ideas Archives « Fabbaloo

The Fatal Flaw In Every 3D Print Process

There are more 3D printing processes available today than ever, but each has at least one major challenge.

June 17, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

Has Industry Finally Discovered 3D Printing?

I’m seeing evidence that 3D printing has truly taken hold in advanced manufacturing, at least in some industries.

June 16, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

The Women Of R&D Tax Savers Discuss Recent Trends In Additive Manufacturing / 3D Printing

The women of R&D Tax Savers see 3D printing technologies and trends in their work almost every day.

June 11, 2021 | By Charles Goulding

The Ongoing Blurring Of 3D Print Services

A long-term trend has transformed today's 3D print services business into something quite different.

June 9, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

Another Reason For 3D Systems’ Service Divestiture

I’ve been thinking about 3D Systems’ dramatic sale of their on demand parts business, and I believe there is another reason behind the deal.

June 2, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

New Generation Supply Chain Management and 3D Printing

3D printing technology is evolving so fast that university supply chain programs and manufacturing supply chain departments need to have regular 3D printing continuing education.

May 29, 2021 | By Charles Goulding

The Real Secret Behind Successful Powder 3D Printing

The key to powder 3D printing is not the binder or laser.

May 28, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing and Vertical Market Impacts

Charles R. Goulding and Joseph Castine look at how wire arc additive manufacturing might affect several heavy industries.

May 28, 2021 | By Charles Goulding

Positive Demand Shock and 3D Printing

In March of 2020, the global economy experienced a negative demand shock.

May 27, 2021 | By Charles Goulding

How Do Companies Find 3D Printers?

It all started with a random call.

May 17, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

Indian Industrial Titans Clash and 3D Printing

Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi look at troubles at an Indian tech giants might affect use of 3D printing technology.

May 15, 2021 | By Charles Goulding

The Machinist Shortage: Meeting Demand with 3D Printing

There is currently an acute shortage of qualified machinists, which in our view is something the 3D printing industry should be concerned about.

May 14, 2021 | By Charles Goulding

Is 3D Printing Truly Viable for Manufacturing?

While additive companies have been touting the capabilities of 3D printing in manufacturing, can it really compare to true manufacturing?

May 14, 2021 | By ENGINEERING.com

U.S.’ Need For PPE Self-Sufficiency and 3D Printing

It is well recognized that the 3D printing industry has stepped up and made a major contribution in supplying large volumes of critical PPE equipment including masks, apparel, swabs,...

May 13, 2021 | By Charles Goulding

Oil Industry Business Diversification and 3D Printing

The major oil companies have been under siege recently from environmentalists, investment firms and the U.S. government.

May 8, 2021 | By Charles Goulding

Augmented Reality and 3D Printing Production Environments

The April 7th, 2021 edition of the Wall Street Journal contained an article indicating that augmented reality (AR) technology is now hitting its stride with a prediction of large...

May 6, 2021 | By Charles Goulding

2021 Global Reputation Leaders And 3D Printing

Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi consider ten leading companies’ activities in 3D printing.

April 30, 2021 | By Charles Goulding

A Closer Look At Stratasys’ Polymer Manufacturing Strategy

This week, Stratasys doubled down on its additive manufacturing strategy for production.

April 29, 2021 | By Sarah Goehrke

Creativity In New 3D Printing Worlds

Charles R. Goulding and Ryan Donley consider how 3D printing might help us build imaginative new worlds.

April 26, 2021 | By Charles Goulding

3D Printing And NFTs: Part 2, The Solution?

Could NFTs — Non Fungible Tokens — resolve key issues in 3D printing? How could this work?

April 16, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

3D Printing And NFTs: Part 1, The Problem

Could NFTs — Non Fungible Tokens — resolve key issues in 3D printing? What problems would they solve?

April 16, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

Wall-Mounted 3D Printers?

Wait, are wall-mounted 3D printers even possible?

April 14, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

Why Are 3D Print Services Expanding So Much Lately?

I’m reading yet another press release on 3D print service expansion and have some thoughts.

April 12, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

The Coming Parts Catastrophe In 3D Printing

There could be a great deal of unexpected problems in coming months for 3D printer manufacturers.

