Students at Missouri University of Science and Technology now have access to two new 3-D printers at the school’s Curtis Laws Wilson Library.
The Missouri S&T information technology department purchased the Stratasys uPrint SE and SE Plus printer systems to make the technology affordable and available for all students.
“We do have a number of 3-D printers in labs on campus, but these are the first to be available for any student to use,” says Greg Smith, chief information officer at Missouri S&T. “We’re looking to break even on materials costs and absorb other costs.”
The printers can create complex 3-D shapes using layers of plastic filament. Specifications come from modeling software or from the scan of an existing object. The printers can produce models of up to 8-by-8-by-6 inches in nine colors.
Using another 3-D printer on campus, a student recently created a smartphone cover with the Missouri S&T logo by altering a free design from the website Thingiverse.com.
Reviewed 2013-10-17