A reader pointed out an unusual patent claimed by one of companies on which we recently wrote a story.
Kerry Stevenson
Kerry Stevenson, aka "General Fabb" has written over 8,000 stories on 3D printing at Fabbaloo since he launched the venture in 2007, with an intention to promote and grow the incredible technology of 3D printing across the world. So far, it seems to be working!
Ricoh Working on Metal 3D Printing Technology – And Ceramics
While Ricoh has been selling their SLS-based 3D printer for over a year, they’re now beginning to move into a very different 3D printing technology.
Ricoh’s Powerful SLS 3D Printing System
To most people, the name “Ricoh” means photocopiers or cameras. Now, the company is hoping that same name will also mean “3D printing”.
Design of the Week: Monument for the 308
This week’s selection is the astonishingly huge “Monument for the 308” sculpture by Andreas Greiner.
An Excellent 3D Printed Visualization
Stratasys has produced a very interesting visualization using their color 3D printing processes.
Vendors Meeting the Need for New Plastic Filaments
In the past few weeks I’ve repeatedly seen desktop 3D printers of many brands attempting to print with unusual materials. Now it’s up to the filament vendors to meet that need.
Roboze’s Super-High Temperature 3D printer
Roboze is a small Italian company producing a very unique desktop 3D printer. You might say it’s very hot!
GE Crosses the 3D Metal Printing Finish Line, But It’s Only The Start
GE announced it had this week met its minimum requirement to go ahead with the acquisition of Arcam, beginning a new phase in metal printing.
More About MAKEiT, a 3D Printer Startup
We had the opportunity to discuss business with MAKEiT’s Shelley Sun.
Which is Faster? FDM or SLA 3D Printing?
A reader comment enquired about the general relative speed of the two major 3D printing processes, plastic extrusion and photocurable resin.
Rent a 3D Printer with Threedigo
A new sharing service proposes a method of renting remote 3D printers.
Builder Solves a Now-Familiar 3D Printing Problem with the Builder Extreme 1500
Netherlands-based Builder has announced the Extreme 1500 industrial 3D printer, which just happens to solve a problem we saw last week.
Dyze’s 3D Printer Filament Sensor Add-On
A Montreal-based company has launched a 3D printing accessory that detects out-of-filament conditions.
Matsuura Seems to Have Metal 3D Printing Figured Out
There are many new 3D metal printers on the market, but most of them produce objects requiring significant post-processing. But not Matsuura’s.
Polymaker’s Simplified 3D Casting System
Polymaker is one of those interesting plastic filament companies that keeps inventing unusual products. One of them is their casting solution.
Trinkcle’s B2B Product Generation System
I’ve always thought that generative approaches may be the way for consumers to get into 3D printing, but there’s actually another more important use.
Should 3D Printer Companies Develop Their Own Resins?
There seems to be two kinds of resin 3D printer manufacturers: those supporting open materials and those who do not.
Design of the Week: Voronoi Pearl Light Lamp No. 1
This week’s selection is the decorative Voronoi Pearl Light Lamp No. 1 by designer Gravity Shapes.
Siemens and Stratasys: More Than Just a Partnership?
I was very pleased to learn of Stratasys’ partnership with Siemens, but afterwards I’m wondering if there is more to this deal than meets the eye.
A Big Perspective On BigRep
We’ve been following the development of BigRep for some time now, and at this point the company is a significant player in the 3D space.
A Sweet Spot for Viridis3D’s 3D Printing Foundry Solution
EnvisionTEC’s subsidiary Viridis3D has been developing a unique system for 3D printing sand molds for use in foundries.
Xioneer’s X1 Has All The Calibrations!
At this stage of development, you might wonder what possible improvements could be done on a standard filament-based 3D printer. Tt turns out Xioneer has figured out several.
atum3D’s DLP 3D Printer
There is no shortage of resin-based 3D printers these days, and one new option is the atum3D.
No, Not Really: Australian Drug Dealers 3D Printing Submachine Guns?
A series stories suggest that some druggies on the Gold Coast of Australia recently 3D printed submachine guns. I Don’t Think So.
Omni3D Seeks Fortus Customers
Omni3D’s Factory 2.0 Production System is directly targeting Fortus users.
3D Platform’s Powerful New Extruders
You might be familiar with 3D Platform, a company dedicated to making large-format 3D printers. Now it seems they’re working on ways to make large prints much faster.
Roland’s Not-So-Secret Ceramic 3D Printer
When you think of “Roland” with respect to making machines, you think “small desktop unit”. But that’s definitely not going to be the case soon.
Concept Laser’s Automation Initiative
Concept Laser is working towards a significant automation system that could enable easy integration of their equipment into factory environments.
OR Laser’s Sophisticated Metal 3D Printer
German company OR Laser has developed a sophisticated metal 3D printer based on their previous laser expertise.
BigRep’s Shrinking!
Usually we see 3D printer companies making ever-larger devices. But now the maker of a large unit produces a smaller unit.
Has 3d-figo Figured Out How To 3D Print Any Material?
