There’s an interesting piece at Intellectual Property Brief by Brianna Ford that looks at the legal scenario involved when copyright, trademark or patent items are illegally reproduced on a personal 3D printer. We strongly suspect this situation will occur; in fact, it’s probably already occurring. Disney-related items are appearing at Thingiverse and they will… Continue reading Who Should Disney Sue for 3D Printing Mickey?
Ideas
BioHacking Leads to 3D BioPrinting?
A report on TechCrunch describes the work of two bio companies, Genome Compiler and Cambrian Genomics. They are developing hardware and software to design and print (the DNA) of new life forms. The idea is to provide software (that’s Genome Compiler’s part) that allows a designer to combine different gene sequences together into a… Continue reading BioHacking Leads to 3D BioPrinting?
U.S. Losing its Edge in Additive Manufacturing?
For the last few decades, American companies have dominated and advanced the field of additive manufacturing to its current state. However, in a recent report from industry analyst Terry Wolhers, America’s dominance in additive manufacturing could be waning. In preparation for Wohlers Associates annual Wohlers Report,the analysis firm hase released some data that might… Continue reading U.S. Losing its Edge in Additive Manufacturing?
Are 3D Printers Scary?
We’re reading a post by Shelly Palmer of Huffington Post entitled, “3D Printing is Way Scarier Than Plastic Guns”. Palmer describes the recent 3D printed gun scenario that we’ve covered in several posts and then goes on to suggest that the knee-jerk reactions of various politicians are misguided, sensational and “like putting a Band-Aid on… Continue reading Are 3D Printers Scary?
3D Printers: Banned?
That could be the outcome of a proposal from California state senator Leland Yee of San Francisco. Upon reviewing recent reports of 3D printable weapons, Yee became concerned about the possible outcomes and has proposed that the technology must be regulated. He says: Terrorists can make these guns and do some horrible things to… Continue reading 3D Printers: Banned?
Stratasys Solves Those Troublesome 3D Print Seams
If you’re using an extrusion-based 3D printer, you’re likely familiar with the problem of seams. It’s an annoying strip right up the side of your object that disrupts the otherwise smooth surface of your 3D print. The seam is actually composed of the vertical accumulation of start / end points from each layer’s perimeter.… Continue reading Stratasys Solves Those Troublesome 3D Print Seams
Dynamic 3D Model Apps: Open or Closed?
It’s become apparent that dynamic models are a lot more fun than static models for 3D printing. Wait, what’s a dynamic model? A static model is simply a digital 3D model that is the same for everyone. A nice bracelet, for example. A dynamic model is one that’s created for you at the… Continue reading Dynamic 3D Model Apps: Open or Closed?
A Word On 3D Printed Gun Safety
If you happened to download the 3D printed handgun models before the US government confiscated them, it may be time to remind you of safety concerns should you attempt to 3D print this item. The ease of 3D printing and the sudden availability of a working gun model meant that some people will attempt… Continue reading A Word On 3D Printed Gun Safety
Is Your 3D Printer Filament Toxic?
You own a personal 3D printer that accepts 3rd party filament and you’ve purchased a selection of cool colors from an online shop – but is that filament safe? Aside from the obvious choices of color, quantity and filament diameter, the one factor most considered is price. Usually the lowest priced filament that meets… Continue reading Is Your 3D Printer Filament Toxic?
Why 3D Print Model Repositories Won’t Work
Another Day, Another 3D Model Repository opens for business. We can’t tell you how many people we’ve run into lately that hope to launch a type of 3D model repository. The story goes something like this: There’s gonna be so many 3D printers, there will be a huge demand for 3D models to print.… Continue reading Why 3D Print Model Repositories Won’t Work
3D Printing Napster? Not Yet
A piece in TechCrunch examines the notion that common availability of 3D printers will give rise to a “Napster for 3D Printing Models”. Napster, for those of you to young to recall, was the first big-time music sharing service, which emerged at a time when rules about such things were vague and corporate responses… Continue reading 3D Printing Napster? Not Yet
The 3D Printing Reliability Barrier
We’re reading a very short post on Zheng 3 where they attempted to print a Magic: The Gathering Beast Token. As you can see above, there were some very slight problems in successfully completing this operation. And that’s the problem – 3D printers are simply not sufficiently reliable. We’ve used many different 3D printers… Continue reading The 3D Printing Reliability Barrier
New Zealand Panics Over 3D Printing
A report from New Zealand’s 3 News shows big concerns about 3D printing are brewing in that Pacific nation. Minister of Customs Maurice Williamson has evidently learned about 3D printing technology and believes that: Household printers are likely to be able to manufacture drugs, weapons and other contraband in just a few years, which… Continue reading New Zealand Panics Over 3D Printing
3D Printing: Worth Billions By 2025?
A study by Lux Research proposes the value of the 3D printing market will reach an astonishing USD$8.4B by the year 2025. Last year’s value was a mere USD$777M, suggesting a rise of USD$7.6B over the next twelve years. This is a compound annual growth rate of around 22%. That’s big. Lux Research… Continue reading 3D Printing: Worth Billions By 2025?
3D Printing Survey Results
You might recall we pointed you, dear readers, to a survey being undertaken by Create It Real? Now the results of said survey have been published and we can take a look at what you said. The answers reveal the tone resonating among 3D printing enthusiasts these days. The first question asked, “what… Continue reading 3D Printing Survey Results
Stratasys’s Finishing Secrets
Stratasys has released a video detailing some of their secret (well, maybe not so secret) finishing processes. The video shows various tumbling media machines that operate similar to rock polishing tumblers – an object is tossed around within a bath of rough media. Gradually the objects become smooth after a relatively short period in the… Continue reading Stratasys’s Finishing Secrets
Perfectly Smooth PLA 3D Prints?
We’ve written previously about a method to create a perfectly smooth (even shiny) surface finish on your ABS plastic 3D prints, but one wonders whether the same can be done on PLA 3D prints. ABS plastic is dissolved by Acetone, so a typical approach is to (CAREFULLY AND SAFELY) dip your ABS object into… Continue reading Perfectly Smooth PLA 3D Prints?
For 3D Printing “Early Adopters Have Big Advantage”
In a recently released report by technology research company Gartner, experts have concluded that companies who adopt 3D printing early will see major advantages over those who don’t. According to Pete Basiliere, research director at Gartner, “Businesses must continuously monitor advances to identify where improvements can be leveraged.” Read More at ENGINEERING.com
Avi Reichental Talks
3D Systems President and CEO Avi Reichental was interviewed by Huffington Post correspondent Lilia Ziamou. The interview material is basic, as it’s intended for folks new to the concept of 3D printing. However, Reichental spends many words on 3D Systems’ strategy of “democratizing” 3D printing, talking about Cubify, CAD design and the ease of… Continue reading Avi Reichental Talks
An Interview With Limor Fried
Fabbaloo recently caught up with Adafruit’s Limor Fried to discuss her views on 3D printing. Here’s the interview: Fabbaloo: Adafruit recently partnered with MakerBot to produce a bundle of DIY electronics and the capability of 3D printing. Do you see further collaborations with 3D printer manufacturers or 3D print services? Limor Fried: We’ll… Continue reading An Interview With Limor Fried
The End of the 3D Printing Party?
We’re reading a piece by Brad Moon on InvestorPlace entitled, “3D Printing Party Could End Before It Begins”. The point seems to be that the magic of 3D printing will be destroyed by legal infighting amongst participants. Cited as evidence in the article are: Intellectual Venture’s patenting of a method for enforcing DRM… Continue reading The End of the 3D Printing Party?
3D Printing To “Go The Way of Virtual Reality”?
We’re reading a piece from last year by Christopher Mims in the MIT Technology Review, in which he dumps rather strongly on the notion that “any object can be rapidly synthesized with a little bit of energy and raw materials.” He says: There is a species of magical thinking practiced by geeks whose… Continue reading 3D Printing To “Go The Way of Virtual Reality”?
Companies to Explore the Next Generation Concepts for 3D Metal Printing Machinery
Sigma Labs Inc. announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Interactive Machines, Inc. (IMI) of Southwick, Massachusetts. The MOU sets forth the parties’ intent to explore the formation of a joint venture or other arrangement for the purpose of developing and commercializing next-generation 3D printing devices designed to produce an increased… Continue reading Companies to Explore the Next Generation Concepts for 3D Metal Printing Machinery
Sculpteo’s Customizable Dock
3D print service Sculpteo has been experimenting with a variety of end-user customizable 3D models. Once customized, you can order a 3D print of the model through Sculpteo’s banks of expensive 3D printers. The latest end-user modifiable model they’re offering is an iPhone 5 dock. The customization offered is very straightforward: you can specify… Continue reading Sculpteo’s Customizable Dock
3D Printing Changes Everything
Yup.
