Hardware

Third Party 3D Printer Resin

With the rise of multiple personal 3D printer options based on resin technology, one would think third parties would begin supplying resin for them. You’d be right. 

Making a 3D Printer Out of Junk

These days the focus has been on increasingly sophisticated, pre-assembled shiny 3D printers that work out of the box. But what if you wanted to build one from scrap?

Home Plastic Recycling

Plastic recycling, while seemingly a good idea, has apparently had a difficult time. Dave Hakkens, a student at the Design Academy Eindhoven,  has created an inexpensive way to do it yourself. 

Needed: 3D Printer Auto Ejection

Years ago the MakerBot Thing-O-Matic had a peculiar optional feature, the Automated Build Platform, which could automatically remove prints from the bed when complete. We need something like that today.  But what was this amazing option? It was essentially a conveyor belt laid around the heated build platform. When the print was complete, it was… Continue reading Needed: 3D Printer Auto Ejection

Build Your Own Ultimaker?

Looking for plans to build your own 3D printer? Now you can consider building an Ultimaker 2. While it’s for sale in assembled form, you can now inspect the plans for it. 

Artec’s Handheld 3D Scanners

There are now several inexpensive handheld 3D scanners on the market, but they just aren’t as good as commercial units that have been available for some time. 

Fuel 3D’s New Funding

Fuel3D launched in a very successful manner on Kickstarter some months ago, but now they have a new success story.

Makeraser’s Smooth Launch

Finally Makeraser is available for purchase, having launched on Kickstarter this week. It’s not a 3D printer, but everyone who owns a 3D printer should certainly get one.    It’s a multi-use accessory that leverages acetone’s peculiar property of dissolving ABS plastic. In the past we’ve seen various attempts to use acetone to smooth ABS… Continue reading Makeraser’s Smooth Launch

Cubify’s Advanced Material Cartridges

Cubify’s new Cube 3 includes a fascinating new feature: extremely simplified material loading, made possible only through the development of a new way to handle plastic filament.    The new cartridges are quite different from any generic spool you’ve seen before. They’re sealed to prevent dust and dirt from contaminating the filament (which eventually clogs… Continue reading Cubify’s Advanced Material Cartridges

Matterform’s 3D Scanner in the Flesh

We managed to chat with Adam Brandejs of Matterform at CES, where he and colleagues demonstrated their powerful and inexpensive tabletop 3D scanner.    We wondered how they felt about recent announcements by other companies of various kinds of 3D scanners. Matterform is not concerned and reports that “pre-sales have been going very well” for… Continue reading Matterform’s 3D Scanner in the Flesh

What Will 3D Systems Announce at CES 2014?

We knew 3D Systems was set to make significant announcements at CES 2014 in Las Vegas, but now we have a preview. In a press release they said they would make not one, but TWELVE announcements. This is startling, as they previously announced a dozen or so new items at last month’s EuroMold conference in… Continue reading What Will 3D Systems Announce at CES 2014?

3D Printed Underwear?

A UK firm has revealed plans to produce a line of apparently 3D printed underwear. Tamicare has developed a new process that is said to enable 3D printed fabric, which they intend to produce underwear with, at least at first.    The fabric generated through this process is trademarked as “CosyFlex”. It’s not entirely clear… Continue reading 3D Printed Underwear?

Stratasys’ Nylon Material

A few weeks ago we speculated that Stratasys might begin focusing on new materials to exploit their huge base of installed 3D printers as their FDM patents expire, and it appears they’ve done so with the announcement of their new Nylon-12 material.    Fred Fisher, Director of Materials at the company explained to Fabbaloo that… Continue reading Stratasys’ Nylon Material

Formlabs Releases a New Resin

Formlabs, makers of the popular Form 1 personal 3D printer have released a new resin. Previously, the company offered only two resins: Grey and Clear. The new material is “White”.    For a rapid startup company such as Formlabs, it’s totally understandable they may take some time before introducing new materials, but now they’ve done… Continue reading Formlabs Releases a New Resin

