3D printing: a novel technology for livestock sector knowledge dissemination
| Date | 24 January 2024 |
| Pages | 18-24 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-10-2023-0192 |
| Published date | 24 January 2024 |
| Author | Nirmal Singh,Harmanjit Singh Banga,Jaswinder Singh,Rajnish Sharma |
3D printing: a novel technology for livestock
sector knowledge dissemination
Nirmal Singh, Harmanjit Singh Banga, Jaswinder Singh and Rajnish Sharma
Introduction
The education sector has been among
the front runners to use the potential of
technological advancements to make
learning pragmatic and engaging. Indeed,
education and technology are intertwined.
While education is basic to the
technological advancements, the later
amplifies the accessibility and out-reach of
education vis-
a-vis boost practical
knowledge of the subject matter amongst
learners with contemporary tools and
techniques, cutting across the space and
time barriers. The application of 3-
dimensional (3D) printing in the education
sector is reflecting the transformation
more palpably to magnify experiential
learning. This novel technology has set a
niche area with the potential to create
tailor-made 3D models of almost anything
imagined (Giansetto, 2015).
The livestock sector has a pivotal role in
supplementing food security, opening up
employment avenues and improving the
household income for better livelihood of
farmers. The growth and development of the
livestock sector are contingent on the
smartness of veterinary and animal
husbandry education and research and
extension activities for disseminating
scientific knowledge amongst the masses. In
veterinary science education, a thorough
comprehension of various subjects, including
anatomy, physiology, pathology, medicine,
surgery and other para-clinical and clinical
subjects, is imperative for a strong foundation
in the livestock sector. Veterinary
universities/colleges have always embraced
contemporary technologies, namely,
websites, mobile applications, multi-media,
social media, massive open online courses,
etc., for imparting education to students and
disseminating scientific information amongst
farmers for the upliftment of the livestock
sector. Through these in-person, distance-
mode means and/or multi-media endeavors,
universities/institutes propagate teaching-
learning and technical information amongst
stakeholders in verbal/non-verbal form.
The norms by animal protection
regulatory bodies and limitations of in
situ cadaver exposure leave a few
opportunities for veterinary students to
learn with live animals in a practical
setting. It has become difficult to use real
animals in research and education. The
use of two-dimensional graphics, texts
and/or videos for veterinary training has
been used as an alternative to limit the use
of real animals (Xu et al., 2021),
curtailing the scope for practical learning,
leaving much to the conjectural vision/
imagination of learners.
In such a situation, 3-D printing has
emerged as a boon for veterinary and
animal sciences education and clinical
services. The information inputs in 3D
format can provide them real-like
exposure, helping better learning/
understanding of the subject vis-
a-vis
execution of the procedure. The potential
of this technology can be yoked for
augmenting the knowledge of students vis-
a-vis farmers by creating 3D physical
models of animal organs, disease
condition, farming system, implements,
implants, etc. The models produced are the
exact replication of the subject, printed at
the desired scale. Sometimes, the structure
of the model is so complex that it becomes
difficult to prepare it by hand or make an
accurate and precise drawing of it,
conveying hurdles in transmitting the exact
message to the learners. This problem can
be overcome through 3D printing and any
complex model can be produced at
different scales, as per requirement.
Three-dimensional printing: an overview
3D printing, also called additive
manufacturing in industrial spheres,
involves constructing 3D physical object
from computer-aided design (CAD) and/
or a digital 3D model (Ngo et al.,2018). It
is a method of generating a physical object
from a digital model through the
deposition of thin layers in succession
using specialized equipment. The genesis
of this dynamic technology dates back to
1945 when Murray Leinster, in his short
story “Things Pass By,” described the
general concept of and procedure to be
used in 3D printing (Leinster, 1957). The
development of equipment and materials
for 3D printing was materialized in the
1980s (Bird, 2012). Initially, the
technology was quite expensive and
beyond the reach of many. Fused
Deposition Modeling (FDM), the most
used 3D printing technology, was
developedin1988byS.ScottCrumpand
was first commercialized by his company
Stratasysin1992(Barnatt, 2013). Expiry
of the patent of this technology in 2009
opened up the avenues for various
commercial companies to venture into
manufacturing of FDM-based 3D printers.
With technological advancements and
increased competition amongst 3D printer
manufacturers, the quality of prints has
improved and prices have been cut down
over the period. For the past one decade,
3D printing has evolved from a luxurious
specialized process to an everyday
affordable tool (Wilhite and Wo
¨lfel,
2019). 3D printing is an umbrella term
encompassing various manufacturing
technologies developing physical objects
layer by layer, varying in input material
usage, surface finishing, durability,
printing speed and cost. The broad
categories of 3D printing include FDM,
stereolithography, selective laser sintering,
PolyJet, light processing, multi-jet fusion,
direct metal laser sintering and electron
beam melting. The printing process
involved may range from material
extrusion to converting liquid resin to
physical objects using digital light and/or
developing functional parts from nylon
The 3D printing technology has been
introduced at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary
and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana,
under a project under the aegis of the RKVY
Scheme of the Government of India.
18 LIBRARY HITECH NEWS Number 2 2024, pp. 18-24,V
CEmerald Publishing Limited, 0741-9058, DOI10.1108/LHTN-10-2023-0192
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