There’s something brewing at Objet, makers of the Connex line of commercial 3D printers. First we saw a mysterious art exhibition of color objects apparently produced on a color-capable Objet 3D printer – but there are no color-capable Objet 3D printers! Then we hear that Objet issued a press release indicating the art was produced… Continue reading A New 3D Printer From Objet?
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Print a Chocolate Brain!
They didn’t actually print a chocolate brain, rather the team from Inition took MRI scan data from their founder Andy Millins and created a 3D model. Once you have a 3D model, as readers know well, you can do some 3D printing. In this case the team created detailed 3D model of the brain… Continue reading Print a Chocolate Brain!
A 3D Printer, Lying Around The Office…
There is an increasing number of 3D printers found across the world today, as they spread from factories to offices and workshops. But that’s the thing – they are found in designer studios, hobbyist labs, architectural offices, etc. But you don’t find them in a typical random office setting. Or do you? … Continue reading A 3D Printer, Lying Around The Office…
A Very Smooth Idea, Indeed
During our visit to Stratasys’ RedEye On Demand facility the other day, we observed a fascinating finishing process that might be applicable to personal 3D prints, given the appropriate equipment. This process solves one of the flaws in objects produced by personal (and some commercial) 3D printers: layer visibility. If you look closely, it’s… Continue reading A Very Smooth Idea, Indeed
Flat-Rate 3D Print Pricing From i.Materialise
3D print service i.Materialise is experimenting with a form of flat-rate pricing. Normally they employ the standard “how much material and what kind of material are you printing” approach, but perhaps this was seen as a barrier to expanding their business. They’ve been testing this approach throughout May, when the program ends. How… Continue reading Flat-Rate 3D Print Pricing From i.Materialise
Finally: 3D Printer Recycling
We missed this one earlier this year, but it’s still a terrific idea: The Filabot is a “plastic filament maker”. The idea is straightforward, obvious when you think about it – and necessary. Any home 3D printer will tell you they end up with many unusable prints, perhaps due to printer failure of some… Continue reading Finally: 3D Printer Recycling
You May Now Order Your Cube
First announced in January of this year, 3D Systems’ latest personal 3D printer, the Cube, is now available for pre-order. The highly consumer-oriented device first came to light at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, where its ease of use features were very noticeable. The USD$1299 device was not available then, and actually isn’t yet… Continue reading You May Now Order Your Cube
The BukoBot 3D Printer
Yet another 3D printer kit has appeared on KickStarter, the Bukobot 3D printer by Diego Porqueras of Pasadena, California. As there have been many such startups emerge in this manner, the challenge for any of them is to put themselves ahead of the pack. What makes the Bukobot different? There are several features Porqueras… Continue reading The BukoBot 3D Printer
3D Systems Picks Up FreshFiber
In yet another acquisition, 3D Systems has acquired FreshFiber BV, a maker of some very cool mobile phone covers – all using 3D printing techniques. Their tagline: “3D Designed, personal cases for your phone”. The Dutch company made headlines earlier when it became one of the first big-time 3D printed products to make product… Continue reading 3D Systems Picks Up FreshFiber
3D Printing Community Survey
Do you like surveys? Ok, some people don’t. But this one might be important. PeerProductions is running a survey dedicated to 3D printing and would like your input. But you’d better hurry, as it closes on May 15th. The survey is quite short and its twenty questions requires only a few moments to complete.… Continue reading 3D Printing Community Survey
Fabbaloo Visits London
It’s time for a road trip! As luck would have it, Fabbaloo will be visiting London this coming week. We’ll be hanging around the city looking for 3D printing-related stuff. If you have something you’d like us to see on either Tuesday May 15th or Wednesday May 16th, please give us a shout right… Continue reading Fabbaloo Visits London
3D Infographics
Admit it, you’re in love with those beautiful infographics we so often see in newspapers, magazines and online. They convey an idea, concept or statistic in a visual way that is frequently easier to understand that plowing through text. It’s lazy, but oh, so true. Now a Shapeways designer has produced a kind of… Continue reading 3D Infographics
The Mojo 3D Printer
