There was something quite unusual about the 3D printer manufacturers exhibiting at CES 2014 versus those exhibiting the previous year. At the London 3D Printshow, for example, we saw dozens of plastic filament machines, typically regionally focused. At CES 2014 we saw multiple resin-based 3D printers. It seems that the expiration of patents has… Continue reading The Rise of Resin 3D Printers
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Matterform’s 3D Scanner in the Flesh
We managed to chat with Adam Brandejs of Matterform at CES, where he and colleagues demonstrated their powerful and inexpensive tabletop 3D scanner. We wondered how they felt about recent announcements by other companies of various kinds of 3D scanners. Matterform is not concerned and reports that “pre-sales have been going very well” for… Continue reading Matterform’s 3D Scanner in the Flesh
Two 3D Printing Companies, Two Big Stars
Some outside the 3D printing community have a hard time connecting with the latest happenings. It can be quite technical at times and it’s even more difficult to relate that technology to one’s personal life. This connection is critical for 3D printing companies because that’s how you persuade the public to buy your products: find… Continue reading Two 3D Printing Companies, Two Big Stars
Finally, a 3D Printer Statistic
At CES 2014 MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis dropped a stat we’d been waiting to hear. Pettis claimed that MakerBot has sold and shipped over 44,000 MakerBot 3D printers so far. We’re excited because such information is very hard to come by from 3D printer manufacturers. While most manufacturers will claim (correctly) that their sales… Continue reading Finally, a 3D Printer Statistic
Sculpteo’s Factory Button
If you’ve been learning about 3D printing, you’ll know that the best things to print are those that are one-offs. Unique, custom items that are made once for someone. They’re special and “fit” only one use or person. If you want to make many of an item, you should not 3D print but instead… Continue reading Sculpteo’s Factory Button
The Surprising Da Vinci 3D Printer Series
At CES 2014 we bumbled into a rather large booth (which we estimate cost around USD$40,000 just for the floor space at CES) from XYZ Printing. You may not have heard of XYZ Printing before, but we think they could be a contender. How could such a new entrant afford a gigantic booth at… Continue reading The Surprising Da Vinci 3D Printer Series
How’s Afinia Doing After that Stratasys Patent Claim?
3D printing giant Stratasys made a claim against Afinia, saying the latter has violated not one, but four of their patents related to plastic extrusion-based 3D printing. Now, you’d think having the weight of a major patent suit against you would have an effect on sales. Would prospective customer be scared off by the legal… Continue reading How’s Afinia Doing After that Stratasys Patent Claim?
Kodak Alaris Partnering with MCOR?
We observed something rather strange at CES last week. MCOR showed their amazing paper-based color 3D printer, the Iris, as you might expect, but we noticed ANOTHER MCOR Iris hiding on the show floor. It was secretly hidden behind the door to this private meeting room, owned by Kodak Alaris. If you’re not… Continue reading Kodak Alaris Partnering with MCOR?
Design of the Week: Reverberating Across the Divide
This week’s selection is Madeline Gannon’s Reverberating Across the Divide project, a 3D printed, custom-fitted decorative collar. Gannon, a doctoral student studying generative fabrication and computational design in the CMU School of Architecture, developed a technique for generating this collar using a combination of computational and manual processes. Please watch the video… Continue reading Design of the Week: Reverberating Across the Divide
Hands on with ColorFabb’s PLA Filament
We happened to score some ColorFabb filament and gave it a test in our lab. This material, as we’ve written before, is not actually pure PLA plastic. It’s a hybrid mix of PLA and PHA, intended to provide a bit better flex and durability. We found the filament to have a rather different unboxing… Continue reading Hands on with ColorFabb’s PLA Filament
t-glase: A Clear Plastic for your 3D Printer
As the market for personal 3D printers expands, so do your options for plastic filaments. Along with the standard ABS and PLA filaments that have been available for many years, we’ve seen a number of fascinating experiments with different filaments, including some involving wood and ceramics. Now Taulman offers another unique filament: t-glase. What makes… Continue reading t-glase: A Clear Plastic for your 3D Printer
One of These 3D Metal Printers Will Be Acquired?
We speculated the other day regarding Stratasys’ lack of metal 3D printing capability and suggested that they have been raising money to execute a major corporate acquisition to put that missing tech in their portfolio. Several spy reports seem to confirm this type of acquisition is in the works. But who will they acquire? … Continue reading One of These 3D Metal Printers Will Be Acquired?
