CHEYENNE, Wyo. It was a meme that used to be popular online. It poked fun at an older commercial. ‘You wouldn’t download a car’. It sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? This joke may no longer be so sarcastic, now that technology is cheaper and more readily available.
Laramie County Library provides two 3D printers in the computer lab on the third level. You can find them neatly tucked in the corner, behind the desk, when you enter the room. If you’re lucky, you may be able to catch one in action.
3D printers use plastic filament to ‘print’ a 3D object. It uses a very hot nozzle to melt the plastic and create very thin layers. The computer directs the extruder or nozzle to move precisely along the bed of the printer, stacking layers until the finished product is shown at the end.
As long as you can create or get ahold of a 3D model file on your computer, and the object follows the library’s guidelines, you can send it in and have that object printed into whatever you may need. The library charges 10c per gram of used plastic. The library does this to recover the costs of the printers and the plastic used.
These 3D printers require precision and time, unlike our 2D printers that simply print ink onto paper. Even smaller, less detailed prints are completed in 15 minutes. Larger, more detailed prints can take several days to complete.
Laramie County teachers have utilized the library’s 3D printer for use in their classrooms, and members of the public have used it to create items for costumes, or essential household pieces.
To learn more about the library’s 3D printers, request a print, and to find the full list of rules, click here.
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