Today Stratasys announced a new FDM 3D printer for designers, architects and other professionals – but it’s very different from anything you’ve seen before. It includes a couple of revolutionary features that we’re certain you’ll find very interesting. The Mojo 3D printer is more like a 2D paper printer than anything we’ve seen. The… Continue reading The Mojo 3D Printer
The Secret Color Process
As much as we’d like to have attended Neri Oxman’s talk at Centre Pompidou in Paris the other day, we were simply unable to get there. However, we were able to view videos and images from the exhibition, sponsored by 3D printer manufacturer Objet. Ms. Oxman produced fantastic and beautiful 3D printed objects inspired… Continue reading The Secret Color Process
Human vs 3D Printer: The Sequel
It was only a few days ago that UK designer Dominic Wilcox challenged a 3D printer to a mano-a-mano duel to produce a model of a cathedral. In round one, Wilcox was able to defeat a MakerBot Replicator with his own two hands and a lump of clay. Now there’s been another event, this… Continue reading Human vs 3D Printer: The Sequel
Phenix Systems Defends Its Position
You may recall our post the other week regarding a lawsuit filed by 3D printer manufacturer EOS against Phenix Systems. We were contacted by a representative from Phenix with an official statement countering EOS’ claims. The statement reads: Phenix Systems, is aware that EOS has filed a lawsuit alleging patent infringement, although EOS… Continue reading Phenix Systems Defends Its Position
The Economist on 3D Printing, Again
Once again the venerable The Economist has published a series of articles on the topic of 3D printing and digital manufacturing. This publication has gone quite far to promote the technology, more than others. We’ll bring three of their articles to your attention. First, they explain the fundamentals of 3D printing, which is still… Continue reading The Economist on 3D Printing, Again
MakerBot Discontinues the Thing-O-Matic
Personal 3D printer manufacturer MakerBot has announced their popular Thing-O-Matic 3D printer will no longer be offered for sale. They have, of course, replaced it in their product line with the much more capable (and fully assembled) Replicator device. Today you’ll find only spare parts for the Thing-O-Matic. The Thing-O-Matic was a breakthrough device… Continue reading MakerBot Discontinues the Thing-O-Matic
3D Printing Discount Available
Some say that 3D printing services are expensive, and that may or may not be the case depending on your situation. However, we do know that students worldwide typically aren’t flush with cash, and that’s why the new i.Materialise Student Discount is so important. The 3D print service offers a 20% discount on 3D… Continue reading 3D Printing Discount Available
Fujitsu Invents 3D CAD Search
Fujitsu has discovered a very interesting technique that we think will be critical to the growth of 3D printing in the future: it’s a method of searching libraries of 3D models for similar shapes. Currently anyone who’s visited a current 3D model repository is faced with a difficult challenge: finding the right 3D model.… Continue reading Fujitsu Invents 3D CAD Search
Multicolor RepRap Printing Progresses
After the initial thrill of 3D printing wears off, one begins to look for possible improvements. One of the most sought-after improvements is the ability to print color objects. We don’t mean “a” color, we mean “many” colors. Since plastic filament comes in only one color (except for that elusive Tartan filament we were looking… Continue reading Multicolor RepRap Printing Progresses
Free Autodesk Inventor Fusion for OSX and Windows
Have no money and need fancy 3D modeling software? If that’s your situation, you’re in luck: Autodesk is now offering a free preview of their Inventor Fusion 3D modeling software. Inventor Fusion is Autodesk’s tool that unites both parametric and direct modeling approaches, hence its name, “Fusion”. The new version incorporates some very cool… Continue reading Free Autodesk Inventor Fusion for OSX and Windows
I’m Printing On A Jet Plane
Almost. MakerBot posts an incredible story of Japanese designer Yoshishiro Shibata, who desperately required a shield for the robot he was taking to Robogames. Why didn’t he just make one? Because he was out of time and actually enroute to the US, flying over the Pacific Ocean. The solution? A quick sketch design and… Continue reading I’m Printing On A Jet Plane
Human Races 3D Printer. Who Won?
Are robots (and 3D printers) taking over the world? Perhaps not yet, but the signs are clearly visible. Some may be concerned with this development, and one person, UK designer Dominic Wilcox, decided to challenge the evil machines with his bare hands! At the Milan Design Week, Wilcox challenged The Machines via Twitter and… Continue reading Human Races 3D Printer. Who Won?
