Novameat has designed a specialized 3D printer to replicate the fibrous texture of meat, and this could lead to an explosion of plant-based alternative 3D printed meats.
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!
Book of the Week: 3D Printing Projects
This week’s selection is “3D Printing Projects” by Sachidanand Jha. It is a book that will definitely increase your 3D CAD design efficiency.
Awaiting Simplify3D 5.0
Simplify3D says they will issue the long-awaited version 5 of their powerful slicing software in 2020. It’s now 2020, and what can we expect?
Pico Hybrid Hot End Arrives!
Metaform is about to launch a very powerful hybrid 3D printer hot end that is not only very tiny, but can 3D print both flexible and higher temperature materials.
An Update On RePLAy 3D
RePLAy 3D contacted us to explain more details about the nature of their unusual 3D printer filament recycling service.
The Magic Behind Materialise
We had a chat with Materialise’s Stefaan Motte to find out what’s happening at the long-time 3D printing leader.
Design of the Week: Terrain Robot
This week’s selection is the unstoppable 3D printed Terrain Robot by Cults 3D contributor HK_ADLER.
Final Call For Feedback Through Our Online Survey
Our annual survey is about to close, so please get your thoughts in to us as soon as you can.
Sharebot Entering The Metal 3D Printing Arena
Sharebot has taken a big step into the world of metal 3D printing with the introduction of their new MetalONE metal 3D printer, which is designed for R&D use.
Ultrasound Method Increases Strength of 3D Printed Metal Parts
Researchers have found a way to significantly increase the strength and isotropy of 3D printed metal parts by using ultrasound.
Question of the Week: 3D Scanning A Tree
This week’s question is from reader Rinaldi Gotama, who asks about 3D scanning.
Chemical Companies Acquiring 3D Printers
Prodways Group announced sales of 3D printers, but not to “normal” customers: Instead they sold them to chemical companies, and we know why.
Tecnica’s Lens-Free SLS 3D Printing System
Technica has invented a very interesting new concept for SLS 3D printing light engines that could dramatically lower the price of equipment.
A Great Way To Learn Grasshopper
A new book explains how to use McNeel’s Grasshopper plug-in for Rhino 3D in a very simple and easy-to-learn manner.
ADDere’s Laser Metal Wire Additive Manufacturing System
ADDere’s new Kuka-robot based metal 3D printing system is able to produce extraordinarily large metal objects and rapid speed.
Mille and 3DPrinterOS Partner on 5G 3D Printing
3DPrinterOS and Mille are partnering up to develop a powerful mobile factory solution based on 3D printing.
peel 3D Announces The peel 2 CAD 3D Scanner
peel 3D just announced a new professional handheld 3D scanner, the peel 2 CAD, which includes some intriguing workflow simplification features.
Launching New Products Has Never Been Easier, Thanks To 3D Printing
Protolabs assisted the development of an award-winning consumer product, demonstrating the power of today’s manufacturing services.
We Will Never 3D Print A Car; We Will 3D Print Car Parts
The application of multiple 3D printing processes to help build parts for a concept electric vehicle hints at how future automobiles might be 3D printed.
3D Printed Facial Mask Pack System
A new use case for 3D printing has been identified: 3D printed custom facial masks, used to provide a superior fit to individuals through 3D scanning.
Formlabs Launches Community Spaces Program
Formlabs announced a new “Community Spaces” program that should optimize use of Formlabs 3D printing equipment in public fabrication labs.
Customized Products Face Consumer Challenges
Dassault Systèmes has undertaken a survey to understand consumer attitudes to custom-made products and this could affect the future growth of 3D printing.
The Race To The Bottom: Effects On 3D Printing
With the availability of a functional desktop 3D printer for only US$89, we had some thoughts on what this means and what happens next.
dp polar’s Unusual AMpolar i2 HSR 3D Printer
dp polar has developed a very unusual 3D printer that uses a large rotating platform to manufacture large quantities of parts in a single print job.
