Joris Peels proposes a radical idea for 3D printing: mobility. Longtime Fabbaloo readers will be familiar with the concept of a “build chamber”, in which extruders or other printing mechanisms move about to create an object. The build chamber is based on the mechanical concept of three axes of movement, but it has a major… Continue reading 3D Printing Outside The Box
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The Form 1, Live
At CES we spent some quality time with Formlabs Co-Founder Maxim Lobovsky. After we sorted out the bizarre food ordering procedure at a funky Japanese burger food truck, we talked about Formlab’s experience so far. As a startup company, they’re heavily concerned with focusing on delivering a quality product. Lobovsky says, “Everyone has ideas… Continue reading The Form 1, Live
Design Of The Week: Albert Einstein Wall
This week’s selection was observed at CES at the Sculpteo booth. We didn’t manage to find the official title of this work, nor the associated artist, but nevertheless, we think it’s very cool. It’s a rather large wall composed entirely of 3D printed iPhone cases, each with slightly altered visual characteristics, gradually building up… Continue reading Design Of The Week: Albert Einstein Wall
Surprise! 123D Design Updated
We were very pleasantly surprised to see an update arrive yesterday for our copy of 123D Design, the free 3D design tool from Autodesk. What’s got us so excited? It can now export STL. The previous version of 123D Design permitted saves only in its own proprietary format, with a possible intent of… Continue reading Surprise! 123D Design Updated
Der Spiegel on 3D Printing
We’ve previously seen such mainstream publications as The Economist, Forbes and The Atlantic bring 3D printing to the attention of their readers. Now Der Spiegel has done the same with a new article providing an overview of the 3D printing space. As one might expect, Der Spiegel provides focus on several German 3D printing… Continue reading Der Spiegel on 3D Printing
3D Printing Buzz During 2012
Last January we took a look at Google Trends to see the slope of interest in 3D printing. At that time we observed a pretty healthy jump. Did the trend continue in 2012? Evidently yes, as you can see in the Google Trends chart above. The lines represent the relative amount of Google searching… Continue reading 3D Printing Buzz During 2012
Jewelry Design Tutorial In Blender
Did you have in mind a fantastic design for a ring that you’d like to 3D print? Perhaps you’d be interested in watching a 55 minute tutorial on the basics of 3D jewelry design, specifically for 3D printing. The tutorial uses the open source 3D design tool Blender, which is available for… Continue reading Jewelry Design Tutorial In Blender
3D Printing For the Hearing Impaired
One of 3D printings greatest strengths is its ability to make customized, one-off products on the fly. In a traditional manufacturing paradigm, creating customizable products is an expensive if not impossible affair. So it should come as no surprise that the medical industry has been dramatically impacted by 3D printing. While not technically a… Continue reading 3D Printing For the Hearing Impaired
Sculpteo’s Strategy
At CES we dropped by the Sculpteo booth and had a chance to discuss the state of business with CEO and co-Founder Clément Moreau. Like most companies in the 3D printing space, Sculpteo is faced with the difficult question: “If you can print anything, what do you print?” The availability of printable 3D models… Continue reading Sculpteo’s Strategy
The Cube’s Been Updated
3D Systems’ consumer-level 3D printer has been updated. The friendly-looking Cube of 2013 includes several improvements that should make this machine even more attractive than its 2012 ancestor. The original cube could print only PLA plastic. While we love PLA, there are times you do need to print ABS plastic, particularly when you need… Continue reading The Cube’s Been Updated
An Afina Update
We had a very hard time finding Afinia at CES; they seemed to have the absolute worst booth location of any vendor – at the almost deserted corner at the far end of the top floor of the south building. Almost no foot traffic existed, which while not the greatest for Afina, permitted us to… Continue reading An Afina Update
Cubify Capture Announced
Don’t have US$60,000 for a super accurate color 3D scanner? We don’t either, so instead we recommend you try Cubify’s latest app: Cubify Capture. It’s a terrifically simple method to produce a quality 3D scan of objects around you. Capture uses an approach that’s been used by others: a series of images taken of… Continue reading Cubify Capture Announced
MakerBot’s New Replicator 2X
MakerBot has announced it’s latest personal 3D printer at CES. The new device has been hinted at for some time now, but it was revealed publicly for the first time by Bre Pettis himself at CES. The new device is optimized for printing ABS plastic, whereas its partner, the Replicator 2 (no “X”) was,… Continue reading MakerBot’s New Replicator 2X
The New CubeX 3D Printer
We wondered what would happen to Bits From Bytes (or “BFB”) as they were known. They last updated their 3D printer line with the 3DTouch about a year ago. Would they announce a new printer in 2013? Yes and no, it seems. Parent company 3D Systems announced the new CubeX personal 3D printer, the… Continue reading The New CubeX 3D Printer
Crayon Creatures!