The 3D4D Challenge
There’s a new 3D printing contest about to begin, but this one is a little different. The 3D4D Challenge is focused on charity. Organized by techfortrade and sponsored by 3D printer manufacturer MakerBot and 3D printing consultants Econolyst, the contest commences on May 1st. We can’t say much more about the 3D4D Challenge at… Continue reading The 3D4D Challenge
Google Sells SketchUp!
Big news! Google has sold off the hugely popular SketchUp 3D modeling tool to Trimble. Wait, who are Trimble, exactly? They’re a “leading provider of advanced location-based solutions that maximize productivity and enhance profitability”. In other words, they leverage GPS and other location tech to develop point products for quite a few different industries. … Continue reading Google Sells SketchUp!
Solidoodle 2 Announced
Readers may recall the original Solidoodle 3D printer. Now you can buy the Solidoodle 2, an improved version for sale at a price under USD$500. The new 3D printer’s price is its most amazing feature. At USD$499, that’s pretty much the lowest you can spend to buy a pre-assembled personal 3D printer that really works. … Continue reading Solidoodle 2 Announced
Are We Ready for 3D Printing?
An unusual post by Rod Roddenberry in Huffington Post ponders whether society is sufficiently “evolved” to handle 3D printers. The proposition is that if 3D printing tech becomes widespread, then your shopping will be done online – the selected 3D models will be printed at home. The implication, according to Roddenberry, is that the changes… Continue reading Are We Ready for 3D Printing?
Be An Action Hero!
There are quite a few specialized 3D print services emerging in the consumer space, but we kinda like this one: Firebox. Why? Because you can easily (well, by paying their fee of £79.99, or USD$127) you can get your own head on a real action figure. The process is simple: take two pictures of… Continue reading Be An Action Hero!
3D Printed Typography
This is an interesting design: designer Luca Ionescu used typography as the foundation for this piece, which is not surprising, since Ionescu is also a typographer. The complex design incorporates type as a main feature; this approach is something we see often when people are preparing custom 3D prints. Typography is one of the… Continue reading 3D Printed Typography
Pottery Via 3D Printing
We never realized it, but extrusion-based 3D printing is quite similar to traditional methods of making ceramic pots. In the ancient method, a roll of clay is set in a circle, then another is affixed on top, gradually building up the object into a full pot. Sound familiar? Artist and potter Jonathan Keep realized… Continue reading Pottery Via 3D Printing
The ZPrinter 850 is Announced
3D Systems and their recent acquisition, ZCorp, announced the availability of their most gigantic 3D printer yet, the ZPrinter 850. The 850 is capable of 3D printing large objects in full color using its powder-based printing approach. This beast is similar to the smaller model 650, but with a larger build area. The new… Continue reading The ZPrinter 850 is Announced
The Asiga 3D Printer
With all the chatter recently surrounding inexpensive high-resolution resin 3D printers, we encountered a commercial resin 3D printer worthy of mention. The Asiga Pico is a relatively low-priced unit that not only provides high resolution models, but also has a very friendly footprint. The device weighs only 10Kg (22 lbs) and has a floor… Continue reading The Asiga 3D Printer
The Beginnings of FDM 3D Printing
While visiting Stratasys’ HQ in Minneapolis, we were able to meet CEO and Founder Scott Crump, who told the story of how he invented the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) process many years ago. He was inspired by two things: the need to be able to make prototypes inexpensively and two-dimensional plotters. He had the… Continue reading The Beginnings of FDM 3D Printing
3D Balloon Printing
Normally one makes solid objects with a 3D printer, but how about making balloons? Yes, real, floaty inflatable balloons. That’s now possible, according to New Scientist, who reported on developments at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. The trick is that they don’t 3D print the actual balloons. Instead, they design and 3D print… Continue reading 3D Balloon Printing
Extreme Redesign 2012 Winners Announced
The 2012 Extreme Redesign Contest is completed and the winners have been announced by sponsor Stratasys. Winners were selected in four categories: Middle/High School, College Engineering, Art & Architecture. Winners received USD$2500 scholarships and runners-up received scholarships of USD$1,000 each. As usual, the winning ideas (as well as those placing second and third) were… Continue reading Extreme Redesign 2012 Winners Announced
That Cubify Van
To promote their new Cube 3D printer and Cubify 3D printing community, 3D Systems has a tricked out van shuttling around the USA. The van is equipped with Cube 3D printers and evidently a ton of 3D models, too, as they’re printing stuff at every stop. They’ve started in the western USA and are more… Continue reading That Cubify Van
Haptic A-Go-Go