April 7, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

3D Printed Supply Chains Of The Future

I’m reading a fascinating piece on how supply chains are evolving towards a new world of 3D printing.

April 6, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

How To Make Anything With 3D Printing

You can't use a 3D printer to print anything. You can make anything with a 3D printer.

April 2, 2021 | By Daniel Slaski

Two Ways To Look At AM Adoption

Moving to additive manufacturing has been quite a challenge for many companies, but perhaps there’s another perspective.

March 31, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

The Overton Window’s Effect On 3D Printing Progress

I just came across something called “the Overton window”, and realized it explains the struggles of 3D printing.

March 28, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

Plastic Or Metal, That Is The Question

Evonik announced a new material, and I had a thought while reading through their announcement.

March 26, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

The Economist Tackles 3D Printed Crime

A new report from The Economist describes the state of 3D print crime.

March 21, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

How Green Can 3D Printing Be?

There has been a significant shift towards more eco-friendly 3D printing recently, but there is a long way to go.

March 18, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

3D Printing: On Mars

If you’ve ever wondered why some keep trying to 3D print objects in space, I have a video for you.

March 14, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

A Rant About Resin

Resin 3D printers produce amazing output, but why do they have to be so messy?

March 11, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

The Road To Herd Immunity And 3D Printing Business Planning

Charles R. Goulding considers what a return to “normal” in the 3D printing business might look like.

March 8, 2021 | By Charles Goulding

Signs Of 3D Printing Expansion

Could the piqued interest in additive manufacturing persist after the pandemic? Some signs say “Yes”!

March 4, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

Is Robotic 3D Printer Automation The Future?

A major barrier to 3D printing adoption has long been automation, but what is the best way to achieve it?

March 3, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

Is The Future Of Meat 3D Printed?

There’s a rush to produce alt-meat, and it could be that 3D printing techniques could dominate the scene.

February 22, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

Commercial Construction 3D Printing Erupting In The US

Three announcements foreshadow increased construction 3D printing in the US.

February 10, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

Are Partnerships With Chemical Companies Required For 3D Printer Manufacturers?

I’ve been looking at several material announcements lately from 3D printer manufacturers and am noticing a trend.

February 9, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

Could Casual 3D Printing Go Large?

A new video shows the potential of large-format home 3D printing.

February 8, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

There’s Reasons For Coming 3D Print Consolidations

In recent weeks there have been several high-profile corporate acquisitions in the 3D printing world. There are reasons this is happening and we should expect more.

January 29, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

We May See Very Large Metal 3D Printers In The Future

It’s likely we will see increasingly larger 3D printers in the future.

January 21, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

2021: The Year Of Additive Manufacturing Market Consolidation?

It’s only January, but 2021 already shows an overarching theme in 3D printing: market consolidation.

January 19, 2021 | By Sarah Goehrke

2021 Predictions For 3D Printing

Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi look ahead to a new year in 3D printing with nine predictions of what’s to come in 2021.

January 19, 2021 | By Charles Goulding

Successful 3D Printing Requires Optimal Everything

I’m reading an interesting case study from Teton Simulation that illustrates an often-ignored fact of 3D printing: everything must work.

January 18, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

Production 3D Printing At The Heart Of Recent Acquisitions

Recent 3D printing acquisition announcements have something significant in common: production focus.

January 15, 2021 | By Sarah Goehrke

Is It Time To Join Club 3D?

It’s a new year and perhaps it’s time to put your 3D printing goals into action.

January 5, 2021 | By Kerry Stevenson

The 3Ds For 2021 Investing

Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi consider three important “D” trends for investing this new year as they impact 3D printing.

January 5, 2021 | By Charles Goulding

3D Printing: Blazing the Trail for Austin, Texas to be the Nation’s E-bike Capital

Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi review how 3D printing has affected the e-bike industry.

November 6, 2020 | By Charles Goulding

Glimpsing The Future Of Mass Customization

In an interesting short video, 3D print service Qualified3D demonstrates a method for producing mass customized objects.

November 6, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Round 2: The COVID Fight Scores With Help from 3D Printing

Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi examine how 3D printing could make an even bigger splash during the second wave of COVID-19.

November 5, 2020 | By Charles Goulding

Are 3D Printers Too Dark?