In yet another easy-for-consumers 3D printing service, Crayon Creatures provides a way for your children to receive a 3D printout of their hand drawn crayon sketches. Using the service is incredibly easy, assuming you have a crayon sketch previously scanned into an image file. You simply upload the file, pay €99 (plus €15 for… Continue reading Crayon Creatures!
Shapeways’ Tetris Process
Our visit to Shapeways Factory of the Future revealed a fascinating technique they use to produce your objects. You might assume they take your order and then simply print it on one of their big machines. This is hardly the case, as they have to ensure the most efficient use of those big boys in… Continue reading Shapeways’ Tetris Process
Deep, Deep Inside Shapeways
During our recent visit to New York we journeyed to the peculiar neighborhood of Long Island City to visit one Duann Scott of Shapeways at their brand new “Factory of the Future”. Scott graciously showed us their operations in gritty detail. You’d never know Shapeways main plant is present in these streets and avenues of nameless… Continue reading Deep, Deep Inside Shapeways
Augmented 3D Printing
Architects have long used 3D printing as a means to better visualize their design ideas. By 3D printing a building you can “see” it much better than through a 2D screen and thus gain insight you’d otherwise miss. But the problem is that the 3D model is, well, static. It just sits there. It… Continue reading Augmented 3D Printing
Design of the Week: Yellow Vessel
This week’s selection is Matthew Plummer-Fernandez’ Yellow Vessel. We spotted this wonderful vase at the 3DEA exhibit in New York and it was sufficiently interesting that we looked it up to find out more about the artist behind the work. Plummer-Fernandez uses his own software interface developed with several open source software systems for… Continue reading Design of the Week: Yellow Vessel
3D Systems Scoops Up Geomagic
This one is a big deal. Of the many acquisitions completed by 3D Systems, their announcement of the absorption of Geomagic is significant. First the obvious: Geomagic produces a number of software tools for the 3D industry, including products to design 3D models, perform quality control, handling 3D scans and more. Their products are… Continue reading 3D Systems Scoops Up Geomagic
Heading To Vegas!
This week in Las Vegas is the annual festival known as the Consumer Electronics Show. What does 3D printing have to do with consumers? Today, everything! Quite a few 3D printing manufacturers now focus on consumers and this event is the place to show off their wares. Of course, we have to be there,… Continue reading Heading To Vegas!
3DEA’s Garden of 3D Printing
Located in Midtown Manhattan is (or was if they’ve closed it by now) the 3DEA exhibition. It’s a temporary showing of 3D printing technology for the public sponsored by several industry notables. The purpose, as far as we can tell, is to educate the public on the technology by demonstrating equipment and displaying fantastic 3D… Continue reading 3DEA’s Garden of 3D Printing
3D Printed LPs? Yes, But not for the Audiophile
With the resolution of 3D printers increasing every year, the accuracy and detail of prints are now becoming very fine. In fact, a few printers these days are able to produce objects that have a 16 micron resolution. That type of resolution led Amanda Ghassaei, assistant editor at Instructables, to see if she could print… Continue reading 3D Printed LPs? Yes, But not for the Audiophile
A Visit To Mulberry Street
During our New York adventure we managed to sneak into MakerBot’s exclusive retail store. Actually, it was less sneaking than simply walking in the wide open door, located at 298 Mulberry Street in Lower Manhattan. We were impressed with the simplicity of the store’s design, somewhat reminiscent of Apple Store design, yet with its… Continue reading A Visit To Mulberry Street
Spotted: Joshua Harker’s Crania Anatomica Filigre
While shopping for toys at the famous FAO Schwarz in New York City, we happened to run across a stray 3D print: artist Joshua Harker’s Crania Anatomica Filigre, recently featured on Kickstarter. What was this item doing at FAO Schwarz? We didn’t see a price tag on the delicate skull, as it laid… Continue reading Spotted: Joshua Harker’s Crania Anatomica Filigre
.MGX Exhibits in Shanghai
i.Materialise’s .MGX high-end retail operation is currently exhibiting their wares in Shanghai. Open until June, the exhibit is apparently the largest display of .MGX artifacts “ever shown in the region.” If you are near Shanghai, you might consider dropping in to the IndustrialRevolution.MGX exhibit, located at Room 1-214, No. 10 Shajing Road where you… Continue reading .MGX Exhibits in Shanghai
China 3D Printing Stocks Rising
According to a report on China Daily, the stock price of a number of Chinese 3D printing companies suddenly surged after a Chinese government official spoke of boosting the sector. The unnamed official evidently said, “China is likely to draw a long-term route map for 3D printing technology to boost development for the emerging… Continue reading China 3D Printing Stocks Rising
APIs for 3D Printing?