Anarkik3D has opened a crowd funding initiative at IndieGoGO to raise money for enhancements to their Cloud9 haptic 3D modeling software. The project’s goal is sufficient funding for two full time programmers to develop the improvements, which means USD$120,000 by June 27th. We think this is important, because, as Anarkik3D’s CEO Ann Marie Shillito… Continue reading Haptic A-Go-Go
BotMill Drops Pricing
We were just informed by BotMill chief Gil Mayron that they’ve changed pricing for their Axis 3D printer kit. The Axis 3D printer kit, based on the RepRap design, is now offered officially for USD$999, breaking the important USD$1,000 barrier. This kit includes not only the printer parts, but also all tools required… Continue reading BotMill Drops Pricing
EOS Files 3D Printing Patent Infringement Lawsuit
Oh oh – we’re now seeing major lawsuits flying in the 3D printing industry for perhaps the first time. EOS, the Munich-based manufacturer of laser sintering 3D printing gear, has filed suits against Phenix Systems of France. Apparently this scenario began when Phenix produced their PXL, PXM, PXS and PXS Dental 3D printers, all… Continue reading EOS Files 3D Printing Patent Infringement Lawsuit
A Visit to RedEye
Recently we had the privilege of visiting Stratasys’ Minneapolis-based 3D print service: RedEye On Demand. Wait, we shouldn’t call it a “3D Printing Service” anymore. This facility performs much more than just 3D printing, although that forms a large portion of their work. In addition to Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), they offer cast urethane and… Continue reading A Visit to RedEye
3D Systems Added to S&P SmallCap 600 Index
Standard and Poors have added 3D Systems to their SmallCap 600 index. The index is a basket of (surprise) 600 companies whose aggregated stock prices offer insight into medium-sized company performance. 3D Systems was able to be added after one of the existing companies, Taleo, was acquired by Oracle (making it definitely not a Small… Continue reading 3D Systems Added to S&P SmallCap 600 Index
Massive News: Objet and Stratasys Merge
Stratasys announced they’ve merged with the largest remaining large commercial 3D printer manufacturer, Objet of Israel, creating the now-largest 3D printing company with a market capitalization of USD$1.4B. The newly merged company was created by merging stock such that Stratasys shareholders will own 55 percent and Objet shareholders 45 percent. The new company retains… Continue reading Massive News: Objet and Stratasys Merge
On Demand 3D Printed Robots?
MIT has organized a US$10M grant to fund a new project that will attempt to “reinvent how robots are designed and produced“. They feel this could have a “profound impact on society”, when one could “order” a special purpose robot on demand and very quickly receive it. They’re trying to bypass the current methods… Continue reading On Demand 3D Printed Robots?
Ghana Social Centre Aided by 3D Printing
A terrible storm in Ghana badly damaged the Catholic-operated community hall, resulting in the demolition of the ruins. The diocese contracted the replacement build to Munich-based architect Wieland Schimdt, who had to design a structure that used nearby materials, was environmentally friendly and was able to withstand the oppressive tropical heat – both structurally and… Continue reading Ghana Social Centre Aided by 3D Printing
FigurePrints Moves Into Minecraft
We hadn’t noticed this before, but specialty 3D printing service FigurePrints is now into the MineCraft business. FigurePrints, long-time Fabbaloo readers may recall, was featured in one of our very first posts in 2007. They’ve been around a long time. What do they do? They extract 3D information from online games and produce the… Continue reading FigurePrints Moves Into Minecraft
How To Screw Your 3D Print
We don’t mean ruining it! We mean being able to successfully insert screws into your 3D printed model for attaching other components. Let’s be clear: you can make much more interesting objects when you use multiple components. But how do you fit them together? One could resort to designing matching slots in each piece… Continue reading How To Screw Your 3D Print
3D Systems Picks Up Robots, And More
Industry giant 3D Systems has made another acquisition, and this one appears to be a little different than previous purchases. They’ve acquired specialty 3D print service MyRobotNation, whom we’ve written about in the past. MyRobotNation’s specialty is, well, robots. Personalized robots. The service provides users with a very easy to use (and fun) interface… Continue reading 3D Systems Picks Up Robots, And More
MIT Plans To Replace 3D Printers
There are quite a few different approaches to producing 3D objects using additive manufacturing (as opposed to subtractive manufacturing; you know, carving and chopping), but MIT’s latest idea is perhaps the most advanced we’ve yet seen. While most 3D printers either deposit or fuse in-place material into solid objects, MIT’s experiment involves a massive… Continue reading MIT Plans To Replace 3D Printers
A Call For A 3D Printing X-Prize
After re-reading our post on entrepreneur Peter Diamandis’ new book, Abundance, we were reminded that Diamandis was the original proposer of the X Prize. The X Prize is now a foundation that pays for the development of amazing technological achievements. The most famous X Prize was the first one, which spurred the development of a… Continue reading A Call For A 3D Printing X-Prize
Sculpteo Alumides!