In a very tiny booth on the left side of the FormNext exhibition was a display from a one-person company that just may have figured out a monstrous breakthrough in 3D printing.
Flashforge Partners With ZW3D for CAD
A major desktop 3D printer vendor selected a CAD vendor as partner.
Design of the Week: Super Flowers
This week’s selection is the radical Super Flowers by Michigan-based Mark Peeters.
3D Printing: Shape, Check! Function, Not So Much
3D printing may be on the verge of a dramatic shift in focus as we’ve overcome one mountain, only to be faced with another.
SLM Solutions: We Have No Idea
SLM Solutions is a well-known manufacturer of metal 3D printing equipment, but we can’t tell you anything about them.
Stratasys’ Online Store
Stratasys made a bit of a splash with their online materials store this past week.
The DentalFab 3D Printer From MicroLay
Spain-based MicroLay has developed a new 3D printer specifically for the dental market.
AIO Robotic’s New Multi-Color Option
AIO Robotics has introduced an interesting new feature that enables basic color changing on their desktop 3D printer.
Microsoft’s Paint 3D: Introductory, Not Revolutionary
Windows 10 now includes Paint 3D, a simple 3D modeling program.
Variable Layer Slicing for The Ember 3D Printer: Good Idea or Not?
Autodesk has introduced something called “VariSlice” for their Ember desktop 3D printers.
APWorks’ LightRider Foretells Interesting New 3D Designs
APWorks has released a design for a fabulous 3D printed electric motorcycle called the “Light Rider”. But I think there’s a lot more to this project.
Get Ready; The Next Wave of Metal 3D Printing is About to Begin
In 2009 something happened that started a 3D printer boom. That’s going to happen once again.
Who Knew? Nylon PLA!
Is it nylon 3D printer filament or PLA. Actually, this product is both!
The Monoprice Select Mini Desktop 3D Printer
If you’re seeking an inexpensive desktop 3D printer and fear an unknown Kickstarter project, the Monoprice Select Mini may be for you.
ExOne Releases 3Q2016 Results With Some Surprises
ExOne is one of the few publicly-traded 3D printer companies, and its information allows us to peek at the state of the industry.
A Combination of Tools to Fix BAD STL 3D Print Files
Have you ever had a “bad” STL file? I certainly have. Fixing them is often a tricky business.
3D Printed Brackets Demonstrates a Powerful 3D Printing Capability
Netherlands-based Openplus has launched a very powerful 3D print-driven construction system for furniture.
The Huge Cheetah 3D Printer
There’s another large-format plastic extrusion 3D printer you may not have heard of: the Cheetah 2.
3D Systems Quarterly Results: Flat
3D print giant 3D Systems announced their third quarter results and it seems they are holding at consistent levels.
The Critical Importance of Cooling During Plastic 3D Printing
There’s often much discussion of heating issues in 3D printing, but there’s another thermal dimension to consider: cooling.
Design of the Week: Light, Darkness and Tree
This week’s selection is the breathtaking Light, Darkness and Tree prints by Korean artist Se Yoon Park.
Meet Us In Frankfurt!
Our team will be perusing the works of many 3D printing companies this week at the formxext trade show in Frankfurt, Germany.
Structural Analysis with Altair HyperWorks’ OptiStruct
Designing a mechanical part requires much more than simply the geometric shape; other factors must be analyzed and accounted for, and that requires powerful software.
UK Teen Killed By 3D Printer
An article in The Telegraph describes a horrifying scenario in which a 17-year old died in a fiery explosion on his 3D printer.
Challenging Times for 3D Printer Startups
Now is perhaps the most difficult time for a small 3D printer startup since patents started to expire in 2009.
3D Printed Vocal Rings by EncodeRing
Here’s a fun vertical application of 3D printing: EncodeRing, a physical manifestation of your voice, on demand.
Sigma Labs Hopes to Enable Many More 3D Printing Uses
While 3D printing technologies continue to be adopted by manufacturing, there are still some challenges.
BeeHex Refines Their Pizza-Printing System
I spoke at length to BeeHex CMO Jordan French to discover more details about the company’s plans, and the result is quite promising.
Diabetes Effects Resolved with 3D Printing – And More?
Researchers at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute have developed a 3D printing technique to assist diabetes patients, but could this be a new category of application?
Subsea Applications of 3D Printing
There’s an interesting use of 3D printing taking place: under the sea!
XJet Succeeds at Ceramic 3D Printing
Israel-based XJet Ltd. announced they’ve been able to successfully 3D print ceramics using their proprietary NanoParticle Jetting process.
GE Raises The Price of 3D Metal Printer Companies
The battle over control of 3D metal printer companies continues.
Tend.ai Receives Funding for Their Robotic 3D Print Operator System
Startup Tend.ai has received a huge boost with a fundraising round of USD$2M.
Ability3D’s Desktop Metal 3D Printer
Metal 3D printing on the desktop is pretty much a dream for many designers due to the extreme cost involved, but soon there may be an option.
Will Shipbuilding Be the Next Industry to Take on 3D Printing?
