P.E.I.’s Public Library Service is expecting to allow Islanders of every age to become artistic with 3D printers. From Friday this month, Islanders are able to access the public libraries to utilize 3D printers at a small cost. The libraries they can access as in the following areas Charlottetown, Montague, Summerside, Tignish, Kensington, and Stratford.
People will have to pay $2 as a service fee to help libraries handle material costs. They will also be charged ten cents per one gram of their completed products. Before then, the 3D printers were only accessible by the public via the special summer programming of the library.
“It’s really great to see people who don’t think of themselves as technologically-minded step out of their comfort zones,” stated Roseanne Gauthier, youth services librarian. “I think they surprise themselves in a good way.” She added.
She also said that the aim is to make additive manufacturing available to Islanders has been in progress since the past winter.
“As you can imagine a 3D printer is not necessarily a piece of equipment that everybody is going to be able to go out and purchase themselves, but it is something that does create a lot of interesting projects,” she explained.
Gauthier also said that based on your project size printing could consume about 30 minutes or a few hours.
“Unfortunately it isn’t exactly like that replicator on Star Trek. It does take time to load the file onto the printer and then it takes time to make sure everything’s calibrated and everything’s loaded properly,” she noted.
According to her, they are guessing that for many people, the standard print task would possibly be a few hours.
Gauthier mentioned that the printers utilize a plastic thread, that is fed via the device to print different objects.
“People can bring in their own files to be printed, but at this point in time they can’t bring in their own filament,” Gauthier said.
“The reason behind that is that the plastic filament that we’re using in our printers is actually kind of the basic plastic filament that’s available for 3D printing.”
Gauthier said that plastic filament is the less dangerous material that is ready to be utilized for 3D printers. It is less possible to discharge dangerous gases or particles.
Gauthier stated that every printer is worthy $300 and was bought with the assistance of Brilliant Labs. They partnered with P.E.I.’s Public Library Services to unveil the initiative.
The library staff is expecting the printers will encourage individuals to play and think creatively, there are guidelines on what they can print.
“We won’t print weapons, sexually explicit materials or anything that’s copyrighted,” she said.
