Design and assessment of a 3D printing vending machine
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study/paper is to present the design and implementation of a novel vending machine concept based on desktop-scale extrusion additive manufacturing (AM). Due to cost, access to AM technologies at academic institutions tends to be limited to upper-level courses to support project-based coursework. However, with the decreasing cost of desktop-scale AM technology, there is potential to improve student access to such technologies and provide more opportunities for AM education.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors present the design and implementation of an AM “vending machine” that is powered by desktop-scale extrusion-based AM systems. This system intends to provide students broad, unrestricted access to entry-level AM tools and promote informal learning opportunities.
Findings
Student users of the AM vending machine are found to be primarily engineering majors at various levels in their studies. Manufactured parts are evenly split between functional and decorative parts, though 75 per cent of students are creating their own designs rather than simply printing found design files.
Research limitations/implications
Future work will focus on improving the system’s ease-of-maintenance, lowering the barrier to entry with a simpler user interface and establishing a method for better recording part and user information.
Practical implications
The interface of the AM vending machine lowers the barrier of entry into engaging with AM and places this emerging technology in a familiar and “safe” context. It provides students at various levels and disciplines the opportunity to fabricate parts for classroom and personal projects.
Social implications
A “vending machine” system may have far-reaching implications for public access and use of AM. Such broad access has the potential to further educate and impassion the public about the potential of AM.
Originality/value
This work represents the creation and assessment of the world’s first AM vending machine.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the tireless efforts of the many students who volunteered their time to make the DreamVendor a reality. The team that led the creation of the DreamVendor was composed of four graduate students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering: Amelia Elliott (lead designer), David McCarthy, Jacob Moore and Nicholas Meisel. Since its inception, the DreamVendor has been supported by a diligent team of students from across the College of Engineering: Andrew Price, Kevin Kline, Corey Buttel, Hannah Thomas, Todd Spurgeon, Matthew Price, Matt Ocheltree, Callie Zawaski, Brandon Hart and Josh Eddy. The authors acknowledge funding support received for the construction of the DreamVendor from the Virginia Tech Student Engineers Council, the Virginia Tech Department of Mechanical Engineering and the National Science Foundation under Grant No. #1254287. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Lead author Nick Meisel acknowledges research assistantship support from the Virginia Tech Institute for Creativity, Arts and Technology.
Citation
Meisel, N.A. and Williams, C.B. (2015), "Design and assessment of a 3D printing vending machine", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 21 No. 5, pp. 471-481. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-07-2014-0081
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited