All submissions reviewed by staff • “We reserve the right to refuse any request. This includes requests for multiple copies of the same item, weapons and *ahem* "inappropriate" objects.” • Received submissions for shot glasses, non-working gun • Statistics kept through submission form application, MachForms (similar to Google Forms) • Patrons informed via email that their projects were ready to pick up • Projects generally printed in order they were received, as submission numbers boomed projects were printed in batches by print color • Vast majority of files sourced from the Thingiverse
The Numbers We were inundated! • 172 submissions during the Fall 2013 semester until we shut down the submission form to catch up. • Primary submitters were students. • Most popular color was clear. • A few ‘enthusiastic’ patrons requested multiple builds
Challenges • Hardware offered a learning curve • “Hobbyist” printer, quirky procedures & frequent breakdowns • Overwhelming demand • Unprintable or inappropriate requests
Interlude: Overview of 3D Technologies • Computer-Assisted design • 3D Contour Mapping • CGI simulation • Data-generated imaging • Medical Imaging/Scanning
Melvil Dewey Homer Simpson Diagnostics
Applications of 3D Technology: A Not-Very Technical Schematic Display Print Create/Capture --copy --draw --scan --generate --plot, etc. 3D File Replicate Modify, Remix, Mashup, etc. Animate?
Spring 2014 Timeline • Scanning • Printing scanned objects • Art Faculty member’s test objects • Pay-for-printing system • Student assistants’ Scholars Day presentation • Presentation to faculty to promote academic use
Pay System Shift 1st semester free printing 2nd semester developed payment system • Decide on price • How to inform patrons of change • How to convey potential cost • Size/Cost Example Chart • How to accept payments
Academic Use April 4, 2014 • Effort to inspire academic use • Presented at CELT (Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching)
Student Presentation April 9, 2014 - Scholars Day Joint presentation by student employee, Evan Spencer, and student volunteer, Brian Fitzgerald Poster presentation earned an article in the online campus newspaper
What’s Next? • Grant for 2 more printers and a filament recycling machine in collaboration with Art Dept. • How will collaboration with Art Dept. work? • Training for classes/groups, individuals? • Create a Makerspace: location? scope of projects?