Changing the Way Things Are Designed, Made, and DistributedAt colleges and universities throughout the country, 3D printing technology is helping students and faculty “use their imaginations to create something where nothing existed.”

August 2015

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Introduction

Two years ago, when Hendrix College, a private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas,

30 miles outside Little Rock, got its first MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer, Bobby

Engeler-Young, the school’s Director of Media Services, wasn’t sure what to think.

“When they first said ‘3D printing,’ ” Engeler-Young said, “I was like, ‘Printers are already

three dimensions; they sit on the table and print things.’ It took me forever to understand

they were talking about printing an object.”

It all came about when John Steward, laboratory manager and adjunct instructor in the

physics department, heard about some competitive grants available through the Hearst

Foundation. “I had been reading about 3D printers,” said Steward, “and thought one

would be useful in our department. I just wasn’t sure we could afford it.”

So when he heard about the grants, he reached out to Cheri Prough DeVol who, at the

time, was an assistant professor of theatre arts at Hendrix, to see if she would want

to collaborate with him on the grant. “I figured cross-disciplinary would be a benefit in

applying for the grant,” Steward said. “Plus, Cheri was teaching computer-aided design. I

thought she might be interested in using 3D printing for set design in her department.”

He was right. “I’ve built tons of scenic models with X-ACTO knives and little pieces of

cardboard,” DeVol said. “So, the idea of being able to graph something on the computer

and then build a full-scale version of it was incredibly exciting.”

Before applying for the grant, Steward considered a number of 3D printer manufacturers,

but decided on MakerBot (and named MakerBot in the grant) largely because of

MakerBot’s accessibility, affordability, ease of use, and customer support offering. “I

wanted a printer that would be easy for anyone to operate,” Steward said, “and I wanted

a company with a good track record. MakerBot had a good 3D printing ecosystem.”

By the spring of 2013, Steward and DeVol had been awarded the money and had their

first MakerBot Replicator.

The 3D printer revolution

Although 3D printing has been around in one form or another for more than 30 years,

it wasn’t until 2009 that 3D printing suddenly became accessible and affordable for

schools to adopt. That’s when MakerBot released the first commercially available 3D

printer, which was initially available as a kit, so it required some assembly before use.

Five years later, MakerBot was acquired by Stratasys—the company that invented

FDM printing—for more than $400 million, and, more importantly, had launched a

3D printing revolution in K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and public libraries

throughout the country.

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

The 3D printer revolution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Creating practical tools at Hendrix . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Reinventing STEM education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Necessity, the mother of invention. . . . . . . . . . . . 5

3D printing and the future of architecture . . . . . 6

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

About MakerBot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

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“The entry of 3D printing into the mainstream consciousness,” said David Hinson, former

Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Hendrix, “is another disruptive

technology (like cloud computing and wearable tech) that is changing the way things are

designed, made, and distributed. It is helping students use their imaginations to create

something where nothing existed.”

With 3D printing, real manufacturing goods are being produced from strands of melted

plastic filament. “A 3D printer is really an additive manufacturing process,” Hinson

explained, noting that most manufacturing is subtractive. “You have a block of raw

material that you subtract material away from to create a thing,” he said.

With additive manufacturing, digital 3D design data is used to build up an object by

layering on material. “The filament is extruded though a heated element and layered on,

layer by layer,” Hinson said.

Creating practical tools at Hendrix

One of the first practical manufacturing applications at Hendrix came about soon after

the college received its first MakerBot Replicator.

“Michael Bell, lab coordinator/technician in the biology department, came to me with

a problem he thought the MakerBot could help with,” Steward remembered. “He had

an older microscope camera and needed some adapters for it. The adapters were not

readily available and it was going to be expensive for him to replace them,” he said.

Steward made some drawings of the adapters on the computer using SketchUp 3D

modeling software, reviewed the drawings with Bell, revised them, and printed them out

“for dollars,” he said, “rather the hundreds of dollars the adapters would have cost.”

Since then, Steward has helped other faculty and staff design and print out practical

tools ranging from an ant maze for the biology department to a dew catcher for an

environmental science class to an adapter that allows microscope images to be

captured on an iPhone camera.

