We're offering a "3D printer assembly" workshop for construction and electronics enthusiasts.

According to a November 09 AFP article about three-dimensional printing: "industrial conglomerate General Electric's (GE) CEO Jeffrey Immelt felt it would make industry "sexy again" while, according to US President Barack Obama, it has "the potential to revolutionize just about everything we do"."

The same article weighs in, "Three-dimensional (3D) printing is often touted as the future of industry, but most of its applications remain anecdotal until more substantial advances are made."

(http://www.afp.com/fr/info/limpression-en-3d-des-applications-prometteuses-mais-encore-limitees)

Le Moniteur looks at the role of 3D printing in construction: Architects and engineers are racing to be the first to print a building from scratch. Will formwork and scaffolding soon rhyme with middle age?

(www.lemoniteur.fr/155-projets/article/actualite/26107189-l-imprimante-3d-de-chantier-va-t-elle-bientot-remplacer-les-entreprises-de-btp).

Ponts PACA and Supelec 06 invite you to approach the issue from a practical angle: the assembly of a 3D printer during a participative workshop on Saturday December 13, 2.30pm in Saint-Raphaël.

We'll have a "Foldarap"(reprap.org/wiki/FoldaRap/en), a transportable model from the "RepRap" line. As reprap.org puts it: "The RepRap concept is about producing self-replicating machines, and making them freely available for the benefit of all. (...) RepRap was the first low-cost 3D printer. The RepRap Project marked the beginning of the open-source 3D printer revolution."

RepRaps are thus the 3D printers most used by Makers communities, who unite in FabLabs in a spirit similar to that of open-source software developers.

The Foldarap used for the workshop has already been assembled from a mechanical point of view (cf. photos in PJ); all that remains to be done is to connect the components and put them into service. This is the purpose of the workshop, which could be of interest to older enthusiasts of construction, assembly or electronics.

For practical reasons, we're limiting the number of participants to eight: it's all about being active around the printer, and the space we'll have available that day isn't very large.

If the workshop is a success, we'll be able to offer a more open workshop in early 2015, allowing participants to observe how the printer works and to discuss its industrial or constructive potential.

The workshop will be held at my place, as I've been unable to find a very low-cost room at this time. I'd like to take advantage of this e-mail to appeal to any alumni who might know of a suitable room or themselves have an accessible meeting room for our events.

Frédéric Schneider & Ludovic Fouchy - Ponts PACA

Olivier Caillau - Supelec 06