SLS 3D Printing: At Home?
Patents related to the SLS 3D printing process are about to expire. SLS stands for Selective Laser Sintering, a process where a layer of powder is selectively melted by a laser, gradually forming an object. Up to now, the technology has been exclusively used by 3D Systems, who owns the relevant patents. After Stratasys’… Continue reading SLS 3D Printing: At Home?
Low Cost, 3D Printed UAV Test Bed
3D Printing firm Solid Concepts has partnered with aerospace engineering firm Area-I to create a scale model of a 737 used to simulate real-world aerodynamics. Named the Prototype-Technology Evaluation and Research Aircraft (PTERA), the model craft serves as an inexpensive and safe bridge between wind tunnel evaluations and manned flight tests. During each flight… Continue reading Low Cost, 3D Printed UAV Test Bed
3D Systems Names Will.I.Am as Chief Creative Officer
We were assembled in sardine-quality packed formation in 3D Systems’ massive booth at CES2014, awaiting some kind of event involving mega-recording star Will.I.Am. Some suspected the artist would play us some tunes, although it seemed quite unlikely as the only musical equipment in the vicinity was 3D Systems’ usual 3D printed band instruments, which are… Continue reading 3D Systems Names Will.I.Am as Chief Creative Officer
The Newton3D Metal 3D Printer
Personal 3D printers have a limitation: materials. Typically used with plastic, many people would like to 3D print in metal. Now there seems to be an option for personal metal 3D printing: the Newton3D, “built from the research of Esteban Schunemann, PhD student at Brunel University”. We don’t know very much about this mysterious… Continue reading The Newton3D Metal 3D Printer
Keeping The Heat in 3D Printing
Most 3D printer owners quickly discover the perils of printing ABS plastic in a cold or even room temperature environment. The quirky material shrinks a small amount when it cools after emerging from the hot extruder. This often leads to warping, as the lower portions of the print shrink and the newer portions are still… Continue reading Keeping The Heat in 3D Printing
3D Systems Announces… Everything!
Yesterday as CES 2014 opened we had to drop by the 3D Systems booth as they had just that morning released information on multiple new products and services. It’s not the old days when one or perhaps two products appear; today they arrive in batches. We were toured through the new products by a very… Continue reading 3D Systems Announces… Everything!
Rehabilitating Lame Horses With 3D Printing
Readers may recall a story we did late last year in which custom titanium horseshoes were 3D printed for race horses in Australia. It turns out that this development was noted by Australian veterinarians treating horses afflicted with Laminitis, an inflammation in the area between the horse’s hoof and bone. The idea was to… Continue reading Rehabilitating Lame Horses With 3D Printing
The Six Challenges of 3D Food Printing
Yesterday we wrote on TNO’s work towards the challenge of 3D printed food. They’ve been experimenting with various processes and even combined their work with that of traditional chefs to create unique high-end dishes. But from a 3D printing point of view, we see a series of rather difficult challenges that must be worked… Continue reading The Six Challenges of 3D Food Printing
Developments in 3D Food Printing
We’re looking at a video from TNO, who have been developing various forms of 3D food printing. 3D printed food seems to be a topic of great interest among the public, although we’re not quite sure why. Perhaps it’s because almost everyone finds themselves in a kitchen sooner or later and reckons they’re a kind… Continue reading Developments in 3D Food Printing
MakerBot’s Stunning Announcements
A very excited MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis took the stage at a Las Vegas hotel yesterday and presented what must have been MakerBot’s most profound – and certainly biggest – set of product announcements in its history. Not one, not two, but three new 3D printers were announced, along with a series of related software,… Continue reading MakerBot’s Stunning Announcements
Formlabs Now Accepting Bitcoin
Formlabs, makers of the most popular resin-based personal 3D printer, announced they will now accept Bitcoin for purchases at their online store. While there may be other 3D printer manufacturers accepting Bitcoin, Formlabs seems to be the only big player doing so. Bitcoin, if you somehow haven’t heard, is a new digital currency enabling… Continue reading Formlabs Now Accepting Bitcoin
Top 10 Handheld 3D Scanning Tips
At the Fabbaloo Lab we’ve performed 3D scans using a variety of handheld scanning equipment, ranging from el-cheapo Microsoft Kinect hacks to pricey USD$50K units. The experience can be both frustrating and elating; it’s normally a learning process of discovering what to do and what not to do. Today we thought we’d list a few… Continue reading Top 10 Handheld 3D Scanning Tips
What Will Happen at CES 2014?
This week is the annual Consumer Electronics Show, where in recent years the 3D printing industry has gained a foothold; many 3D printing companies now present their story at booths on the trade show floor. So many 3D printing companies now exhibit at the show that organizers have placed them all within a kind of… Continue reading What Will Happen at CES 2014?
Design of the Week: Morphologic
This week’s selection is Morphologic, by the team of Chien Shuo Pai, Alberto Herrera Salas, Nishanth Peethala and Zhu Kele. Their purpose was to develop a structure that could become an architectural component. In the image you can see a miniature version demonstrating how the basic component can be recombined into potentially colossal structures. … Continue reading Design of the Week: Morphologic
The Staggering Implications of Afinia’s Countersuit
After last week’s blockbuster announcement of Afinia’s response to Stratasys’ allegations of patent infringement, we got thinking about what this might mean. We’re anxiously awaiting further developments, that likely being a full-on court case where a judge and jury hear detailed technical arguments from both sides. That hasn’t even begun yet and we suspect… Continue reading The Staggering Implications of Afinia’s Countersuit
What Will 3D Systems Announce at CES 2014?
We knew 3D Systems was set to make significant announcements at CES 2014 in Las Vegas, but now we have a preview. In a press release they said they would make not one, but TWELVE announcements. This is startling, as they previously announced a dozen or so new items at last month’s EuroMold conference in… Continue reading What Will 3D Systems Announce at CES 2014?
Which 3D Designs Are Worth The Money?
While it’s easy (if you know how to search) find free 3D models for printing on Thingiverse, there are several sites offering pay-for 3D models. In a world where there are literally hundreds of thousands of free models, which ones would people purchase for cash? 3D model site 3DAGOGO offers a selection of free… Continue reading Which 3D Designs Are Worth The Money?
Solid Concepts’ Printed Metal Gun on Sale
In just short of two months 3D printing firm Solid Concepts has introduced, and will now sell a 3D printed metal gun. While the model M1911 semi-automatic pistol is made from stainless steel and Inconel 625 it’s going to cost you a bit more than your standard issue US Army pistol. According to… Continue reading Solid Concepts’ Printed Metal Gun on Sale
Breaking: Afinia’s Startling Response to Stratasys’ Patent Claims
After appropriate time for attorneys to do their work, Afinia has formally responded in court documents to Stratasys’ claim of patent infringement. Readers may recall that Afinia is the target of a patent claim by Stratasys. The larger company claims Afinia has violated four of their numerous 3D printing-related patents. In the response, Afinia… Continue reading Breaking: Afinia’s Startling Response to Stratasys’ Patent Claims
The Fusematic 3D Printer
Maker’s Tool Works has announced a new 3D printer kit, the Fusematic. It succeeds MTW’s previous model, the MendelMax 2 by being “smaller, faster, and more affordable”. MTW simplified assembly by including assembly guides on the case, using linear rails, preassembling and pre-loading the electronics and keying the connectors. After assembly, you’ll find… Continue reading The Fusematic 3D Printer
The Beautiful Objects of MakerShop
Need something to 3D print? Tired of endlessly scrolling through Thingiverse? If that’s the case, you might want to try MakerShop, an alternative source for freely downloadable 3D models. Like most Thingiverse competitors, MakerShop has a far more limited selection of models. The site is organized into “Shops” by individual designers. One shop we… Continue reading The Beautiful Objects of MakerShop
Contour Crafting Update
Many years ago we wrote a brief story on Contour Crafting, who, if you don’t know, are developing the technologies necessary to 3D print entire buildings in concrete. The idea is to erect a “portable” 3D printer gantry around a home-building site and have the device extrude the walls of the building. This approach… Continue reading Contour Crafting Update
This 3D Printer is Truly a Monster
Ben Reytblat’s new venture, 3DMonstr, has attracted some attention on Kickstarter, where the pledges are flowing in rapidly for the new 3D printer. 3DMonstr is actually a family of fully assembled 3D printers, each of which entirely deserving of the “monster” label. Sure, it’s size that is the major factor. The “small” version, the… Continue reading This 3D Printer is Truly a Monster
FilaFlex is indeed Flexible
