Bambu Lab added a new feature to their MakerLab section: ParamaCraft Lite.
design
Operators Discover Signficant Issue with the Flashforge Creator 5 Pro
It seems that the new Flashforge Creator 5 Pro has a potential safety issue.
Text-To-CAD Is Getting More Real, But It’s Not There Yet.
Text-to-CAD tools are beginning to generate useful 3D models from prompts, but the most important missing feature is not geometry — it is intent.
Paper Proposes Multifunctional 3D Robot For Kitchen Waste
A new research paper describes a multifunctional “3D robot” aimed at kitchen waste recycling.
Trinckle Patents User Guided 3D Printing Configuration
Trinckle 3D has published a pair of German patent applications that point toward a very specific problem in additive manufacturing: how do you let less experienced users customize 3D printed parts without letting them break the part?
3D Printed Ceramic Shingles: A New Application Area
A new facade concept using 3D printed ceramic shingles shows how additive manufacturing adds light control and geometric variety to one of the oldest building components.
LPBF Modular Fan Blades Target Quieter HVAC
German researchers used laser powder bed fusion to create modular metal fan blades that slash the cost and time of aeroacoustic experiments.
i-Tac Inverse Design Tunes 3D Printed Elastomers’ Optics And Haptics
A research team has introduced i-Tac, an inverse-design workflow for 3D printed tactile elastomers that could streamline how designers prototype soft touch surfaces.
Hollow Spiral Lattice Design Marries Thermal And Mechanical Performance
Researchers propose a hollow spiral lattice architecture that improves both heat transfer and load bearing, a combination AM operators need.
Hybrid Filler Composites Boost 3D Print Heat Flow
A new research paper looks at hybrid-filler polymer composites that raise thermal conductivity while remaining printable.
Personalized Without Compromise: AI Keeps Custom 3D Prints Durable
Charles R. Goulding and Nimra Shakoor discuss how emerging systems blend generative design with structural analysis so everyday users can create customized objects that actually hold up in real-world use.
New Book “Impossible Works” Highlights Breakthrough 3D Printed Designs
There’s another Kickstarter campaign you should consider backing.
Tripo Secures $50M Investment to Advance AI-Generated 3D Models for Industrial and Creative Use
Tripo announced a massive US$50M investment to power their AI 3D generation company.
FreeCAD 1.1 Release Introduces Enhanced Assembly Tools, UI Improvements, and More
FreeCAD has been updated to version 1.1.
DreamPartGen Brings Part Aware Text To 3D
A new research model called DreamPartGen could make text generated 3D models far more usable for printing and assembly.
Third-Party Software Marks New Phase in 3D Concrete Printing Development
3DCP technology continues to improve, and it’s not only on the hardware side.
Unified Workflow Validates 3D Printed 14 DOF Humanoid
A new paper outlines a unified, simulation-first pipeline that validates a lightweight, 3D printed 14 DOF humanoid before any plastic touches a heated bed.
Synera Expands AI-Driven Engineering Platform with Autodesk Fusion Integration
I’m looking at a new AI tool for developing 3D models, Synera.
Bambu Lab’s Creator Protection Program Takes Down 200+ Unauthorized 3D Models
Bambu Lab has launched a new program to protect creators’ content.
Open Source $50K 3D Concrete Printer Design Could Lower Barriers to 3DCP Adoption
There is now an open-source design for a 3DCP printer.
ShapeScan Workflow Enables Rapid Creation of Custom 3D Printed Holders Using Images
I’m trying out a new online tool to produce outlines for designing custom 3D printed holders.
67 Designs: 3D Printing Device Mounts for Land, Sea and Air
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi explore how a Texas manufacturer is using 3D printing and carbon fiber to secure the digital dashboards of the off-road world.
Maxon Finally Unveils Modern ZBrush Interface
Finally, after many years, ZBrush is ditching their incredibly confusing interface.
OpenVCAD, an Open-Source Tool for Voxel-Based 3D Design
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed “OpenVCAD”.
Integrated Design-to-Production Services Simplify Part Manufacturing
Making a production part is vastly different than making one for one-off use.
How Designers Can Access Free 3D Models of Components from Major Suppliers
Did you know you can download STL files for many common mechanical parts for absolutely no charge?
Elegoo Patent Suggests New Extruder Design for Future Multimaterial 3D Printing
I found a patent that might hint at Elegoo’s plans for multimaterial 3D printing.
Researchers Identify Optimal 3D-Printed Dome Design for Lunar Crater Habitats
Researchers have figured out the correct way to 3D print domes over lunar craters.
3D Printing Serves an Ace in Pickleball Innovation
Preeti Sulibhavi and Jacob Nolan dive into the tech transforming America’s fastest-growing sport—where noise reduction and player performance get a high-speed upgrade.
Hands On With Part3D
I took a quick look at a new 3D CAD system, Part3D.
