A new initiative has launched, hoping to uncover new 3D printing technological advances. The Advanced Manufacturing Research Institute will operate as a sponsor for selected research projects that address gaps in our knowledge of 3D printing. The program runs during August, much like Google’s Summer of Code program. The program is hosted by the… Continue reading The Advanced Manufacturing Research Institute
All
MakerBot Appears at Microsoft Stores
This is an interesting arrangement: MakerBot has partnered with Microsoft to display MakerBot 3D printing gear in select Microsoft retail stores across the USA. MakerBot will be allocated a space within these stores to set up a “store within a store” concept, similar to what Apple did with certain big box stores before they… Continue reading MakerBot Appears at Microsoft Stores
Design of the Week: Alien Ball Bearing
This week’s selection is the Alien Ball Bearing by Thingiverse creator Steve Medwin. This bizarre shape actually functions, slightly. Medwin says: This thing has five independent balls that roll around inside the organic ring. It reminds me of an alien version of a ball bearing, even though the inside doesn’t roll separately from… Continue reading Design of the Week: Alien Ball Bearing
A 2013 3D Printing Survey
There’s a survey going on right now that everyone in the 3D printing space should fill out. It’s an annual survey on 3D printing usage by Jarkko Moilanen of Peer Production and supported by the P2P Foundation. Last year’s survey gathered responses from 350 folks, but with the tremendous growth of 3D printing over the… Continue reading A 2013 3D Printing Survey
Will Apple Get Into 3D Printing?
We think no. Apple will not get into 3D printing anytime soon. There’s several reasons we take this view. First, remember that Apple’s mantra is to produce “insanely great” products, products that have an ease of use that is significantly better than previous offerings from competitors. Can Apple achieve this goal in 3D… Continue reading Will Apple Get Into 3D Printing?
NASA’s 3D Microdispenser
NASA often provides small amounts of funding to check out some pretty unusual ideas. One of the projects they’re currently funding is the feasibility of an advanced biocomposite microdispening system. Wait, what the heck is that? We told you this was an unusual idea! The proposition is to use micro-components already available in the… Continue reading NASA’s 3D Microdispenser
Léo Marius Interviewed
Remember that amazing 3D printed SLR camera? It was created by French designer Léo Marius, who recently was interviewed by Sculpteo. In the interview, Marius says the most difficult and challenging aspect of the OpenReflex design was in fact the shutter: Habitually a shutter is an extremely precise mechanical piece, and I had… Continue reading Léo Marius Interviewed
The First Commercial 3D Printed Metal Gun Part
In the last year, 3D printed guns have, unsurprisingly, rather polarized the 3D printing community. While Defense Distributed’s Liberator gun project has been shut down, reverberations from the project continue across the internet, and others are still developing 3D-printed firearm components. Neal Brace, founder of Sintercore LLC and a former US Marine infantryman, has… Continue reading The First Commercial 3D Printed Metal Gun Part
3D Printed Hermit Crab Cities
It’s not a city “of” hermit crabs, it’s a city that a hermit crab can carry around. Japanese artist Aki Inomata developed a 3D printed replacement shell for hermit crabs that includes a tiny model city on its back. Thus, when the crab wanders, it takes the city with it. Inomata says: I… Continue reading 3D Printed Hermit Crab Cities
How To Deal With An Old 3D Printer
Personal 3D printing has been evolving at a very rapid rate over the past 3-4 years. It’s been proceeding so fast that you might find yourself equipped with a few older, obsolete models that idle powerless in the corner of your workshop. What should you do with these ancient, no-longer-useful 3D printers? Here’s some… Continue reading How To Deal With An Old 3D Printer
Over The Top: The World’s Biggest Rubik’s Cube is 3D Printed
We’ve been reviewing the accomplishments of puzzle makers who have made the leap into 3D printed designs and found, quite literally, the world’s biggest Rubik’s cube. 3D printing unleashes the imagination of designers, permitting ideas to become reality. One particular creation industry has strongly latched onto this capability: puzzle making. Master puzzle… Continue reading Over The Top: The World’s Biggest Rubik’s Cube is 3D Printed