Lighting has always been a consistent issue with 3D printers, and it doesn’t seem to be improving.

November 5, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Balancing Cost vs Features in 3D Printer Design

When you see the final design of a 3D printer, there have been many decisions made to get it to that state.

November 5, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Really Cheap Filament, With a Big Catch

The message said PLA filament for only US$8.50 / kg — could this be true?

November 4, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

The Quagmire That Is 3D Printer Filament Eco Terminology

Another eco-friendly 3D printer filament? Hold on, there is a lot more to the story.

November 3, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Coming Soon: Scalable Garage 3D Printing

I had a thought about how belt 3D printing might play out in the future.

October 30, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

We Have To Talk About Diversity & Inclusion In Additive Manufacturing

If you watch only one episode of Ok Xoomer, make it this one.

October 28, 2020 | By Sarah Goehrke

The Economics Of Low-Volume Manufacturing With Belt 3D Printers

The world is about to see a deluge of belt 3D printers but can they be economically used for low-volume manufacturing?

October 26, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Looking At Hurdles To Serial AM Production

Looking At Hurdles To Serial Additive Manufacturing Production

I’m reading a post by Markus Seibold about serial production using additive manufacturing and there is a great deal of wisdom in his thoughts.

October 25, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

The Importance of Understanding 3D Print Clients

The Importance Of Understanding 3D Printing Clients

In a today’s 3D printing world it is all too easy to focus too hard on the technical and forget other factors.

October 23, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

It May Be Time To Abandon PLA For 3D Printing

I’m now considering whether PLA should be the default 3D printing material for desktop equipment.

October 16, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Is Subscription-Based 3D Printing For You?

There are several ways to obtain 3D printing technology, and one of them is by subscription. But is it for you?

October 11, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Generational Shift Could Increase Use Of 3D Printing

I’m reading a newsletter from Diabase Engineering and had a thought about how 3D printing will play out over the long term.

October 9, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Hitting It Off: The Increasing Need For Effective Integration Within Additive Manufacturing

In an additive manufacturing ecosystem that is both constantly evolving yet still fragmented, Lee-Bath Nelson, Co-Founder and VP Business at LEO Lane, looks at why the need for companies...

October 5, 2020 | By Lee-Bath Nelson

The Future of Additive Manufacturing

An interesting talk at the third episode of the ongoing 3DEXPERIENCE: A Virtual Journey revealed some hints about what may happen in additive manufacturing’s future.

September 28, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

How To Run A Home Business With The Help Of 3D Printing

Among the technologies that are helping to make running a small company more simple and practical is 3D printing.

September 20, 2020 | By Indiana Lee

Watch Out, Belt 3D Printers Are Coming

Having written a couple of stories focusing on belt 3D printers recently, I have some thoughts about their future.

September 16, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Putting Pilot Skills To Work In 3D Printing

Charles R. Goulding and Andressa Bonafe take lessons from Top Gun to additive manufacturing.

September 16, 2020 | By Charles Goulding

When 3D Printed Guns Are Not 3D Printed Guns

I’m reading an article on Hackaday about some folks experimenting with 3D printed gun parts and realized there could be a problem.

September 15, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

How Asia’s Silicon Valley Can Benefit From 3D Printing

Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi consider the use of 3D printing to compete with Amazon's growth in India.

September 14, 2020 | By Charles Goulding

8 Reasons Why You Should Not Buy A Home 3D Printer

Many Fabbaloo readers own their own 3D printer, while others contemplate buying one. But should you?

September 8, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Twist 3D Printing: A Flat Rate 3D Printing Service?

Why Is 3D Print Service Pricing So Complex?

Computing the price of a 3D print from a service has always been a complex matter, but now a new approach may shake things up.

September 8, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Can Simon Properties Use Technology To Mend The Fashion Industry?

Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi consider whether a recent move in retail might be helped even further by incorporating advanced technologies like 3D printing.

September 4, 2020 | By Charles Goulding

Prusa Moving Towards Professional Market?

Could Prusa Research be slowly moving into the professional 3D printing market?

August 27, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Additive Manufacturing 2.0?

Is the current inflection point for 3D printing tipping us into “Additive Manufacturing 2.0”?

August 27, 2020 | By Sarah Goehrke

Is Magigoo Taking Over The World?