A report from software company Shipbuilder suggests the ship building industry may be next up to take on 3D printing at scale.
The Tiny PocketMaker 3D Printer
Need a 3D printer you can put in your pocket? Well, it may be slightly bigger than a pocket, but the PocketMaker is indeed very small.
Portable “BeastCam” Field 3D Scanner for Research Use
They say necessity is the mother of invention, and that’s certainly the case with the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s new “Beastcam”.
Why Low-Priced 3D Printer Companies Often Fail
Last week we told the story of XMachines and their extreme financial challenges. The failure to deliver product is usually just a result of bad arithmetic and planning.
3D Printing May Foil Facial Recognition Systems
A piece in New Scientist describes how specially designed eyeglasses may be able to “confuse” digital face recognition systems. But could 3D printing do the same?
Design of the Week: Blinking Iris Goggles
This week’s selection is the wacky Blinking Iris Goggles by Washington-state based Thingiverse contributor Jeff Kerr.
OWL WORKS Morphs Their Resin 3D Printer into an Affordable Size
Korea-based OWL WORKS launched the Morpheus Delta, an unusual resin-based desktop 3D printer with a rock-bottom price.
NASA’s Medical 3D Printing Challenge
NASA has announced another 3D printing challenge, this time for K-12 students to develop medical technology for use on a potential Mars voyage.
Another 3D Printing Materials Property You May Not Have Considered
Recently I had a discussion with a maker designing a handheld transmitting device, who insisted on 3D printing with ABS instead of PLA, but his reasons were not what you might think.
Why STL Files Can Be Insufficient For 3D Printing
I’m reading an interesting piece by Gal Raz on Medium about the file types required by 3D print service bureaus.
3D Printing Enables Control of Ultrasounds
An unusual use of 3D printing has enabled far more powerful control over acoustic waves.
Airwolf 3D’s AXIOM 20 Offers More Than Just Z-Height
Airwolf3D suddenly announced a new professional desktop 3D printer, the AXIOM 20.
3D Hubs’ Transformation Continues
Community 3D printing network 3D Hubs continues to transform into an industrial-style service with an announcement they’ve acquired a 3D model repair service.
The 3D Printable OpenLOCK Gaming System
Gamers are a popular user community employing desktop 3D printers to enhance their gaming experience, and now there’s a new project that should make that usage even easier.
Bre Returns – But Not Directly into 3D Printing
We haven’t written about former MakerBot chief Bre Pettis for quite some time, but now he’s reappeared with a new venture.
Microsoft’s 3D Plans and How They May Affect Everyone Else
It seems software giant Microsoft is going deeper into 3D technology, and I’m wondering how this could tilt the 3D printing landscape.
3D Print Community: RhinoSlic3r
This month’s community support selection is the RhinoSlic3r project by Quentin Labrosse.
XMachine’s Genesis 3D Printer Launch Seems to be Having Challenges
We have been contacted by a backer of the Genesis desktop 3D printer by XMachine, who has some complaints, which appear to be legitimate.
A New Set of Anatomical 3D Models
There’s a large new set of 3D models focused on anatomy, courtesy of a collaboration between Threeding.com and Artec.
Fabbaloo’s New Design Service
This may not be applicable to all readers, but some will find this of great interest.
Design of the Week: Venus Box, With Teeth!
This week’s selection is the very curious Venus Box, modified to include teeth, by Thingiverse contributor Marcin Jedynak.
Arcam’s Interesting Interim Report
Arcam is a publicly-traded metal 3D printer manufacturer, and now we know a bit more about how well they are doing.
Magnetic 3D Prints Opens Up New Possibilities
Researchers at TU Wien in Austria have developed a method of 3D printing strong magnetic objects in arbitrary shapes using 3D printing.
Guess Which 3D Printing Process Is Still Under Patent?
After our publication of thoughts on compromises when using dissolvable 3D printer filament for support material, a reader pointed out something rather interesting.
van Straaten’s Quest for Color 3D Print Quality: An Update
Remember a few months ago Netherlands-based Eric van Straaten sought funding to acquire a color 3D printer? There’s an interesting update to his story.
GE Buys Two 3D Metal Printer Firms, Just Not The Ones We Thought
General Electric’s bid to purchase Germany-based SLM Solutions fell through – but GE evidently had a backup plan.
The CUBICON Single Plus 3D Printer
I’m checking out the CUBICON Single Plus desktop 3D printer from Korea-based HyVISION.
Demonstration 3D Print Hack Proves Little
Researchers from Ben Gurion University successfully executed a hack on a 3D printing process, but I’m wondering what to make of it.
The Mysterious Fleximatter Project
I’m looking at a secretive Israeli company called Fleximatter that seems to be developing an unusual 3D printing technology.
Tradeoffs With Dissolvable 3D Printer Support Materials
There are two major plastics used for dissolvable support structures in desktop 3D printing, but neither is perfect.
The End of the Zeus 3D Printing Ecosystem?
It seems that Zeus Creative Technologies is faced with selling their operation to others interested in continuing forward with their technologies.