API enthusiast Kin Lane (above) has started working on a set of APIs for 3D printing. Wait, what’s an API again? It’s software, specifically the precise interface between programs. In other words, APIs are the equivalent of “standard electrical plugs” and the like between any software programs. The presence of APIs tends to encourage the… Continue reading APIs for 3D Printing?
The Form 1 Forms Molds, Too
We’ve seen some incredibly fine 3D prints emerge from the Form 1 resin-based 3D printer and now Formlabs has shown another use of their fascinating device: mold making. We think the Form 1 would be a tremendous machine for mold making. Why? Because its fine detail provides a big advantage over traditional plastic extrusion… Continue reading The Form 1 Forms Molds, Too
Top Posts of 2012
It’s always fascinating to learn which posts were the most frequently read among the hundreds we posted during the past year. They’re typically not necessarily the top stories, but nevertheless they provide some insight into readers’ interests. MCOR To Offer 3D Printing At Staples To abruptly retract our earlier statement, this most frequently read… Continue reading Top Posts of 2012
Design of the Week: Fractal.MGX Table
This week’s selection was encountered during our visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, specifically in the Modern Art section. The Fractal.MGX table is a stunning demonstration of the possibilities when one combines creativity, size, mathematics and of course, 3D printing. The Fractal.MGX table was designed in 2007 by three:… Continue reading Design of the Week: Fractal.MGX Table
Three 3D Printing Trends in 2012
Many things happened in 2012 within the world of 3D printing, particularly for home users. But what overall trends emerged? We noticed three trends that seemed to flavor 2012. Me Too! We actually lost track of the numerous plastic extrusion-based personal 3D printers that were announced in 2012. At one point they were appearing… Continue reading Three 3D Printing Trends in 2012
A Plea for More 3D Printer Manufacturers
3D printing aficionado Joris Peels writes a long treatise begging major manufacturers to produce 3D printers. He specifically requests HP, Brother, Xerox, Seiko Epson, Ricoh, RolandDG, IBM, Texas Instruments, Konica Minolta, Fujifilm and Sony to make a line of 3D printers. Why make such a request when we have several decent manufacturers already in… Continue reading A Plea for More 3D Printer Manufacturers
King’s Resting Place Recreated by 3D Printing
By all accounts, King Richard III’s reign was relatively unproductive. Modern historians believe that this was mostly due to the dynastic struggle that we now know as the Wars of the Roses, of which Richard III’s house came out on the losing end. As is always true, the victors are afforded the opportunity to… Continue reading King’s Resting Place Recreated by 3D Printing
Another Legal Tangle for 3D Printing
Dezeen interviewed writer Adrian Mars, who brings up an interesting legal complication that potentially could derail some 3D printing ventures. We’ve written in the past regarding the “copy” issue. The technology exists to digitally capture the external shape of almost any object using advanced 3D scanning equipment – and once a 3D model is… Continue reading Another Legal Tangle for 3D Printing
China 3D Printing Stocks Rising
According to a report on China Daily, the stock price of a number of Chinese 3D printing companies suddenly surged after a Chinese government official spoke of boosting the sector. The unnamed official evidently said, “China is likely to draw a long-term route map for 3D printing technology to boost development for the emerging… Continue reading China 3D Printing Stocks Rising
Manufacturing in 3D Printing’s Future?
