From the Bookshelf: The Art of 3-D Printing

From the Bookshelf: The Art of 3-D Printing by Deborah L. Saunders

Just recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Cleveland Public Library’s main branch to tour the Library’s TechCentral MakerSpace. In this cutting-edge laboratory within the Library, patrons are able to let their creative juices flow as they design unique, useful objects and then print these objects on-the-spot, in 3-D format.

3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is a process in which solid objects are created from various materials based on a 3D digital design by printing layers of material that are combined to produce a physical object. Developments in the field of manufacturing and machining are worth keeping up-to-date with if you’re a professional in the field as the industry is constantly on the move. Check out this article to learn about the latest issues and sophisticated solutions available today – https://www.fertigung.de/branchenreport/mehr-als-rapid-prototyping-259.html. According to Forbes, the first functional 3D printer was created in 1984 and the technology has evolved ever since. In reading this, you may be wondering how this technology can be useful in everyday life. Forbes provides creative examples of the use of 3-D printing such as creating car parts, smartphone cases, fashion accessories, medical equipment, prosthetics, and even artificial organs.

The use of 3D printing can not only enhance the quality of life – it can even prolong it. I was intrigued while reading Forbes Magazine’s true account of a baby born prematurely in 2011 with lung development problems. At six weeks of age, the baby stopped breathing. The infant was diagnosed as having a weak windpipe causing the baby’s trachea and left bronchus to collapse. The child received a tracheostomy and had to use a ventilator. However, this was not the right long-term solution to use, as the baby could not breathe well and his heart stopped almost on a daily basis. It was in this case that the doctors at the University of Michigan decided to use a 3D-printed lung splint as a prototype. Doctors used computer modeling software to create the splint and match the baby’s windpipe. Around 3 weeks after the operation, this child no longer needed a ventilator to breathe.

Another useful example of this technology, though less serious in nature than the lung splint, is the use of 3D printing by TV personality Jay Leno, who creates custom and hard-to-find parts from scratch for his extensive car collection using his 3D printer.

Just this month, the World’s first 3D printer will launch into space. NASA uses this technology to customized spacecraft and instrument parts.

On a more practical level, hobbyists are using 3D printing to create their own chess sets, while do-it-yourselfers are printing everything from cable spools to lawn sprinklers to jewelry, and much more.

You may be wondering how public libraries are incorporating 3D printing as an avenue of service to library patrons. To paraphrase technology consultant Jason Griffey’s recent article in American Libraries magazine, “The library is, at its core, an engine for the democratization of knowledge and information. The library was often the first place where someone could go to touch a computer…or see the Internet. The library has a long history of providing technology for its patrons.”

While 3D printing is a relatively new avenue of service for public libraries, it is one whose path has endless possibilities. Bossard Library strives to provide those in our community with knowledge and information in a variety of formats. The Library opens the door to a world of opportunities, including those possible though technology such as 3D printing.

Are you interested in learning more about 3D printing and how it can enhance your life, both on a personal level and in the life of your organization or business? In evaluating future avenues of service for the public library, I would welcome your ideas and feedback as to your interest in this technology that transforms one’s creative designs to actual physical objects and tools that make the world a better place to live. (To share your ideas and interest on 3D printing, email Debbie Saunders at [email protected])