3d scanner and printer?

[Jon Minton]

Hi all,

I've been interested in printing demographic data for a few years. An
introduction to the basic idea is here:

https://ije-blog.com/2016/06/27/lexis-cubes-1-from-maps-of-space-to-maps-of-time/
(basic concept)
https://ije-blog.com/2016/06/27/lexis-cubes-2-case-study-log-mortality-for-males-in-finland-1878-to-2012/
(illustration and annotation of a printed cube)

I went to Maklab when they were based in the Lighthouse. There seemed a lot
of enthusiasm but they seem to steer people away from focus on 3D printing
to other CAD/CAM techniques. Unfortunately they couldn't offer a precise
estimate for the cost of manufacture; as I was in charge of a small budget
to print some of the cubes above I really needed to be able to enter a
specific amount in invoices.
In the end I've kept using a company based in London:
https://www.3dprint-uk.co.uk/
The quality is very high, with objects produced at very high resolution in
a durable nylon. Their pricing isn't cheap but is transparent: they charge
for 'swept volume' - basically the smallest cuboid that could contain the
structure to be printed; their staff are friendly and their turnaround
times quite short. I've had one or two objects printed using University of
Glasgow machines and the quality has been much lower, though the range of
materials is higher.

I think I've seen somewhere offering 3d printing on Woodlands Road recently
but haven't been in. I couldn't find reference to this online but did find
the following:
https://step3d.co.uk/

Like 3dprint they offer online quotes.

I think in general paying a professional company with a very high end
machine will be better value than buying a low end machine to use yourself,
though it depends what you want to use 3D printing for. I can imagine the
various problems with fabrication - with trying to print something that's
unprintable and ending up with strings of melted plastic after waiting
overnight and using up a lot of material in the process - represent an
interesting challenge, and using the machines is a good skill to learn, but
I'm primarily interested in the output, and if the aim is to have something
to exhibit and explore using an online company takes out a lot of the
hassle.


Best wishes,
Jon


On 20 March 2017 at 20:53, Martin McGrath <mcgrath.martin at gmail.com> wrote:

> On 20 March 2017 at 18:48, Paola Di Maio <paola.dimaio at gmail.com> wrote:
> > A few years back ( even before you joined perhaps) community 3D printing
> > hubs were planned everywhere, and they were going to impact manufacturing
> > sector, at least social innovation in terms of letting people be creative
> > and pring out their own teeth and shoes at the local hubs etc
>
> Planed by whom? Have you contacted these people to find out why this
> didn't happen? Are you referring to the Fablab for which there was
> lots of talk and some presentations at the Electron club? I believe
> (someone correct me if I'm wrong) this morphed into Maklab. We are
> frequently contacted by people who want access to 3D printers or laser
> cutters Maklab are on my list of suggestions but the response is more
> often than not that it's prohibitively expensive for people just
> starting out, or just getting interested in the scene.
>
> > Scotland/Edinburgh were going to be leading social innovation, at least
> > based on some of the funding proposals which were going around at the
> time.
> > I was hoping to come back to a thriving 3D printing community of
> innovators
> >
> > P
>
> Where is your evidence for this? While I personally think it would be
> great to have more maker spaces available with tools for people to use
> I think it's unrealistic to call it a social problem. Consider that we
> live in a country where we don't produce enough food to feed
> ourselves, rely on imports and in which many people are dependant on
> food banks.
>
> Outside of academia there are a several places where people can get
> access to 3D printers and alike, with many more individuals offering
> their services at a cost. 3D scanners, not so much.
>
> > vouch to buy one for EC after escaping wolves
>
> > Does anybody have  experience/recommendations for somethiing to buy and
> make available to the club? (if there is interest)
>
> You clearly can't be following this list very closely. We can't even
> get many users of the space to clean up their own mess after use.
> Attempts to build tools for people to use from donated parts/equipment
> have several times been hampered due to those in attendance having to
> clean the mess and fix problems created by others just so we can
> operate.
>
> Your expectations are vastly different from the reality of the
> behaviour regularly exhibited by users of the space.
>
>


-- 
Dr Jon Minton

AQMEN Research Fellow,
University of Glasgow

Tel: 07866 022543
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