This part of the printer is called a hot-end-assembly. FDL blogger and 3D printer repair woman, Carey Gibbons, replaced the part on the left, which had seen 600 hours of work, with the shiny new part on the right this week.

Did you know that FDL has a 3D printer?

Now you do! Our website has information on how to access our 3D printer related services here. At that link, you can find a general FAQ and another link to our 3D printing request form. But, 3D printing in general is pretty amazing on both small and large scales. Since our own 3D printer just underwent some in-house repairs, I thought it would be a good time to share some 3D printing facts.

  1. Some printers can print with weird materials like chocolate, metal, or wood. Most 3D printers, including the one at FDL, print with two kind of plastic filament – ABS or PLA. While our printer is capable of using ABS, we only use PLA because ABS filament emits toxic fumes. However, some printers are capable of printing with chocolate. Others use metal, mostly for the purpose of casting parts, but uses for metal printing have increased. Popular tech site AdaFruit even has info and tutorials on printing with wood based filament.
  2. The medical community has embraced 3D printing technology. 3D printing has been used in medical technology for everything from creating custom braces for people with broken limbs to models of an individual patient’s brain from MRI scans. And before you think that this technology is only available in the biggest, wealthiest cities of the world, our very own OSF has a model heart library for use in treating patients and saving lives.
  3. 3D printing can take a really long time. Even though FDL’s 3D printer looks like a microwave, 3D printing is not like popping a frozen dinner in one and waiting for it to come out in a couple of minutes. 3D printing takes time – sometimes a lot of time. While 3D printing might seem like magic, it’s slow magic, and patience is key. The longest print job we’ve ever done at FDL took 22 hours. But this guy worked on a model motorcycle for over a year, using plastic filament very similar to what we use at FDL.
  4. 3D printing a gun is highly unrealistic. When the library got a 3D printer, a few people brought up the idea of the 3D printed gun, either because it had been mentioned in the news or was the subject of a popular crime drama. Most 3D printers in commercial areas for public use have a system of checks to prevent weapons of any kind from being printed. For example, at FDL, print requests are reviewed very carefully and any that are deemed dangerous are denied. Both of the 3D print specialists at FDL are well versed in print files and how certain items can be used. For more information, All3DP has a super informative article about the idea of the 3D printed firearm.
  5. But 3D printing in space is not. In 2014, the International Space Station 3D printed its first object – a ratchet wrench. Many more items have been printed since. In fact, the company BeeHex, funded by a grant from NASA, has developed a 3D printer for the sole purpose of printing pizzas for use in space. The future is now, right?

Post by Carey Gibbons, Reference Specialist

About #FDL

Welcome to #FDL! #FDL is a twice weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria. Twice a week, library staff will make posts that highlight some aspect of library life and relate it to you – our readers. Have you ever wanted to know which Dewey number represented a certain topic? Are you looking for book recommendations based on your favorite television show or television recommendations based on your favorite book? Have you ever wondered about the secret details of librarian life? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then #FDL is for you. We look forward to writing posts that are informative and entertaining and hope that you enjoy getting better acquainted with Fondulac District Library.