Forbes Points to 3D Print Services
We’re reading an article from Forbes in which they predict the “early action” on 3D printers will be in the form of services. They correctly state that the number of home 3D printers is kinda small right now, saying: the number of US households that actually own one of these super-cool devices is less… Continue reading Forbes Points to 3D Print Services
$2M Worth of 3D Printing Pens and a Big Implication
The amazing 3Doodler 3D printing pen seems to be rather popular: it’s Kickstarter fundraising campaign has now passed the USD$2M mark and it’s still rising. At this rate, the USD$75 handheld 3D printing device could potentially raise USD$4M or more. Now that’s a lot of 3D pens! More importantly, if there are suddenly… Continue reading $2M Worth of 3D Printing Pens and a Big Implication
3D Printed Solar Cells? Maybe Not
A report on Knovel proposes that solar cells could be made much more efficiently with 3D printing techniques. It seems that the cost of producing solar panels stays high as new design approaches squeeze more watts out of each square inch. One highly efficient design involves producing a solar “cube” rather than a solar… Continue reading 3D Printed Solar Cells? Maybe Not
Al-Jazeera On 3D Printed Guns
A video report on Al-Jazeera explores the 3D printed gun scenario. While we’ve written (probably too much) on this topic, Al Jazeera’s Phil Lavelle points out one aspect not written so much about: what happens outside of the USA? Within the USA, proponents of 3D printed guns suggest that the US Constitution permits such… Continue reading Al-Jazeera On 3D Printed Guns
Dyeing At Shapeways
While on our recent visit to Shapeways in Queen’s, NYC, we noticed vats of color dyes. Why color dyes? It’s all in the finishing. Some people expect “finished” objects to emerge from their 3D printer, but in fact they often require “finishing”, which might be simply removing excess plastic material created during printing or… Continue reading Dyeing At Shapeways
4D Printing?
Researchers at MIT’s Self Assembly Lab have developed a new technique for 3D Printing which they call “4D Printing”. It’s 3D printing of objects designed to change their shape after printing. By exposing the printed object to a different external environment – think light, water, pressure, etc., specially designed joints in the object react… Continue reading 4D Printing?
3D Printed Mammoth Steaks?!
Modern Meadow is 3D bioprinting startup developing a method of 3D printing “meat and leather” ultimately for human consumption. They combine advances in biotech with 3D printing to eliminate the need for real animal food production, which is hugely energy intensive. Recently Modern Meadow’s Andras Forgacs performed a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything). The… Continue reading 3D Printed Mammoth Steaks?!
Feet As Big As You Want
The University of Washington’s Solheim Additive Manufacturing Laboratory has long experimented in radical approaches to 3D printing and now they’ve shown us another example technique for your 3D printing toolkit: Scaling. They were approached by the VA Center of Excellence for Limb Loss Prevention and Prosthetic Engineering to assist in the production of a… Continue reading Feet As Big As You Want
An Interview With Neri Oxman
We’ve discovered a lengthy interview with 3D artist and research Neri Oxman of the MIT Media Lab, whose astounding explorations into radical structures using 3D printing have been featured here previously. In the 2200 word interview, published in Material Connexion, Oxman explains much of her 3D printing and artistic philosophy. We noted some highlights: … Continue reading An Interview With Neri Oxman
CHART: Optimism for consumer-class 3D printers
A recent ENGINEERING.com survey revealed that our engineering and design readers are very optimistic about the future of the consumer-class 3D printers. But counter to the wishful claims made by those with a vested interest, they don’t believe that sweeping change is coming. Read More at ENGINEERING.com
3D printing: Interest Long Overdue, Enthusiasm Not Sustainable
On Thursday, we reported on a Seeking Alpha article and discussed the market volatility in 3D printing and the possibility of an over-exuberant market. Seeking Alpha’s analysis appears to have created a self-fulfilling prophecy: On January 28, 2013, 3D Systems and Stratasys stocks fell 14% and 10% respectively. One day later they rebounded by… Continue reading 3D printing: Interest Long Overdue, Enthusiasm Not Sustainable
3D Printing’s Effect on Retail
We’ve been reading Dalton Caldwell’s take on entrepreneur Marc Andreessen’s position that physical retail stores are in a bad position as they have to pay for not only inventory but also real estate, whereas online retail does not. Caldwell, who’s currently the CEO of app.net, believes that 3D printing could eventually affect physical retail as… Continue reading 3D Printing’s Effect on Retail
Ping Fu Doesn’t Break
Ping Fu is very well-known in the 3D printing community, as she created Geomagic, maker of powerful 3D software tools enabling freeform design, scan handling, metrology and most notably, haptic-based design (that’s using a touch interface). Recently Geomagic was acquired by 3D Systems, where Ms. Fu now becomes their Chief Strategist. Her journey to… Continue reading Ping Fu Doesn’t Break
Edinburg Scientist Print Stem Cells
Although controversial in the US, stem cell research offers some of the best opportunities to produce breakthrough medical discoveries, including growing tailor made replacement organs. In a new development for bioprinting, Dr, Will Shu of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh said, “We found that the valve-based printing is gentle enough to maintain high stem… Continue reading Edinburg Scientist Print Stem Cells
3D Printing Resources
We’ve spent some time updating our 3D resources page. If you haven’t seen it, the page contains our list of key 3D printing resources. Areas of coverage now include lists for: Do It Yourself Options Hobbyist 3D Printers Commercial 3D Printers Popular 3D Print Services Popular 3D Print Related Books 3D Print Crowdsourcing Notable… Continue reading 3D Printing Resources
Global TV Features 3D Printing
Chief Correspondent Carolyn Jarvis of Canada’s Global TV presented a very comprehensive look at today’s state of 3D printing on their current affairs show, “16×9”. We bring this to your attention as this is perhaps the most mature examination of the technology we’ve recently seen by the media, which recently has tended towards the spectacular,… Continue reading Global TV Features 3D Printing
Nokia’s 3D Printing Adventure
Nokia has long used 3D printing internally to design cases and shapes for their handsets, but now they’re permitting customers to do the same. Nokia has released the 3D model files required for designing your very own back cover for their new Lumina 820 handset. The model includes the structures required to match the… Continue reading Nokia’s 3D Printing Adventure
CHART: Readers predict 3D printing’s future
Strong, steady growth for the entire 3D printing industry is what our survey results show. According to our readers, that growth will be driven by advances in materials, output quality, speed and overall performance. What they aren’t accepting are the extremes: no growth or explosive growth. Read More at ENGINEERING.com
3D Printers and Airport Security
Just as you are, we’re getting tired of speculative propositions on the prospect of 3D printed weapons and try not to post on it, but we encountered an interesting question of this ilk on Quora. The question read: Could a small 3D printer be brought through security at an airport and then used… Continue reading 3D Printers and Airport Security
LeapFrog Sells 1000 – But How Many More 3D Printers Exist?
We received a note from Netherlands-based Leapfrog 3D Printers who, among other notable achievements, said they’ve sold their 1,000th 3D printer. It was a LeapFrog Creatr, evidently sold to someone also in the Netherlands. This is quite an accomplishment for the small manufacturer, but it leads us to ponder: exactly how many personal 3D… Continue reading LeapFrog Sells 1000 – But How Many More 3D Printers Exist?
Emerging Personal 3D Printer Business Patterns
There seems to be patterns emerging among the major personal 3D printer manufacturers. It seems that in order to be a “player” in the space, you’d better have a few of these features in your business: Produce your own plastic in your own factories. This permits complete control over the formulation, which a manufacturer… Continue reading Emerging Personal 3D Printer Business Patterns
Neri Oxman’s Mediated Matter Lab at MIT
Neri Oxman, founder of the Mediated Matter Group at MIT’s Media Lab, believes that one day everything will be designed by nature. The Mediated Matter Group’s mission statement reads something like a manifesto. The Mediated Matter group is dedicated to the development and application of novel processes that enable and support the design… Continue reading Neri Oxman’s Mediated Matter Lab at MIT
MakerBot’s Plastic Farm
If you can’t get what you want, just do it yourself. That’s the approach MakerBot has taken on plastic. Previously they’d have to do extensive searching for vendors able to provide appropriate plastic for their line of 3D printers. They’d have to ensure quality of color, sizing consistency and deliver availability. Lots of work! … Continue reading MakerBot’s Plastic Farm
Mainstream 3D Printing?