We’re reading a post by Joel Hans, managing editor of Manufacturing.net where he postulates the future of 3D printing in manufacturing plants. This got us thinking about manufacturing versus personal 3D printing. Fabbaloo readers are quite familiar with personal 3D printing and sometimes wonder why this amazing technology isn’t used more by manufacturing plants.… Continue reading Manufacturing in 3D Printing’s Future?
More Thoughts on 3D Printed Weaponry
We’ve been reading two pieces on the topic of 3D printed guns, one by Reason.com and the other from Design News. For those who somehow haven’t yet heard of the controversy, it seems that more than one group has decided to test the feasibility of 3D printed guns. The technical feasibility has been proven;… Continue reading More Thoughts on 3D Printed Weaponry
3D Printed Christmas Cookies
It is Christmas today and courtesy of Ralf Holleis we have 3D printed cookies for readers. Holleis’ team used an UNFOLD Plastruder to 3D print several styles of Rhino-modeled holiday cookies directly onto wax paper. The wax paper allowed the fragile extrusions to be easily moved into an oven for finishing, erm, cooking. … Continue reading 3D Printed Christmas Cookies
Co.Design Names 3D Printing a Trend
Design blog Co.Design (part of Fast Company) listed Frog Design’s view of the “20 Tech Trends That Will Define 2013”. Such lists are always interesting to examine, as they usually confirm suspicions and indications observed throughout the year. But what did Frog believe were the trends? There are too many to mention, but some… Continue reading Co.Design Names 3D Printing a Trend
Ford Equips Engineers With MakerBots
It’s no surprise that engineers at Ford make use of high-power commercial 3D printers; the technology has been in use at major industrial design operations for, well, decades. What is surprising is the revelation that Ford intends to “put the smaller Makerbot replicators at every engineer’s desk in the coming months”, according to a report… Continue reading Ford Equips Engineers With MakerBots
Design of the Week: Chrysanthemum
This week’s selection is the astonishingly beautiful Chrysanthemum by South African artist Michaelia Janse van Vuuren. A PhD in Electrical Engineering as well as an accomplished artist, van Vuuren focuses on designing artwork specifically for 3D printing from her studio outside of Pretoria. (Click image for larger view) This 250x250x82mm piece is a centerpiece,… Continue reading Design of the Week: Chrysanthemum
What 3D Printing Books Are You Reading?
We’ve been taking a look at books that seem popular among Fabbaloo readers and found some interesting options. How to Cast Small Metal and Rubber Parts (2nd Edition) 1800 Mechanical Movements, Devices and Appliances 507 Mechanical Movements: Mechanisms and Devices Makers: The New Industrial Revolution Printing in Plastic: Build Your Own 3D Printer The… Continue reading What 3D Printing Books Are You Reading?
Fabbaloo Is In The Big Apple!
This week Fabbaloo happens to be visiting the island of Manhattan. We’ll certainly check out the sights, including not only the usual museums, galleries and famous edifices, but also MakerBot’s new retail store and the 3DEA event on 6th Avenue. What other 3D print-related sights would New Yorkers suggest? Give us a shout if… Continue reading Fabbaloo Is In The Big Apple!
The Most Dangerous Person in 3D Printing
Wired has named their list of the “15 Most Dangerous People In The World”. The list includes some certainly dangerous types, such as Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, Mexican drug kingpin of Ciudad Juarez, but also includes some persons of questionable dangerousness, such as the scandalous former Army intelligence officer Paula Broadwell. One name we… Continue reading The Most Dangerous Person in 3D Printing
3D Printing Design Contest – And the Winners are…
The 3D Printing Design Contest generated some pretty incredible designs. The imagination and ingenuity of our entrants impressed our judges. The Grand Prize Winner of the 3D Printing Design Contest wins a $2000 cash prize, and all winners receive $100 and a 3D print of their model created on a Stratasys Mojo 3D Printer. Thanks… Continue reading 3D Printing Design Contest – And the Winners are…
3D Bioprinting Software?
According to a press release from bioprinting startup Organovo, they’ve partnered with CAD software giant Autodesk to produce tools specifically designed for creating bioprints. Why this makes sense to us: Autodesk is one of, if not the, leader in 3D design software across the industry. If anyone was to tackle this problem, it would… Continue reading 3D Bioprinting Software?
