Making things at home on a 3D printer uses less energy and produces less carbon dioxide than producing it in a factory and shipping it to a warehouse. Making the items on a basic 3D printer took 41 to 64 percent less energy than making them in a factory and shipping them to the U.S., according to a study cited at Kurzweil.
Class title: BIO 490 Environmental Benefits of 3D Printing (8 week 1 credit)
Class description: This class will allow students to become familiar with basic 3D printing, including safety procedures and the software and hardware involved. This course will focus on the environmental benefits of 3D printing including the Filabot system. Students will learn how using recycled material to 3D print every day objects is much more eco-friendly than the normal manufacturing process.
Learning Objectives:
- Be able to operate a 3D printer
- Have a better understanding of how 3D printing benefits the environment
- Learn how recycled material can be converted into filament by operating a Filabot
To begin the class students will assigned to design a simple example of how 3D printing can beneficial. Since children’s blocks are normally made of solid wood or plastic, the students will 3D print blocks that can be made partially or even completely hollow, requiring much less plastic.
Most 3D printers use plastic filament, which is available in spools from different suppliers. With a Filabot, several types of plastics or even previous projects can be used to make new filament lines. Therefore, students will be required to collect their own plastic material to use as filament to print their objects in class. This will allow the students help conserve two ways: by using recycled filament, and the process of 3D printing in general.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMNLJUKKNhQ
The class will be equipped with one Filabot system along with 6-8 Aifinia 3D printers. Each printer requires a spool of filament that costs about $40. By using the Filabot and collecting recyclables, the cost of filament is able to be eliminated.
http://gigaom.com/2013/02/04/filabot-makes-3d-printing-ink-out-of-your-plastic-recyclables/
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