From 2D to 3D: Jim Gritis (12) and Nathaniel Lucek (10) look at axel pieces being molded in the 3D printer for their CADD class. It uses computer file layouts of different objects to melt plastic to build it up by layers.

Imagine creating a device that could produce almost anything from prosthetic limbs to parts for the International Space Station with a single computer. Students, like Ben Cortez, have taken advantage of the possibilities by building their own 3-D printers and print their own 3-D designs.

“I wanted to build my printer because the possibility to build almost anything in your basement is basically endless. I was fascinated when I first saw them. I built my printer after I bought and received all of the parts I needed,” Cortez said.

Cortez finished his printer Jan. 4 about two weeks after the final parts arrived. Since then he has built objects using  a program called Autodesk Inventor.

He uses filament, which is plastic used for printing, to construct his objects. For one kilogram of filament, it is about $15 or 1.5 cents per gram.
So far he has printed objects ranging from wrenches, miniature toy elephants, and even mouthpieces for his trumpet.

“For example, if I wanted a new mouthpiece for my trumpet, in store it could cost me around $50-100. I could print one for less than $15. That would save me a lot, but the downside is that it is made out of a plastic compared to metal and the tone quality of one that was printed would sound a lot less than one that wasn’t,” Cortez said.

“I can see 3-D printers becoming more widespread in the near future. Things lost or small pieces that break can be easily replaced,” Cortez said.
Sophomore Matt McCoy has also taken on the same project and built his own 3-D printer for about $450.

“I am always intrigued by new technology, and even though 3-D printing has been out there for a while, it is finally starting to be directed towards consumers. It was totally worth doing. 3-D printing allows me to make practically anything I would like, of course with restrictions of size, and that they can’t be edible or electronically capable,” McCoy said.

McCoy received a 3-D printer kit as a gift, but it did not come with any real directions. This required a lot of researching for McCoy, and along the way he found a lot of resources to help him build it.
“There are many videos online on how to build a 3-D printer. I found that sometimes reading articles wasn’t enough to fully understand what to do,” McCoy said.

The overall process of getting all the correct parts and building the actual printer took about three to four days.

He has printed many items, including reeds and mouthpieces for his saxophone. He hopes to one day print a saxophone.

DGN owns a 3-D printer to use for educational purposes. Purchased in 2012, it is used in Pre-Engineering, Introduction to Engineering Design, and 3-D Design and Animation, all taught by Anthony Ciezadlo. The printer has also been opened up to CADD (Computer-Aided Drafting and Design) 1 & 2 and Architecture students.

“The students create models in AutoCAD, Inventor or 3DS Max. We then save the model as an STL, or stereolithography file. This allows the dimension software to split the model in 1/100 of an inch layers. Then it is sent to the machine to be printed,” Ciezadlo said.

Students in engineering classes use the printer to create objects like decision cubes, puzzle cubes, and custom logos.

“The sky is limit with 3-D printers. We will continue to use this technology to create prototypes of the designs developed in class,” Ciezadlo said.

“I see 3-D printer technology becoming more accurate, faster, and cheaper. This will allow more people to have access to the technology and to open doors to the possibilities of what this technology can do,” Ciezadlo said.

In addition to DGN, The Downers Grove Public Library offers a 3-D printer for its patrons to use. The library charges 12 cents per gram for standard plastic designs.

The public library also offers printing in different materials. At 20 cents per gram, a patron can print with specialty plastic; designs using glow in the dark plastic cost 40 cents per gram.

“We got one around November of last year. As a library, one of our major goals is to give patrons access to new technologies, and we felt that this was an exciting new piece of technology, and after asking our patrons, they agreed,” DGPL Information Technology Manager and overseer of the operations of the printer Dale Galiniak said.

It cost the library, in total including filament, $2500. The dimensions of its printing space are 9.9 in long, 7.8 in wide, 5.9 in height.

All prints are started by a staff member. They see if it will be able to print or not, but it also gives them a chance to check what they are printing.

