The 3D Printer by alastair macleod (bts book recommendations .txt) 📕

Milano April 2013

     The three D printer sprang into life. This was only the second time. She wasn’t expecting a delivery; it had just started on its own.

     Her mother had been skeptical. While she liked some of her husband’s gadgets, this had seemed an extravagance. At over one thousand euros she wondered if it would be worthwhile. But, when for its first trick, it had produced a pair of shoes she had wanted for a wedding, she was surprised, and she softened towards it.

     It was Saturday. Dad was still at work. Antonella, home from primary school, had been idly reading. Mama was working at the shop.

     Antonella’s dad was an engineer, a gadget geek, veramente modernissimo, always up on the latest thing. He was probably sending something from the design studio.

     The printer, a large rectangular metal cabinet about a metre high, stood against the wall. It was like a photo copier. It had a glass lid so you could look inside and see it in action.

     When he had brought it home and explained what it could do, he had also said, “Non Toccare.” She was not to touch.

     Antonella queried her father how useful it would be.

Could it produce food she asked? A machine that could save on the carrying and fetching might be an advance. But no, not food. Too complex a molecular structure. Knives and forks? Yes. Simple jewellery? Yes. Plates, cups and saucers? Yes. Keys? Yes. A plant? No. Make up? No.  A person? No.

     He had loaded up into its memory bank, a large number of items that she might need. Also, on the touch screen, was a product menu, voice activated, and, he said, eventually, she could operate it that way. He would tell her when.

     “It will be a craze,” she thought and would end up in the cellar with his other gadgets, or would be fired off to the second hand shop; like that food processor and the 3D TV.

     It took quite a while for it to make up something that it was producing. There was a low buzzing sound as an arm steadily moved back and forward, laying down nano thin layers of metal or composite. She reckoned a big item would take hours.

      Should she stay in? Her friend was waiting for her at the hairdressers.

     Closing the door behind her, she started along the street towards the salon. It was not far, only a hundred metres or so.

As she left it was still buzzing, like a queen bee readying a hive.

     When she returned the printer had ceased its task. She looked into the cabinet. There lay a perfect copy of a screwdriver.

     Antonella sighed. This was boring.

     What would she ask it for, if she could? She thought for a moment.

A dolls’ house! Yes a dolls house that would be fun, and dolls to go in it, and furniture.

She approached the control panel. How difficult could it be? She was already allowed to use the microwave, and she had a DS.

     She began to talk to the machine. She gave it orders. She had listened to her dad; his sequence was,

     “Create…” followed by the name of the object. He had said, "You have to be precise."

     “Create dolls’ house,” she said. There was a silence then the machine said “Repeat.”

     She said again, “Create dolls’ house.” 

     “Verified,” the machine responded. Then a pause, then a whirring as it reset itself.

     “Colours?"  It demanded.

     “Yellow walls, white windows and door, and a red roof,” she replied.

     “Style? Choose from these models,” said the machine. She looked at the illustrations and touched Villa Classico.

     “Construction material?”

     “Wood,” she replied.

     “Sorry, that is not one of my composites. Suggest photopolymer12.”

     “Ok,” she said.

     “Did you say yes?”

     “Yes,” she said.

This was becoming a little exasperating

     “How many storeys?”

     “Two.”

     “Verified.”

      “Please wait while I reprogramme to build the house of your choice.”

     She watched the long sweeping arm return to the end then begin to slowly move along the flat bed of the machine; the yellow trace of a house plan was laid down. With each sweep the walls grew slowly bigger and bigger. It was slow, so she went for some juice. When she got back it was building the next floor. It had made the white windows and a door in the ground floor. It went on steadily building, then began on a roof with red tiles, then chimneys and finally, chimney pots.

     The arm return and parked.

     “Your request is complete, open the cabinet when the red light goes out.”

Slowly, gingerly, she lifted the see-through cabinet top.

She reached in.

     The dolls’ house was still a little warm. Her dad had explained that something chemical went on between the layers; like a glue, they were bonding, setting.

     She gripped and, carefully lifting it out, set it on the kitchen table. It had a main door and windows that opened, and the front wall lifted off so she could reach into the rooms.

It was so exciting.

     Behind her the machine suddenly spoke, making her jump.

     “Is the item all in order? If so touch my screen to confirm; also touch my screen to purchase furniture for your dolls house and to purchase figures and clothes for them.”

     She went back to machine and began touching the screen, making choices. The machine was soon producing furniture and figures, even providing colourful clothes for them.

     Time flew by. At five thirty, her Dad returned and found Antonella asleep on the couch. On the floor beside her was a large, yellow, fully furnished dolls’ house with the front off.  Several figures were arranged

inside, sitting around the kitchen table.

     The Three D printer was still on; a light was blinking and a message flashed repeatedly on the screen; “Out of composite powder, please refill.”

glossary:

DS: dual screen- a hand held device popular with young people.

and below, further notes for the skeptical; sourced from wikipedia April 19 2013.

"3D printing technology can produce complex objects directly from computer aided digital designs, sending them over a distance electronically.. The technology has traditionally been used by large companies to produce fit and form concept prototypes (‘rapid prototyping’) before production. In recent years however there has been a move to adopt the technology as full-scale manufacturing solution. The advent of low-cost, desktop 3D printers such as the RepRap and the Fab@Home  has meant a wider user base are now able to have access to desktop manufacturing platforms enabling them to produce highly customised products for personal use and sale.

For Example Toys:

At Hasbro's model workshop outside of Providence, Rhode Island, 3D printers are used to make actual toys and games.

Hasbro's design team first makes the CAD drawings of a new design, then has the prototypes produced in the workshop. Two Perfactory 3D printers from envisionTEC installed in the workshop are used to print most intricate designs. Using a low-cost epoxy-type material the Perfactory can make figurines and accessories in very fine detail.

Shoes

During the creation process of her thesis, Prague based footwear designer Pavla Podsednikova realized that people need individualism that they could express through what they wear.

As technology in custom printing has advanced over the years, designers can now develop a whole new construction solution for each pair. Using 3D printing, ABS vacuum shaping, carbon fiber lamination, Podsednikova is able develop shoe as one, almost sculptural piece, no splitting of the upper, lining, sole, heel as well as the zippers, underlay or any other additional support.

"In the times of mass-production of everyday items, I feel the need to find a way back to their customization and individualisation." writes Podsednikova.

" I'm interested in looking to the future - everyone can have a digitised 3D scan of their feet, according to which bespoke shoes could be produced. It would not be a problem to change the design of the shoes (could be a collection of designs on the Internet) and then manufacture the shoes exactly according to the desired proportions."

Text: alastair macleod
Images: alastair macleod; "italian girl", photo purchased from dreamstime royalty free photos
Editing: alastair macleod
Translation: cover typeset in effloresce
Publication Date: 06-07-2013

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
"technology is never gender neutral and from from time immemorial women and men have used technology differently"