Magigoo seems to have expanded a great deal since we last took a look at them, and a new partnership shows where they are headed.

August 25, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Creating New Business Models And Marketing Programs With 3D Printing

Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi consider their company’s clients’ new ways of conducting business in today’s changed environment, and where to incorporate 3D printing.

August 24, 2020 | By Charles Goulding

The Cheap Filament Option

Many Fabbaloo readers consume a lot of 3D printer materials, and that can be expensive. But there are ways to reduce costs.

August 24, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

BMW’s New Additive Manufacturing Plant Won’t Be The Last

BMW has opened for operations a new additive manufacturing plant, but this is likely only the beginning.

August 21, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Experts Weigh In On 3D Printing In New Supply Chain: Digital Manufacturing & Decentralization

Experts from MakerBot, CONTEXT, and Mobility goes Additive address questions of 3D printing in supply chains based on remote work and distributed manufacturing.

August 19, 2020 | By Sarah Goehrke

McLaren’s Speedtail Aileron Design Inspires 3D Printed Solutions?

Supercar maker McLaren’s new Speedtail includes an unusual feature that might inspire some new 3D printed designs.

August 17, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

What’s Happening With Hiring In 3D Print In 2020?

What’s Happening With Hiring In 3D Printing In 2020?

It’s 2020, one of the worst years, ever. Business is down everywhere, but is this really true in 3D printing?

August 17, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Arcanum And 3D Printing

Charles R. Goulding considers the achievement of 3D printable porcelain.

August 14, 2020 | By Charles Goulding

What Might We Expect To See In The Prusa MK4? Part 2

I’ve been doing some thinking about a potential Prusa MK4 3D printer and have some ideas about what we might see.

August 12, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

What Might We Expect To See In The Prusa MK4? Part 1

No, there have been no announcements regarding a new “Prusa MK4” 3D printer. But what might be included in a MK4?

August 12, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

New Trade Show Models And 3D Printing

Charles R. Goulding considers the prospect of trade show rethinking for the 3D printing industry.

August 12, 2020 | By Charles Goulding

Eight Ways 3D Printing Can Help Manufacturing

With the recent spotlight on 3D printing as a result of the pandemic’s bump on supply chains, I listed some ways the technology can help manufacturers.

August 7, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Formlabs Announces “Factory Solutions” And Shifts Everyone’s Perception Of 3D Printing

Formlabs announced a new product offering they call “Factory Solutions”.

August 7, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Printing a New You: A Look at 3D Bioprinting

A look at the challenges facing the prospect of 3D bioprinting living tissue.

August 7, 2020 | By ENGINEERING.com

3D Printing And Supply Chain Preparedness

If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that supply chains can be disrupted suddenly and without any indication of how long the interruption will last.

July 30, 2020 | By Sarah Goehrke

Thoughts On Using The Prusa MINI In 3D Printer Farms

After working with the Prusa MINI 3D printer, I have some thoughts on the use of this device in a potential 3D printer farm setup.

July 30, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

New Chart Illustrates Polymer 3D Printing Options

A new chart published by AMPOWER shows a comprehensive view of the polymer 3D printing landscape.

July 24, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Another Way To Measure 3D Printer Resolution?

I’m reading an interesting release from Nanofabrica, and had a thought about 3D printer specifications.

July 17, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Why Would You Need CAD Conversion?

I hadn’t deeply considered the idea of CAD file conversion until I realized this could be a very difficult challenge for larger companies.

July 17, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Mass Customization Is Coming

With the arrival of the new Superstrata 3D printed bikes, I’m wondering whether we’re now at the moment when mass customization begins to grow in the minds of consumers.

July 15, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

The Variable Currency Prices Of 3D Printer Filament

On a tip I took a look at how desktop 3D printer filament is priced by major suppliers and found something quite interesting.

July 12, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

Four New Pandemic-Generated 3D Printing Business Models

The pandemic is far from over, but its effect on 3D printing business is becoming clear; we list 4 new business models for 3D printing.

July 9, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

All About 3D Printer Recoater Blades

I’m reading a fascinating piece by Additive Manufacturing Consultant Michael Wohlfart discussing the different types of recoaters one might use.

July 7, 2020 | By Kerry Stevenson

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