Book of the Week: Print Quality & Printer Calibration
This week’s selection is “3D Printing: Print Quality & Printer Calibration: Troubleshooting Print Quality And Calibrating Your Printer” by Luke Assad.
Space-Based Manufacturing Project Hints at Digital Manufacturing Constraints
Some thoughts about in-space manufacturing suggest a slightly different view of what digital inventory projects could or could not achieve on the ground.
Wanted: PDK 3D Printer Filament
Researchers have discovered a new plastic material, PDK, which seems to have unusually strong recycling properties.
An Eco-Safe Water Soluble Support Material
Most 3D printer soluble support materials are not particularly eco-friendly, but 3D Printlife’s 3D-SOLVE is a very safe option for ABS and other engineering materials.
Open Just A Bit Longer: Our Annual Survey!
Guess what? Our annual survey is now open for only a short while longer. To get your opinion registered and be eligible for the prize, please read on!
Design of the Week: 3D Printed Dremel CNC
This week’s selection is the impressive 3D Printed Dremel CNC project by 19-year old Nikodem Bartnik.
Could This Be The Most Accurate 3D Printer Filament?
A company claims to have developed the most consistent 3D printer filament ever. But what does this mean?
Another 3D Printing Pioneer Lost
Another 3D printing pioneer has been lost. Carl Deckard, inventor of SLS, has passed away.
A Benchmark Object For Metal 3D Printing?
The difficulty in 3D printing a particular type of industrial part suggests an idea for a type of benchmark object for metal 3D printing.
A Look At RapidDirect’s Manufacturing Services
Rapid Direct is a growing manufacturing service based in Asia. We took a closer look at the many fabrication services they offer.
More On The 3D Printer Hair Incident
We were able to view video footage of the 3D printing hair-caught incident from last week and have determined exactly how it occurred, and how to prevent it from happening again.
A 3D Printed iPhone 12? Or Is This Another Way To Do Product Testing?
A curious 3D print apparently obtained from Alibaba hints at another type of product development testing using 3D printing.
They Don’t Make 3D Printer Kits The Way They Used To
There seems to have been a distinct change in the nature of desktop 3D printer kits over the years. We propose a new naming convention to indicate this.
Four Far Out Predictions For 3D Printing In 2020
General predictions of the future are easy, mere extensions of existing trends. Here we provide some very specific — and unlikely — predictions for 2020.
Will 3D Printing Truly Reshape Retail?
Singularity Hub’s Peter Diamandis makes some predictions about how the retail market may be affected by 3D printing in the future. We have some counter-points.
16 Notable Happenings In 3D Printing During 2019
More things happened in 3D printing in 2019 than in any previous year, but what were the most important events? We made a list of sixteen.
Book of the Week: Build Your Own Mini Metal Maker
Did you ever want to try 3D printing in metal but did not have a million dollar budget to do so? If so, this book explains step-by-step how to build an inexpensive 3D printer that can actually 3D print metal objects.
The Copperhead 3D Printer Hot End
Slice Engineering has developed a new, highly efficient hot end that could be very suitable for use in high temperature 3D printing applications.
Rize All-In On Bio-Friendly 3D Printing
It seems that RIZE is placing a bet on a future 3D printing world with increased emphasis on safety. We found out some details.
SBI International’s Metal 3D Printing Process
Austria’s SBI International is marketing a new metal 3D printer, the M3D-P, which uses the WAM 3D printing process to produce large metal parts.
Design of the Week: Glitter Bomb Trap 2.0
This week’s selection is the Glitter Bomb Trap 2.0 by Mark Rober.
Reminder: Our Annual Reader Survey Is Still Running
Fabbaloo’s 2019 Annual Reader Survey is still open and we really want to hear from all of you 3D printer operators!
What Is 3D Printer Calibration, Really?
Everyone talks about “3D printer calibration”, but what is it really? We believe the process varies considerably depending on a number of factors.
3D Printed Metal Scavenger Filters
New research seems to have developed an incredibly effective method of 3D printing speciality filters to extract specific metals from waste material.
