Abstract
Abstract Additive manufacturing, better known as 3D printing is becoming an easily accessible method to produce 3D objects ranging from medical devices to jet plane parts. However, this implies the creation of an accurate 3D digital model by Computer Assisted Design (CAD) or direct acquisition of a 3D model as well as a correct understanding of the various 3D printing technologies available with their pros and cons. Here, we present a method for editing and printing of 3D models of coral colonies for the generation of accurate and enhanced 3D models suitable for research and education. This is a follow-up from other papers where 3D scanning was performed on fresh coral samples from field trips and coral skeletons from museum collections using different imaging techniques (multi-image photogrammetry and Micro CT scanning). 3D scans of colonies and samples of Turbinaria sp., Leptoseris incrustans, Oulophyllia crispa, Echinopora sp., Siderastrea savignyana and Platygira daedalea were used to produce multi-material and multi-scale 3D prints. Moreover, we studied the best practices for the 3D printing processes, and potential technologies most suitable for specific attributes in this practice. Additionally, we show the innovative application of 3D printed inert reactive corals able to indicate environmental changes, along with insights into the potential uses for the proposed method and related systems in biological fields and sharing with an online community.
Highlights
Since their introduction in the 1980s 3D Printing (3DP) systems have rapidly become highly effective tools for a broad range of applications in a wide number of fields
When 3D printing fails to produce details at a certain scale, increasing the resolution of the 3D model produces an increment in detail of the desired characteristics
SLA processes are well suited to these applications due to their fine feature resolution, high quality details, surface finish, and favourable optical properties
Summary
Since their introduction in the 1980s 3D Printing (3DP) systems have rapidly become highly effective tools for a broad range of applications in a wide number of fields. Use in other biological-based fields has included the replication of physical representations of molecules in biomolecular sciences (Jones, 2012) and the documentation and restoration of artefacts in the paleontological and archaeological fields (Kuzminsky and Gardiner, 2012) These applications have been focused on education and training for both the general public and specialised users (surgeons, archaeologists, etc.) and have helped improve the overall value of education (Eisenberg and Buechley, 2008; Eisenberg, 2013; Fredieu et al, 2015), science visualization (Partridge et al, 2012; Segerman, 2012) and science outreach to the public in museum and exhibition contexts (Allard et al, 2005; Tomaka et al, 2009; Wachowiak and Karas, 2009; Chapman et al, 2010). These applications have been focused on education and training for both the general public and specialised users (surgeons, archaeologists, etc.) and have helped improve the overall value of education (Eisenberg and Buechley, 2008; Eisenberg, 2013; Fredieu et al, 2015), science visualization (Partridge et al, 2012; Segerman, 2012) and science outreach to the public in museum and exhibition contexts (Allard et al, 2005; Tomaka et al, 2009; Wachowiak and Karas, 2009; Chapman et al, 2010). 3DP has recently been used in coral studies as physical models in hydrodynamic simulations in flow chambers (Chindapol et al, 2013) and to produce customised cement and sandstone blocks in artificial coral reef restoration (Kramer et al, 2016)
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