3D print service Sculpteo announced the availability of a new 3D print material: Alumide. What is Alumide? It’s a mix of polyamide and aluminum powder yielding 3D prints that are stronger than just plastic but weaker than metal. Like plastic and some metals, it can actually bend slightly, making it useful for objects undergoing minor… Continue reading Sculpteo Alumides!
3D Printing a Pulsar
A pulsar is a very strange astronomical object that is the result of a collapsing star. The conservation of angular momentum means the small collapsed star spins very rapidly, causing it to “pulse” its radio signals on a very reliable frequency, hence the name “Pulsar”. Peter Walters and Katie Davies of England’s University of… Continue reading 3D Printing a Pulsar
Hod Lipson in The Inquirer
There’s a terrific interview with 3D printing researcher Hod Lipson of Cornell University in The Inquirer. Lipson discusses his life and how it led him to performing advanced research on 3D printing and related technologies. He talks about how 3D printing technology is sometimes viewed mistakenly by the general public: Lipson says people… Continue reading Hod Lipson in The Inquirer
The MiiCraft Hi-Res 3D Printer
Another resin-based personal 3D printer is in the works, as pointed out by Ponoko. The MiiCraft team have been working on a device that cures resin with UV light provided by a DLP Pico Projector. They don’t have a product available yet, but their goal is to produce one by June 2012 and price… Continue reading The MiiCraft Hi-Res 3D Printer
Print The Eiffel
A post on Objet’s blog shows off a totally amazing 3D print of Paris’ Eiffel Tower. This 20+ cm version is highly detailed and is made with Objet’s clear material. We’re particularly impressed with the lack of “stringies” that are so often found on prints from extruded plastic personal 3D printers. The problem is… Continue reading Print The Eiffel
Veloso 3D Printer Update
In an unusual post by Junior Veloso, the inventor attempts to clarify the nature of the shockingly powerful 3D printer his company is now developing. Evidently the project has been questioned by many who wonder about the quality and cost of the build kit. The kit is set to cost a rather scary USD$4,000.… Continue reading Veloso 3D Printer Update
Inspired by Biomimetics
We’ve previously written on research into the application of 3D printing in building construction. The idea is that rather than having a completely uniform interior geometry for building materials, we create variably shaped interiors. In other words, instead of bricks with solid or uniformly latticed interiors, more material occurs in places where more physical stress… Continue reading Inspired by Biomimetics
Chocolate 3D Printer Now Available
The folks at the University of Exeter who were experimenting with 3D printed chocolate that actually tastes good have spun off the technology into a commercial venture, Choc Edge. Their first product, the Choc Creator V1, is now available for pre-order. What is it? It’s a true 3D printer that is specifically designed to… Continue reading Chocolate 3D Printer Now Available
An Introduction to Dental 3D Printing
Many of our readers are operate or are keenly interested in personal 3D printers, but they are also aware that 3D printing was originally used for industrial uses. One of those uses is in dentistry, where “personalized fit” is essential. Creating one-time unique dental shapes is the business of dentists and 3D printing technology is… Continue reading An Introduction to Dental 3D Printing
Should You Protect Your 3D Design?
You’ve spent hours to create the perfect 3D model in your favorite 3D tool. Do you own this digital property? Probably, but can you prove it? Exactly. That’s the problem that’s solved by third party intellectual property registration services, such as ProtectRite. They’ll accept (for a fee) your digital file and timestamp it within… Continue reading Should You Protect Your 3D Design?