RepRap Ltd Developing New Assembly Robot
RepRap Ltd is working on a very interesting idea to produce a kind of universal assembly robot, capable of building arbitrary structures.
Exaddon’s CERES 3D Printer Can Produce Microscopic Metal Objects
Exaddon has developed a unique metal 3D printer that is capable of 3D printing microscopic metal objects in metals like gold, silver and platinum. We found out some details of how it works.
Do You Know About Netfabb Online Service?
Did you know Autodesk offers a free STL model repair service through an online web page? We show the details on how to use it.
The University of Maine Just Created the World’s Largest 3D Printed Boat
University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center has developed a new and enormous 3D printer that is capable of 3D printing a complete boat that floats!
Is 3D Systems Really On The Verge Of A Turnaround?
A publication predicts a major turnaround for 3D Systems in 2020, but we have some thoughts about their reasoning.
What’s Up At MX3D?
We had a chat with Amsterdam-based MX3D, who provide metal 3D printing services for large-scale projects, including bicycles and bridges.
Is A Robotic Assembly System Really A 3D Printer?
New research from the University of Stuttgart demonstrates the possibility of using an assembly technique for 3D printing.
Book of the Week: Python for 3D Printing
There’s a rather interesting book that can show you how to use Python programming to supercharge your 3D modeling experience for 3D printing.
Five Unending Myths About 3D Printing
There are five myths about 3D printing that just won’t go away. We list and explain all of them.
Could 3D Printing Save The Automotive Industry?
HP’s metal 3D printing work with Volkswagen portends a 3D printed future for automakers seeking to catch up in the race to produce electric vehicles.
New Dangers For 3D Printer Operators
We witnessed yet another dangerous situation encountered by a 3D printer operator and provide some advice on how to avoid the situation.
Admatec’s New and Larger 3D Printer
Admatec announced a new and much larger metal and ceramic 3D printer; we had a close look at it.
Design of the Week: Gingerbread 3D Printer
This week’s selection is the Gingerbread 3D Printer by Instructables contributor 3Demon-3Dprint.
Don’t Forget Our Annual Survey!
Fabbaloo’s annual survey is open! Please tell us your opinions!
The LumiBEE Open Source 3D Printer
There is a new option for those wishing to build their own 3D printer: Lumi Industries released open source plans for a resin 3D printer, the LumiBEE.
An Inexpensive Method Of 3D Printing PEEK Parts
WASP has modified their popular Delta 2040 3D printer to enable 3D printing of high temperature materials like PEEK. But there’s another surprise, too.
Prusa Leaks New Firmware Features; Suggests Future Model Features
Prusa Research issued some news about their new Original Prusa MINI desktop 3D printer, and it leads to some interesting speculation.
Production Additive Manufacturing Means Quality Assurance Is Far More Important
What happens when 3D prints change from being prototyping devices to production machines? A lot more quality control, that’s for sure.
The Amazing LumiCUBE 3D Printer
The new LumiCUBE from Lumi Industries is a very sophisticated resin 3D printer that contains a surprising new feature.
More Thoughts On Use Of HP 3D Printers For Prototyping
One HP MJF owner/operator has some direct thoughts on use of HP’s 3D printing technology for prototyping.
Giant DIY 3D Printer Demonstrates The Challenges Facing 3D Printer Manufacturers
What happens to large-format 3D printer manufacturers when any enthusiast can quickly build a similarly large device? We have some ideas.
3D Printer Emissions Are Everywhere
Did you know there are increased levels of 3D printer emissions even at trade shows? We found a measurement to prove this happens.
Stereotech’s Amazing “5D” Filament 3D Printer
Stereotech has introduced a small-scale inexpensive 5-axis 3D printer capable of printing objects without support, but there are some confusing aspects.
Another Solution To Stray Oxygen Buildup During Metal 3D Print Jobs
It’s not well-known, but there are often quality problems when 3D printing metal parts caused by oxygen contamination. We describe two approaches for resolving the problem.
Stratasys Appoints New CEO
Stratasys finally announced a permanent replacement for their interim CEO with the appointment of Yoav Zeif. We have some thoughts on what might happen next at the 3D printing giant.
Congratulations To Wi3DP On Their Fifth Anniversary
Women in 3D Printing started as a mere blog, but today it’s a worldwide movement. We offer our congratulations and support.
Xact Metal Tunes Up Their Metal 3D Printing Tech
Xact Metal has incorporated several new features into their line of metal 3D printers that should speed up the system significantly, yet keep the price quite low.
Using VR In 3D Printing
Aurora Labs has been experimenting with using VR for working with their metal 3D printer. We speculate on how this could work.
Protolabs Selects Medical Applications For Cool Idea Award
Protolabs has awarded two healthcare organizations with manufacturing support services to assist in the development of new and highly valuable healthcare devices.
Book of the Week: 3D Printing Failures: 2020 Edition
This week’s selection is “3D Printing Failures: 2020 Edition: How to Diagnose and Repair ALL Desktop 3D Printing Issues” by Sean Aranda and David Feeney.
HP Surprises With Prototyping Solution
HP’s MJF process is surprisingly being used successfully for prototyping by Oakley. We realized why they succeeded.
24 Hour 3D Printed Housing: This Has To Stop
Mass media continues to be fooled by the fake news of “3D printed homes in 24 hours”. We vent our thoughts on this ongoing debacle.
Intel Announces RealSense LIDAR Depth Camera
Intel announced a new 3D depth sensor, the RealSense LIDAR Camera L515, and we examine the possibilities of using this device for 3D scanning.
Why We Cover Large and Small 3D Printers
Some may wonder why this publication covers both small-scale DIY 3D printing and at the same time large-scale industrial production additive manufacturing. We explain our thinking.
Design of the Week: Telsa Phone Charger
This week’s selection is the 3D printed Telsa Phone Charger by engineer Stephen Holmstead.
Do You Qualify For Fabbaloo’s Community Support Program?
Did you know Fabbaloo provides free assistance to community 3D print ventures? We can provide promotional support to non-profit 3D print initiatives.
Incredible 3D Printed “Visible Man” Available Through Full Color 3D Technology
Mimaki’s powerful full color texture 3D printers are being used to 3D print mass quantities of customized artwork for consumers.
The Fabbaloo 2019 Reader Survey Is Open!
The Fabbaloo 2019 Reader Survey Is Open!
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Ultrasonic 3D Printing
Researchers from Fabrisonic have done some research to develop a comprehensive paper detailing all aspects of ultrasonic 3D printing.
An Update on The Progress of Additive industries
Additive Industries announced a series of interesting technical and corporate moves that should power their expansion. We speculate on what they could mean for the 3D printing industry.
Toy Rescue To Save Toys, Money and The Environment With 3D Printing
Toy Rescue is a new initiative that proposes to supply 3D models of commonly broken toy parts to the public for 3D printing.
The Transformation of Loop 3D
Loop 3D has completely switched gears and after two years has released a powerful industrial 3D printer. We found out all about it and its numerous features.
An Update On Lynxter’s 3D Printers
Lynxter’s S600D industrial 3D printer just got a lot better with a new liquid extrusion system. We found out which materials it can print.
CEO Blake Teipel Explains Essentium’s Strategy
We chatted with ESSENTIUM’s CEO, Blake Teipel to find out more about their strategy and the latest developments.
Is The MM3D Nozzle Practical?
Researchers at Harvard and the Wyss Institute have developed a new form of extrusion-based 3D printing they call “MM3D”. We review the constraints that make it impractical for many applications.
You Need A Different Slant on 3D Print Layer Lines
Those unsightly layer lines are really not unsightly, and are a product of your unconscious bias. We found a story that explains the truth about 3D print layer lines.
Xjet Splits 3D Printer Lines
When Xjet first developed their nanoparticle jetting (NPJ) process, they didn’t realize it would split into two different styles. We found out why.