The Strength of 3D Printed Nylon
One material not often used by personal 3D printers is Nylon. It’s a well-known plastic that can be 3D printed by commercial 3D printers and some personal devices, too. What makes nylon so interesting? It’s the strength of the material. Nylon can take quite a bit of stress before breaking. In a fascinating video… Continue reading The Strength of 3D Printed Nylon
3D Printed Rocket Parts Fired
You may recall our post on NASA’s plan to use 3D printed parts to replace conventionally-made parts in future rocket engines? It’s much further along than you’d think – the video below shows an actual test firing of a prototype rocket using a 3D printed liner. This, as far as we can tell, is the… Continue reading 3D Printed Rocket Parts Fired
A DIY Safety Guide
We’ve been directed to a Safety Guide created by Tatiana Crisan for those building their own personal CNC machine. While a CNC machine is by no means a 3D printer, many of the safety guidelines portrayed are totally applicable for those building personal 3D printers. Yes, reading these points may seem obvious and even… Continue reading A DIY Safety Guide
3D Printed Keys Unlock Schlage Locks
At the recent Defcon event student researchers from MIT exhibited a new technique that could reduce the security of physical locks from Schlage. Schlage’s most secure lock is the Primus model, touted as “asdf”. The idea is that you would have great difficulty duplicating the unusual key shape used by the Primus system. Schlage’s… Continue reading 3D Printed Keys Unlock Schlage Locks
It’s Time For Filament Standardization
Some 3D printer manufacturers have moved to proprietary filament cartridges, but many 3D printers are still capable of using generic plastic filament. Why go proprietary? Aside from the obvious solidification of plastic revenue, manufacturers want to ensure a more reliable and consistent printing result by using filament that meets their requirements. Meanwhile, generic… Continue reading It’s Time For Filament Standardization
The Biggest and Fastest Growing Industry: 3D Printing?
An infographic from MyCorporation proposes a list of the “Biggest and Fastest Growing” businesses of 2013. Included on the list are: Green and Sustainable Energy Personal Care Social Network Games Mobile Apps Generic Pharmacy and, of course, 3D printing. The list makes sense to us. Everything points to green, especially those wind… Continue reading The Biggest and Fastest Growing Industry: 3D Printing?
Should Test-Tube Burgers Be 3D Printed?
Should the new test-tube hamburger meat be 3D printed? Short answer: yes. Long answer: hold on, what are we talking about here? This week marks the debut of lab-cultured meat. It’s real beef, but the difference is that it did not come from cattle. It was produced by growing beef muscle tissue… Continue reading Should Test-Tube Burgers Be 3D Printed?
Fab All Thing’s Unusual Business Model
A new startup called Fab All Things is attempting to use a new business model involving 3D printing. Here’s how it works: Every month, we fabricate new products using 3d printing, lasercutting and cnc milling and put them in our marketplace – the twist is that you design the products and you pick what… Continue reading Fab All Thing’s Unusual Business Model
Design of the Week: Finger Hook
This week’s selection is the Finger Hook by prolific Thingiverse creator spooner2011. The Finger Hook is obviously a very simple piece, but it carries a couple of important properties. It’s a highly functional item, particularly if printed in strong ABS plastic. By adding a couple of holes, either by adjusting the STL model, or… Continue reading Design of the Week: Finger Hook
Interview with a Volumental
After the launch of Volumental, a cloud-based 3D scanning service, we had questions. Questions about how the service can and will be used, and where it’s headed in the future. We spoke with Ernest Ang, Business & Marketing at Volumental. Fabbaloo: What is a depth camera and how do you get one? Which specific… Continue reading Interview with a Volumental
UPS Now Offers 3D Print Services
There’s now an official avalanche of 3D printing technology in the consumer space. First MCOR signed a deal to provide all Staples outlets with color-capable 3D printers. Then Cubify began supplying their Cube personal 3D printer to Staples as well. We’ve seen eBay introduce a 3D print category. Now, UPS joins the action by teaming… Continue reading UPS Now Offers 3D Print Services
Fuel3D: An Inexpensive 3D Scanner