An article on Business Insider by Dylan Love entitled “This Is What It Will Take For 3D Printing To Go Mainstream” proposes a shift in machine capability may lead to deeper mainstream use. He says: Up until now, much of desktop 3D printing revolved around simply getting the machines up and running, just to… Continue reading Mainstream 3D Printing?
3D Printing Outside The Box
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
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
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
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?
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
A Year in Review: Top Ten Stories in 3D Printing
2012 has been an exciting year in the 3D printing world and we’re excited to share with you the top ten stories. Staples launching “Staples Easy 3D” in 2013 In partnership with Mcor Technologies, Staples will be offering a new service to their customers enabling them to upload their designs and pick up their… Continue reading A Year in Review: Top Ten Stories in 3D Printing
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
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
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
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
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?
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
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
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?
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
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
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
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
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
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
HP To Produce 3D Printers?
Seeking Alpha presents a cogent argument for HP producing 3D printers in the near future, even though no such announcements or signals have been emitted from that company, recently or in the past. HP has had some involvement with 3D printers, in that it had an arrangement with Stratasys to resell HP-labelled Stratasys uPrint… Continue reading HP To Produce 3D Printers?
Two 3D Printing Downers
We’ve just read not one, but two articles from reputable publications that appear to dismiss the notion of personal 3D printing. TechCrunch’s Jon Evans wrote “3D Printers Are Not Like 2D Printers: A Rant”, while Scientific American’s Gary Stix wrote “3-D Printing: The Great American Tchotchke Machine”. Stix’s premise is that personal 3D printers… Continue reading Two 3D Printing Downers
Makers By Chris Anderson
There’s a new book from former WIRED editor Chris Anderson specifically on the topic of entrepreneurship in the 21st century. Makers: The New Industrial Revolution investigates the development of entrepreneurship in the software industry, where vast business empires have been built that run much of the world today. Then he asks a truly profound… Continue reading Makers By Chris Anderson
Printing Bricks
Fabbaloo readers are most familiar with the idea of 3D printing plastic, metal or sometimes food, but how about bricks? The method of making common ceramic brick for centuries is giving way for an experiment in 3D printing building bricks. The experiment is being conducted by Building Bytes, who have already designed three styles… Continue reading Printing Bricks
Another Extreme Personalization Experiment
We’ve just been pointed at the JB Figurines Kickstarter project. This is an artistic experiment involving 3D printing and extreme personalization. The project intends to create a totally unique 3D “superhero” printed figurine for each backer. Each figurine customer will have a designer create a 3D model that will be printed only once on… Continue reading Another Extreme Personalization Experiment
3D Printing Makes a Soldier Walk Again
One of the several tragedies of global conflict is those permanently maimed by explosions and weapons fire. One UK soldier, shot “above and through the knee”, has been unable to recover despite several reconstructive surgeries. But now there’s new hope through the use of advanced 3D scanning, 3D printing and new surgical techniques. … Continue reading 3D Printing Makes a Soldier Walk Again
There’s Only One One Just One
Some say that 3D printing is not useful for manufacturing due to the per unit cost of printing versus traditional mass manufacturing. That’s true, and so 3D printing is often used for prototypes and low-quantity production. Or even one-off personalized items. But now a venture attempts to push that concept to the limit. One… Continue reading There’s Only One One Just One
Microscopic Metal 3D Printing
Scientists have invented a way to form 3D metallic objects at nanoscale. While it’s not 3D printing, per se, it is quite interesting. The approach was to mimic traditional methods of forming metal: bending, shearing, etc. They’ve found a way to deform portions of a microscopic metal object in a controlled manner. Using… Continue reading Microscopic Metal 3D Printing
Preventing 3D Printed Piracy… Or What?
A patent has been awarded to The Invention Science Fund, an organization holding patents for former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold’s Intellectual Ventures company. What does this patent do? It’s a method to implement copy-protection on your 3D printer! Wait a moment – Does this mean we will be unable to print some of… Continue reading Preventing 3D Printed Piracy… Or What?
There is a Reason For Individuals To Have A 3D Printer In Their Home
Jon Evans’ piece on TechCrunch entitled, “There Is No Reason For Any Individual To Have A 3D Printer In Their Home” explains just that. He believes the future of 3D printing (at least in the short term) lies in centralized services rather than personal devices. Other than “passionate artists/hobbyists and home manufacturing businesses” you… Continue reading There is a Reason For Individuals To Have A 3D Printer In Their Home
Oh, The Hype, The Hype!