Another filament innovation has emerged from Recreus: Filaflex, a flexible filament. Using this material, your personal 3D printer might be able to 3D objects that are quite flexible, yet durable at the same time. How durable? Well, it seems that Recreus believes you can print usable footwear with this material as shown above. There’s… Continue reading FilaFlex is indeed Flexible
Four Possibly Crazy Predictions for 3D Printing in 2014
It’s that time of year again. The fresh new year has sprouted and we now must contemplate things that may come to pass in 2014. HP Enters the 3D Printing Marketplace – Again: Some years ago HP struck a deal with Stratasys to relabel and resell their uPrint line of (then) inexpensive commercial 3D… Continue reading Four Possibly Crazy Predictions for 3D Printing in 2014
Eleven Important Events for 3D Printing in 2013
It’s the end of another year and time to reflect on what has transpired. In the world of 3D printing, it’s great deal. 2013 had to have been the most momentous year in the history of 3D printing. Let’s look at some of the big events of the year. The ongoing acquisitions of smaller… Continue reading Eleven Important Events for 3D Printing in 2013
Africa’s Octo-Choco-Printer
We’ve heard about chocolate 3D printers before, but never one like this. Fouche Chocolates of South Africa, and specifically its engineer Hans Fouche has developed an eight-nozzle chocolate printer for producing custom delicacies. A detailed report on htxt.africa takes you through Fouche’s development process, which explains how the printer is used to create “edible… Continue reading Africa’s Octo-Choco-Printer
Wait, How Big Will 3D Printing Become?
Market Intelligence company IDC forecasts 3D printing will grow “ten times” by 2017 and that “worldwide hardware value will more than double in the short term.” They suggest that 2D printer companies such as HP and Konica Minolta may enter the 3D market by partnering with existing 3D printing companies. The forecasted growth… Continue reading Wait, How Big Will 3D Printing Become?
3D Printed Underwear?
A UK firm has revealed plans to produce a line of apparently 3D printed underwear. Tamicare has developed a new process that is said to enable 3D printed fabric, which they intend to produce underwear with, at least at first. The fabric generated through this process is trademarked as “CosyFlex”. It’s not entirely clear… Continue reading 3D Printed Underwear?
3D Printing Tall!
Most 3D printers have a significant limitation: size. The build volume dictates much about the things you produce on your device. Typically stated as a three axis volume, and rarely in liters, your standard personal 3D printer likely has a build volume of between 100-200mm per axis. Some machines have a relatively small volume,… Continue reading 3D Printing Tall!
Design of the Week: Spider Table
This week’s selection is the “Spider” table created by UK designer Daneil Widrig, who produced this work as a private commission. It’s made from 3D printed titanium, using an SLM process, and a slab of glass. The table is quite large by 3D printing standards; it’s 2.05 x 1.0 x 0.73 meters, but just… Continue reading Design of the Week: Spider Table
Something’s Going on at MakerBot
It finally hit us: something’s happening at MakerBot recently. We’ve noticed a couple of actual sales of their equipment, culminating with this rather striking Amazon deal. For the price of USD$2,799, you can obtain: A Replicator 2 A Digitizer Two spools of plastic filament Normally, this combination would sell separately for $3,695, but… Continue reading Something’s Going on at MakerBot
3D Systems Steps Into Multi-Material 3D Printing
3D Systems offers a very large suite of 3D printers, from personal to industrial, but none offered before has the capability of their new ProJet 5500x. What’s so different about it? The ProJet 5500x can print in multiple materials. To put that in perspective, the only other manufacturer that’s offered such a capability… Continue reading 3D Systems Steps Into Multi-Material 3D Printing
The LulzBot TAZ 3 Personal 3D Printer
LulzBot has released a new version of their popular TAZ personal 3D printer: 3.0. The new version includes several evolutionary improvements, including additional metal parts and a quicker-to-print-ready heated bed. The TAZ is an open-air 3D printer, meaning the heated bed is more important to avoid warping if you’re printing ABS plastic. TAZ has… Continue reading The LulzBot TAZ 3 Personal 3D Printer
Controversy Surrounds the Picaso 3D Printer?
We wrote earlier on the Russian-made Picaso Designer 3D printer. Now we’ve seen some evidence of strange goings-on in that company’s market. Picaso issued a press release stating (via translation): Due to the spread of false information and the advent of the Internet many sites do not have permission to sell products Picaso 3D,… Continue reading Controversy Surrounds the Picaso 3D Printer?
