Announcements & News

During the COVID-19 pandemic, “makers” have come together to design, 3D print, and distribute medical supplies.

The National Week of Making (June 17-23, 2016) celebrates the ingenuity and creativity of the diverse community of inventors in the Maker Movement. Join in celebrating the National Week of Making with a special symposium at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) titled “Making Health: Inspiring Innovative Solutions for Research and Clinical Care.”

Autodesk Maya is a powerful modeling tool best known for film animation, but can be used to create 3D models suitable for printing on the NIH Library's 3D printers.

Blender is a powerful, open source program that allows a wide range of creative work. This free class will focus on how to use Blender to create 3D models that can be printed on one of the NIH Library’s 3D printers.

The uPrint 3D Printer, made by Stratasys, is the latest addition to the NIH Library’s 3D printer service. The uPrint offers dissolvable model supports that allow for more delicate model printing and a heated print chamber that reduces cracking and curling with ABS models.

NIH Library Technology Hub (or "Tech Hub") is a physical and virtual space designed to facilitate collaboration at NIH, to encourage exploration of research-focused cutting-edge technology, and to inspire innovation in the government.

Through the NIH Library’s Technology Sandbox, a 2014 trial of 3D printers exposed NIH staff to cutting edge technology for work and research. The pilot was so successful that the Library is now permanently offering free 3D printing services. ​​