A Donation and Your House in a Snowglobe
It’s true: if you donate to the Home For Christmas online fundraiser, you could qualify for a rather amazing prize: your own home, 3D printed and placed within snow globe. According to Home For Christmas: Every year around 75,000 young people in the UK risk spending the festive period on the streets. But… Continue reading A Donation and Your House in a Snowglobe
Inside Shapeways
Forbes’ Andy Greenberg was able to get inside Shapeways’ New York City production facility to interview Duann Scott. In the video, Scott explains to the layman the process used by Shapeways, which is different from the typical plastic extrusion used by personal 3D printers: powder sintering. Scott explains that Shapeways includes a wide variety… Continue reading Inside Shapeways
Virtual Jewelry Becomes Real Jewelry
You might not be aware of it, but there’s a pretty competitive fashion industry within the still-kicking virtual world of Second Life. For years fashion designers have created pretty amazing virtual clothing, jewelry and other artifacts, some not possible in real life. Such items have been sold to Second Life avatars for many years. But… Continue reading Virtual Jewelry Becomes Real Jewelry
Would You 3D Print Your Foetus?
We all know what happens to 3D data: a 3D print emerges soon afterwards. Now a Japanese company has taken 3D information from a medical scanner to enable the production of 3D prints of an unborn foetus. The process involves a 3D scan of the pregnant customer to capture the required 3D information, including… Continue reading Would You 3D Print Your Foetus?
Advanced Manufacturing Seminars
If you happen to be in Anaheim, California in mid-February (and who wouldn’t?) you might want to check out the Advanced Manufacturing Seminar conference, taking place from February 12-14 at Anaheim’s Convention Center. The event is part of a much larger conference, the Automation Technology Expo WEST, which features “thousands” of suppliers. The event… Continue reading Advanced Manufacturing Seminars
3D Printers are A “Total Pile of S**T!”
You know something is getting close to popular culture when it enters the world of satire. 3D Printing did just that on a recent post from The Daily Mash, “a satirical website covering national and international news with spoof stories and opinion”. Their take on 3D printing included these gems: So by all… Continue reading 3D Printers are A “Total Pile of S**T!”
Design of the Week: Key Waffle
This week’s selection is a tremendously functional design with an unusual name. The Key Waffle, designed by artist Tim Potter, attempts to simplify the use of keyless mobile devices. You’ve probably heard someone say, “I need REAL keys to type on my mobile!”, when they discount full-screen phone options. This item is designed for… Continue reading Design of the Week: Key Waffle
Another Way to 3D Print in Wood
Wood, the most historical building material – but can you 3D print in wood? Not so much, but some are trying different approaches. Another interesting wood experiment was done by artist and maker Ben Godi, who combined 3D printing and woodworking to produce some amazing models. Godi’s fascinating “production pipeline” first involves creating an… Continue reading Another Way to 3D Print in Wood
Cubify’s Ornaments
Just in time for the holiday season, Cubify released a new 3D model generation tool, Cubify Ornaments. “Ornaments” joins several other very easy-to-use online tools capable of quickly generating 3D models suitable for 3D printing on your own printer. Similar to their other apps, the three-step process involves selecting a type of ornament, sizing… Continue reading Cubify’s Ornaments
Materialise’s 3D Barometer
Once you get into 3D printing you quickly realize that every 3D model is not the same. Some are easily 3D printed, some can successfully 3D print only using certain processes and others are simply pathological and can’t be successfully 3D printed. How do you know which one? Materialise has taken a step to… Continue reading Materialise’s 3D Barometer
Recreating the Ancient Past at Harvard
Museum curators at Harvard’s Semitic Museum are using 3D modeling to undo a part of the destruction of the ancient Iraqi city of Nuzi that was sacked by the Assyrians nearly 3,300 years ago. Read More at Engineering.com
The EchoRap 3D Printer
The EchoRap Rev1 is another variation on the standard RepRap design with the unique feature of using tubes instead of threaded rods. The design permits a very large build volume by simply using longer tubes. Designed by Robotic Sequencing of Montreal’s ÉchoFab, the EchoRap is a very inexpensive way to get started in 3D… Continue reading The EchoRap 3D Printer
Rapid Ceramic Engineering
Ben Becker of HotEnd Works described to us the process his company uses to produce industrial-grade ceramic prototypes. Ceramic prototypes have been around for a very long time, but there’s only so much you can do using conventional prototyping tools. Some geometries simply cannot be produced. However, 3D printed ceramics can replicate any geometry.… Continue reading Rapid Ceramic Engineering
Metal 3D Printing Everywhere
In addition to the major plastic 3D printer manufacturers appearing at Euromold 2012, quite a few metal 3D printer manufacturers also exhibited. Metal printing might be unfamiliar to many of our readers who focus on more inexpensive plastic machines. Metal-capable machines are typically quite expensive and are varied in features and abilities. At Euromold… Continue reading Metal 3D Printing Everywhere
Congress To Ban 3D Printed Weapons?
