21st Century Skills InnovatIon LIbrary Contents 3D Printers Chapter 1 What Is a 3D Printer Chapter 2 How People are Using Chapter 3 3D Printing now Chapter 4 Designing your own object Chapter 5 Where Can I Find 3D Printers Glossary Find Out More Index about the authors 4 7 12 21 26 30 31 32 32
MakerS as innoVaTors Chapter 1 What Is a 3D Printer H ave you ever wanted to control how the things you use look feel and function Imagine being able to think of a design for a hammer and then make that hammer right away Maybe you want 3D printing could help you make simple parts to repair or improve your bicycle 4
3D Printing 3D printers create items layer by layer to make a plastic hat for your dog Or perhaps you need to replace a broken part on your bicycle There is a type of machine that allows you to quickly create objects like this 3D printers use designs made on computers to make three-dimensional objects right before your eyes Three-dimensional objects are not flat like the words and images you print on paper They are real-life objects that you can pick up and use Users can control the size shape and even the material of their objects 5
