 Oh, this thing on? Hello, ladies and gentlemen, it's my great pleasure to present for you today possibly the first 3D-printed pocket clarinet done here at undergrad's library. They have a fine facility here. What is 3D printing? 3D printing is a method of creating three-dimensional objects through an additive rather than reductive process, sort of like the opposite of sculpting. Instead of carving material away from a solid block, 3D printing creates objects by bonding the print material one layer at a time. It does this by heating plastic to its melting point and extruding the material onto the build surface. 3D printers work by making use of a 3D design file. These files are processed by specialized software that slices the data into cross sections. Then the printer uses this data to build the object from the bottom up one layer at a time. We have two different types of 3D printers at Pendergrass, the U-Print SE Plus and the Lullspot Taz. The U-Print SE Plus is a professional grade machine that produces durable, functional, precisely detailed models such as anatomical models or models with articulating parts. The Lullspot Taz is a consumer hobbyist grade machine. It's less expensive to use and is great for printing simpler objects such as cell phone cases or architectural icons. We see a huge array of 3D prints at Pendergrass, from skeletal system models to pulp culture figurines to replacement parts for everyday objects. So why 3D printing? 3D printing is useful for designing custom objects that can be utilized in the field or during research. It enables the divisor to quickly turn their ideas into models that can be observed. It's more productive to hand someone a model of a project to get your idea across rather than an explanation. Want to know how you can print something? First, you need to obtain an STL file. You can do this by creating your own model through online programs such as TinkerCat, SketchUp or Autodesk Inventor. You can find Autodesk Inventor in the library's computer labs. Not much of a designer? No worries! You can find ready-made 3D models from several online repositories such as Thingiverse. When you're ready to get your design printed, simply fill out the request form on the Pendergrass website. Then choose from one of the methods listed here to send in your STL file. The more information you provide, the better. 3D printing is open to all UT affiliates, faculty, staff and students. For more information on 3D printing or to schedule your training session, contact Richard Sexton at jsexton3 at utk.edu. Or just go through the Pendergrass website. Curious about the soil triangle featured in this video? Follow the link in the description to the article in our library development review. Happy printing!