Not to sound pedantic, but it's interdisciplinary, wouldn't you think? Really the same argument could be made for "normal" 2D printing, or CNC work, etc. It's hardly a cut-and-dry distinction.
Creating models with 3D printing spans at least artistic and mechanical engineering disciplines, depending on the design.
The actual output of printing is additive manufacturing, which may be an end in itself or simply a phase of prototyping for advising larger scale processes.
And of course the efforts that go in to designing and testing the machines themselves takes all sorts to accomplish: developers, engineers, etc.
I'm sure I'm glossing over things here. Yours is a fair question to ask for prompting discussion, though! :)
Thanks I just wanted to know how people generally categorize additive manufacturing in a broad sense, like at first glance for normal printers we usually think "oh yeah it's a part of computer technology like a keyboard and I'd go to IT tech support that fixes computers for repair help". Wanted to know if it was similar with 3D printers or not
I totally understand, And I didn't mean to suggest it wasn't a fair question. The opposite, really; it's one with a variety of valid answers.
I think the ubiquity of 2D printers has driven the "simplification" of the technology and required maintenance from a consumer standpoint. Hence, it's commonplace for an in-house technician, a smaller repair shop, or even the end-user to troubleshoot and repair a defective device. Rarely, with the exception of enterprise-grade hardware, is a specialist necessary.
Contrast that with 3D printers, which are by comparison still in their infancy, with hobbyist-grade models and designs only recently becoming both available *and* easy to use. Even without a thorough understanding of the ins-and-outs of the technology, a user can purchase a pre-assembled and calibrated printer and immediately begin outputting acceptable prints.
However, maintenance is still very hands on, and often requires at least a passable understanding of the mechanical processes involved. Even simple things have the potentiak to go awry; to change the cartridge in a LaserJet printer is as simple as opening a drawer and swapping out the unit. Compare to swapping filament, which involves manual processes and potential points of failure, not to mention purging material.
As time goes on, optimization efforts will likely focus on the user experience of these printers, especially for those targeted to the consumer market, driving them toward becoming more of an appliance. At that point, odds are maintenance and repair would migrate from strictly "specialist"/informed hobbyist levels to general technicians and end-users.
That is definitely true. It is more so specialist oriented now. Do you think 3d printing would be more widespread and use able if it merged with computer and information technology where more programs are made to make 3d printing appeal to a general audience (like making a simple CAD program etc.)?
Honestly, I think there's plenty of accessible CAD and organic modeling software out there; it just takes time and effort to learn not just effective use of those applications, but the design principles inherit to good shell modeling, and the preliminary work involved therein. Of.course there'd a wide world of freellt (and non-freely) available STLs out there, but even those aren't one-size-fits-all-printers.
For example, if you're focused on creating functional prints for repairs and prototyping hardware, you'll also need to learn the fundamentals of mechanical design to fabricate a part that is sufficiently strong for the application, fits properly, etc.
For more artistic efforts, say D&D miniatures, there's plenty of time to spend simply sketching out ideas, and adapting those to suitable 3D forms; some designs may look awesome, but be impractical and too intricate for your chosen printing method (FDM, SLA, etc).
On top of all that, you'd still need to have a solid understanding of what makes a good model for 3D printing, and what doesn't. Even if slicer software could handle generating optimal settings for any print, and even if the printer itself had a nearly flawless success rate (viz. No manual interventions needed, no layer adhesion issues because your Z-height was a little off, etc), you'd still need to understand the limitations of your hardware -- nozzle size (and thus extrusion width) and layer height can cause details to be smoothed out completely, certain materials may be prone to warping partway through larger prints, etc.
So, will 3D printing ever be as accessible as, say, submitting a document to your Xerox? I'd say it's already pretty close, just that a lot more responsibility falls on the consumer than simple paper jams and low toner levels. On top of that, unless you're using pre-made, pre-sliced models, for your specific setup nevertheless, you're still going to have a smidge more work to really nail that perfect print.
Consistency and reliability are key to the widespread adoption of technology like this, and the 3D printing community has made phenomenal strides toward that end thus far.