“Our basic rule is that staff members can refuse to print any job, possibly for dangerous materials, but the only time we’ve ever told a patron no is if we knew that the design wouldn’t successfully print due to constraints of the device,” Galiniak said.

If a patron wants to print something, they have to bring a copy of the file they would like to print on a flash drive as a .stl file. If they need help creating that file, or finding something to print, the library offers them Book-a-Tech time when someone from the Information Technology Department will sit down with them one-on-one and help them through the process.

“I think that 3-D printers will drop in price and become more ubiquitous.  The technology is here to stay. We will see it improve over the next five to ten years until they reach the point like regular printers are now,” Galiniak said.

In addition to the actual device, the library also offers classes to learn how to use the printer and the program to print items. The next scheduled class is Saturday, April 25.

Besides the objects Cortez and McCoy have printed, filaments are already being made with new substances. Scientists have begun to print synthetic human tissues and are finding ways to print human organs.

“In the years to come, I definitely see printers that will be able to print food. Scientists are already starting to make filaments that are sugar based and chocolate based, so you could print candies and some other edible things, but there is no food that can be actually printed right now,” McCoy said.

“The sky is limit with 3-D printers. We will continue to use this technology to create prototypes of the designs developed in class,” Ciezadlo said.

“The students create models in AutoCAD, Inventor or 3DS Max. We then save the model as an STL, or stereolithography file. This allows the dimension software to split the model in 1/100 of an inch layers. Then it is sent to the machine to be printed,” Ciezadlo said.

Students in engineering classes use the printer to create objects like decision cubes, puzzle cubes, and custom logos.

“The sky is limit with 3-D printers. We will continue to use this technology to create prototypes of the designs developed in class,” Ciezadlo said.

“I see 3-D printer technology becoming more accurate, faster, and cheaper. This will allow more people to have access to the technology and to open doors to the possibilities of what this technology can do,” Ciezadlo said.

In addition to DGN, The Downers Grove Public Library offers a 3-D printer for its patrons to use. The library charges 12 cents per gram for standard plastic designs.

The public library also offers printing in different materials. At 20 cents per gram, a patron can print with specialty plastic; designs using glow in the dark plastic cost 40 cents per gram.

“We got one around November of last year. As a library, one of our major goals is to give patrons access to new technologies, and we felt that this was an exciting new piece of technology, and after asking our patrons, they agreed,” DGPL Information Technology Manager and overseer of the operations of the printer Dale Galiniak said.
It cost the library, in total including filament, $2500. The dimensions of its printing space are 9.9 in long, 7.8 in wide, 5.9 in height.
All prints are started by a staff member. They see if it will be able to print or not, but it also gives them a chance to check what they are printing.
“Our basic rule is that staff members can refuse to print any job, possibly for dangerous materials, but the only time we’ve ever told a patron no is if we knew that the design wouldn’t successfully print due to constraints of the device,” Galiniak said.
If a patron wants to print something, they have to bring a copy of the file they would like to print on a flash drive as a .stl file. If they need help creating that file, or finding something to print, the library offers them Book-a-Tech time when someone from the Information Technology Department will sit down with them one-on-one and help them through the process.
“I think that 3-D printers will drop in price and become more ubiquitous.  The technology is here to stay. We will see it improve over the next five to ten years until they reach the point like regular printers are now,” Galiniak said.

In addition to the actual device, the library also offers classes to learn how to use the printer and the program to print items. The next scheduled class is Saturday, April 25.

Besides the objects Cortez and McCoy have printed, filaments are already being made with new substances.
Scientists have begun to print synthetic human tissues and are finding ways to print human organs.

“In the years to come, I definitely see printers that will be able to print food. Scientists are already starting to make filaments that are sugar based and chocolate based, so you could print candies and some other edible things, but there is no food that can be actually printed right now,” McCoy said.

“The sky is limit with 3-D printers. We will continue to use this technology to create prototypes of the designs developed in class,” Ciezadlo said.

Anthony McMahon | Staff Writer
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