There seems to be many developments in 3D scanning recently, including the unexpected announcement of a new, very inexpensive handheld 3D scanner from Fuel3D. The new scanner uses a combination of geometric and photometric sensing to produce a highly accurate (up to 0.25mm resolution) 3D model in either STL or (color textured) PLY formats. … Continue reading Fuel3D: An Inexpensive 3D Scanner
Volumental’s Cloud-Based Scanning Service
Any 3D printer owner will soon realize they need more than just 3D models you can find or even buy. You need to scan stuff you own. You need to replicate. The trouble is, 3D scanning is difficult. You’re either spending tens of thousands of dollars on pricey equipment, software and training, or settling… Continue reading Volumental’s Cloud-Based Scanning Service
Freeform 3D Printing with an Undo Ability
The Suspended Deposition Project, Brian Harm’s new 3D printing concept, is built to change the way architects create and design structures. According to Harms, “This project aims to blur the line between processes of design and fabrication in the context of rapid prototyping by increasing the fluidity of the fabrication process through coordinated material and… Continue reading Freeform 3D Printing with an Undo Ability
Protos 3D Printed Eyewear
Startup Protos is offering the opportunity to purchase 3D printed eyeglass frames. The obvious benefit is that the frames are precisely fit to your measurements, as shown in the image above. The frames are said to be 3D printed with a “proprietary material is lighter than titanium and more flexible than commonly used acetate… Continue reading Protos 3D Printed Eyewear
Puzzle Complexity Rises With 3D Printing
3D printing technology has begun to change many industries and even individual lives, but one area we hadn’t considered was the making of 3D puzzles. A piece on GigaOM details the journey of two master puzzle makers into the modern 3D world. Traditional puzzle making involved time-consuming hand carving and construction, limiting the number… Continue reading Puzzle Complexity Rises With 3D Printing
IDSA Launches 3D Printed Car Contest
The Industrial Designers Society of America is sponsoring a rather unusual 3D printing contest, which culminates at their August 12 annual conference. The design part of the contest is straightforward: submit a design that is “beauty / fun / thematic” and uses “unique attributes of 3D printing”. Designs must employ specific supplied axles and… Continue reading IDSA Launches 3D Printed Car Contest
Should 3D Systems Acquire Formlabs?
We recently noted a pause until September 3rd in the lawsuit between 3D Systems and Formlabs (and Kickstarter) regarding potential violation of 3D Systems patents in Formlab’s Form 1 personal 3D printer, which was massively launched on Kickstarter some months ago. Formlabs took quick advantage of expiring basic patents on the initial 3D print… Continue reading Should 3D Systems Acquire Formlabs?
FabMe.it Launches
Another 3D model sharing site has launched, FabMe.it. The site operates in what is now becoming a standard business model: 3D designers upload their designs to the service for sale to the public. Presumably FabMe.it takes a portion of the sales, which for the models we inspected, seem to be priced around €0.99 (USD$1.30). … Continue reading FabMe.it Launches
The Kossel Clear Full Sized Delta 3D Printer
Looking to build an unusual 3D printer? You might consider Blue Eagle Labs’ Kossel Clear 3D printer kit. It’s a delta 3D printer, which employs a different mechanical approach than traditional linear X-Y-Z methods such as Cubify and MakerBot. The delta approach involves suspending the single extruder by three legs which are precisely moved along… Continue reading The Kossel Clear Full Sized Delta 3D Printer
CowFab: Post and Perform 3D Print Jobs
A competitor to MakeXYZ has emerged: CowFab. The service, like MakeXYZ permits owners of personal 3D printers to make some cash on the side by bidding on posted 3D print jobs. At this time CowFab has around a dozen 3D printer operators signed up, with some six projects. It’s obviously just starting up, but… Continue reading CowFab: Post and Perform 3D Print Jobs
Would You Actually Wear 3D Printed Fashions?
It’s easy to imagine using 3D prints. Print a doorstop and hold a door open. Print a coathook and hang up your jacket. Print a replacement gear and fix your whatever. But fashions. We’ve seen several truly fascinating 3D printed fashion shows in past months, including one from notable 3D fashion designer Iris Van… Continue reading Would You Actually Wear 3D Printed Fashions?