Miniature DMLS Prints Tiny Metal Parts
A joint venture between 3D-Micromac AG and EOS Gmbh has created a new micro-laser sintering technology (MLS) that can be used to create miniature metal components. While the two firms have been developing MLS technology since 2006 under the name of 3D MicroPrint, it was only last year that the technology was mature enough… Continue reading Miniature DMLS Prints Tiny Metal Parts
China Filament for your 3D Printer: Yes or No?
Owners of personal 3D printers require a supply of plastic filament to fuel their favorite device, but where should they purchase it from? The obvious and first answer is to simply buy it from the manufacturer of your printer. Most manufacturers, especially the larger manufacturers, often have a division that will sell you a… Continue reading China Filament for your 3D Printer: Yes or No?
Public or Private? How Ownership Affects 3D Printing Companies
There are two kinds of 3D printer companies these days: privately held or publicly traded. We believe the company type affects how they interact with the rest of the industry. Most small firms are privately held by the founders or a small group of investors. The largest companies, most notably Stratasys and 3D Systems,… Continue reading Public or Private? How Ownership Affects 3D Printing Companies
Three Delta 3D Printers: How To Tell Them Apart
Recently we’ve seen an increase in the number of “delta” 3D printers being produced. “Delta” refers to the rather unique extruder mechanical movement: arms attached to three towers intelligently coordinate “tipping motions” to smoothly move a level extruder platform through the build volume. These machines are easy to recognize: three tall posts with an… Continue reading Three Delta 3D Printers: How To Tell Them Apart
The Picaso Designer 3D Printer
Region manufacturers seem to exist in every area. That paradigm continues with the Russian-made Picaso Designer personal 3D printer. It’s a filament-based device, like many regional machines, capable of printing either PLA or ABS plastic, offering fairly typical specifications: Build volume of 200 x 200 x 200mm Layer size of 0.05mm Minimum wall… Continue reading The Picaso Designer 3D Printer
Lulzbot Simplifies Life for a Mouthguard Manufacturer
We’re reading a case study in which manufacturer Megalodon Sports managed to save considerable cash and time by 3D printing prototypes of their new mouthguard product. Now, we know you’re thinking that this is going to be one of those standard stories where a manufacturer saves thousands by moving their prototyping from expensive CNC… Continue reading Lulzbot Simplifies Life for a Mouthguard Manufacturer
The Growth of 3D Printing Stocks
This blog has a number of years under its belt. We first published on October 27th, 2007, a period when 3D printing was not well known outside of a small set of industrial users. Much has happened since then. At that time there were two major 3D printing companies, 3D Systems and Stratasys, who… Continue reading The Growth of 3D Printing Stocks
London’s Science Museum Goes Online with 3D Printing
The London Science Museum, whom we visited recently, is displaying a huge collection of 3D printed objects in their “3D Printing The Future” exhibit. That massive collection is apparently not sufficient for them, as they’ve launched a new Tumblr blog for folks to post pictures of their best 3D prints. And what a set… Continue reading London’s Science Museum Goes Online with 3D Printing
The Kevvox 3D Printer
We had a close look at the Kevvox 3D printer at EuroMold. It uses a resin-based process, as so many new 3D printers seem to these days, but the results are quite spectacular. Three years in development, the Kevvox uses long-lasting LED lighting to cure the several resins offered. They offer a wax resin… Continue reading The Kevvox 3D Printer
Who Will Stratasys Acquire Next?
While attending EuroMold the other week we happened to listen in to a media talk by Stratasys CEO David Reis, who spoke about Stratasys’ progress over the past year. But one part of his talk was more intriguing than the rest. Reis explained that Stratasys had issued shares several months ago to raise funds.… Continue reading Who Will Stratasys Acquire Next?
