As we have mentioned in past posts (for example, ITEC’s 3D Printer and Replicator 2 Orientation ), ITEC owns a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer. The MakerBot Replicator 2 turns three-dimensional designs into actual physical objects, composed of plastic filament that is heated and then deposited on the build platform in layers as small as 100 microns (or 1/10,000 of a meter) in thickness. The Replicator 2 can be used to create three-dimensional models or re-creations of buildings, historical artifacts, fossils, multi-faceted solids, etc. Some clever uses of the Replicator 2 include a 3D frog dissection kit and a wearable bristle dress by fashion designer Francis Bitoni, among many others.
Recently, 3D printing has been in the news because of its medical applications. For example, National Public Radio recently aired a story on Morning Edition about the creation of flexible splint to support a child’s collapsing windpipe. (See Doctors Use 3-D Printing To Help A Baby Breathe.) Wired Magazine (UK) published an article about a 3D-printed skull implanted in a woman with a chronic bone disease. (See Neurosurgeons successfully implant 3D printed skull.) Other medical uses include a mechanical hand and even a robotic hand.
Please contact itec if you have ideas for interesting teaching or research applications of our 3D printer.