Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi discuss recent trends in consumer discretionary spending and how 3D printing can play a role.
consumer
Prusa Research’s Design Contest Reveals Potential for 3D Printed Spare Parts
Prusa Research just concluded a design contest and thereās a surprising outcome.
Big Implications from Bambu Lab’s A1 Mini
Iāve been thinking about Bambu Labās latest 3D printer announcement, and there are several important implications.
Breaking News: Apple Explores 3D Printing for Next-Gen Watch Casings
Charles Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi consider the latest rumors of Apple apparently using metal 3D printing.
Why No Desktop SLS Printers Yet? Unraveling the Cost and Complexity
We have consumer-level filament and resin 3D printers, why donāt we have consumer SLS 3D printers?
Apple and Honor to Use Metal 3D Printing for Production of Next Gen Devices
Both will be produced in China and both will use Chinese metal 3D printing technology. What are the implications of this new trend?
3D Printing Meets the Ford Bronco: Custom Accessories for Adventurous Owners
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi look at how 3D printing can impact the consumer side of the automotive business.
Etsy: Your One-Stop Shop for Virtual Interior Decorators and Unique 3D Printed Home Accessories
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi look at how Etsy has become a kind of “virtual interior designer” via 3D printing.
3DQue’s Direct2Print System for Etsy and Shopify Now Available
That didnāt take long: 3DQue released their revolutionary Direct2Print system.
3D Printing With Sawdust Converts A Waste Into Luxury Goods
Forust Partners with design firm HagenHinderdael to demonstrate the beauty and sustainability of 3D printing with organics.
Crafting with Cricut Maker and 3D Printers: Exploring the Possibilities
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi propose that a Cricut Maker could lead to increased interest in 3D printing, and personal fabrication in general.
WAGO Adopts Innovative 3D Print Strategy for their Electronics Business
WAGO has adopted a fascinating 3D print strategy for their electronics business.
Understanding the Diverse Markets of 3D Printing: Why Some Products Don’t Make Sense
Iāve noticed a troubling trend in 3D printing in recent times: unwarranted criticism of alternative technologies, but thereās a reason why itās happening.
Benefits of Having a 3D Printer for Your Home
It might not feel like long ago when 3D printers were only accessible to big corporations, tech teams, or people with enormous amounts of money.
Prusa Research Takes a Step Towards the Future of Digital Spare Parts with “Official Brand Profiles”
Prusa Research announced a new initiative to attract commercial brands to their ecosystem.
Text to 3D: The Massive Implications of Luma AI’s Imagine 3D Technology
This week Luma AI announced a new 3D model generation technology, that while crude today, will ultimately dominate in the future.
Run Faster and Save the Planet with 3D-Printed Shoes
Carbonās new EPU 44 material uses a lattice to translate vertical force into horizontal motion in sustainability-focused Adidas 4DFWD footwear.
Repairable Design and 3D Printing
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi look at how 3D printing could aid consumer repair activities.
Nexa3Dās Webinar on PepsiCoās 3D Printing Developments
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi examine how PepsiCo was able to leverage advanced 3D printing technology.
What Does a Song Look Like?
Materialise develops an algorithm to 3D print custom speaker grills that visually represent any song.
Another 3D Printed Consumer Product: Osprey Packs
Carbonās DLS 3D printing technology has made its way into another front-line consumer product.
3D Printing Implications of the Johnson & Johnson Split
Charles R. Goulding and Arianna Coger look at how 3D technology usage could increase at J&J.
3D Printing and Garage Makeovers
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi look at how 3D printing should become a key feature in residential garage conversions.
Fully 3D Printed Smartglasses Now Possible
Luxexcel announced a new platform that could change the eyewear industry.
What Happens When People Make Their Own Spare Parts?
In the near future, there may be complications for companies as increasing numbers of home-built spare parts are produced.
A 3D Printer Manufacturer You May Not Know: MINGDA
I encountered a 3D printer manufacturer I hadnāt heard from before, MINGDA.
AstroFab Pursuing Aesthetic 3D Printer Options
A new 3D printer is apparently coming soon, and it seems to be targeting a different set of users.
Could Casual 3D Printing Go Large?
A new video shows the potential of large-format home 3D printing.
Boem, A New 3D Model Store
I havenāt seen an example of this type of online 3D model store appear for some time.
Additive Manufacturing: Steadily Becoming Mainstream in Manufacturing
In a world of digitally driven production, additive manufacturing (AM) has steadily solidified its place.
Who’s 3D Printing At CES 2021?
CES 2021 is coming up next week, and I wondered if any 3D printing companies are still exhibiting at that event.
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?
Meet IBEE, UNIZās Latest Consumer 3D Printer
UNIZ announced a new consumer-level 3D printer, the IBEE.
5 Things We Like About PepsiCoās Newly Redesigned Bottles
Charles R. Goulding and Ryan Donley look at how 3D printing helped PepsiCo design new bottles with a lot to like.
Adidas Releases New ULTRA4D Shoe With Advanced 3D Printed Midsole
Adidas, one of the leading shoe companies in the world, released the new ULTRA4D shoe, which sports a 3D printed midsole.
Mass Customization Is Coming
With the arrival of the new Superstrata 3D printed bikes, Iām wondering whether weāre now at the moment when mass customization begins to grow in the minds of consumers.
Miele Distributing 3D Printable Attachments
Miele, the high-end German manufacturer of consumer goods, now offers downloadable 3D models for printing, some of which may fit your appliances.
Crazy Idea: AI-Based 3D Model Generation For Consumers
A new AI-based system can generate incredibly realistic human faces. What if the same technology was turned towards 3D printing?
What Is Consumer 3D Printing, And Does It Really Exist?
In response to recent controversy over the notion of āconsumer 3D printingā, I propose some alternate ways to look at the situation.
The Slow Transformation of Shapeways
Shapeways has been gradually transforming their business from what they were to something quite different.
Customized Products Face Consumer Challenges
Dassault SystĆØmes has undertaken a survey to understand consumer attitudes to custom-made products and this could affect the future growth of 3D printing.
Why We Cover Large and Small 3D Printers
Some may wonder why this publication covers both small-scale DIY 3D printing and at the same time large-scale industrial production additive manufacturing. We explain our thinking.
3D Printing Innovating Smart Home Technology
Charles Goulding and Greer Veon review several consumer product companies who successfully used 3D printing technology to aid the development of their products.
What Is A Consumer 3D Printer?
What is a consumer 3D printer? Is it a DIY device? What characteristics might describe a 3D printer for hobbyists? We have a list of features.
Startup Targets 3D-Printed Consumer Goods with Unique Four-Gantry 3D Printer
It was around 2014 that the consumer 3D printing bubble burst, causing the stocks of stalwarts like Stratasys and 3D Systems to plummet.
Book of the Week: 3D Printing
This weekās selection is ā3D Printingā by John Jordan.
Wait, Is Consumer 3D Printing Back?
After thinking more about Prusa Printersā astonishing production figures, Iām now wondering whether consumer 3D printing is back.
Was There Really “Consumer Indifference” To 3D Printers?
Iām reading a story suggesting that it was āConsumer Indifferenceā that ākilled all hope for 3d printing stocks.ā
The Spinny Sculpto Desktop 3D Printer
The Sculpto+ must be one of the most unusual 3D printers Iāve encountered.
Household 3D Prints: Handy, but Unaccessible
Two seemingly unbreathable barriers hold back 3D printing from general use in homes around the world.
Makness Offers a Different Take on Consumer 3D Printing
A new 3D printer project on Kickstarter hopes to capitalize on consumer 3D printing with a new approach.
āThere Doesn’t Seem to Be Anything Interesting in 3D These Daysā
The title of this story is an actual quote I heard during last weekās CES exhibition. And it sucks.
A 3D Jewelry Design System for the Public
Iām looking at another interesting attempt to leverage 3D printing for public use by JulBox.
Maix to Launch in January
A secretive project to enable consumers to ādesignā their own products is set to launch in a few weeks.
Questions about 3D Printing From a New User
A random question from an interested reader resulted in a curious reverse interview about the future of 3D printing.
SmarTech Believes Consumer 3D Printing Isnāt Dead. Or Is It?
Industry consultant SmarTech has produced a report focusing on low-cost 3D printers and makes claims about the desktop 3D printer market.
Zeeproās Smooth Consumer-Oriented Zim 3D Printer
Zeepro is taking a very consumer-oriented approach to their 3D printer offering.
Are 3D Printers Really Suitable for Homes?
A post in New Scientist is entitled, ā3D printing’s future is the high street, not the home.ā Is this true?
3D Printing Stereotypes in Media
Weāre looking at an animated video featuring a 3D printer, but not just to be entertained.
Staples Cranks Up 3D Print Services in the USA
Staples first announced a 3D print service in Europe in 2012, which later launched in 2013. Now they have a USA-based service.
The New MakerBotās Are Out
While MakerBot announced them in January, the 2014 Replicators havenāt shipped until now. What are people finding when they open the box?
M3Dās Micro 3D Printer
Many new 3D printers are available, but M3Dās new Micro 3D printer has some very intriguing features we havenāt seen before.
Unboxing a Type A Machine Series 1
Andrew Mazzotta from 3DHacker has released another video, this time of him unboxing the Series 1 personal 3D printer from Type A Machines. This printer is known for its relatively large build volume very high resolution.
The unit Mazzotta puts together is a pre-assembled version, otherwise the video would be a bit longer.
The unit Mazzotta puts together is a pre-assembled version, otherwise the video would be a bit longer.
Lexus Creates 3D Printed Car-Mice For iPads
This is one of the more unusual uses of 3D printing we’ve seen. Apparently car maker Lexus exhibited their current vehicles at the recent 2013 Seoul Motor Show in Korea. At their display was an “Interactive Table” holding several bolted-down iPads.
A Dad Meets a 3D Printer
We’ve been working with 3D printers for so many years it’s sometimes hard to recall what it was like when first encountering a 3D printer. That’s why we’re reading a post on GeekDad by Brad Moon, who decided to dive deep into 3D printing by purchasing a 3D Systems Cube personal 3D printer. Moon… Continue reading A Dad Meets a 3D Printer
3D Printing Price Check Update
What is 3DPrintingPriceCheck? It does exactly that. Jonas Neubert, creator of the online service, just released a significant update to the service, which now includes STL upload, instant quotes from some 3D print services, more materials and even lead time estimates. The service makes shopping for the best deal easy. You simply drag and… Continue reading 3D Printing Price Check Update
A 3D Printing Magazine
Design magazine Dezeen has suddenly launched a print publication specifically focused on 3D printing: Print Shift. It’s actually a paper publication produced using online print-on-demand service Blurb. The magazine contains stories about 3D printing targeted at consumers new to the technology, such as “Four Names to Know in the 3D-Printing World” or “Your Clothes… Continue reading A 3D Printing Magazine
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
3D Printing For Girls: An Idea
If you read yesterday’s post, you’ll know about the controversy regarding BfB’s attempt to address the younger female market. We pondered this situation: how to get more children (including female) to learn about, experience, desire and grow into 3D makers as they get older? Discussing this with a friend who has both a 3D… Continue reading 3D Printing For Girls: An Idea
A Pink Controversy in 3D Printing
There are those of us who know about 3D printing, and those who don’t. We’ve all seen the looks of awe from those transitioning to “those who know”, and we want more people to come over and realize what can be done with this technology. Last week BfB made an attempt to bring 3D… Continue reading A Pink Controversy in 3D Printing