How Does a 3-D Printer Work?

There was a wealth of things to see at the new Physical Science and Engineering Center, which opened Feb. 26 at Foothill College.

In the physics department (which is home to the Physics Show) students and instructors were eager to show off what it does. From tensile testers and micro-indenter hardness testers students can more easily see what they are studying and apply it to the real world.

There was a small helicopter drone, which, when equipped with a commercially available Go Pro camera, could conceivably be applied to search and rescue efforts, said student Charles Morrin.

Some of the showier tools were the 3-D printers, including the MakerBot Replicator2 and the UPrint E-Dimensional Printer. Students can design then test the prototypes made with the 3-D printers, starting with Lego-like pieces and then  making something more complicated such as a crescent wrench.

Morrin explained on the video that accompanies this story.