Development is Underway for a Graphene 3D Printing Material

In a recent press release, Lomiko Metal, a Vancouver based firm, announced its intention to create a laboratory dedicated to the development of “graphene-enhanced” 3D printing materials.   Graphene, which recently proved to be the world’s strongest material, has been of keen interest to a wide range of industries since its first isolation in 2004.… Continue reading Development is Underway for a Graphene 3D Printing Material

3D Systems’ New Scanning Solution

3D Systems announced an inexpensive personal 3D scanner last week, but they also announced a professional 3D scanning solution, too.    The new GeoMagic Capture bundle is a combination of a blue-LED 3D scanner and application-specific software to integrate the scan directly into several high-end 3D modeling solutions, including: SolidWorks, SpaceClaim, Design X, Design Direct,… Continue reading 3D Systems’ New Scanning Solution

The FilaFab Filament Maker

We had a close look at the FilaFab, a “Desktop Filament Fabricator”. It’s pretty simple in concept: put in some plastic bits and usable 3D printer filament comes out the nozzle.    But there’s a lot more to it than that. The device has been carefully designed to ensure consistent melting temperature and flow rate… Continue reading The FilaFab Filament Maker

The CADScan Cubik 3D Scanner

We spoke with Dr. Alastair Buchanan, the man behind the Cubik full-color tabletop 3D scanner at the London 2013 3D Printshow.    The device is a tabletop unit, meaning you can only scan items that will fit into its scan chamber. It’s also a sealed chamber, meaning that you can operate the scanner in a… Continue reading The CADScan Cubik 3D Scanner

Cosmo’s Patina Kit

During 3D Printshow 2013 we spent some time with Cosmo Wenman, the fellow who has captured 3D scans of numerous famous sculptures over the past year. But it’s what he does with the scans afterwards that is so much more interesting.    Wenman 3D prints the sculptures on his aging yet still reliable MakerBot Replicator… Continue reading Cosmo’s Patina Kit

Cubify’s New Handheld Scanner

Cubify announced the “Sense 3D Scanner” in a surprise announcement. The 3D printer manufacturer has thus far produced only 3D printers, making the Sense a completely new product line.    It’s a handheld 3D scanner capable of rapidly capturing 3D shapes. We examined the specifications for the device and noted the following:    The scan… Continue reading Cubify’s New Handheld Scanner

Something Interesting is Inside the new Builder 3D Printer

At the 2013 3D Printshow we stopped by the Code-p west BV booth, who produce the Builder personal 3D printer. These folks produce a typical personal 3D printer, but as we talked with their spokesman, something very interesting was revealed.   At first, their machine appears much like many other personal 3D printers: a cubic… Continue reading Something Interesting is Inside the new Builder 3D Printer

Adorable 3D Printed Humanoid Robot

Researchers studying bipedalism and human-robot interaction at France’s INRIA have created an affordable 3D printed humanoid robot.   Called Poppy, the 33 inch tall robot was designed, printed, and built for about US$11,000. This is around one third of the cost of comparable robots.   Most of the budget is spent on complex servo motors.… Continue reading Adorable 3D Printed Humanoid Robot

Ancient 3D Printer Converted Into a Laser Engraver

Some months ago we proposed a list of things you could do with your now-expired ancient personal 3D printers. We said you could   upgrade them; use them for simple prints; donate them; toss them out; or make them into a museum piece. At the time we considered museuming as the best option for our… Continue reading Ancient 3D Printer Converted Into a Laser Engraver

3D Scans Obtained By Drones

A new approach to capturing 3D scans of extremely large objects has been pioneered by senseFly, who produce the eBee drone series. They teamed with Drone Adventures, an organization dedicated to demonstrating the power of drones, to capture a detailed scan of the Matterhorn, Europe’s tallest mountain.      A team scaled the mountain and… Continue reading 3D Scans Obtained By Drones