US Representative Steve Israel of Long Island, NY proposes an extension to a law banning “undetectable weapons”, due to his fears of widespread 3D printed guns. This fear could be justified as there is a group working specifically on the methods and designs of 3D printed guns. Wiki Weapons, as they are known, recently… Continue reading Congress To Ban 3D Printed Weapons?
Do You Carbomorph?
Carbomorph is a new, experimental material for 3D printing that promises to add a whole new range of capabilities with its ability to embed sensors within 3D printed items. Carbomorph was invented by researchers at the University of Warwick in the UK in their quest to develop a method of 3D printing electronic circuits.… Continue reading Do You Carbomorph?
Lunar 3D Printing? Check!
Researchers from several US institutions including NASA recently published a paper describing their experiment in “Lunar 3D Printing”. No, they weren’t actually ON the Moon. Instead they produced synthetic lunar soil (called “Regolith” by scientists) and attempted to use it as material in a 3D printing process. The process used was “LENS”, or Laser… Continue reading Lunar 3D Printing? Check!
3D Printers Meet The Consumers
We’ve seen a rather huge rise in the interest and awareness of 3D printing in the past year, helped by the marketing efforts of those companies offering personal 3D printing devices. But what happens when your “normal” consumer acquires a 3D printer? Bioarchaeologist Kristina Killgrove of Pensacola, Florida writes of her experience with a personal… Continue reading 3D Printers Meet The Consumers
Design of the Week: The Evolution Bracelet
This week’s selection was observed in a small display in a less-traveled corner of Euromold 2012. The evolution bracelet attempts to show the process of evolution along its axis, from molecules to humans, with lesser creatures in-between. Designed by Netherlands-based Studio Mango, this beautifully detailed bracelet is 70 x 65 x 20mm in size.… Continue reading Design of the Week: The Evolution Bracelet
Running Out of 3D Printing Companies to Invest In?
The big two stock-based 3D printing companies are of course, 3D Systems and Stratasys/Objet, now known as merely Stratasys. We’ve covered their massive stock price increases over the past few years and investors have been buying because of that rise. It seems that investors now want even more. An article on Seeking Alpha investigates… Continue reading Running Out of 3D Printing Companies to Invest In?
BBC Newsnight Examines 3D Printing
This video from the BBC provides an introduction to 3D printing, including the process of being scanned and 3D printed. The video also considers the challenges that will inevitably arise when 3D printing becomes common, including object piracy and the transformation of manufacturing. There’s even a quick interview with designer Sir James Dyson, but the… Continue reading BBC Newsnight Examines 3D Printing
3D Print Lightweight Load Bearing Structures
In most large constructions, rigid, dense and heavy support beams are used to keep a structure from crumbling in on itself. But for some applications, having dense structural components is a drawback. Researchers in Europe have shown that the density of structural components can be greatly reduced if they’re constructed around a fractal pattern. … Continue reading 3D Print Lightweight Load Bearing Structures
The Portabee 3D Printer
You might guess from the name of the “Portabee” that its unique feature is that it’s portable. And you’d be right. The Portabee is a RepRap-derived plastic extrusion personal 3D printer, sold in kit form for the definitely low price of USD$499. You’ll need 3mm filament to use the Portabee, and you’ll print… Continue reading The Portabee 3D Printer
Thirty Artists are CALMed with 3D Printing
The University of Exeter’s Centre for Additive Layer Manufacturing (CALM) recently hosted a collaboration between 30 artists and its engineers to leverage 3D printing technology. The event was intended to introduce 3D printing technology to curious artists who expressed an interest in trying out the new approach. According to the University: The… Continue reading Thirty Artists are CALMed with 3D Printing
The CB-Printer
There were a number of new 3D printers on display at Euromold, including this one, the CB-Printer. Designed by Bartosz Cieluch in Poznan, Poland, the CB-Printer is targeted at “domestic use and for small and medium size businesses”. The CB-Printer is a RepRap-style device with open sides. The distinguishing feature is solid engineering using… Continue reading The CB-Printer