Heated Chamber For Personal 3D Printers
This idea is hot – literally. Instructables member UglyBuddha created and posted a design for a Heated Build Chamber for his RapMan personal 3D printer. No, he doesn’t install a heated chamber into his RapMan. Instead he builds a heated chamber around the 3D printer! Wait a moment. Why would one require a heated… Continue reading Heated Chamber For Personal 3D Printers
The Cube on CNN
Big media coverage for 3D Systems this week: 3D Systems CEO Abe Reichental appeared on CNN to demonstrated their new USD$1300 “Cube” personal 3D printer. Reichental explained the basics of 3D printing to the audience and said that although 3D printing has been around for decades for industrial applications, 3D Systems is now “democratizing” the… Continue reading The Cube on CNN
Tutorial: Fix Your Messed Up 3D Scan
If you ever try to do 3D scanning at home using the rudimentary tools now available, you’ll quickly realize it isn’t particularly easy. Sure, the capture part of the job is relatively straightforward, but the clean up phase is often quite difficult. Typical raw scans contain not only stray data points and somewhat inaccurately… Continue reading Tutorial: Fix Your Messed Up 3D Scan
The Ultimate 3D Print
What is the “Ultimate 3D Print”? We’ve all seen fantastic designs made by incredible artists. Some of them are generated using complex mathematical algorithms, while others are carefully crafted by hand. They’re amazing. But are they the ultimate 3D print? Does the single item you should print exist among them? We think not. … Continue reading The Ultimate 3D Print
Printing a Buckliball?
We’re always fascinated by those gift cards that pop up into ingenious 3D structures when you open them up, but could something like this be done in 3D? It turns out you can with a new design called the “Buckliball”. The Buckliball is a sphere that can grow or shrink by twisting its form… Continue reading Printing a Buckliball?
$600 Resin 3D Printer Kit Available
3D printer inventor Junior Veloso has transformed his home experiments in ultra-high resolution resin-based 3D printing into a business launch. The as yet unnamed 3D printer is now available in kit form for pre-order on Indiegogo at a cost of only USD$599. The USD$599 is actually the price for a “Basic Kit” that includes… Continue reading $600 Resin 3D Printer Kit Available
3D Printing Can Be Green
Eco-blog GreenProphet recognizes the potential green value of 3D printing in a recent post. They were inspired by Objet’s recent experiment in 3D printing an entire car dashboard (which, by the way, has been done before by 3D Systems as you can see an entire Mercedes dashboard in their lobby). Objet’s automobile experiment attempted… Continue reading 3D Printing Can Be Green
3D Printing Plastic AND Metal
Whoa – 3D printing plastic AND metal at the same time? There are many kinds of 3D printers in the world these days, most printing only plastic and some able to print metal. But printing both? That’s exactly what a joint initiative between ABS plastic 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys is doing with metal 3D printer… Continue reading 3D Printing Plastic AND Metal
The Free Universal Construction Kit
There’s a growing amount of free 3D models, as you may have noticed, and a recent addition is the Free Universal Construction Kit by The Free Art and Technology Lab (FAT). They are a “an organization dedicated to enriching the public domain through the research and development of creative technologies and media.” And in… Continue reading The Free Universal Construction Kit
No Future For FDM 3D Printers?
Sometimes the ideas in several Fabbaloo posts add up to another idea. In this case it has to do with our thoughts about resin-based 3D Printing. First we saw a microscopic 3D printer offering fantastic print speeds and then we see several developments in open source resin-based 3D printing. We also see challenges with… Continue reading No Future For FDM 3D Printers?
Intellectual Property Rights vs 3D Printing
In a post on Tech.pinions, reporter Steve Wildstrom writes his thoughts on the collision of 3D printing and intellectual property rights, which we’ve discussed previously on several occasions. All agree this will be a messy business, at least until we figure out the answers. Wildstrom thinks that it may be possible for 3D printer… Continue reading Intellectual Property Rights vs 3D Printing
Open3DP is Now Open3DP
The busy folks at the University of Washington’s Solheim Additive Manufacturing Laboratory in their Mechanical Engineering Department have opened up again. Opened up? That’s right, they were “intellectual property” closed for several weeks as their legal department imposed a rather crushing IP regime upon them. However, they’ve managed to overcome this by convincing their… Continue reading Open3DP is Now Open3DP
MakerBot Replicator User Guide Available
MakerBot has published a “User Guide” for their new Replicator personal 3D printer. It seems like an obvious thing to do for almost any product, but we think this is important. Why? 3D printing is still very new to almost everyone, particularly the market targeted by MakerBot’s latest device. Many people still need… Continue reading MakerBot Replicator User Guide Available
Are FabLabs Enough?