Move over Michelangelo – 3D Printing with Marble

For millennia marble has been one of the most impressive materials for building and sculpture. However, marble quarrying wastes material and creates plumes of calcium carbonate dust.  Unfortunately, this dust represents a major environmental and public health risk.   In an effort to eliminate the negative effects of marble dust, engineers created MarbleEcoDesign.  This company… Continue reading Move over Michelangelo – 3D Printing with Marble

MadeSolid’s Colored 3D Printer Resins

If you happen to have a Form 1 resin-based 3D printer, you’ll likely to have purchased resin from Formlabs, its manufacturer. Formlabs provides resin tuned specifically for their machine, but as of now it comes in only two colors: grey and clear.    That’s changing because MadeSolid has launched a new series of resins that… Continue reading MadeSolid’s Colored 3D Printer Resins

“Green” 3D Printer Filament

No, no, we don’t mean “Green”. We mean “Green” as in environmentally responsible. We’ve been looking at filament supplier GP3D, who sell a decent selection of ABS and PLA plastic filament in 1kg spools.    Their pricing is decent (USD$32-44 per kg depending on the color and choice of material) and their color selection is… Continue reading “Green” 3D Printer Filament

3D Printer Filament Available at Monoprice

We hadn’t noticed it before, but evidently Monoprice has been selling plastic filament suitable for 3D printers for months now.    If you’re not familiar with Monoprice, they are a large online retailer of electronic goods, specializing in ultra-inexpensive cables. For example, you can get yourself an HDMI cable as little as USD$4, while you’d… Continue reading 3D Printer Filament Available at Monoprice

The Makeraser Smooths 3D Prints

A new startup offers something called “The Makeraser”. It’s a handheld tool that can smooth your unattractive visibly-layered 3D prints into beautiful smooth objects.    Current technology for smoothing ABS 3D prints involves suspiciously dangerous acetone vapor chambers or massively expensive commercial smoothing devices. That, or you spend many hours with sandpaper. The Makeraser hopes… Continue reading The Makeraser Smooths 3D Prints

Matterform Sales Open

Matterform’s fundraising campaign closed this spring achieving a total of “only” six times their target, but until now that was the only way to order one of their attractive tabletop 3D scanners. We received word from Co-Founder Adam Brandejs that their website now accepts pre-orders.    We were also informed that the latest version of… Continue reading Matterform Sales Open

The Structure Sensor

The folks who developed Skanect, one of the best software solutions for 3D scanning with your Microsoft Kinect, have launched a new scanning venture: the Structure Sensor.    Occipital, the company behind the sensor, bills it as “the world’s first 3D sensor for mobile devices.” The device attaches to iOS devices via the Lightning connector,… Continue reading The Structure Sensor

Expect Superior 3D Depth Cameras in 2014

NetworkWorld reports that Intel is actively developing a “depth sensing camera”, which will be capable of detecting “movement, track emotion, and even monitor reading habits of children.”   We already have inexpensive depth cameras available such as the common living room Microsoft Kinects found everywhere. But while the Kinect was revolutionary in its time, its… Continue reading Expect Superior 3D Depth Cameras in 2014

TTP’s Multimaterial 3D Print Head

  Perhaps the most significant technology barrier in 3D printing today is the limitation of materials. Most 3D printers can produce only a single material at a time. Some manufacturers have short-circuited this problem slightly by adding additional print heads to enable more than one material, and only one (Stratasys) has the technology to mix… Continue reading TTP’s Multimaterial 3D Print Head

Inexpensive, High Quality 3D Printer Resin?

Most personal 3D printers are filament-fueled extrusion machines, but there are a number of resin-based machines, such as the Form 1, the Nautilus, the mUVe 1, the B9 Creator and others. There’s also several open source plans for resin-based machines.    But there could be a problem. Resins used by some of these machines can… Continue reading Inexpensive, High Quality 3D Printer Resin?

