This is a compilation of the articles about 3D printing that have appeared in Futureminds over the past three years.

They span designing for 3D printing, types of printers, teaching schemes and safe use of these machines in a school.

Thermoplastic materials are joined using a jet of hot air to melt and fuse the plastics material. A filler rod of the same material may be used to reinforce the joint.

All plastics (polymers) degrade at sufficiently high temperatures, producing fumes with various hazards. Those materials presenting hazards at lower temperatures are discussed here.

The solvents are usually highly flammable (hydrocarbons, esters or ketones) but are sometimes non-flammable chlorinated hydrocarbons. This risk assessment also covers paint strippers that use similar solvents.