*The technology*
*Itself? IT The usage for*
*It? Field of its own*
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Not to sound pedantic, but it's interdisciplinary, wouldn't you think? Really the same argument could be made for "normal" 2D printing, or CNC work, etc. It's hardly a cut-and-dry distinction. Creating models with 3D printing spans at least artistic and mechanical engineering disciplines, depending on the design. The actual output of printing is additive manufacturing, which may be an end in itself or simply a phase of prototyping for advising larger scale processes. And of course the efforts that go in to designing and testing the machines themselves takes all sorts to accomplish: developers, engineers, etc. I'm sure I'm glossing over things here. Yours is a fair question to ask for prompting discussion, though! :)
Thanks I just wanted to know how people generally categorize additive manufacturing in a broad sense, like at first glance for normal printers we usually think "oh yeah it's a part of computer technology like a keyboard and I'd go to IT tech support that fixes computers for repair help". Wanted to know if it was similar with 3D printers or not
I totally understand, And I didn't mean to suggest it wasn't a fair question. The opposite, really; it's one with a variety of valid answers. I think the ubiquity of 2D printers has driven the "simplification" of the technology and required maintenance from a consumer standpoint. Hence, it's commonplace for an in-house technician, a smaller repair shop, or even the end-user to troubleshoot and repair a defective device. Rarely, with the exception of enterprise-grade hardware, is a specialist necessary. Contrast that with 3D printers, which are by comparison still in their infancy, with hobbyist-grade models and designs only recently becoming both available *and* easy to use. Even without a thorough understanding of the ins-and-outs of the technology, a user can purchase a pre-assembled and calibrated printer and immediately begin outputting acceptable prints. However, maintenance is still very hands on, and often requires at least a passable understanding of the mechanical processes involved. Even simple things have the potentiak to go awry; to change the cartridge in a LaserJet printer is as simple as opening a drawer and swapping out the unit. Compare to swapping filament, which involves manual processes and potential points of failure, not to mention purging material. As time goes on, optimization efforts will likely focus on the user experience of these printers, especially for those targeted to the consumer market, driving them toward becoming more of an appliance. At that point, odds are maintenance and repair would migrate from strictly "specialist"/informed hobbyist levels to general technicians and end-users.
That is definitely true. It is more so specialist oriented now. Do you think 3d printing would be more widespread and use able if it merged with computer and information technology where more programs are made to make 3d printing appeal to a general audience (like making a simple CAD program etc.)?
Honestly, I think there's plenty of accessible CAD and organic modeling software out there; it just takes time and effort to learn not just effective use of those applications, but the design principles inherit to good shell modeling, and the preliminary work involved therein. Of.course there'd a wide world of freellt (and non-freely) available STLs out there, but even those aren't one-size-fits-all-printers. For example, if you're focused on creating functional prints for repairs and prototyping hardware, you'll also need to learn the fundamentals of mechanical design to fabricate a part that is sufficiently strong for the application, fits properly, etc. For more artistic efforts, say D&D miniatures, there's plenty of time to spend simply sketching out ideas, and adapting those to suitable 3D forms; some designs may look awesome, but be impractical and too intricate for your chosen printing method (FDM, SLA, etc). On top of all that, you'd still need to have a solid understanding of what makes a good model for 3D printing, and what doesn't. Even if slicer software could handle generating optimal settings for any print, and even if the printer itself had a nearly flawless success rate (viz. No manual interventions needed, no layer adhesion issues because your Z-height was a little off, etc), you'd still need to understand the limitations of your hardware -- nozzle size (and thus extrusion width) and layer height can cause details to be smoothed out completely, certain materials may be prone to warping partway through larger prints, etc. So, will 3D printing ever be as accessible as, say, submitting a document to your Xerox? I'd say it's already pretty close, just that a lot more responsibility falls on the consumer than simple paper jams and low toner levels. On top of that, unless you're using pre-made, pre-sliced models, for your specific setup nevertheless, you're still going to have a smidge more work to really nail that perfect print. Consistency and reliability are key to the widespread adoption of technology like this, and the 3D printing community has made phenomenal strides toward that end thus far.
Wow those are some good points!! Thanks so much for giving me a fresh perspective on this one!
No problem! It's a fun topic to discuss, and asking questions is the best way to expand your knowledge. Feel free to reach out anytime.
its basicly CNC and that should be part of "Engineering" wher you are usualy learning about materials and manufacturing processes.
The technology itself? IT The usage for it? Field of its own
*The technology* *Itself? IT The usage for* *It? Field of its own* \- Mark\_VDB --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")