The Mebotics Microfactory

  It’s billed as “the world’s first machine shop in a box”, and it very well might be. The Mebotics Microfactory is an enclosed unit that holds not only a CNC cutter but also four (yes, FOUR) extruders on its 3D printing head.    The idea is to produce a portable, safe-for-the-office small manufacturing facility.… Continue reading The Mebotics Microfactory

Four MakerBot Digitizer Implications

We’re certain most of you have heard of MakerBot’s latest device: The Digitizer. It’s a relatively inexpensive 3D scanner designed for prosumer use. As the first 3D scanner that could hit a mass audience, we pondered what it might mean. What happens when large numbers of people own a 3D scanner. Here’s our predictions:   … Continue reading Four MakerBot Digitizer Implications

Yet Another 3D Printing Pen: swissPen

After the monstrous success of 3Doodler, others hope to duplicate their success, including the 3D Printed Pen that replicated much of 3Doodler’s design. Now we see another: swissPen, made by Groupe JL Monnin, based in, of course, Switzerland.    The swissPen, which sells for CHF 95.00 (USD$103), is a handheld extruder that accepts PLA and… Continue reading Yet Another 3D Printing Pen: swissPen

Apple’s Tiny Step into 3D

Shortly after we suggested Apple won’t be 3D printing anytime soon, they took a teeny tiny step in that direction.    According to a report on AppleInsider, Apple has patented a system for accepting 3D input. As you can see in the diagram (and much more available at AppleInsider), hand gestures would capture 3D movements… Continue reading Apple’s Tiny Step into 3D

The MakerBot Digitizer: Now Available

As expected, MakerBot released their newest product today: the MakerBot Digitizer. It’s an inexpensive turntable-based 3D scanner directed at consumers and professionals.    MakerBot has taken steps to simplify the process of using the scanner itself. You simply drop an object on the turntable and start the process. The turntable rotates slowly, exposing the object… Continue reading The MakerBot Digitizer: Now Available

Fuel3D’s Harker Offering

We wrote recently on Fuel3D’s new 3D scanner, just launched on Kickstarter. While the project has been quite successful, gaining more than three times their goal of USD$75,000, they’ve created even more reason to buy one of their devices: Fuel3D has teamed with noted 3D print artist Joshua Harker, who has produced a unique design… Continue reading Fuel3D’s Harker Offering

D3D’s Unusual Extruder

While some develop 3D printers, others work diligently developing subcomponents. The extruder is particularly devilish, as it must withstand the most force and temperature of any part of a filament-based 3D printer.    Wait, why re-invent the venerable extruder? The answer lies in the challenges with multi-color 3D printing. Current 3D printer manufacturers simply “add… Continue reading D3D’s Unusual Extruder

Fuel3D: An Inexpensive 3D Scanner

There seems to be many developments in 3D scanning recently, including the unexpected announcement of a new, very inexpensive handheld 3D scanner from Fuel3D.    The new scanner uses a combination of geometric and photometric sensing to produce a highly accurate (up to 0.25mm resolution) 3D model in either STL or (color textured) PLY formats. … Continue reading Fuel3D: An Inexpensive 3D Scanner

Freeform 3D Printing with an Undo Ability

The Suspended Deposition Project, Brian Harm’s new 3D printing concept, is built to change the way architects create and design structures. According to Harms, “This project aims to blur the line between processes of design and fabrication in the context of rapid prototyping by increasing the fluidity of the fabrication process through coordinated material and… Continue reading Freeform 3D Printing with an Undo Ability

Inexpensive 3D Print Smoothing with the Touch Up

A new product from startup 3D Customization hopes to simplify the difficult process of smoothing ABS 3D prints with a new smoothing device: The Touch Up.    The Touch Up uses the acetone process, which we feel can be dangerous if not done properly. Acetone is a colorless, highly flammable substance. The acetone smoothing process… Continue reading Inexpensive 3D Print Smoothing with the Touch Up

BendLay Filament Bends!