The Asiga Pico 3D Printer
We’re starting to observe a collision between the lowering prices of commercial 3D print gear with the rising prices of increasingly more capable personal 3D printers. Today only a few thousand dollars separate the two. One example of a commercial unit that’s priced very effectively is the Asiga Pico, a small volume resin-based 3D printer. … Continue reading The Asiga Pico 3D Printer
Continuum Fashion Speaks
Mary Huang, co-founder of Continuum Fashion recently spoke at a LeWeb event, where she described some of their work to produce ready-to-wear 3D printed shoes. Ms. Huang explained the basics of 3D printing, which is still new to many. It seems that 3D printing with desktop equipment is actually quite suitable for the production… Continue reading Continuum Fashion Speaks
Design of the Week: Quantum Object #1
This week’s selection is Quantum Object #1 by sculptor Frederik De Wilde. It’s a trippy piece we first noticed at this year’s London 3D Printshow, where it was on display among many other spectacular pieces. Visually, it’s a plane with drips extending in opposite directions, defying gravity in two different directions. But why is… Continue reading Design of the Week: Quantum Object #1
A Virtual 3D Printer in Minecraft
Ingenious YouTube user and Minecraft Designer ItsJustJumby has created a kind of virtual 3D printer in the world of Minecraft. Minecraft, if you’re not aware, is a simple to use 3D virtual environment where people can design and build, well, anything! Even though the “printed” output appears quite simplistic to real 3D printer… Continue reading A Virtual 3D Printer in Minecraft
Scan-A-Claus? In New York City?
3D Systems’ Cubify division announced a unique service: Scan-A-Claus, just in time for the holiday season. It’s a 21st Century take on a 20th Century tradition: a picture with Santa Claus. Some readers may recall from their youth the sometimes awkward moments sitting on a strange Santa’s knee waiting for a professional photographer to… Continue reading Scan-A-Claus? In New York City?
Cornell 3D Prints a Working Audio Speaker
Researchers at Cornell University have developed a method that is capable of 3D printing an entire, working audio speaker. The process involves two different 3D printers: one prints the basic structure in plastic, while the other prints the electronic parts within the plastic structure. It’s a two-stage operation, to be sure, but it… Continue reading Cornell 3D Prints a Working Audio Speaker
Fabulous Cosmo 3D Scans Released
Fabbaloo friend Cosmo Wenman, the fellow who produces incredibly detailed 3D models from scanned museum pieces, has released new sculptures. The two new releases are among the most famous statues in the world: the Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace. Wenman did not actually scan the actual pieces, but instead scanned highly… Continue reading Fabulous Cosmo 3D Scans Released
3D Printed Skulls Help Teach Future Brain Surgeons
Brain surgery is notoriously difficult with surgeons spending years honing their craft. Given the need for more hands-on practice performing surgical operations, researchers at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur have created a 3D printed skull that can provide just that. Using scans of each layer of the human skull, Vicknes Waran, professor… Continue reading 3D Printed Skulls Help Teach Future Brain Surgeons
Leapfrog’s Xeed Now Available for Purchase
As promised, the folks at Leapfrog have launched their biggest 3D printer, the Xeed. It’s big for a desktop 3D printer, but that fits its target market: offices where the device would be shared by (presumably) professionals. The Xeed offers premium 3D printer features, such as standard dual extruders, automatic bed leveling before each… Continue reading Leapfrog’s Xeed Now Available for Purchase
Is 3D Hubs’ 3D Printer Report Accurate?
The other day we reported on 3D Hubs most recent statistical analysis, in which they provided a list of what they consider to be the most popular 3D printers – at least in their scope of operation. The report generated comments and criticism, as the results were believed inaccurate by some readers. They’re right… Continue reading Is 3D Hubs’ 3D Printer Report Accurate?
Making Stuff Beyond 3D Printing
Those new to personal 3D printing may still glow from the thrill of creating objects simply by pushing the “print” button. It is always amazing to see objects appear from nothing and then hold them in your hand. But is this the end of it? Will you simply print plastic items? Not necessarily.… Continue reading Making Stuff Beyond 3D Printing
Prodways’ Unique 3D Printing Process
It’s always interesting to examine a 3D printer with an entirely new process for producing objects. One may think there’s only a few processes, but in fact companies often invent new methods. Prodways is one of them. We spoke with Prodways President Raphaël Gorgé (seen above with the M350) and Head of Research… Continue reading Prodways’ Unique 3D Printing Process
The Fabmaker 3D Printer
We checked out the Fabmaker 3D printer, which originates in Germany. It’s a plastic filament-based device that is targeted for educators. We asked about the features that make the Fabmaker so appropriate for the education market and were told: Fabmaker provides specific consulting services to educators The Fabmaker’s exterior case is made from safety… Continue reading The Fabmaker 3D Printer
Commercial 3D Printer Companies Focusing on Efficiency
At this year’s EuroMold trade show we were able to check out a number of commercial 3D printer companies. These are the organizations that produce the large scale devices capable of printing in exotic materials such as metal, nylon and even ceramics. They’re well beyond the price range of personal 3D printer owners, but the… Continue reading Commercial 3D Printer Companies Focusing on Efficiency
The Most Popular 3D Printers Are…
3D printer service 3D Hubs knows quite a bit about the state of personal 3D printers because it’s their business. They provide a service where folks with idle 3D printers can accept 3D print work for payment from the public. By tracking the changes in their population of 3D printer participants, 3D Hubs can… Continue reading The Most Popular 3D Printers Are…
Stratasys’ Nylon Material
A few weeks ago we speculated that Stratasys might begin focusing on new materials to exploit their huge base of installed 3D printers as their FDM patents expire, and it appears they’ve done so with the announcement of their new Nylon-12 material. Fred Fisher, Director of Materials at the company explained to Fabbaloo that… Continue reading Stratasys’ Nylon Material
The Village Plastics Acquisition: Explained
We stand corrected: today officials from 3D Systems informed us that in fact, Village Plastics has been supplying them with a very significant portion of the filament plastic used on their Cubify 3D printers. Yesterday we speculated that VP sold plastic only to 3D Systems’ competitors. Who knew? Now the acquisition makes complete sense.… Continue reading The Village Plastics Acquisition: Explained
3D Systems Acquires Village Plastics
In a totally surprising move, 3D printing giant 3D Systems acquired Ohio-based Village Plastics. VP, best known by their sales outlet Filaco, manufacturers generic plastic filament for personal 3D printers. The company is known for their high-quality, non-toxic filament and their penchant for experimenting with non-standard materials such as HIPS. But we’re wondering… Continue reading 3D Systems Acquires Village Plastics
Formlabs Releases a New Resin
Formlabs, makers of the popular Form 1 personal 3D printer have released a new resin. Previously, the company offered only two resins: Grey and Clear. The new material is “White”. For a rapid startup company such as Formlabs, it’s totally understandable they may take some time before introducing new materials, but now they’ve done… Continue reading Formlabs Releases a New Resin
Design of the Week: Verlan Dress
This week’s selection is the incredible Verlan Dress by NYC designer Francis Bitonti’s team. The dress is not only unusual in appearance but also its material, availability and creation process. The piece was sponsored by MakerBot in a successful effort to display their new Flexible Filament material, which was used in the dress to… Continue reading Design of the Week: Verlan Dress
How Good Can 3D Print Resolution Get?
Aside from research experiments in atomic-sized 3D printing, you might wonder what kind of ultimate 3D printing resolution could be achieved. Most personal 3D printers use a plastic filament-based process, which really doesn’t provide the best resolution. Typically prints are printed at a layer size no smaller than 0.1mm, simply because the visual appearance… Continue reading How Good Can 3D Print Resolution Get?
3D Systems Acquires Figulo
3D Systems has made another key acquisition, this time of a small but very interesting provider: Figulo. If you haven’t heard of them, they are perhaps the leading provider of glazed-ceramic 3D prints. We understand their services are used by some of the major 3D print services for outsourced ceramic work. Why is this… Continue reading 3D Systems Acquires Figulo
The RepRap Industrial
RepRap 3D printers are for hobbyists, right? For tinkerers who like to build their own machines? Not always, if you were to ask the brothers Kühling & Kühling, who produce the RepRap Industrial 3D printer. This machine is a pre-assembled RepRap machine specifically designed for industrial use. What makes it so? We noticed multiple… Continue reading The RepRap Industrial
The 3D Printed Robot Heart Powered by Urine
Researchers in the UK have created a 3D printed robotic heart that uses urine as its fuel source. While many might be repulsed by the idea of a heart that pumps urine, have no fear – the robotic heart is designed for use in robots, not humans. In a paper published in the… Continue reading The 3D Printed Robot Heart Powered by Urine
A Visit to the London Science Museum’s 3D Print Exhibit
We strolled through the London Science Museum’s new exhibit on 3D printing recently. The intent of the exhibit, entitled, “3D Printing the Future”, was to expose more of the public to the amazing technology of 3D printing. Indeed, this was the case as we observed dozens of people marveling over the numerous print examples on… Continue reading A Visit to the London Science Museum’s 3D Print Exhibit
The Be3D DeeOrange 3D Printer
The Be3D DeeOrange is a small personal 3D printer assembled by a Czech company with 20 years of experience in engineering and technology. Available for two years, the device is a solid unit containing some solid features. Inside the attractive case is a heated plate the makes the machine capable of 3D printing ABS… Continue reading The Be3D DeeOrange 3D Printer
Project Shapeshifter: How To Torture Objects
Autodesk certainly has delivered very interesting free 3D software available recently – and another that might join the suite might be “Project Shapeshifter”. It’s a web-based service that can be used to develop 3D models. The service is terribly easy to use: start with a template and simply shift the sliders (as seen in… Continue reading Project Shapeshifter: How To Torture Objects
Interactive 3D Model Design with Digital Forming
We spoke with Lisa Harouni (yes, the Lisa Harouni of TED fame) regarding her new venture, Digital Forming. It’s a cloud service that provides an ability to interactively generate 3D models, which of course, can then be 3D printed. How does it work? After a designer develops a 3D model of an object or… Continue reading Interactive 3D Model Design with Digital Forming
Digital Crafts: A Book for Artists Exploring 3D Printing
We’ve checked out a new book that is specifically designed to assist artists who enter the world of 3D printing and digital design. The book contains many case studies involving not only digital design using 3D CAD software, but also the process of 3D printing using contemporary equipment and 3D scanning. There’s even information… Continue reading Digital Crafts: A Book for Artists Exploring 3D Printing
Uformia’s MeshUp
Scandinavian software developer Uformia is working on a new tool: MeshUp. The new product complements their existing product, Symvol, which operates as a plugin to Rhino3D, the popular 3D modeling software package. MeshUp offers similar functionality but in a standalone application without the requirement for Rhino3D. But what does it do for you? Many… Continue reading Uformia’s MeshUp
A Personal 3D Metal Printer: In Progress
We’re checking out a project that’s listed on the RepRap Wiki: MetalicaRap. The goal is to produce a: Open 3D metal & home solar cell printer, based on the principles of electron beam welding and vapor deposition. No, it isn’t ready yet – the project is still in the planning stages. While the… Continue reading A Personal 3D Metal Printer: In Progress
The Five Most Important 3D Printing Tips You Must Know
If you have a plastic extrusion-based personal 3D printer, there’s some things you’d better know. This printing technology has its quirks regardless of the brand and model of machine you’re using. We’ve put together a few of the most basic things to know before you get started. Level The Bed: Perhaps the single most… Continue reading The Five Most Important 3D Printing Tips You Must Know
Personal 3D Printing In Gold
Can you 3D print in gold at home? Not exactly. But we have found an example of how you can use 3D printing technology to cast gold. In a now-old post on the Ultimaker blog, jeweler Paul Steenbrink (a.k.a. Cardillac) experimented with a technique for preparing gold jewelry: The 3D print is invested… Continue reading Personal 3D Printing In Gold
Sculpteo Partners with French Post Office
France-based 3D print service Sculpteo has partnered with the French post office, La Poste, to provide 3D print services at three locations in the Paris area. La Poste is interested in exploring new ways to revive interest in using postal services – and 3D printing could be one of those ways if the experiment… Continue reading Sculpteo Partners with French Post Office
Could 3D Print Recycling Be Dangerous?
Recently several ventures have attempted to produce devices for producing your own 3D printer plastic filament. The idea is that you can purchase plastic pellets at a fraction of the price of filament, feed them into the filament machine, which then extrudes filament for you to spool. There’s another way to use these devices:… Continue reading Could 3D Print Recycling Be Dangerous?
The Fatal Paradox of Plastic Extrusion 3D Printing
There are several questions always asked by the public about personal 3D printing whenever they are exposed to the technology. They want to know: How big of an object can I print? Is there a way to get rid of those unsightly layer lines? Why does printing take so long?!! The answers have… Continue reading The Fatal Paradox of Plastic Extrusion 3D Printing
Design of the Week: Shades of Grey
This week’s selection is Claire Thompson’s Shades of Grey. It’s a fascinating work that is both smooth and two-tone. Perfectly sized to sit on the edge of a table, the portrait carries an interesting story. From Thompson: Shades of Grey is a portrait, digitally and manually created, which references the complexity and ambiguity of… Continue reading Design of the Week: Shades of Grey
What 3D Printers Will Be Announced at CES 2014?
Last year at CES 2013 in Las Vegas we saw the start of a pattern: two significant personal 3D printers we announced. Both MakerBot and 3D Systems showed off new flagship devices. As they have not released any new machines since then, we suspect they both plan big announcements. But what could they be?… Continue reading What 3D Printers Will Be Announced at CES 2014?