One of the first concepts that really sparked my interest in engineering was the design and uses of a 3D printer. I first bought one that felt like it came in a thousand pieces (it probably was about that) in my early years of college. After spending the summer putting it together, I was printing non-stop and different ideas kept flowing. I was constantly tinkering and finding ways that I could improve it.

Since then, my love and knowledge of the subject, along with general industry trends, has grown incredibly and it is still one of my favorite ways to prototype a part. I think that DFM specifically for 3D printing will be a highly regarded skill in decades to come.

Below you will see a Lithophane (white PLA with different material thicknesses) project that I made because I hadn't seen anyone on Youtube do it yet. I wanted to use a picture as decor but the 3D print volumes were never big enough, so I split the photo into 9 smaller portions and printed it as big I could. After putting LED strips behind it with a remote control and putting the prints on standoffs, I was able to hang a really cool piece of art that was made no more than 2 FT away from where it was hung.