The same folks who brought you the hard-to-believe-but-actually-real Wood filament now market a new bendable filament: BendLay, produced by Orbi-Tech and developed by Kai Parthy.    BendLay filament, available in spools of either 3mm or 1.75mm, has the unique property of being able to bend without creating stress marks that you’d quickly see if you… Continue reading BendLay Filament Bends!

3D Model Captured With Google Glass

Google Glass is a set of glasses that include processing, networking and sensory elements. It’s an experimental platform upon which developers many now invent new kinds of applications. One such experiment is Todd Blatt’s 3D scanning project.    The glasses themselves do not have the processing capability to generate a 3D model, nor do the… Continue reading 3D Model Captured With Google Glass

3D Printing Sugru!

You don’t know what Sugru is? It’s a peculiar substance that is malleable when first exposed to air, but then solidifies into a rubber-like material that can be bent but snaps back to its original shape.    Too bad you can’t 3D print it.    But now you can! HYREL has performed an experiments with… Continue reading 3D Printing Sugru!

HYREL is 3D Printing Clay

New 3D printer manufacturer HYREL has developed an extruder capable of 3D printing clay. In the video below you’ll see it printing a pyramid. A simple print indeed, but one that proves it’s possible.    The HYREL line of 3D printers includes an interesting feature: “multiple hot-swappable extruder head options.” If the clay extruder is… Continue reading HYREL is 3D Printing Clay

More Advanced 3D Interfaces Brewing

California-based Atheer is developing an advanced wearable 3D visual display that should be available in 2014. The as-yet-unnamed product appears to be a set of North Korean-style glasses that display 3D information to each eye.    You might think Atheer is repeating Google’s Glass product, but they’re not. Atheer’s product will be completely standalone and… Continue reading More Advanced 3D Interfaces Brewing

Hands On With The FinishingTouch Smoothing Station

If you’re 3D printing with plastic filament, you’ll be familiar with the layered effect, where progressive extrusions accumulate into an object. The object has the correct shape, but has unsightly ridges. What to do?    You can eliminate ridges with the Acetone technique, but it’s relatively dangerous, as acetone is flammable and generally not very… Continue reading Hands On With The FinishingTouch Smoothing Station

Emerging Objects 3D Prints Architectural Materials

Oakland-based Emerging Objects isn’t your normal design firm. Rather than designing homes, interiors, furniture or products from common materials, the four-person group is trying to create materials for tomorrow’s 3D printed objects.   Self-described as a “a pioneering design and research company that specializes in designing and 3D printing objects for the built environment using… Continue reading Emerging Objects 3D Prints Architectural Materials

What’s In Your PrintCave?

Sports fans might have a ManCave, equipped with a wall-sized flat screen, cushy recliner chairs, bar fridge and chip bowls. But what makes up a PrintCave?    A 3D printer, obviously, and perhaps storage for filament. But what else might you have in your PrintCave? Tools? Showcase of your best models? Lighting? Something you have… Continue reading What’s In Your PrintCave?

UMT Develops 3D Printing Metal Smoothing Technology

We had a brief encounter with Alexander Lobovsky, P.E., who is a partner with United Materials Technologies of New Jersey. Lobovsky’s company is developing a new method for smoothing 3D metal prints.    The problem with metal 3D prints is the same as plastic: printing by layer causes visible ridges on the object. These can… Continue reading UMT Develops 3D Printing Metal Smoothing Technology

Get Your 3D Printer Filament at Makerstash Soon

We had the opportunity to meet with James Coleman, gentleman and founder of Makerstash, which will provide a wide selection of 3D printer filament for your MakerBot, RepRap or many other 3D printers.    The filament business is straightforward, and success occurs simply by executing the business plan perfectly. MakerStash’s Mission describes theirs:    At… Continue reading Get Your 3D Printer Filament at Makerstash Soon

New 3D Modeling Interface From 3D Systems?

