In an age of rapid technological growth, SIU is striving to lead the way in making different avenues of replication available to the public.

Workshops will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday in the Morris Library Rotunda to demonstrate the university’s new 3D printer.

Jennifer Horton, the Morris Library science librarian, will head the seminar. The workshop will be a great opportunity for students to learn about 3D printing beyond what they see in the news in a hands-on setting, she said.

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“It’s good for students to know a different technology, take ideas they have and make computer models and see a prototype in front of them,” she said.

At the demonstration, students will work on the computers and create designs they want to print. Horton and others will also be giving ideas and printing several items for students to see themselves.

Horton said Morris Library plans to hold workshops throughout the semester. A survey will be given during the demonstration to get the students’ opinions on how these classes should be set up.

“We’re going to offer workshops for anyone who wants to come in—students, faculty or staff—to learn about 3D printing and some of the free software for computer modeling,” she said.

The 3D printer was given to the university on loan from New Blankets Incorporated, a nonprofit foundation based out of San Diego. This will make SIU one of the first schools to offer 3D printing publicly.

Before this loan, the school had limitations on who could use the printer. It was typically reserved for architecture and engineering students.

Joseph Deken, president of New Blankets Inc., will be a guest speaker at the event and will be available during the demonstration to answer any questions and show students the basics of the printer as well as the computer software.

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The printer model, a MakerBot Replicator 2, is about the size of an average household microwave oven.

Designs are made in computer software programs that allow the user to see their images in 3D. Afterward, the designs are saved onto an SD card that holds a list of commands for the printer’s robotic arm.

Plastic wire called filament is threaded through the back of the machine and heated to make it easier to operate. Using the commands from the SD card, the robotic arm moves back and forth, leaving a trail of filament on a platform.

A pen-like feature of the robotic arm called the extruder traces the design over and over again, moving vertically until a 3D model is created.

Horton said depending on the size of the model, the whole process could take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours.

Deken said he thinks of the organization as a library, which New Blankets defines as “a co-operative activity of individuals gathering and distributing resources, ranging from traditional books to advanced high-tech and know-how.”

He said the world we live in is in three dimensions, so the importance of being able to model things in 3D is crucial.

“It’s important to think in 3D,” he said. “It’s a way of thinking and communicating that’s different than what you can say in words.”

The technology is not just for architects and engineers, Deken said. He explained the wide array of applications 3D modeling has, ranging from human prosthetics in the medical field to artifact replications in archaeology to sculpture production in the arts.

Deken said 3D printing opens a vast amount of different avenues for the user, and the designs rest solely on the user’s imagination and creativity.

“Everybody lives in a three-dimensional space,” he said. “How creative do you want to be in that space? Do you just want to be just a consumer?”

Gi Vania, deputy director of information technology at SIU, said 3D printing is a great way for students to visualize things in a different way and to keep up with technology.

“They have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology in a centralized, common place,” Vania said. “It helps them to be more contemporary.”

Kyle Sutton can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter at @KyleSutton_DE or at 536-3311 ext. 268.