WITbox, The Spanish 3D Printer
It doesn’t really speak Spanish, but it was made in Spain by the folks at Marcha Technology and distributed by Ultra-Lab of Madrid. The WITbox is a plastic extrusion personal 3D printer capable of printing ABS, PLA, NYLON or PVA 1.75mm plastic filament. The WITbox is built robustly with a steel frame and optionally… Continue reading WITbox, The Spanish 3D Printer
It’s A 3D Printed Rifle
First it was a pistol, now it’s a rifle. Over the past year we’ve seen deeper and more complex experiments into the possibilities of 3D printing, some remarkable and others simply pose difficult questions. One of the challenging experiments was the first 3D printed gun, a pistol designed by Defense Distributed. While the pistol… Continue reading It’s A 3D Printed Rifle
The 3D-Lab Store
We’ve uncovered yet another 3D model store, the 3D-Lab Store. Like many similar ventures, Poland-based 3D-Lab Store offers shoppers the opportunity to select a 3D print from a set of models. Some of the pieces offer sizing and color choices, which is particularly useful for bracelets. Objects are printed in various colors of PLA… Continue reading The 3D-Lab Store
Design of the Week: Success Kid
This week’s selection is a physical representation of the massively popular Internet meme, Success Kid. You may recall “the kid” providing wisdom and entertainment with such classics as: DON’T KNOW A QUESTION ON A TEST – ANSWER IS IN ANOTHER QUESTION CHECKED TEXTS AFTER A NIGHT OF DRINKING – NONE! MOM TOOK MY NOSE… Continue reading Design of the Week: Success Kid
The Bukito Portable 3D Printer
A new “sturdy, fast and portable” 3D printer is available on Kickstarter. The Bukito Portable 3D Printer by Deezmaker has already raised USD$100K to launch their new machine, so it seems that people are interested in 3D printing portability. This is not the first 3D printer for Deezmaker; they previous released the Bukobot last… Continue reading The Bukito Portable 3D Printer
A Homebuilt Sugar 3D Printer
RepRap Blogger Jordan Miller reports on an experiment building a unique 3D printer capable of producing sweet sugar glass to aid his bioengineering research. The key problem revolved around being able to use Miller’s BariCUDA extruder, an air pressure-powered extruder. The BariCUDA weighs several pounds and would be difficult to move quickly or accurately with… Continue reading A Homebuilt Sugar 3D Printer
A Raspberry Pi 3D Print Challenge
Are you a designer looking for a challenge? The team of Raspberry Pi, Autodesk 123D and i.Materialise have opened up a contest to produce the most “original and fun” case for a Raspberry Pi in polyamide material. If you don’t know, a Raspberry Pi is an integrated single board microcomputer suitable for embedding into… Continue reading A Raspberry Pi 3D Print Challenge
Digging Deeper Into Microsoft’s 3D Printing Support
A short while ago we described Microsoft’s surprise announcement of their inclusion of 3D printing support natively in Windows 8.1. We’ve been checking out the detailed documentation available from Microsoft on this feature and found some interesting stuff. They’ve extended existing print and document components within Windows to accommodate 3D printing. “PrintTickets” are created… Continue reading Digging Deeper Into Microsoft’s 3D Printing Support
3D Printing Will Be Adopted by K-12 in 5 Years
In a newly released report, the New Media Consortium (NMC) has identified six emerging technologies that could dramatically impact K-12 education. Among the new technologies are: cloud computing, mobile learning, open content, virtual/remote laboratories and, of course, 3D printing. While the report projects that 3D printing will be among the last technologies to be… Continue reading 3D Printing Will Be Adopted by K-12 in 5 Years
Makeshop Seeks Beta Testers
A new 3D model startup is looking for beta testers. Makeshop hopes to provide services to 3D designers and owners of 3D printers – and maybe a little extra cash. Spokesperson Billy Chism says: I am launching a site for 3D printer owners who want to design, print and sell their items easily either… Continue reading Makeshop Seeks Beta Testers
Is Sept 3rd An Important Date for Formlabs?
We think it is. Why? First, some background. Formlabs launched one of the most successful new 3D printers in recent memory with their Form 1 resin-based 3D printer. It’s a device capable of 3D printing extremely high-resolution objects reliabily with a technique completely different from most of the other 3D printer manufacturers: photocuring resin with… Continue reading Is Sept 3rd An Important Date for Formlabs?
Your Rocket Is Now 3D Printed
Aerojet Rocketdyne has been working with NASA to develop a way to 3D print rockets. Well, not the WHOLE rocket, but certain critical parts, namely an Injector Assembly. They’re working on a completely integrated manufacturing process with Selective Laser Melting technology that will be capable of rapidly producing “highly critical rocket engine components”. We… Continue reading Your Rocket Is Now 3D Printed
i.Materialise’s Size Charts
A confusing aspect of using 3D print services is the constraints you’ll find when selecting material for your 3D print. You may wonder why “this” is allowed, while “that” is not. The answer lies behind the curtain. The 3D print services may want you to think of them as a kind of “black box”… Continue reading i.Materialise’s Size Charts
Cubify’s Next Generation
You might recall Cubify’s 3DMe app that puts your head on a custom 3D printed Star Trek figurine? The next generation of the app now includes Star Trek: The Next Generation models. You can now select ST:TNG uniforms in either blue, gold or red. (We would strongly advise not selecting red, because, you know…)… Continue reading Cubify’s Next Generation
Use SculptGL To Quickly Make 3D Models
Here’s a free, web-based experimental tool that can quickly create interesting 3D models. SculptGL, created by Stéphane Ginier, provides a visual 3D model with very few tools. But the ones provided are sufficient to push, pull, tweak and pinch your model into the shape you want. SculptGL starts with a simple sphere, which you… Continue reading Use SculptGL To Quickly Make 3D Models
123D Design Gets Better
For those of you using Autodesk’s free 3D modeling utility, 123D Design, there is very good news: a new version has been released. The new version includes some very key features that were lacking until now: The ability to import existing STL files, critical for handling 3D scans captured elsewhere Text! You can… Continue reading 123D Design Gets Better
What Does A Big Company Do With 3D Printing?
We’re reading a very interesting interview by Joris Peels, who spoke to Prabhjot Sing, General Electric’s Manager of GE Additive Manufacturing Lab at GE Global Research. The thought we had was: how does a very large company make use of 3D printers? Readers who have personal devices obviously have very different usage patterns. Here’s… Continue reading What Does A Big Company Do With 3D Printing?
Capturing High-Res 3D Scenes
Scientists at Disney Research have developed a new method of converting a collection of 2D images into a 3D model. While this approach is commonly done – and can even be accomplished on your smartphone with the 123D Catch app, the researchers have found a way to efficiently process huge images. This processing results in… Continue reading Capturing High-Res 3D Scenes
The Coney Island Scan-A-Rama
If the title of this project, the Coney Island Scan-A-Rama, sounds suspicious, consider that the person behind it is called “The Great Fredini”. In reality, Scan-A-Rama is a project by Brooklyn-based Fred Kahl, who hopes to build an inexpensive 3D Scanning Portrait Studio in, where else, Coney Island. We’ve seen several experiments in… Continue reading The Coney Island Scan-A-Rama
Safety of 3D Printing Questioned
A new report has examined the propensity of personal 3D printers to emit ultrafine particles. “Ultrafine Particle Emissions from Desktop 3D Printers” by Brent Stephens, Parham Azimia, Zeineb El Orcha and Tiffanie Ramosa of the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago and the National Institute of Applied Sciences in… Continue reading Safety of 3D Printing Questioned
Design of the Week: Shopping Bag Handle
This week’s selection is Norwegian designer Even Erichsen’s Shopping Bag Handle. The design is incredibly simple, yet totally useful for almost anyone. These days most people struggle with heavygrocery bags filled with calories. The Shopping Bag handle simply fits under the lift strap and saves your fingers from unwanted indentations. This is a… Continue reading Design of the Week: Shopping Bag Handle
3D Systems Allies With Deloitte
3D printing giant 3D Systems has formed an alliance with big-time consulting company Deloitte “to jointly assist companies and industries adopt and integrate 3D printing design and manufacturing systems and solutions into their business for sustainable competitive advantage.” One may wonder why such an alliance is required, because 3D printing technology now would appear… Continue reading 3D Systems Allies With Deloitte
3D Systems Completes Acquisition of Phenix
In June we reported that 3D Systems had struck a deal to acquire metal 3D printer manufacturer Phenix Systems. They’ve now announced that the deal has closed and Phenix and all their associated technology are now part of 3D Systems. This continues 3D Systems’ habit of acquiring other 3D print-related companies. 3D Systems has… Continue reading 3D Systems Completes Acquisition of Phenix
Occipital Releases Skanect for OS X
One of the best personal 3D scanning systems just got a little better. Skanect, a software package designed to work with an inexpensive Microsoft Kinect sensor, is now available for OS X platforms. Previously, the software worked only on Windows. Skanect is an all-in-one solution for inexpensive casual 3D scanning. Using Skanect and a… Continue reading Occipital Releases Skanect for OS X
Where Did AMF Go?
Every once in a while you’ll run into a problem when 3D printing After some diagnosis you’ll realize the root cause of your issue was STL, the prehistoric file format most commonly used by the personal 3D printing industry. There’s no other way to say it, but STL sucks. It permits invalid 3D models… Continue reading Where Did AMF Go?