Another recent announcement from 3D Systems President and CEO Avi Reichental indicated that the company has been seeking ways to simplify the creation of 3D content suitable for 3D printing. Evidently they’ve been working with the Leap Motion 3D sensor in particular, but we have little information beyond that.    The Leap Motion sensor is… Continue reading New 3D Modeling Interface From 3D Systems?

The Doodle3D Box

Another Kickstarter launch in the 3D printing space: Doodle3D, made by a Netherlands startup company. This product is a method to simplify the design and 3D printing of 2D line drawings. It’s composed of an app and a WiFi box that attaches to your personal 3D printer.    Using the app you can “doodle” a… Continue reading The Doodle3D Box

Long Range 3D Scanning Demonstrated

3D scanning is a tricky business. Whether you’re using a USD$50,000 unit or a USD$100 Microsoft Kinect, none will meet all possible scanning requirements. You might require super-fine detail of a small object, or perhaps you’re scanning a building, or simply just grabbing a scan of your girlfriend’s face for a quick 3D print.   … Continue reading Long Range 3D Scanning Demonstrated

The Filastruder

The cost of a 3D printer is not only the printer itself, but also the print material. In most cases, personal 3D printers use plastic filament, either ABS or PLA plastic. If you’re a prolific 3D print maker, you might actually spend more on plastic than you did on the 3D printer.    How can… Continue reading The Filastruder

A 3D Print Refiner

We’ve seen countless startup 3D printer companies launch crowd funding campaigns in the past year. Now we’re seeing a plethora of 3D printing accessory devices sprout from the minds of world’s entrepreneurs. Today’s 3D print accessory is the 3D Refiner.    3D Prints Express’s 3D Refiner attempts to solve one of the banes of early… Continue reading A 3D Print Refiner

The Photon 3D Scanner

Tired of designing your own 3D CAD models? Worn out from endless searching 3D repositories for that specific 3D design? If so, why not scan your own physical objects and replicate them? Usually you can’t because 3D scanning is frequently an expensive proposition.    But that could change with the introduction of the Photon 3D… Continue reading The Photon 3D Scanner

3D Captured Tattoos

We’re looking at an unusual 3D scanning project on Kickstarter: the “3d tattoo body art scanner” by UK artist Lee Wagstaff. Wagstaff is notable as he was the first person to use his own body art as presentation material during his Master’s degree defense.    Having such an incredible array of intricate tattoos poses a… Continue reading 3D Captured Tattoos

Materialise Announces Flexible Material

Materialise, the industrial 3D print service, has announced a rather interesting material: TPU 92A-1. Despite the awkward and mysterious nomenclature, TPU 92A-1 offers a legendary feature: flexibility.    The video above shows the amazing flex provided by TPU 92A-1. Not only is this material flexible, but it also is resistant to tearing, temperature and abrasion,… Continue reading Materialise Announces Flexible Material

Another 3D Printer Shop

3D Makers is one of several new sites we’ve seen recently that provide services, at a small level, to the 3D printing community. Spokesperson Michael Triana pointed out their site, which provides sales of 3D printer plastic filament as well as a  personal 3D printer, the Lulzbot AO-101.    More than likely 3D Makers will… Continue reading Another 3D Printer Shop

Mod Your Un-Moddable 3D Printer

Some 3D printers are made for modification, such as the RepRap kits or early MakerBots. But some 3D printers were specifically designed to be used “out of the box” without modification. These 3D printers were not designed for modification by ingenious owners.    However, in spite of such design constraints, we see continuing effort by… Continue reading Mod Your Un-Moddable 3D Printer

The MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner

MakerBot announced, but did not release, a personal 3D scanner at SXSW yesterday that could dramatically change how personal 3D printers are used and accepted by the general public.   Perhaps the biggest problem facing home 3D printer owners today is finding the right 3D models to print. Unless one is a designer equipped with… Continue reading The MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner