Getting started with 3D printing. Seeing how 3D printers fid into modern manufacturing ; Exploring the types of 3D printing ; Exploring applications of 3D printing -- Outlining 3D printing resources. Identifying available materials for 3D printing ; Identifying sources for 3D-printable objects -- Exploring the business side of 3D printing. Commoditizing 3D printing ; Understanding 3D printing's effect on traditional lines of business ; Reviewing 3D-printing research -- Employing personal 3D-printing devices. Exploring 3D-printed artwork ; Considering consumer-level 3D printers ; Deciding on a RepRap of your own -- Creating a RepRap 3D printer. Assembling structural elements ; Understanding RepRap control electronics ; Assembling the RepRap extruder ; Identifying software and calibrating your 3D printer ; Refining the design and 3D-printing process -- The part of tens. Ten examples of direct digital manufacturing and personalization ; Ten impossible designs created using additive manufacturing.

The bestselling book on 3D printing 3D printing is one of the coolest inventions we've seen in our lifetime, and now you can join the ranks of businesspeople, entrepreneurs, and hobbyists who use it to do everything from printing foods and candles to replacement parts for older technologies--and tons of mind-blowing stuff in between! With 3D Printing For Dummies at the helm, you'll find all the fast and easy-to-follow guidance you need to grasp the methods available to create 3D printable objects using software, 3D scanners, and even photographs through open source software applications like 123D Catch. Thanks to the growing availability of 3D printers, this remarkable technology is coming to the masses, and there's no time like the present to let your imagination run wild and actually create whatever you dream up--quickly and inexpensively. When it comes to 3D printing, the sky's the limit! Covers each type of 3D printing technology available today: stereolithology, selective sintering, used deposition, and granular binding Provides information on the potential for the transformation of production and manufacturing, reuse and recycling, intellectual property design controls, and the commoditization of products Walks you through the process of creating a RepRap printer using open source designs, software, and hardware Offers strategies for improved success in 3D printing On your marks, get set, innovate!