Ideas Archives « Page 4 of 20

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.

Positive Demand Shock and 3D Printing

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

How Do Companies Find 3D Printers?

It all started with a random call.

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.

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.

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?

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, and parts for ventilators and respirators.

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.

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 commercial sales.

2021 Global Reputation Leaders And 3D Printing

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

A Closer Look At Stratasys’ Polymer Manufacturing Strategy

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

Creativity In New 3D Printing Worlds

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

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

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

3D Printing And NFTs: Part 1, The Problem

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

Wall-Mounted 3D Printers?

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

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.

The Coming Parts Catastrophe In 3D Printing

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Plastic Or Metal, That Is The Question

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

The Economist Tackles 3D Printed Crime

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

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.

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.

A Rant About Resin

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

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.

Signs Of 3D Printing Expansion

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

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?

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.

Commercial Construction 3D Printing Erupting In The US

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

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.

Could Casual 3D Printing Go Large?

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

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.

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

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

2021: The Year Of Additive Manufacturing Market Consolidation?

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

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.

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.

Production 3D Printing At The Heart Of Recent Acquisitions

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

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.

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.

The Last Hype Hump For 3D Printing: TV & Movies

It’s 2021 and additive manufacturing has arrived as a realizable technology suite — but someone should tell film studios that.

Speculations On 3D Printing In 2030

It’s the start of a new year, and time for predictions. But this time I’m going for broke and predicting not what might happen in 2021, but instead in 2030!

“My Cell” Grown Not Built Footwear Concept

Imagine being able to grow your own footwear.

Why Some 3D Print Research Never Makes It To A Product

Very often you’ll see amazing research into new forms of 3D printing appear on our pages, but you might wonder why you can’t ever buy a product with that technology.

3D Printing And The Business Solution Selling Model

Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi consider the need for 3D printing companies to truly listen to their customers.

Five Terrible Ways To Choose A 3D Printer

Tens of thousands of 3D printers are bought each month, but is there a wrong way to do so?

Doctors On 3D Printing

3D printing has done some pretty great things for the medical industry, but what do doctors think of it? Doctors’ Opinions Of 3D Printing In Medicine First off, how is 3D printing incorporated into the medical workflow and what is it used for? Usually, products will be created by shaping a material through processes like… Continue reading Doctors On 3D Printing

Demystifying AMF: 7 Reasons To Start Using The ISO Standard Additive Manufacturing Format For Your AM Applications

While many people have heard of AMF, very few have a good understanding of the many useful features this format provides.

On The Importance Of Female Role Models

“You can’t be what you can’t see.”

Made To Measure: Amazon’s 3D Scan Fashions Could Lead To More 3D Printing

Amazon announced a new product they call “Made For You”, and it could lead to astounding changes in the 3D print industry and consumer market.

How Will Belt 3D Printers Use Different Materials?

With the increasing number of belt printer initiatives appearing, I’m wondering how they will handle different materials.

A Thousand Crazy Ideas: Bill Gates And 3D Printing

Charles Goulding Jr. takes a trip through Bill Gates’ brain – and finds plenty of 3D printing.

When MakerBot Is Not The MakerBot You Knew

I’m reading one of MakerBot’s recent case studies, and had a thought about how the company has changed.

How Could Additive Manufacturing Replace Traditional Manufacturing?

I’m reading a piece on Shapeways’ blog entitled “Will Additive Manufacturing Replace Conventional Manufacturing?” and have some thoughts.

Transportation Moving Away From Carbon With 3D Printing

Charles Goulding Jr. examines how 3D printing fits into critical plans to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector.

Manhattan To Hamptons Resident Influx And 3D Printing

Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi find 3D printing to be along for the ride in recent movements.

As Always, Trust Is The Most Important 3D Printer Specification

What is the most important 3D printer specification? I think it’s trust.

Seven 3D Print Automation Concerns

I’ve been doing some thinking about automation lately and realized there are several things that should be covered by 3D print automation solutions.

The Reason Why Creality’s Belt 3D Printer Is Important

There’s a reason why Creality’s CR-30 belt 3D printer needs attention.

Coming Soon: Digitized Meat

After my discussion with Redefine Meat’s Daniel Dikovsky, I had some further thoughts about what their technology could mean.

Is A Correction Coming In 3D Printing?

“Corrections” are negative financial events that are usually associated with the stock market, but could a correct occur in 3D printing?

Why Copper Could Be The Next Golden Material For Additive Manufacturing

Copper is a relatively rare material in additive manufacturing operations, but that could change in the next few years.

How Is 3D Printing Improving The Manufacturing Industry?

3D printing has become a staple in industries throughout the world.

What Happens To Those 3D Printing PPE Factories?

In the spring several 3D printer manufacturers set up “pop up” factories to rapidly produce PPE for the pandemic. But what happens afterwards?

Which 3D Printer? Resin Or Filament?

These days there are dozens of good choices for desktop 3D printers, but there’s one huge question to be asked first: do you want a resin or a filament 3D printer?

Back To The Garage For 3D Printing Innovation

Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi consider innovation in 2020, when many are returning to their own garage setups.

Conversational Commerce Versus Traditional Customer Sales Processes

Adam Friedman and Ryan Donley examine AI-driven conversational commerce, which was growing technology in 2018 and 2019 and is experiencing rapid growth in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Why Is There No Carbon Fiber 3D Printer Resin?

After a chance call from a reader, I wondered about the apparent unavailability of carbon fiber reinforced 3D printer resin, and learned a great deal.

Glimpsing The Future Of Mass Customization

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

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.

Are 3D Printers Too Dark?

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

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.

Really Cheap Filament, With a Big Catch

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

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.

Coming Soon: Scalable Garage 3D Printing

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

We Have To Talk About Diversity & Inclusion In Additive Manufacturing

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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 to play well together is critical to realizing strategic objectives.