We’re reading a fascinating and provocative article by entrepreneur Nick Pelling detailing his thoughts around the uses of 3D printing, manufacturing processes and creativity. Pelling feels that the simple Fablabs sprouting up all over are insufficient for inventors and entrepreneurs to truly prototype for mass production. Prototypes “for looks”, just aren’t good enough. … Continue reading Are FabLabs Enough?
Rome, Digitized
Rome Reborn is a breathtaking project at the University of Virginia in which historians and 3D modelers are attempting the impossible: build a highly detailed, massively comprehensive 3D model of the city of Ancient Rome. It’s not just a single model, either. They’re intending on building several models representing the state of the Eternal City… Continue reading Rome, Digitized
3D Printer Assisted Super Bowl Ads
We know that 3D printing was used extensively or partially in the production of several recent movies, including Iron Man and Coraline. But did you know that 3D printing was employed to assist the development of some of this year’s Super Bowl advertisements? Objet reports that 3D printing was used in two Bridgestone ads… Continue reading 3D Printer Assisted Super Bowl Ads
Extreme Redesign Finalists Announced
Stratasys sponsors the Extreme Redesign 3D Printing Challenge each year and they’ve just announced the finalists in the three categories: Art & Architecture; Middle / High School Engineering; College Engineering. An inspection of the list shows a huge variety of entries from across the world. This challenge is not a US-only event by any… Continue reading Extreme Redesign Finalists Announced
3Dify From Matherix Labs
Some weeks ago we wrote on a breakthrough in inexpensive 3D scanning by ReconstructMe, which permits true, 360-degree 3D capture of 3D models of real objects. While ReconstructMe works quite well, it requires a super-powerful graphics card in your Windows PC simply because it’s producing the 3D model in real time as you scan. … Continue reading 3Dify From Matherix Labs
Adafruit’s 3D Printing Badges Unboxed
Readers may recall electronics kit producer Adafruit now offers a variety of “scout badges” for technical accomplishments. One of the badges recognizes expertise in 3D printing. Limor and Phillip of Adafruit were kind enough to send us a batch of said badges for review and as you can see, they look very attractive (click… Continue reading Adafruit’s 3D Printing Badges Unboxed
3D Printing Movie Props At Home
We just finished reviewing a rather interesting Instructable detailing the steps you’d take to produce a complete, wearable Iron Man mask with your 3D printer (with some red and gold paint, of course). Maker samohtep takes you through the process of developing the model, printing the pieces, painting, finishing and assembly. The result is… Continue reading 3D Printing Movie Props At Home
Microscopic 3D Printer
Numerous readers pointed us to a post by the Vienna University of Technology who recently made a very significant breakthrough in microscopic 3D printing. What is this breakthrough? They were able to successfully perform actual 3D printing operations at a microscopic scale, building the racing car you see in the image here. How “microscopic”… Continue reading Microscopic 3D Printer
Resin-Based 3D Printer Developments
We’ve observed a few developments in resin-based 3D printing recently. While most personal 3D printers today use the fused deposition modeling approach (melted plastic squirted in a precise path, layer by layer), the resin approach is very different and in many ways offers advantages. The resin approach involves light-curable liquid resin. Simply illuminate the… Continue reading Resin-Based 3D Printer Developments
MakerBot Software Update
MakerBot has released a new version of the ReplicatorG software that drives their personal 3D printers. ReplicatorG version 0034 now includes a few new features, including an optimization to speed up heating of both the heated build platform (image above) and the twin extruders (if using their new two-headed Replicator). Another interesting feature included… Continue reading MakerBot Software Update
Open3DP is Now Open3DP
The busy folks at the University of Washington’s Solheim Additive Manufacturing Laboratory in the Mechanical Engineering Department have opened up again. Opened up? That’s right, they were “intellectual property” closed for several weeks as their legal department imposed a rather crushing IP regime upon them. However, they’ve managed to overcome this by convincing their… Continue reading Open3DP is Now Open3DP