Today, Hendrix not only has a MakerBot Replicator

in the physics department, there is also one in the

technology center. The impetus for getting a MakerBot

Replicator into the technology center was simple. As

DeVol explained, “We not only wanted to give students

an opportunity to experiment with new technology

like 3D printing and new types of software, but also

give them a sense of community to bring their creative

ideas together and bounce ideas off each other.”

Looking back over the past couple of years,

Steward has some advice for other educators who

are thinking about investing in 3D printing. “Do

3D printing to enter mainstream in the next 2-3 years, report says

The 2015 Higher Education Edition of the NMC Horizon Report has identified 3D printing as one of three technologies expected to enter mainstream use in the mid-term horizon of two to three years. “One of the most significant aspects of 3D printing for education,” the report notes, “is that it enables more authentic exploration of objects that may not be readily available to universities.”

At Miami University, for example, anthropology students have access to replicas of fragile artifacts that have been 3D printed; similarly, at Iowa State University, geology students study 3D printed specimens of rare fossils and crystals.

“The exploration of 3D printing, from design to production, as well as demonstrations and participatory access, can open up new possibilities for learning activities,” the report concludes.

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your research,” he said. “Your printer is going to be used by lots of different people,

not all of whom have the knowledge to run it. So you need a printer that will be easy to

use and work a majority of the time.”

Steward also pointed out that just putting a 3D printer in place will not bring everyone

to it. “It’s important to educate students and faculty about the printer’s capabilities,” he

said. “Take examples to them so they can see first-hand what a 3D printer can do.”

Finally, Steward added, develop an acceptable-use policy and have someone

designated to oversee that policy.

For Steward, being awarded the grant to bring the first MakerBot Replicator to Hendrix

has been a thrilling experience. As he put it, “It’s been a win for the college, for the

faculty, and for the students.”

Reinventing STEM education

Today, the so-called “maker movement” is reinventing how teachers and students approach

STEM education, offering a practical way to connect serious STEM education to a user’s

passion. As schools and institutions are discovering, a 3D printing center – often known

as a makerspace – can provide a forum for increased collaboration and innovation that will

help train the next generation of engineers, industrial designers, and artists. “The value in

the makerspace,” said Engeler-Young, “is in a space where togetherness is valued.”

According to Dan Freedman, dean of science and engineering at the State University of

New York at New Paltz, 3D printing is also training students

to think in a different way. “Students who learn about

3D printing in school,” he said, “will have a significant

competitive advantage when they start looking for jobs after

they graduate.”

Recent research supports that claim. According to a

2013 Brookings Institution study, for example, 20 percent

of all jobs require a high level of knowledge in any STEM

field. In addition, according to WANTED Analytics, 35%

of all engineering jobs require 3D printing skills. 3D

printing not only supports the critical need for strong

STEM education, but also integrates the creative arts. At

the same time, recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that STEM

jobs will grow “faster than other jobs over the next decade and will pay higher wages

overall for qualified employees.”

The direct connection between 3D printing activities and greater achievement

or involvement in STEM vocations may still be more anecdotal than empirical.

Nevertheless, as Patrick Colegrove notes in his 2014 study at the University of Nevada

at Reno, “Anecdotal observation suggests that 3D printer access directly enables

deeper engagement with and construction of knowledge.” Evidence to support that

“Students who learn about 3D printing in school will have a significant competitive advantage when they start looking for jobs after they graduate.”

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claim is clearly exemplified in the following MakerBot success stories.

Necessity, the mother of invention

In May 2013, Trevor Abbott and Ty Parker, mechanical engineering students at the

University of Florida in Gainesville, discovered the practical truth of that proverb at a

hackathon in Atlanta, Georgia.

The two students were sitting in their hotel room, trying to come up with an original idea

for the hackathon. “We had a case of beer in the room, and we figured after a couple of

drinks we could get our creative juices flowing.”

Trouble was, the beer was warm. So they tried putting a few cans in a bucket of ice. But

the beer wasn’t cooling down fast enough. It was then that Parker decided to try an old

trick of spinning the can in the ice.

Sure enough, the young men got their cold beer almost instantly. But they also got a

lot more — they got an idea for the hackathon and for a new practical product with a

motor that would spin the can for you. For the hackathon competition, they called their

invention “Beerouette.”

The first prototype for the invention was, in the words of Abbott, “a total hack.”

