On March the fifteenth, there was a co-op field trip to Hatch 3D. Hatch 3D is a small business on West Market street that does 3D prints. In 3D printing, a computer reads a digital file and sends commands to the printer based on that. The printer then melts the material that is going to be used, most often plastic, and cools it in the pattern determined by the computer. This is done by the bottom up, so there can be extreme details inside and out. One example of this detail is a rook they had on display. It was shaped normally on the outside, but with windows. On the inside, however, there were stairs, and these stairs were forming a double helix. This is one of the ways 3D printing is superior to traditional crafting methods. In the future, the printers will be able to use anything that can be melted, such as chocolate.

by C.H., eighth grade CKC student

Learn more about Hatch 3D at hatch3dva.com.