3D Printers too Pricey? Build a LEGO One
While the price of 3D printers continues to plummet, for some the cost is still too high. To help solve this problem, Instructables author Matthew Krueger, also known as Mastermind, created a 3D printer from LEGOs he found lying around his house. Krueger’s project started as a practical exercise. During college Matthew became interested… Continue reading 3D Printers too Pricey? Build a LEGO One
Inexpensive 3D Print Smoothing with the Touch Up
A new product from startup 3D Customization hopes to simplify the difficult process of smoothing ABS 3D prints with a new smoothing device: The Touch Up. The Touch Up uses the acetone process, which we feel can be dangerous if not done properly. Acetone is a colorless, highly flammable substance. The acetone smoothing process… Continue reading Inexpensive 3D Print Smoothing with the Touch Up
CGTrader Announces Design Contest Winners
Each design contest brings out the best in creativity from its participants, and the recent “It Was Made Real” 3D print competition by CGTrader was no different. They’ve just announced the winners of the competition and we’re very impressed with the results. The winner was a bust of a SciFi “Traveler”, by Pixel Artist/Vertex… Continue reading CGTrader Announces Design Contest Winners
Extremely Rare 3D Printed Sugar Cube
A strange social experiment is underway, in which a plain sugar cube has been created using advanced 3D sugar printing technology. This apparently rare beast is currently on sale on eBay. Wait, what? Who would buy a 3D printed sugar cube? Who would buy any sugar cube? That’s exactly the experiment being undertaken… Continue reading Extremely Rare 3D Printed Sugar Cube
BendLay Filament Bends!
The same folks who brought you the hard-to-believe-but-actually-real Wood filament now market a new bendable filament: BendLay, produced by Orbi-Tech and developed by Kai Parthy. BendLay filament, available in spools of either 3mm or 1.75mm, has the unique property of being able to bend without creating stress marks that you’d quickly see if you… Continue reading BendLay Filament Bends!
Virtox’s Adjustable Quark Jewelry
We’re looking at Virtox’s Quark Jewelry as shown on their MixeeLabs page. While it appears to be merely 3D prints for a geometric jewelry piece, there’s more to the story. It’s highly adjustable. This is a perfect example of the flexibility of mathematical design. By hitting the “Explore” tab, you’ll see a number of… Continue reading Virtox’s Adjustable Quark Jewelry
MyMiniFactory’s Free 3D Printable Objects
While Thingiverse has long been the go-to place for free printable 3D models, there’s another option as of last month: MyMiniFactory. A branch of iMakr, the site offers a number of interesting 3D models – all specifically designed for 3D printing on typical personal 3D printers. During our check, MyMiniFactory offered well over 100… Continue reading MyMiniFactory’s Free 3D Printable Objects
Google Class: Modded By 3D Printing
A new Kickstarter project uses 3D printing to produce “cap” for your Google Glass. GlassKap, a project launched by Todd Blatt, hopes to raise funds to start production of this handy add-on. Google Glass, for those unfamiliar, is a wearable computer in the form of “glasses” that can provide instant geo-relevant information directly to… Continue reading Google Class: Modded By 3D Printing
A 3D Printed Camera – That Works
Complexity in 3D print design can come in two species: a single, highly detailed printed object or a composition of many printed objects. A project that captures the latter approach is Leo Marius’ OpenFlex 3D printed SLR Camera. It captures images, too. The SLR camera print was a project Marius completed for his studies… Continue reading A 3D Printed Camera – That Works
Polychemy’s Personalized Necklaces
Polychemy, a Singapore-based 3D print company now offers personalized 3D printed necklaces. The company, up to now, has offered a variety of 3D printed objects such as phone cases, sculptures and jewelry. Today they’ve launched a personalized feature in which your name can be 3D printed directly into jewelry models. The necklaces are composed… Continue reading Polychemy’s Personalized Necklaces
eBay Launches 3D Printing App
eBay, known for its auction and sales system, stepped deeply into 3D printing by launching a 3D print iOS app. The app (and service) isn’t revolutionary as it is similar to services launched by many 3D print companies, which provide a means to customize and print an object. eBay Exact permits users to browse… Continue reading eBay Launches 3D Printing App
Check Out the Form 1 Online
Mystified by the Form 1 high-resolution 3D printer? Considering purchasing one but you’re not quite certain it’s for you? Maybe you have a Form 1 and you’re not quite sure how to use it? If these questions have you puzzled, you might consider listening in to a webinar put on by Formlabs to introduce their… Continue reading Check Out the Form 1 Online
Design of the Week: Wave Vase “Touch”
This week’s selection is the Wave Vase “Touch” by the Italian KIORO’design team. The “Touch” reinvents the common practice of placing dried tall vegetation in a vase with a new 3D printing approach. Colorful and obviously from non-organic sources, the design is so reminiscent of dried tallgrass. Except it’s red, yellow, pink and blue.… Continue reading Design of the Week: Wave Vase “Touch”
i.Materialise Opens In Japan
3D print service i.Materialise has blossomed into a new location: Japan. They now offer their services in Japanese. There’s a production change, too. The print service has long had operations in Belgium, its home base, but now can “partly” produce orders on the Japanese mainland. Language and culture can be a significant barrier,… Continue reading i.Materialise Opens In Japan
There’s More to the 3D Printing Revolution
We’re reading a piece in Forbes that describes what they call the “3D Printing Revolution You Have Not Heard About”. They refer to the less visible industrial application of 3D printing in the hearing aid market. A hearing aid must fit precisely into the patient’s ear and therefore must be custom made. Custom made… Continue reading There’s More to the 3D Printing Revolution
London’s Science Museum Needs Your 3D Prints
The London Science Museum is developing an exhibition focused on 3D printing, set to open this October. A key part of the display will include a giant wall containing a variety of different 3D prints from different printers, using different materials and having different shapes. But where will these prints come from? The museum… Continue reading London’s Science Museum Needs Your 3D Prints
The Creepiest Thing Ever 3D Printed
We anticipated a very cool robot when we watched the video. But we all went “ick”, too. The Robugtix T8 is a robotic octopod (a.k.a. spider) that’s largely made of 3D printed body parts. It’s the motion that is so creepy. The motion is realistic, but also strange. It’s as if the T8 is… Continue reading The Creepiest Thing Ever 3D Printed
Rapid Sheet Metal Prototyping at Ford
Over the last 100 years or so, the Ford Motor Company has gotten really good at stamping sheet metal parts. Sadly, stamping can take up to 6-8 weeks from the time the design leaves the CAD station, so it’s not great for prototyping. To speed up prototyping, Ford has created a rapid process they… Continue reading Rapid Sheet Metal Prototyping at Ford
Withings New Scale Rescued By 3D Printing
For those accustomed to digital manufacturing using 3D printing, it’s becoming hard to imagine how companies designed products in the past. Today’s leading companies use a digital process to create their offerings, and that’s precisely what Withings did to develop their latest smart scale. Withings, if you don’t know, produce an amazing personal weight… Continue reading Withings New Scale Rescued By 3D Printing
Leapfrog’s Startling 3D Printing Resolution Improvement
The quality of a 3D print is often measured by the layer size. That represents the size of the incremental layers put down by the extruder (or other mechanism) of the 3D printer. The smaller the layer, the finer and smoother the surface finish becomes. The first personal 3D printers that emerged… Continue reading Leapfrog’s Startling 3D Printing Resolution Improvement
GIANT 3D PRINTED BUGS!
The Australian National Insect Collection could be a creepy place if you’re adverse to meeting bugs. But now it’s enormously MORE creepy because they’ve used advanced technology to create GIANT 3D PRINTED BUGS! They’ve carefully 3D scanned specimens of several species and reproduced them up to forty times life size. Yes, FORTY. And they’re… Continue reading GIANT 3D PRINTED BUGS!
My3DTwin Makes… You!
A new service based in the UK can produce a full color 3D print of people. The service requires an in-person visit to their studio where your 3D image will be captured in some detail by a “custom made” 3D scanner. The captured 3D model is quickly cleaned up and printed in full color… Continue reading My3DTwin Makes… You!
The Velleman K8200 3D Printer
With the news that UK electronics retailer Maplin now sells the Velleman K8200 3D printer, we thought we’d better take a look at this new device. The K8200 is a plastic filament 3D printer, as most inexpensive 3D printers are. It accepts both ABS and PLA plastic from generic suppliers, avoiding the need for… Continue reading The Velleman K8200 3D Printer
Pay for 3D Printer? or Pay for 3D Materials?
While it’s easy to see a vast number of 3D printers emerging recently, there are some patterns beginning to emerge. Today we’re thinking about the business model. Everyone is familiar with the Razor-blades business model: give away the razor, charge for the blades. But is this approach used in 3D printing? Yes. And… Continue reading Pay for 3D Printer? or Pay for 3D Materials?
3D Printing Liquid Metal Electric Circuits
Researchers Collin Ladd, Ju-Hee So, John Muth and Michael D. Dickey at NC State University have published a paper describing their experiment in 3D printing liquid metal – at room temperature. The liquid metal used by the researchers is binary eutectic alloy of gallium and indium, which, in very small droplet form becomes relatively… Continue reading 3D Printing Liquid Metal Electric Circuits
Another 3D Printer Found in a Retail Store
First was MakerBot’s single retail store experiment in downtown NYC, then 3D Systems struck a deal with Staples to offer the Cube 3D printer in all Staples stores. Now we see another retail example: UK electronics retailer Maplin now carries a 3D printer kit, the Velleman K8200. We’ll look at the Velleman another day,… Continue reading Another 3D Printer Found in a Retail Store
3D Printing Becomes Standard Equipment for UK Schools
UK Education Secretary Michael Gove announced England’s schools will use a new “national curriculum” commencing in September 2014. While the new curriculum contains a variety of improvements, there is a rather interesting inclusion: exposure and basic training on the use of advanced technologies such as robotics and 3D printing. This implies each UK school… Continue reading 3D Printing Becomes Standard Equipment for UK Schools
You Can Help Make 3D-Rex
A new Kickstarter project from Namisu proposes to produce a series of geometric mesh Tyrannosaurus Rex heads using 3D printing. The Namisu project team behind 3D-REX, four folks from Spain and the UK, view 3D-REX as their first of many similar decorative 3D art projects. They say: Through the 3D-REX project we wanted to… Continue reading You Can Help Make 3D-Rex
3D Modeling with Leopoly
A new browser-based 3D modeling tool has emerged: Leopoly. The new service presents simple-to-use methods of creating 3D objects. Leopoly focuses on the community dimension: created objects are shared among the community, who can build new objects based on yours. Tweeting, posting and tagging ensure wide visibility of Leopoly creations. Creating objects is… Continue reading 3D Modeling with Leopoly
Design of the Week: ONE_SHOT Stool
This week’s selection is the ONE_SHOT Stool by artist Patrick Jouin, who produced this piece in 2006. This 40cm tall item is an example of early 3D printed art, in the form of furniture. Produced by Materialise using polyamide and alumide, it rests today at the Art Institute of Chicago. So unfortunately you cannot… Continue reading Design of the Week: ONE_SHOT Stool
The UP Plus 2
One of the very first personal 3D printer manufacturers was Delta Micro Factory / PP3DP, a division on China’s Tiertime, who produced the widely used Up! 3D printer. Now its successor, the venerable Up! Plus, is to be replaced by a new version, the UP Plus 2. The new 3D printer is styled similar… Continue reading The UP Plus 2
The Cube Spotted At Staples
For the very first time, a personal 3D printer has been seen on display in a major retail chain. 3D Systems made a deal with Staples to resell the Cube some months ago, but until now the Cube has only been seen in Staples’ online store. Now it’s actually there in person, for real, no… Continue reading The Cube Spotted At Staples
HYREL Achieves Multi-Part 3D Printing
In almost every 3D printer we’ve seen, even those with multiple heads, only one print head is actually used at a time. First you print the model material, then you print support material, layer by layer, one extruder at a time. But now that’s changed. HYREL, notable for 3D printing clay, Sugru and other… Continue reading HYREL Achieves Multi-Part 3D Printing
3D Printed Car Wins Pilkington Design Award
Nir Siegel, a vehicle design student at the Royal College of Art has recently been awarded the Pilkington prize’s Best Design Interpretation for his Genesis car. The Genesis, which is built to be completely customizable can be 3D printed and self-assembled. According to Siegel the idea behind the Genesis is “to evolve products and… Continue reading 3D Printed Car Wins Pilkington Design Award
Enabling Octopod Propulsion
Squids, octopi and similar marine animals propel themselves through water by means of a water jet. While this has been known for years, building a mechanism to duplicate it has been challenging – until now, as Germany-based Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA developed a 3D printed design that does exactly that. … Continue reading Enabling Octopod Propulsion
Are You Ready To Mold 3D Prints?
Most 3D printers produce objects in a very limited set of materials, typically only one or two. But what if there was a way to make items from many kinds of materials? That’s exactly what you can do by combining your 3D printer with ComposiMold, a system for making molds. ComposiMold is a reusable… Continue reading Are You Ready To Mold 3D Prints?
A 3D Printing Workshop in Mexico
3D printing is gaining momentum worldwide; we’ve seen startup companies, innovative uses and conventions to educate those in the region. This now includes Mexico, which is set to host the 1st. Mexican Workshop on Additive Manufacturing in Monterrey. A joint project between Tecnologico de Monterreyand Newcastle University in the UK, the Workshop includes talks… Continue reading A 3D Printing Workshop in Mexico