Additive manufacturing (AM) has revolutionized the manufacturing world. It allows for the manufacturing of complex parts that would not normally be possible using traditional manufacturing methods. By using additive manufacturing instead of subtractive manufacturing, a tremendous amount of waste is saved since the part is built up layer by layer to the exact geometry instead of cutting away a piece of material larger than the finished part. Through these advantages, AM has been adopted by many industries such as the aerospace and medical fields. Since AM is a very cost effective and efficient way of manufacturing, it has become one of the most popular types of rapid prototyping. Rapid prototyping is very important during education because it allows students to work hands-on with their designs and learn more about designing for manufacturing. 3D printers can be very costly to purchase and are very difficult to move, after its initial set up. A cost effective and compact 3D printer would allow students more flexibility by allowing them to manufacture parts almost anywhere. In this project, we look into a cost effective and compact 3D printer that can easily fit inside a student’s backpack.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Wilkinson, Brian K.
• Wehbe, Perla
• Rementer, Scott M.

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 22761
• E-project-050621-103117

Keyword

• Cost Effective
• 3D Printer
• Additive Manufacturing
• Compact
• Portable

Advisor

• Stabile, Joe

Year

• 2021

Date created

• 2021-05-06

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical & Computer Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright