3D Printing

This book is an introduction to the wide and varied world of 3D printing—an incredible technology used across an ever-growing list of industries. As 3D printing continues to skyrocket in popularity, it’s increasingly important to understand how these machines work and how to apply 3D printing technology to personal and professional interests. More important still, this book highlights how surprisingly easy 3D printers can be to use, even for readers who don’t consider themselves particularly tech-savvy.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of 3D printing for first-time users. The text introduces some of the most popular types of 3D printing technology available, as well as some of the most exciting and compelling applications across industry today. The content dives deeply into one of the most popular and widely accessible 3D print technology on the market: fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing. The reader will learn basic FDM 3D printer anatomy, software settings, as well as the tips and tricks to master your own FDM 3D printer. The book provides a firm understanding of what FDM 3D printing excels at, its current limitations, and how to troubleshoot and overcome some of the most common 3D printing problems. The book then provides some ‘STEAM-building’ cross-disciplinary challenges and applications for the reader to complete at home.

This book is for novice readers who might be early in their 3D printing journey. For those looking to learn more about introductory 3D printing and curious about how to get started, this is an excellent place to start. By the end of the book, the reader should have all the understanding and tools necessary to start 3D printing with confidence.

Author Biography

Tyler Kerr, M.S. received a B.A. in Geoscience from Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania in 2011, and an M.S. in Geology (Paleontology) from the University of Wyoming in 2017. His background in paleontology and interest in emergent technology led him to a career in 3D printing, 3D scanning, digital rendering, and digitizing museum collections. Today, Kerr manages the Innovation Wyrkshop makerspace, one of the largest academic makerspaces in the Mountain West. In addition to the Innovation Wyrkshop, he designed and currently oversees nine successfully operating makerspaces across Wyoming, making him a state-recognized authority on makerspace development and programming. For his work, Kerr was a recipient of the 2018 Laramie Young Professionals 20 under 40 award, the University of Wyoming’s 2020 Employee of the Quarter award, and the 2021 Employee of the Year award. His academic interests include 3D printing, digitization, and developing creative, gamified, out-of-the-box nerdy ways to engage communities and teach complex topics in meaningful ways. With over 11 years of experience as an outreach coordinator and academic educator in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM), he aims to prove that everyone and anyone-even paleontological fossils like him-can be a maker.