In this welcome module, you will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. In module 1, you will learn about “desktop” 3D printing as opposed to any other sort of 3D printing. You’ll learn this and more by exploring the history behind the creation of desktop 3D printers, overviews of the different types of desktop 3D printers, expose a few of the common misconceptions about them, and explore where you might gain access to them for yourself, including details to help you make an informed decision about the class of desktop 3D printer hardware that suits your specific needs and budget.

From a distance, the process of 3D printing looks like magic. Step closer and see how all of the core systems and components work together to fabricate real physical objects from digital design files. We make our first of two excursions “under the hood“ to look at the core systems and components that together and in parallel bring function to 3D printers.

Now that we have an understanding of the controls and motion system. Let’s take a closer look at the extrusion process and what makes 3D printer filament so special. Let’s learn about the materials and processing that they go through when being printed.

Now that you have looked closely at the fundamental physical systems and components involved with how desktop 3D printers function, and how they can be operated in “normal” situations, it is time to explore the processes involved with preparing digital objects and creating the job files (G-Code, or variant) that will drive the fabrication process.