The CeraFab 7500 3D Printer
We spoke with Dr. Martin Schwentenwein, who’s associated with Lithoz, a new Austrian company based in Vienna that has just developed a brand new ceramic 3D printer, the CeraFab 7500. This fridge-sized device is specifically designed to 3D print ceramic materials. Lithoz’s LCM technology prints Objects by repeatedly photo-curing whole layers within a… Continue reading The CeraFab 7500 3D Printer
Inside the Mcor IRIS
At Euromold 2012 we managed to get deep inside the Mcor IRIS color 3D paper printer. This device uses standard paper as it’s build material. Each layer (or page in this case) is formed by cutting the outline of each page appropriately. That’s perfectly understandable, but how do they print in color? The answer… Continue reading Inside the Mcor IRIS
LulzBot Sponsors Mars Expedition
We’re not sure what to make of this. Evidently Aleph Objects, Inc., the producers of the LulzBot personal 3D printer have announced their sponsorship of the Mars One initiative. Ok, wait. What’s Mars One? It’s a Dutch-based project with the intention of sending a human expedition to the Planet Mars in 2023. No, really.… Continue reading LulzBot Sponsors Mars Expedition
A 3D Printer Invades a High School
At Dublin Coffman High School in the not-quite metropolis of Dublin, Ohio (population 41,751) you’ll find a 3D printer. It’s not a massive color, multi material, commercial 3D printer. It’s merely a hobby 3D printer built from scratch for USD$600. But it’s impact will be far more than any commercial 3D printer. Teacher Jim… Continue reading A 3D Printer Invades a High School
Design of the Week: Accommo
This week’s selection was seen at Euromold 2012: Accommo by artists Levin Wagner and Jannis Thiele of the University of Arts, Berlin, Germany. This design was also selected as one of the top ten finishers in the 2012 Extreme Redesign 3D Printing Challenge by Dimension/Stratasys. The Accommo at first appears to be a… Continue reading Design of the Week: Accommo
Stratasys Completes Merger with Objet
After an overly long journey through regulations and legalities, two 3D printing industry giants Objet and Stratasys have completed their merger. The new company, which will be among the largest in the industry, will be known as Stratasys, with dual headquarters in both Minnesota (former Stratasys HQ) and Israel (former Objet HQ). The… Continue reading Stratasys Completes Merger with Objet
The Highly Defined 3D Systems ProJet 3500 HDmax
We took a very close look at 3D Systems’ new professional 3D printer, the ProJet 3500 HDmax. This new 3D printer is quite an update over its predecessors, beyond the rather nice exterior rework. It definitely does not look like any other ProJet. What else has changed? The internal change mainly is the processing… Continue reading The Highly Defined 3D Systems ProJet 3500 HDmax
Objet’s New 1000
Perhaps the “biggest” announcement at Euromold was Objet’s new “Wide Format” 3D printer, the Objet 1000. Indeed, it is truly massive, as you can see in the image above. Essentially it’s the same as its smaller siblings, except everything is oversized, notably the print volume, which is a staggering 1000 x 800 x 500mm.… Continue reading Objet’s New 1000
Art and Sound at Euromold 2012
At trade shows vendors wish to thrill visitors by showing example prints from their machinery. Often the most impressive prints are artwork. That being so, Euromold is riddled with 3D printed artwork everywhere you look, at least in Hall 11, the home of 3D printing technologies during this year’s event. We thought you’d like to… Continue reading Art and Sound at Euromold 2012
MIT Creates Lens for Radio Waves
Metamaterials are, by their very definition, awesome. The first sentence of the Metamaterials entry on Wikipedia reads: Metamaterials are artificial materials engineered to have properties that may not be found in nature. And as should be expected of materials that are supernatural, they can endow objects with properties that seem uncanny. In recent years, researchers have used… Continue reading MIT Creates Lens for Radio Waves
The Spiderbot Project
Ben Peters of the MIT Media Lab is working on something called the “Spiderbot”, which is: A lightweight self-contained cable suspended robot, moving similar to a SkyCam in stadiums, for 3d printing structures by attaching to high points in surrounding environments (trees, buildings, etc.) We have seen several approaches for 3D printing large… Continue reading The Spiderbot Project
Visit the Cube Bar!
