3D Printing & Digital Manufacturing - Future Technologies Series
An introductory course on 3D printing and digital manufacturing exploring how these technologies have been applied in various fields and their potential societal impact. Beginners welcome!
CanopyLAB
Tags
Knowledge tags
3D Printing
Product Design
Additive Manufacturing
Sustainability
Innovation
Emerging Technologies
Digital Manufacturing
Manufacturing Aid
Software Development
4th Industrial Revolution
Blueprints
Health Technology
Product Development
Sustainable Development
Labor Market
Entrepreneurship
3D Printing
Environment
Technology
Future
Meditation
Zero Waste
Health
Digital Health
Ethics
Labour rights
Machine Ethics
Exercise tags
Defining
Reflecting
Prior Understanding
Sketching
Summarizing
Journaling
Analyzing
Researching
Brainstorming
Taking Action
Debating
Giving feedback
Multiple Choice Quiz
Introduction
Course Description
Ever wondered what goes on behind closed doors of a digital manufacturing company that uses 3D printing to create parts of MAJOR infrastructure like planes and windmills? This course takes you on an exclusive tour of Thürmer Tools, where their CEO and lead engineer explain how 3D printing works and how it is used to create incredible things! You will also explore how 3D printing is already disrupting the food, housing, and medical industry! BUT, this course is a deep dive into our “Future Technologies” series, where we explore the basics behind 3D printing to really understand the impact of technological developments on our everyday lives. Join in major debates: Who controls the creation, sharing, and selling of 3D printing blueprints? What happens when blueprints for guns come into the equation or when 3D printing parts for vehicles are replacing people’s jobs? That's why we have Aarhus University researcher Jessica Sorensen explaining important considerations and the impact of ethics & 3D printing!
Units
Unit 1 Breaking Down 3D Printing
To understand 3D printing, it is helpful to compare it with regular ink-paper printing. Did you know that the ink does not stain the paper with regular printers? It actually sits on the paper or is “bonded” to it. In the case of 3D printing, ink is replaced by different materials such as functional plastics, metals, ceramics, sand, and even biological materials like sugar and chocolate. 3D printing is also referred to as additive manufacturing - the processes by which a physical object is created by adding material layer by layer. We've handpicked the resources in this unit to give you the best overview- from input to output- that will shed some light on how something as mind-blowing as 3D printing actually works!
Unit 2 Inside Thürmer Tools: A 3D Printing & Digital Manufacturing Case Study
You've got the basis of how 3D printing works, but does it even have an impact on the real world or are they just used to make cool figures in your home? Well, 3D printing is already revolutionising many industries, in this unit we will explore how they are applied in a present-day manufacturing industry: Thürmer Tools. The video lectures led by Adam Kazmierczak are the focus of this unit as they provide valuable insider knowledge on the parts that make up a 3D printer, how it works and real-life examples of application of digital manufacturing.
Unit 3 Disrupting the Manufacturing Industry
Let's zoom out from the individual pieces that make up a 3D printer and think about the impact of this emerging technology in the manufacturing industry. Starting with the video lectures by Erick Thürmer and Adam Kazmierczak, we explore the benefits of 3D printing compared to traditional manufacturing, the challenges of this emerging technology, and Thürmer Tools’ vision of the future. The online resources in the materials section explore present more opinions on the benefits and challenges of 3D printing. To explore the future of manufacturing, you can hear Erik’s talk on this topic at Singularity University in a video presentation titled “The Future Factory: Digital Manufacturing”.
Unit 4 Revolutionary 3D Printing Applications
The 3D printing revolution has been disrupting various industries for years! In this unit, we introduce you to examples of 3D printing technology at use to produce tissues and organs, build houses in a matter of days, and even create food arts. After you check out the materials, think, critique, and evaluate the impact 3D printing technology has on industries, the economy, and how we live our everyday lives!
Unit 5 The Ethics of 3D Printing
What would happen if someone sold blueprints of 3D print guns? This actually happened in the United States, and it has raised huge concerns about the potential issues of this new technology. 3D printing technology also means fewer materials will be shipped to production sites, and fewer consumers will need to wait for international shipping. What would this mean for the workers in the manufacturing industry? Whose jobs will stay on, and whose will disappear? Is this solution more sustainable? There are many ethical concerns when it comes to 3D printing, which is why we have ethics and robotics researcher Jessica Sorenson from Aarhus University, who provides important insight into this heated debate!
Unit 6 Certificate
Dear users, you can now download the certificates for the courses you complete on The LAB. All you have to do is follow the easy steps below: 1. Go to the “Dashboard” which you can find on the top right corner between “My Courses” and “Messages” 2. On the option “Insights” you can see all the courses you have completed. Simply click on the “download” icon under “Certificates”. 3. That’s it! Thank you for completing a course on The LAB. We look forward to seeing you again.