3D Printing: The Revolution in Personalized Manufacturing

by Melissa Koch

Overview

3D printing was once only known through science fiction, such as Star Trek, the popular 1960s TV series. But inventors and engineers on Earth began experimenting in real life with 3D printing to find faster ways to develop and build prototypes, using computers, ultraviolet lasers, and printable materials. Now, there are many innovative uses for 3D printing. Yet 3D printing has drawbacks. Chemicals used in 3D printing can be toxic, and legal experts are not sure how to protect 3D printing inventions so that others do not steal ideas. Learn how 3D printing works and how we can keep up with the safety, health, and legal challenges that lie ahead.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781512467758
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/01/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	112
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Melissa Koch is a writer and inventor of digital learning environments for children, educators, and adults. She specializes in materials that encourage women and youth from diverse backgrounds to pursue their dreams in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Her STEM curricula activities have received recognition from the National Science Foundation, Whitehouse Science Fair, PBS, and others. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, with her husband, son, and Labrador retriever. She dreams of creating a 3D printer that can print both wood and metal to fix her favorite antique furniture and bicycle.

Editorial Reviews

"Student-report-friendly features and lots of color photos help to make this an attractive, timely, and popular addition to STEM collections."—Booklist

From the Publisher

10/01/2017
Gr 9 Up—As more libraries and schools create maker spaces and gain access to 3-D printers, titles such as Koch's will be in demand. This volume provides a brief history of the manufacturing method and of the first developers to innovate the process, and how 3-D printing has advanced over time. Problems with the technology are also covered, from copyright infringement and criminal activity to pollution and sustainability. The scope of the content is expansive; however, the text is dense and may wear out readers. There are not many images, but photos of the creators and some of the final products, such as prosthetics and clothing, help visually break up the text blocks. Keeping track of acronyms for each category of 3-D printing, the necessary software, and the types of materials used can cause some confusion. Those looking for how-to tips can peruse the bibliography and source notes located in the back matter for potential leads. VERDICT This highly informative resource is best suited for strong readers or those tasked with a research project.—Thomas Jonte, Pensacola State College, FL

School Library Journal

2017-07-17
A thorough introduction to the ever evolving world of 3-D printing.Though it is difficult not to be shocked and awed by the capabilities of today's 3-D printers, Koch doesn't affect a gaga tone. She keeps a steady pace and lets the subject wow for itself. Readers learn that 3-D printing, though still in its infancy, holds the promise to make medical, fashion, industrial, what-have-you innovations that will change our world in fundamental ways. Koch starts the whole business off by comparing her subject to a mud dauber wasp that uses a variety of materials instead of wood pulp and saliva—and those materials can now be combined to make a range of items from human tissue to flavored sweets, from teeth to 3-D printers that make other 3-D printers. A good selection of engineers and inventors, both men and women, are given pleasingly anecdotal profiles, and Koch lays down some fundamentals that may not occur to readers, such as the fact that each printer is designed to do one job and that job only. The book's layout can get somewhat hectic, with boxes, separate spreads, or abrupt color shifts signaling particular information for emphasis. Occasionally Koch will leave readers stranded—just how, for instance, do archaeologists study digs by using 3-D printers "in a way that will not damage or destroy [artifacts and sites]"? Otherwise, the writing is smart and engaging. A crack primer to a strange new world. (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews