We’re looking at some interesting statistics presented by 3D Hubs in their monthly trends report.
research
3D Printing Bested by “Pop Up” Fabrication?
Researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a simple new fabrication technique to create beautiful and complex 3-D micro- and nanostructures with many advantages over 3-D printing.
Nanoscribe’s Nano-Scale 3D Printing Technology
We took a closer look at Nanoscribe’s nano-scale 3D printing technology to understand how it works.
New 3D Printing Algorithm Reduces Support Material, But…
A new algorithm might prove effective to reduce the amount of support material required for 3D prints by chopping objects into more easily printable shapes.
Impossible Objects Receives Funding
The scientists at Impossible Objects have developed a unique 3D printing process, and it appears the market like it: they were just awarded USD$2.8M.
TNO’s 3D Printing Breakthroughs
TNO has been developing some unique 3D printing technologies that we may see in new machines soon.
New Technique Could Enable 3D Printed Contact Lenses
Researchers at Princeton University have developed a technique for 3D printing multiple materials that could prove quite interesting.
Space 3D Printer Is Installed
A few short weeks ago a SpaceX cargo craft carried a unique experiment: A 3D printer designed for space. Now it’s being installed.
New Process Could Lead to Consumer-Priced 3D Metal Printers
We’re checking out a proposed new 3D printing process that could significantly lower the barriers to metal 3D printing: Selective Inhibition Sintering.
The Beauty of Great 3D Printer Filament
Remember we performed some tests on the FoxSmart filament? We did one more test afterwards and found something very interesting.
Quasicrystalline Alloys Could Improve 3D Print Materials
Researchers at the University of Lorraine in France have been working on new methods of creating powdered alloys.
New 3D Printing Preparation Algorithms
Researchers at Purdue University have developed new 3D printing preparation software that could make 3D printing a lot more efficient.
ORNL Reveals the Unique Capabilities of 3-D Printing
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated an additive manufacturing method to control the structure and properties of metal components with precision unmatched by conventional manufacturing processes.
The Road Ahead for 3D Printing
The technology for 3-D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has existed in some form since the 1980s.
3D Hubs’ October Report Analyzes Crowdfunding
We always watch for 3D Hubs monthly report as it provides insight into use of 3D printing. But this month’s report includes some very interesting analyses.
Refining the Lost-PLA Burnout Process for 3D Printed Metal Casting
The folks at the University of Washington’s Mechanical Engineering Department have been refining the process of metal casting using 3D printed PLA.
The Minibuilders 3D Construction Robots
The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) of Barcelona has developed a set of experimental robots capable of building clay structures.
Smart Matter Update
What’s been happening in the world of smart matter lately? And what is “Smart Matter”, anyway?
3D Design By Example
Researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab have developed a new twist on 3D design by creating “Fab By Example”.
Research May Lead to a Molecular-Level 3D Printer
Researchers are attempting to develop a machine that can produce arbitrary organic molecules – on demand.
The Da Vinci 3D Printer is Leading?
Something interesting showed up in 3D Hubs’ monthly trends report: XYZ Printing’s Da Vinci 3D printer is trending.
Research Done, But No 3D Chop Yet
Following up on our piece about the 3DPrintTech free utility for segmenting large 3D models for printing, we found something.
Researchers Develop Method for 3D Printing Gradient Alloys
Industrial 3D printers have long been able to print metal objects, using a variety of techniques, but now researchers from NASA, California Institute of Technology and Penn State are working on printing “gradient alloys”.
University of Connecticut Makes 3D Scanning Breakthrough
Researchers at UConn have developed a new technique for 3D scanning antique musical instruments.
Major Breakthrough in 3D Printed Living Tissue
Researchers have been struggling to develop techniques to 3D print living tissue for some years now, but researchers at Brigham Women’s Hospital in Boston seem to have made big steps.
3D Printing With Micro-Robots?
We’re watching a video from SRI International, who have apparently been developing micro-robots that can assemble things.
IBM Computes New Polymers; Usable for 3D Printing?
IBM announced the discovery of two new classes of polymers, the first discovered in decades. We’re wondering if they have any applicability to 3D printing.
3D Printed Materials Acts as a Functioning Liver
The dream of 3D printed human organs got slightly closer to reality with the development of 3D printed tissue that mimics liver functions.
Shark Material Produced by 3D Printing
Shark skin is quite rough yet allows rapid swimming, for those of you who haven’t been up close with the notorious fish, but now the nature of the skin has been duplicated with 3D printing.
A 3D Felt Printer From Disney and Carnagie Mellon
Researchers at Carnagie Mellon and Disney have developed a new type of 3D printer that prints 3D felt objects.
Overhangs? What Overhangs?
Australian engineer Daniel Brown has been experimenting with overhangs, the bane of 3D printer operators worldwide. It looks like he’s managed to overcome them.
A Microscale 3D Printing Breakthrough
Harvard’s Jennifer Lewis has developed a technique for 3D printing a wide variety of materials at micro-scale dimensions.
ECN Develops A DLP Metal Printing Technique
Researchers at the Energy Research Center of the Netherlands (ECN) have developed a new technique for 3D printing that can create metal parts without melting its mineral material.
An Examination of 3D Printing Patents
A new report from patent researchers Patent Insight Pro investigates the state of 3DP patents. We found some very interesting tidbits.
3D Printer Filament Recycling is Super Green
In a study recently released by the Michigan Technological University (MTU), Joshua Pierce and his group have found that recycling commonplace plastics into 3D printing filament consumes less energy than traditional recycling.
A “Full Color 3D Printer”? Not So Much
A report in GigaOm touts a “a sub-$100 device that upgrades desktop 3D printers to print in a full rainbow of colors”. But is this actually true?
4 AXYZ’s 3D Potential
4 AXYZ CEO Samir Shah provided us with several incredible examples produced by their new process. When you see them and read his explanations, you’ll understand why we think this technology is so important.
3D Printed Heart Membrane
Researchers have developed a way to use 3D printing to create an implantable custom-fit heart membrane.
Uncovered: 4 AXYZ’s Secret 3D Wood Machine
For some time now we’ve been hearing rumors of a mysterious “wood machine” from a mysterious company called “4 AXYZ”. Now we know a lot more about it.
The MX3D: A Robotic 3D Printer
On the heels of its debut in May 2013, the MX3D-resin printer has already evolved from a machine only capable of building in plastic to one that can print in a variety of metals.
Ultra-Fast 3D Printing?
A surprise announcement from ORNL and Cincinnati Incorporated hopes to revolutionize 3D printed manufacturing. But how?
Flexible and Functional: 3D Printed Kinetic Shapes
New research from Virginia Tech could lead to 3D printed fabrics, and much more.
The Beachy Head Lady Reconstructed
The Daily Mail reports on an ancient skull being reconstructed with modern 3D technology.
It’s 3D Printed, and It’s Flexible
At NYC’s 3D Printshow this week there are plenty of amazing items to check out. One that caught our eye was very flexible.
NASA’s 3D Printed Instruments
NASA is experimenting with 3D printing techniques to develop not one, but at least three different solutions to space instrument manufacturing issues.
Can You 3D Print Cotton?
Probably you can’t 3D print cotton, but a new project hopes to find a way to do so.
Developments in 3D Food Printing
We’re looking at a video from TNO, who have been developing various forms of 3D food printing. 3D printed food seems to be a topic of great interest among the public, although we’re not quite sure why. Perhaps it’s because almost everyone finds themselves in a kitchen sooner or later and reckons they’re a kind… Continue reading Developments in 3D Food Printing
Contour Crafting Update
Many years ago we wrote a brief story on Contour Crafting, who, if you don’t know, are developing the technologies necessary to 3D print entire buildings in concrete. The idea is to erect a “portable” 3D printer gantry around a home-building site and have the device extrude the walls of the building. This approach… Continue reading Contour Crafting Update
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?
Miniature DMLS Prints Tiny Metal Parts
A joint venture between 3D-Micromac AG and EOS Gmbh has created a new micro-laser sintering technology (MLS) that can be used to create miniature metal components. While the two firms have been developing MLS technology since 2006 under the name of 3D MicroPrint, it was only last year that the technology was mature enough… Continue reading Miniature DMLS Prints Tiny Metal Parts
A Virtual 3D Printer in Minecraft
Ingenious YouTube user and Minecraft Designer ItsJustJumby has created a kind of virtual 3D printer in the world of Minecraft. Minecraft, if you’re not aware, is a simple to use 3D virtual environment where people can design and build, well, anything! Even though the “printed” output appears quite simplistic to real 3D printer… Continue reading A Virtual 3D Printer in Minecraft
Cornell 3D Prints a Working Audio Speaker
Researchers at Cornell University have developed a method that is capable of 3D printing an entire, working audio speaker. The process involves two different 3D printers: one prints the basic structure in plastic, while the other prints the electronic parts within the plastic structure. It’s a two-stage operation, to be sure, but it… Continue reading Cornell 3D Prints a Working Audio Speaker
3D Printed Skulls Help Teach Future Brain Surgeons
Brain surgery is notoriously difficult with surgeons spending years honing their craft. Given the need for more hands-on practice performing surgical operations, researchers at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur have created a 3D printed skull that can provide just that. Using scans of each layer of the human skull, Vicknes Waran, professor… Continue reading 3D Printed Skulls Help Teach Future Brain Surgeons
The 3D Printed Robot Heart Powered by Urine
Researchers in the UK have created a 3D printed robotic heart that uses urine as its fuel source. While many might be repulsed by the idea of a heart that pumps urine, have no fear – the robotic heart is designed for use in robots, not humans. In a paper published in the… Continue reading The 3D Printed Robot Heart Powered by Urine
A New Approach to 3D Printed Skin
The University of Liverpool has developed a different approach to 3D printed skin, which had been previously accomplished. The problem with prior techniques is the appearance: manufactured skin was entirely uniform, without the bumps, wrinkles, freckles and curiosities of actual human skin. The new approach involves scanning a subject’s surviving skin to prepare a… Continue reading A New Approach to 3D Printed Skin
3D Printing Patents Sky Rocket in Number
In a recently released report, the UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has stated that the amount of patent filing related to 3D printing has increased dramatically since the year 2000. After analyzing 9000 patent records filed since 1980, a team of IPO researchers pinpointed a rapid upswing in 3D printing related patents; particularly in… Continue reading 3D Printing Patents Sky Rocket in Number
3D Printed Batteries?
Harvard materials scientist Jennifer Lewis has produced a new liquid material that could be used to 3D print lithium-ion batteries. The “ink” is intended to be 3D printed using the syringe approach that is frequently used for bioprinting or culinary experiments. The process to produce the liquid material is quite interesting. Printing battery… Continue reading 3D Printed Batteries?
New Ways to Resurrect Dinosaurs with 3D Printing
A paper published in the journal Radiology explores new techniques used to capture 3D information from dinosaur fossils. The new approach overcomes the problem of removing non-fossil material from the actual fossil during excavation and subsequent processing. Apparently when surrounding material is removed, small portions of the true fossil can be lost. The new… Continue reading New Ways to Resurrect Dinosaurs with 3D Printing
USC Investigating Multi-Material 3D Printing
Researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering led by Professor Yong Chen have demonstrated a new method of 3D printing multiple materials. By “multiple” we mean two materials that can be combined in different ratios. For example, the process can print an object that has both hard and soft portions – in different degrees… Continue reading USC Investigating Multi-Material 3D Printing
Making Prints Stick: Some Tips
The folks at ProtoParadigm have produced a terrific list of tips on how to reduce or eliminate the deadly warping effect that plagues personal 3D printers. There’s nothing worse than discovering a time-consuming mess caused by a print that lifted off the bed. The warping itself isn’t such a problem; it’s that the warping… Continue reading Making Prints Stick: Some Tips
How to Print Everything on a Single Machine
Modern 3D printers are built for one thing: reproducing 3D designs in a printer’s native material. If you want your design in a different material, you’ll need to use a different printer; or at least that used to be the case. A new 3D printing technique, developed by researchers at the Chinese Academy of… Continue reading How to Print Everything on a Single Machine
Open Source Metal 3D Printing
We ran across an interesting project that’s attempting to create a system for 3D printing metal at very low cost. The idea is to do for metal manufacturing what was done for plastic manufacturing with current open source 3D printers. The project, by Andreas Bastian, is entitled “An Open Source Selective Laser Sintering 3D… Continue reading Open Source Metal 3D Printing
3D Bioprinting Saved by Vitamins
Researchers developing techniques to 3D print extremely small objects for medical purposes have had a problem. To fuse material at the nano scale, a “two photon” technique is used. The material becomes solid when exposed to the targeted photons. However, bio material is not typically fusible, so researchers often print a scaffold on which… Continue reading 3D Bioprinting Saved by Vitamins
3D Printed Horseshoes Opens Up Human Possibilities
Researchers at Australia’s CSIRO have 3D printed metal horseshoes – but there’s a lot more to this story. The titanium shoes were produced for a particular horse: its hooves were 3D scanned in detail with a handheld scanner. The 3D capture was used to engineer new horseshoes that fit the horse perfectly. Four shoes… Continue reading 3D Printed Horseshoes Opens Up Human Possibilities
Canadian Government Investigating 3D Printed Weapons
The 3D printed weapons controversy continues. From the CBC we learn that the Canadian Government, or specifically several of its agencies (the RCMP, Canada Border Services Agency and Criminal Intelligence Service Canada) have sponsored a request for contractors to provide insight into 3D printing of firearms, ammunition and associated parts. Our view is that… Continue reading Canadian Government Investigating 3D Printed Weapons
More Evidence of 3D Printing’s Greenness
After our green filament post earlier discussion of 3D printing greenness continued and resulted in a pointer to a document posted by the American Chemical Society that investigates the electricity consumed and CO2 emitted by different manufacturing materials. What exactly did they examine? The embodied energy and emissions from conventional large-scale production in low-labor… Continue reading More Evidence of 3D Printing’s Greenness
Laser Slicing Technique Scans Microscopic Objects
A new process for scanning microscopic objects has been developed at Penn State. The process involves a nanosecond-pulse laser that slices microscopic objects. You can see the results above in a 3D model obtained from a maize root. This is a destructive process, as the scanned object is placed on a moving platform,… Continue reading Laser Slicing Technique Scans Microscopic Objects
4D Printing
Earlier this year MIT researcher Skylar Tibbits made news when he unveiled his 4D printing technique. The technique uses a 3D printer to create objects whose materials can be programmed to assemble into new structures. It’s now gaining a wide audience, particularly in military circles. The US Army has awarded an $855,000 grant to… Continue reading 4D Printing
Amazing Six-Axis 3D Printer Shown
Associate Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering Yong Chen of the University of Southern California has been experimenting with different mechanical arrangements for 3D extrusion printing. Readers are likely familiar with the standard cartesian XYZ 3 axis configuration typically found in inexpensive personal 3D printers. You may also be familiar with the “delta” concept,… Continue reading Amazing Six-Axis 3D Printer Shown
3D Printed Bacterial Cages
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a new technique for studying bacterial growth through an ingenious use of 3D print technology. The issue being solved is the study of bacterial growth. Present techniques involve petri dishes and similar vessels that, compared to a bacteria, are utterly massive. It is difficult… Continue reading 3D Printed Bacterial Cages
Measured: 3D Printing is Indeed Green
A report from Michigan Tech details the results of a study that attempted to determine the “greenness” of 3D printing. Their result: 3D printing is apparently significantly less energy-absorbing than conventional mass production. You wouldn’t think so at first, because mass production is clearly a more efficient process due to the economies of scale.… Continue reading Measured: 3D Printing is Indeed Green
Big Step to Reduce Materials in 3D Printing
One of the reasons 3D printing remains expensive is because so much material is required to create a structurally sound part. Soon, 3D prints might be getting cheaper due to a new technique that enhances a part’s structure while reducing material. A paper written by researchers at the University of Science and Technology of… Continue reading Big Step to Reduce Materials in 3D Printing
3-Sweep Creates 3D Models from 2D Images
In an incredible video presented at SigGraph Asia 2013, researchers demonstrated an amazing new method of deriving full 3D models from only 2D images. The 3-Sweep software appears easy to use: simply drag your mouse across an image to cue the software to create a 3D model. The specific motion of the mouse drags… Continue reading 3-Sweep Creates 3D Models from 2D Images
It’s A Thingiverse Survey
The P2P Foundation, who recently issued their annual 3D printing survey, have come up with another survey specifically to analyze Thingiverse. Thingiverse has become the most notable 3D-model-for-3D-printing free repository, now boasting over 100,000 3D models. But with that size comes questions. Are these things publicly viewable or private? Why upload things? Have you… Continue reading It’s A Thingiverse Survey
OpenFab’s Visionary Goal: Multi-material Objects
Developed by MIT and presented at this year’s SIGGRAPH conference, OpenFab proposes a way to more easily produce incredibly complex milt-material objects. OpenFab is not a 3D printer; it is a software “pipeline” of steps that enable the creation of complex, multi-material 3D models that can then be printed on a 3D printer capable… Continue reading OpenFab’s Visionary Goal: Multi-material Objects
NASA’s 3D Microdispenser
NASA often provides small amounts of funding to check out some pretty unusual ideas. One of the projects they’re currently funding is the feasibility of an advanced biocomposite microdispening system. Wait, what the heck is that? We told you this was an unusual idea! The proposition is to use micro-components already available in the… Continue reading NASA’s 3D Microdispenser
The Strength of 3D Printed Nylon
One material not often used by personal 3D printers is Nylon. It’s a well-known plastic that can be 3D printed by commercial 3D printers and some personal devices, too. What makes nylon so interesting? It’s the strength of the material. Nylon can take quite a bit of stress before breaking. In a fascinating video… Continue reading The Strength of 3D Printed Nylon
Capturing High-Res 3D Scenes
Scientists at Disney Research have developed a new method of converting a collection of 2D images into a 3D model. While this approach is commonly done – and can even be accomplished on your smartphone with the 123D Catch app, the researchers have found a way to efficiently process huge images. This processing results in… Continue reading Capturing High-Res 3D Scenes
GIANT 3D PRINTED BUGS!
The Australian National Insect Collection could be a creepy place if you’re adverse to meeting bugs. But now it’s enormously MORE creepy because they’ve used advanced technology to create GIANT 3D PRINTED BUGS! They’ve carefully 3D scanned specimens of several species and reproduced them up to forty times life size. Yes, FORTY. And they’re… Continue reading GIANT 3D PRINTED BUGS!
3D Printing Liquid Metal Electric Circuits
Researchers Collin Ladd, Ju-Hee So, John Muth and Michael D. Dickey at NC State University have published a paper describing their experiment in 3D printing liquid metal – at room temperature. The liquid metal used by the researchers is binary eutectic alloy of gallium and indium, which, in very small droplet form becomes relatively… Continue reading 3D Printing Liquid Metal Electric Circuits
3D Systems Joins Planetary Resources
You may recall the announcement of Planetary Resources? They’re the futuristic company that intends on developing technology to capture asteroids and refine them for their mineral wealth. The company is backed by several notable entrepreneurs and explorers, including X-Prize founder Peter Diamandis and filmmaker James Cameron. Now they’ve added another major investor: 3D Systems. … Continue reading 3D Systems Joins Planetary Resources
Demand for 3D Printers Continues to Grow
In a recently released report, independent market research firm IDTechEx found that the 3D printing market did an impressive billion dollars in business in 2012, and that by 2025 it could reach four billion in total sales. In the study, titled “3D Printing 2013-2025: Technologies, Markets, Players,” IDTechEx argues that 3D printing sector growth… Continue reading Demand for 3D Printers Continues to Grow
A Collectable Rubber Duck in Hong Kong
Eddie Tsai of Hong Kong’s Fung Academy researched the adoption of 3D printing by consumers and came up with the concept of “hyperlocal promotions, the ability to respond to events around the world with meaningful relevant products quickly.” An interesting concept certainly, but it quickly became reality for Tsai, who was contacted mere days… Continue reading A Collectable Rubber Duck in Hong Kong
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
A Resin for 3D Printed Microelectronics
Researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and C-MET have developed a specialized resin that is suitable for 3D printing electronics at a microscopic scale. The goal was to develop a material usable to create micro-sized electrodes. Apparently a “carbonization” stage is required to create electrical conductivity, but current materials could not withstand that… Continue reading A Resin for 3D Printed Microelectronics