It’s beginning to hurt. We’re seeing a minor explosion of wildly excited posts about 3D printing on a wide variety of blogs that attempt to shock and amaze. But they’re mostly just hype. Consider these recent headlines: This Incredible 3D Printer Can Produce Entire Rooms Automation poses dilemma in labour market 3D… Continue reading Oh, The Hype, The Hype!
Now Real: Printing Your Own Replacement Parts
Eventually it had to come to this: a company providing 3D models of their spare parts so that you could print your own copies. Traditionally one would have mail-ordered for the spare parts or had to find a local reseller that carried the inevitably over-priced replacement knob. But now that’s changing due to 3D… Continue reading Now Real: Printing Your Own Replacement Parts
Bre’s Not A Bad Guy
One has to sympathize with Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot. While he’s had huge successes in the past few years, most recently by announcing the professional-targeted Replicator 2, he’s also caught some flack from the open source community. As we explained the other week, some members of the open source community are upset because… Continue reading Bre’s Not A Bad Guy
MOST Needs Your Help
The Michigan Tech Open Sustainability Technology Research Group is investigating the mechanical properties of parts produced with RepRap-style 3D printers and they need samples to put through extensive testing. They require a very large number of samples of “tensile bars” to undergo testing. They say: We are currently asking for companies/individuals with 3D… Continue reading MOST Needs Your Help
3D Print Your Dream House?
The folks at RepRapCentral have produced a short video demonstrating what could become an interesting application of 3D printing tech: producing tactile 3D models of your dream house. While the video appears to be a concept print, the idea is to address the uncertainty home buyers face when evaluating possible home designs. At the… Continue reading 3D Print Your Dream House?
A New Program Creates Stronger Prototypes
Most of us have come across this problem before: We create a model and send it out for a print, and when it returns it isn’t as structurally sound as it should be. Over at Laboratory Equipment there is a great article about a new program that can detect a model’s deficiencies and create structural… Continue reading A New Program Creates Stronger Prototypes
Smithsonian Partners with 3D Systems
In an interesting move the venerable Smithsonian Institution has partnered with 3D Systems to provide “3D printing services and technology”. 3D Systems President and CEO Abe Reichental said: The Smithsonian has shown both foresight and technological leadership in embracing the potential of 3D printing to preserve and showcase today’s and tomorrow’s collections, making them readily… Continue reading Smithsonian Partners with 3D Systems
The Trouble With 3D Printers
You’re so intensely interested in 3D printing that you bought yourself a 3D printer. Great! You can design and print objects right in your own home. But then what? The problem then starts. The problem of renewal. Yes, your 3D printer still produces objects for you on demand, but you’re now suddenly aware… Continue reading The Trouble With 3D Printers
Transmuting PLA Into Metal
You can’t transmute lead into gold, but these days it is apparently possible to change a part, 3D printed in PLA plastic, into a metal part. The method used by maker Jeshua Lacock of 3DTOPO, emulated the eternal lost-wax casting method. He printed parts in PLA on his Ultimaker 3D printer and then surrounded… Continue reading Transmuting PLA Into Metal
Knocking off a few Gas Stations…
I’m guilty of conceiving elaborate plans and trying to make them perfect from the start. Seeing this, my father once said to me, “Son, you have to knock off a few gas stations on the way to the perfect crime.” What he tried to instill in me is that you have to be moving forward,… Continue reading Knocking off a few Gas Stations…
An Interview with the Ceramics Master
We managed to obtain an exclusive interview with one of the world’s leading print researchers, Professor Stephen Hoskins. Professor Hoskins’ group has recently been investigating the potential of 3D printing. Fabbaloo: You’re the Hewlett Packard Professor of Fine Print and Director of the Centre for Fine Print Research at the University of the West of… Continue reading An Interview with the Ceramics Master
MakerBot’s Bumpy Transition
Perhaps the biggest controversy in the history of 3D printing erupted this past week when an excited MakerBot community took a deeper look at the company’s new personal 3D printer, the Replicator 2. What did they find so upsetting? It seems that they’ve noticed en masse that MakerBot is changing much about how it… Continue reading MakerBot’s Bumpy Transition