There are many interesting things to see at Euromold if you’re into 3D printing, but perhaps the most noticeable is 3D Systems’ incredible “Cube Shop and Cafe”. Yes, it’s an actual bar, the first thing you see upon entering Hall 11, home of all 3D printing vendors at this year’s Euromold conference. The bar’s… Continue reading Visit the Cube Bar!
BREAKING: Staples to Use Mcor IRIS in Copy Centers
In a blockbuster announcement, Mcor, the makers of the IRIS color 3D printing system based on plain old paper, say they’ve struck a huge deal with print services giant Staples to supply 3D printing equipment for their numerous print and copy centers. This will obviously take a while to implement, so Staples Printing Division… Continue reading BREAKING: Staples to Use Mcor IRIS in Copy Centers
Solidoodle Turns 3
Solidoodle has announced a ten 3 version of their personal 3D printer. This very “solid” 3D printer was designed by aerospace engineers to ensure a very robust product. How robust is it? Check this: The all-steel frame is so strong, in fact, that a 200lb man can literally stand on top of the machine… Continue reading Solidoodle Turns 3
Q & A With Bre Pettis
Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot talked with Mashable about the 3D printing and his views on the future direction of the industry. He believes in the rise of innovation, partially triggered by the wider accessibility of making equipment, specifically the MakerBot (of course.) He says: Even on a small scale, you have parents who… Continue reading Q & A With Bre Pettis
Attending Euromold?
Are you visiting Euromold this week? We are! Euromold is the “World Fair for Moldmaking and Tooling, Design and Application Development”, where we’re likely to see the announcement of several new 3D printers from major manufacturers. If you’re in Frankfurt and would like to show us something interesting or have a chat, feel free… Continue reading Attending Euromold?
Sculpteo’s Secret iPhone Case-Printing Service
We’ve been investigating Sculpteo’s new iPhone case service. You’ve seen these things before: select a cool iPhone case from a series of astounding designs and receive it in the mail, freshly 3D printed. But there’s quite a difference with Sculpteo’s new service. Yes, you select and receive a cool case. But it has an… Continue reading Sculpteo’s Secret iPhone Case-Printing Service
3D Printed Electronics Demonstration
Optomec and Stratasys are set to demonstrate their hybrid technology that permits a type of 3D printed electronics. We’ve written about this before, but now they intend on demonstrating the process to the public. The process does not involve a mutant plastic-and-metal 3D printer. Instead it simply is a way for the two companies… Continue reading 3D Printed Electronics Demonstration
Design of the Week: Self-portrait 21
Artists often push the envelope of design and technique and that is certainly the case for “Self-portrait 21” by Dutch sculptor Caspar Berger, selected as this week’s Design of the Week. The production of this bronze self-portrait is quite a story. Berger used a medical CT scanner to capture a 3D model of his… Continue reading Design of the Week: Self-portrait 21
Objet Adds to its List of Materials
3D Printer maker Objet Geometries announced new additions to its now massive selection of materials available to its 3D printers. The new additions include a “rigid black” material and no less than sixteen different “rubber-like” materials that offer varying degrees of hardness (or flexibility, if you prefer). This brings their current complement of materials… Continue reading Objet Adds to its List of Materials
Another Cubify App: Pics
3D Systems’ Cubify division certainly likes you to do the designing. They’ve been pumping out “generator apps” for various 3D models for several months and now they’ve added on for pictures. The “Pics” app is rather simple compared to their other customizable models. You need only select a “frame” shape, upload your picture and… Continue reading Another Cubify App: Pics
MakerBot’s Photo Booth
It doesn’t exactly print photos, however. It prints sculptures! Of you! It can be found at MakerBot’s retail store in Brooklyn, NY. Team MakerBot has combined their Replicator 3D printing technology with ShapeShot 3D capture software into a booth setup to provide a true 3D printing “photo booth”. The ShapeShot involves several fixed cameras… Continue reading MakerBot’s Photo Booth
Start-Up Offers Blueprints For 3D Printed Parts
Stratasys founder Scott Crump offered the following commentary on Swedish company Teenage Engineering, which has started offering its customers 3D CAD files as blueprints for replacement parts so they can produce their own parts: It’s the first company I’m aware of that has taken this step, so I see it as a significant milestone… Continue reading Start-Up Offers Blueprints For 3D Printed Parts