Our 3D Printer Origin Story

 9 Comments on Our 3D Printer Origin Story

This Ultimaker 2+ printer did not come to our department in the usual way.

I went to a mathematics conference, the UnKnot Conference III in Granville, Ohio, to learn about current findings in knot theory and open questions that are accessible for undergraduates. At this conference, they were also offering a workshop on 3D printing. It is great to be able to hold these 3-dimensional objects in certain configurations, instead of using rope or diagrams. I thought I would learn about how to prepare files for printing knots and then have others print them for me to use with my undergraduate students.UnKnot III Conference Poster

When they said the Ultimaker company was offering a 3D printer as a prize in a drawing for one mathematics department represented at the conference, I thought “Wow, that would be great! Then we could create lots of physical models.” I didn’t really expect to win.

So, this begins our story. Will it be a saga, a drama, a suspense thriller? Personally, I am hoping for a nice, happy story, with lots of smooth sailing.

9 Responses to “Our 3D Printer Origin Story”

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