3D printing

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/3d-printing

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the manufacturing paradigm?Additive manufacturing, building objects by adding material layer by layer
2. What is the historical context?Originated in the 1980s primarily for rapid prototyping
3. How does 3D printing make toys?A small hot nozzle melts plastic and lays it down in thin layers. The machine follows a digital design to create the toy shape.
4. Why can 3D printing create shapes that are hard to make with other methods?Because it builds objects from the inside out, it can make complex holes and lattices that would be difficult to cut or shape otherwise.

Additive Manufacturing: A manufacturing process that builds three-dimensional objects by successively adding material layer by layer from a digital model.
Rapid Prototyping: The early use of 3D printing technologies to quickly create models and test designs before mass production.
Computer-Aided Design (CAD): Software used to create digital blueprints and models that guide 3D printers in constructing objects.
Thermoplastic: A type of plastic that can be repeatedly softened by heating and then hardened by cooling, commonly used in FDM 3D printing.