‘Fun and frustration’
Bright future for 3D printing; Summerside Makerspace embraces technology
My editor gave me a mission. He’d seen a colleague using a 3D printer and wanted me, who knew nothing about the technology, to see how accessible it had become to the everyday ‘Joe’.
So, I ventured down to the local Makerspace to find out more. The technology prints 3D objects from plastics and other materials.
“There are so many printer options out there,” explained Steve Howard, a ‘maker’ who recently ordered his first printer. Howard is past-president of the Summerside Makerspace, a membership-based community with access to shared tools and resources under one roof. While president he saw the installation of the Space’s 3D printer.
“This one here, the Prusa i3MK2, is an open source printer,” he explained, recognizing the look of confusion on my face.
He continued, “Think of it like a computer. All the parts in a Mac belong to Apple or whatever company the computer was made by. In open-source, software and parts are released by copyright which allows users to distribute it and change it.”
The open-source movement has been vital in 3D printing.
Howard’s interest in the printers grew after using the Prusa printer at the ‘Space’. He made pieces for a vertical chess board.
Stepping back from the printer, Howard instructed me on how to load material into the printer that will be used to make an object.
The material, called filament, is in this case polylactic acid (PLA) filament. PLA is plant based-plastic.
“There are all kinds of materials printers can use, like PETG, ABS and other acronyms,” he said with a laugh.
He turned on the printer, “We have to wait a few minutes for the tip of the printer, where the filament comes out of, to be heated. Once that’s ready we can load the filament.”
After a minute or two, with a nod, he tells me to pull the filament from the spool that’s hanging above the printer.
“Feed it into the small round hole and hold it there until it catches.”
After a few seconds, on the small screen next to a dial, the message “Is colour clear?” appears. “If you look under, where the filament will come out, you can see the melted material, that’s what it means when it asks that.”
Once that’s set, he inserts a memory card, that is has a slicedup 3D model of a pawn on it.
“The way a printer works is first you create a virtual 3D model. Then, using another program, you slice it up into layers, that’s how the printer can read the model and then print it.”
I turn the dial and scroll down to “Pawn…”
With a press of the button the printer head begins to move. Casey Wagner, the current vice-president of the Makerspace, said 3D printers can be used for just about anything. “There’s been countries that have used printers to build houses, even bridges.”
He says the 3D printing community is often very supportive and helpful.
“There are a lot of groups out there in social media and Facebook. Some are more generic about 3D printing, while others are more specific to the model.” He said all members of the Makerspace have access to the in-house printer, but some also have their own.
The Prusa i3MK2 is only one of many different types of printers. Evan Currie, a local sci-fi novelist, has seven 3D printers. Lugging one designed for kids into the Space, he sets up the printer on a desk, pulls out his iPad and looks through the models that are available to print.
“It’s basic hobbiest technology.”
Currie said theoretically, 3D printing technology has been around since the 1960s and 1970s.
“But they became more popular in the public scene with the invention of the MakerBot,” he explained.
Today, there are starter models of printers costing about $250 to $300 and are about the size of a microwave.
Currie says the printers have become easier to use over the years.
“The technology is evolving faster than I thought it would,” he said as he finished setting up his printer – the MiniToy 3D printer.
“This printer was designed for kids. It’s one of the simplest forms of the tech. It comes with an app with pre-made models that the printer can read. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what’s out there.” The printer looks like something out of a space movie. A bright-orangey-yellow box with clear plastic encloses a blue printer bed.
Printing is always full of fun of frustration.
“The technology has opened up the door for prototyping products without having to send away a concept, wait for months for it to come in, and then repeat the process when you tweak it,” Currie said.
He believes the future of the industry doesn’t centre on selling items made by printers, but rather the files that people can download and make themselves.
“It’s really only just beginning. There is still so much out there. Some printers can even print chocolate and candy.