Scream A 3D Print, Literally
A truly amazing installation of what’s called “Production Art” is now open for viewing – and screaming – at Rabobank HQ in Utrecht, Netherlands. Screaming, you ask? That’s exactly what visitors must do when the visit Alicia Framis’ “Screaming Room” exhibition. You scream, the waveform is recorded and translated instantly into a 3D model (a… Continue reading Scream A 3D Print, Literally
Hilldrup’s Fragments in Time
We caught news of an interesting artistic application of 3D printing, on display this past week in Munich at the 84Ghz exhibition. Artist Daniel Hilldrup created two works from his series Fragments in Time using 3D printing tech from Objet. One item is imaged here, showing a candle holder with the wax seemingly melting… Continue reading Hilldrup’s Fragments in Time
Hear and Feel Your Favorite Sounds
This is interesting – Shapeways has teamed up with online Sound sharing site SoundCloud to produce “The Vibe” a very unique 3D model creator. From your SoundCloud account you can select your favorite sound, perhaps a song or yourself speaking. This sound’s waveform is automatically transformed into a visible representation of the wave as the… Continue reading Hear and Feel Your Favorite Sounds
Optomec’s LENS 3D Printers
Is that 3D object you just printed weak? Does it bend, break or snap loudly if you give it a loving squeeze? If so, you might consider 3D printing it in metal instead of wimpy plastic. But how, you say? My printer can’t do metal! If that’s the case, you might want to… Continue reading Optomec’s LENS 3D Printers
3D Printing Seeps Into The Arts
When you envision the opening of a new school for the Creative and Performing Arts, sponsored by filmmaker Sir Richard Taylor, head of WETA, you’d think you’d see typical film and acting facilities and equipment. Cameras, stages, studios and the like. The new Creative and Performing Arts Centre at Scots College in Strathmore,… Continue reading 3D Printing Seeps Into The Arts
Make Your Own iPhone Case, and More
There’s a great Instructable now available showing how to design and 3D print an iPhone case. You might not find that particularly interesting, but we found one aspect quite intriguing. It was the method of design. While one might simply obtain the dimensions of an iPhone and then design around that, the Intstructable did… Continue reading Make Your Own iPhone Case, and More
3D Printing For Graphic Artists
Graphics.com, a publication dedicated to the 3D arts recently posted “Fundamentals: 3D Printing of Digital Models”. In this piece they take the reader through a basic explanation of 3D printing concepts and a walk through the lifecycle of a print: design, print and finishing of a trophy award (see image). No big surprises, but… Continue reading 3D Printing For Graphic Artists
SparkLab: BuildMobile
Of all the Kickstarter-style 3DP projects we’ve seen lately, the SparkLab concept may be the most valuable to society. No, you won’t get a fancy sculpture but you will get the satisfaction of supporting the spread of 3D printing and DIY making knowledge. What is the SparkLab concept? It’s quite simple. They proponents realized… Continue reading SparkLab: BuildMobile
Insects Au Gratin
What might you expect to find at an exhibition entitled, “Insects Au Gratin”. Why yes, you guess correctly. This exhibition details 3D food printing, but with a twist: the print material is a flour made from “dried insects combined with soft cheese.” Why would anyone do this? Because: “Insects Au Gratin looks… Continue reading Insects Au Gratin
The Indymaker Color 3D Printer
Finally – we’ve been waiting for this! Maker Doug Keenan of Indianapolis has designed a personal 3D printer that has a very unique feature: Four Color Printing. The Indymaker Color 3D Printer accepts up to four plastic filament spools, which may be of different colors. A special switch delivers different color plastic to the print… Continue reading The Indymaker Color 3D Printer
RMIT’s AMP Needs a TC
So many acronyms! Let’s translate the headline for you: the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology’s RMIT University’s Advanced Manufacturing Precinct (AMP) is looking to hire a new Technical Coordinator. Why do we find this posting of interest? Because: RMIT University’s Advanced Manufacturing Precinct (AMP) facility brings together research, design and advanced manufacturing in… Continue reading RMIT’s AMP Needs a TC