The Carmel Clay Public Library wants to spark the community’s interest in an emerging technology by presenting a 3-D Printing Expo from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 29 in the Program Room. 3-D printing is the process by which a three-dimensional object is created from a digital file.
“The printer is sent instructions, and it melts plastic at a very high temperature,” said Peter Konshak, CCPL computer technology services manager. “It lays the plastic down one layer at a time, and as it builds up, it creates the 3-D object. It’s a huge field now, especially in manufacturing, because it’s beneficial for prototyping.”
The expo aims to bring together community partners showcasing how they utilize 3-D printing.
“We bring people in from all over the community,” Konshak said. “We have hobbyists, local businesses and educational institutions. We put everybody together in a room with projects on display.”
In addition to the expo, there will be several breakout sessions. At 11 a.m., Autodesk of Generative Design will demonstrate Fusion 360. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., guests can learn about Tinkercad. At 1 p.m., E-Nable Purdue officials will discuss their mission to create prosthetic limbs.
CCPL has seen an increase in interest about 3-D printing.
“When we opened the digital media lab, we had a 3-D printer, and we thought it was something people wouldn’t use all that much,” Konshak said. “It turned out to be one of our most popular services. Since then, we have expanded to three 3-D printers, and they’re pretty much constantly running. It’s just incredible how popular the technology is in Carmel.”
The event is free. For more, visit carmel.lib.in.us/dml/3dexpo.cfm.