“We took all of the electronics from inside a cordless Black & Decker drill, stuck them

inside a plastic bottle with a toggle switch soldered to it, and wrapped everything in

duct tape to waterproof it.”

Despite the fact that their invention was rather cobbled together, it took second place

at the hackathon. More importantly, when they showed their invention to friends back in

Gainesville, they were surprised to discover everyone wanted one.

“We figured, why not?” Abbott said. And suddenly a new company was born.

But the young inventors weren’t exactly sure where to start.

“We knew that the part that clipped onto the beer was going to be the most crucial and

difficult part to create,” Abbott said. “And we also knew that making injection molds

would take a couple of months and thousands of dollars.”

Fortunately, a friend and entrepreneur happened to have a MakerBot Replicator 2

Desktop 3D Printer and suggested they use that to prototype parts of their new design.

Although they had no first-hand, practical experience at that time with 3D printing, they

figured they’d give it a try. After some trial and error with printing the clips, they decided

what they really needed to do was to print the mold in which they could then produce

what they called the “chill bits.”

They prototyped various clips for a total cost of a couple of dollars in filament, rather

than thousands of dollars for injection molds. “The fact that we could design something,

DataPoint

A 2015 study at the University of Nevada, Reno finds that in the near-term, “higher education’s need for 3D printing services could be both substantial and broad-based across disciplines.”

Source: Making It Real: 3D Printing as a Library

Service, Patrick Colegrove, October 27, 2014,

Educause.

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print it out, test it, figure out what design flaws it had—what was good about it, what

was not good—and then go and whip out a new design in 20 minutes was invaluable,”

Abbott said. “With the MakerBot,” Abbott continued, “we found we could prototype for

next to nothing. In addition, we were able to move from prototype to full production in

three months.”

In the near future, Abbott believes that 3D printing will be used by more and more

consumers for prototyping and customization of products. “People will be able to go

online to places like MakerBot Thingiverse (a design community for discovering, making,

and sharing 3D printable things), find something they like, whether it’s a new bracelet or

a cool figurine, customize it, and print it out. That’s exciting,” Abbott said.

According to Abbott, there is one other benefit that MakerBot has over other

manufacturers. “Since MakerBot was one of the first consumer-driven 3D printers

available, there is a ton of information out there about how to use MakerBot—whether on

forums or FAQ pages or YouTube tutorials. So, if you have a problem or a question, you

can always get an answer to it right away. That for me,” Abbott said, “is a huge benefit.”

So how is their invention—now

called SpinChill—and their new

business doing?

“We’re doing well,” said Abbott.

“We’re making a big push in retail

now. Our manufacturing process

has been streamlined, and we

have a plant in China that is

producing the SpinChill and

drop-shipping it around the world.

We would never be where we are

without MakerBot,” he said.

Not bad for an on-the-spot invention born out of necessity.

3D printing and the future of architecture

For Michael Gastineau, who recently completed his Master’s Degree in Architecture at

Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, a 3D printer can do more than just manufacture

something. “We’re starting to see digital fabrication technologies evolve from a point

where they are not just a tool for creating something,” Gastineau said, “but where they

can also inform the creation itself.”

According to Gastineau, before computer-aided design (CAD), the language of the

building was defined by what an architect could do with a pencil.

Today, however, CAD, parametric design, building-integrated modeling, and building-

MakerBot Projects in Higher Ed

Today, the things being manufactured with MakerBot Replicator 3D Printers by students at colleges and universities around the country are both imaginative and practical. Here are just a few examples:

Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH: Students used a MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer to create a prosthetic leg for a golden retriever born with a deformed right front leg.

Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA: Two MBA students created a new beach game called Bucketball, designed on a MakerBot Replicator Z18 3D Printer.

Hunter College, New York, NY: To study eggs that birds lay in other species’ nests, a student 3D-printed fake eggs, allowing for more accurate replicas and better experimental results.

Hendrix College: For an exhibit on human evolution, students created models of Oldowan chopper and an Acheulean hand axe, so that handling the school’s original Paleolithic tools would not be necessary.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: For a Design and Digital Fabrication class, a student produced a chess set with a MakerBot Replicator 2X Experimental 3D Printer.

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information modeling have changed the capabilities of the architect. Yet, according

to Gastineau, digital fabrication is still used as a way to communicate something that

was created somewhat in a box. “I’m really interested to see how digital fabrication can

change not just what we’re able to design but the way we design,” he said.

Gastineau got his first exposure to 3D printing as an undergraduate at Ball State. “I

had spent some time developing and printing architectural forms that are impossible to

model by hand,” he said.

So for his graduate thesis project, Gastineau knew digital printing would help him

communicate his ideas. Fortunately, his school had two MakerBot Replicator Desktop

3D Printers.

“I decided I wanted to explore hydroponics and vertical farming,” Gastineau said. “I

wanted to see how architecture could provide a solution to the needs of creating food in

a sustainable fashion to feed all of humankind for the foreseeable future.”

For the project, he designed an array of hydroponic pods. “Without 3D printing,” he

said, “I would have been limited to something that was more linear or simple in its overall

form. But with MakerBot, I was able to print individual parts, so I could end up with

pretty complex forms,” he said.

While Gastineau had some experience with other 3D printers, he liked MakerBot

because it was “cheaper, faster, and a lot easier to use.” According to Gastineau,

there were fewer steps to go through from the model in the computer to the model in

his hands.

In the end, Gastineau said, the project turned out

great. When it came time to defend his thesis

premise for his Master’s Degree, Gastineau said

the 3D printed models were invaluable. “Having

the models in front of me was a good way to com-

municate the ideas. When you talk in the abstract

or try to explain the technology or what these pods

look like on the surface of a building, it’s difficult

to convey the idea. But, if you can show an actual

model, it ends up being

very supportive.”

According to Gastineau, the future of 3D

printing in design, manufacturing, and architecture is very exciting. “MakerBot is bringing

the idea of a 3D printed model out of the realm of just being a toy or novelty and actually

making it something that enables us to design in

new ways.”

“We’re starting to see digital fabrication technologies evolve from a point where they are not just a tool for creating something, but where they can also inform the creation itself.”

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Conclusion

As Steward, Abbott, Gastineau and thousands of other teachers and students are

discovering, 3D printing technology is on the verge of changing the way we create

and learn. These new fabrication tools are allowing everyone to become producers,

inventors, and artists. They are integrating technology and creativity and in doing so are

changing design and manufacturing forever.

“3D Printing provides innovators with new tools to be creative and take risks with their

designs. It is hard to image what will come next,” says Mike Oates, CEO of Hudson

River Ventures. “We could not have found a better partner than MakerBot when we set

out to create the Hudson Valley Advanced Manufacturing Center. Give smart people the

tools to do amazing things and the results will speak for themselves.”

In February 2014, Bre Pettis, co-founder of MakerBot and a former middle school art

teacher, gave a talk titled “Leading the Next Industrial Revolution” at the opening of the

first MakerBot Innovation Center New Paltz. During his presentation, Pettis talked about

how 3D printing is helping “to empower creative explorers to make anything.”

As Pettis concluded his remarks, he perhaps best summed up the future of 3D printing

with these few short words.

“We can’t wait to see what you make,” he said.

One MetroTech Center, 21st Fl. Brooklyn, NY 11201 (347) 334-6800

http://www.makerbot.com

9201 Oakdale Ave.Suite 101Chatsworth, CA 91311(818) 814-5277

Campus Technology

Campus Technology is one of higher education’s top information sources—delivering valuable information via a monthly magazine, website, newsletters, webninars, online tools, and in-person events. It’s the go-to resource for campus professionals—providing in-depth coverage on the technologies and implementations influencing colleges and universities across the nation.

To learn more, visit www.campustechnology.com.

About MakerBot

MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), is leading the next

industrial revolution by setting the standards in reliable and affordable desktop 3D

printing. Founded in 2009, MakerBot sells desktop 3D printers to innovative and

industry-leading customers worldwide, including engineers, architects, designers,

educators and consumers. The company has one of the largest installed bases and

market shares of the desktop 3D printing industry, with more than 90,000 MakerBot

desktop 3D printers. The robust MakerBot 3D ecosystem makes 3D printing easy and

accessible for everyone.

To learn more about MakerBot, visit: www.makerbot.com.

DataPoint

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that STEM jobs will grow “faster than other jobs over the next decade and will pay higher wages overall for qualified employees.”

Source: Reshaping the Educational Environment for

Tomorrow’s Workforce, Richard M. Rhodes, June 22,

2015, Educause.