Etsy Policy Shift May Disrupt Makers and 3D Printing Services
A small but possibly impactful change in Etsy’s policies may affect the 3D print industry.
Opdo Aims to Disrupt Optics Industry With Volumetric 3D Printing and Integrated Design Tools
A new company hopes to use volumetric 3D printing to revolutionize the production of optics.
From iPhones to AI Forms: Jony Ive’s New Era of Intelligent Design
Charles R. Goulding and Anthony Palumbo unpack the collision of AI, form, and function—and why 3D printing is poised to benefit.
Print Me a Tune: How 3D Printers Are Reshaping the Sound of Music
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi explain how 3D printing is hitting all the right notes in the music world, transforming how instruments are made, played, and preserved—from high-tech violins to historic woodwind replicas.
Rahix Publishes Extensive Guide on Design for FFF 3D Printing
I’ve just run across an incredible online resource for those designing 3D printed parts.
A Better Way to Design a Five-Axis Desktop 3D Printer
A new 3D printer has been “generated” with Autodesk software.
New Vixiv Platform Uses AI to Streamline Functional AM Part Design
Vixiv will soon provide new software to optimize 3D printable designs.
From Confusing Car Controls to Cryptic Showers: Design Gone Wrong
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi explain how impractical design—from baffling car controls to confusing hotel fixtures—can frustrate consumers and highlight how 3D printing offers solutions for improved usability.
nTop Takes a Major Step Toward AI-Powered Design with CloudFluid Acquisition
nTop is making a significant acquisition.
Bleach Printing: The 3D Printing Hack for Custom Designs on Fabric
There’s a new craze in desktop 3D printing: bleach printing.
Creality Launches 2024 Cloud Designer Awards with $15,000 Prize Pool
Creality has launched its annual Creality Cloud Designer Awards for 2024.
Design of the Week: Box Opener
This week’s selection is the 3D printed Box Opener by Printables contributor ART TOO.
Computational Engineering Breakthrough: LEAP 71 Validates Aerospike Rocket Design
LEAP 71 performed a monumental real-life validation of their computational engineering approach with a rocket engine hot fire.
NASA and GrabCAD Launch Bioreactor Design Contest for Deep Space Food Production
We don’t normally post stories on design contests, but this one is different: it’s from NASA.
From Electric Skin to Space Exploration: Ganit Goldstein’s 3D-Printed Smart Fabrics
I had a chat with Ganit Goldstein, who is researching advanced fabric 3D printing.
Revolutionizing Luxury: How Stuller Inc. Uses 3D Printing to Shape the Future of Jewelry
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi shine a light into how Matthew Gordy Stuller has redefined the jewelry industry through groundbreaking logistics, innovative 3D printing, and an unyielding focus on customization.
Authentise Expands Threads Platform with AI-Powered Documentation and API Customization Tools
Authentise announced two new features for their Threads platform that strongly leverage AI.
nTop Partners with NVIDIA to Integrate GPU-Powered Design in Additive Manufacturing
nTop announced an interesting partnership with NVIDIA.
Planning to Buy a Desktop FFF 3D Printer? 10 Must-Know Facts
So you want to do FFF 3D printing? Here’s ten things you have to know.
Book of the Week: The Mechanical Design Process
This week’s selection is “The Mechanical Design Process” by David Ullman.
LEAP 71 Proves Automated Rocket Engine Design: A Breakthrough in Computational Engineering
There’s been a major development for 3D printed aerospace: LEAP 71 has proven the viability of automatically designed rocket engines.
Growing IP Challenges in 3D Model Repositories Prompt Need for New Solutions
I’m seeing a growing issue with 3D model repositories that likely isn’t going to go away anytime soon.
From Orbit to Object: Transforming Space Probe Paths into 3D Prints
A new research paper proposes a method to use interplanetary space probe trajectories as a method to generate unique 3D printable designs.
Enhancing Design Reviews: CADChat Combines Communication and 3D Viewing
A new tool for product designers has been launched: CADChat.
Book of the Week: Introduction to Electronic Packaging
This week’s selection is “Introduction to Electronic Packaging: Unconventional Guide to Product Design” by S.A. Srinivasa Moorthy.
MIT Analyzes AI’s Potential in Manufacturing Innovation
MIT has released a very interesting paper analyzing the potential of using AI to generate part designs for industry.
Book of the Week: The Next Toy Sensation
This week’s selection is “The Next Toy Sensation: Designing and Creating the Next Toy Sensation” by Andrew Parry.
Introducing RepRapMicron: The Open Source 3D Printer Targeting Sub-Micron Precision
RepRap is developing a new 3D printer concept: RepRapMicron.
Ancient Glassmaking Artform Meets 3D Printing
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi examine Finnish artist Sini Majuri’s seamless blend of traditional glassblowing with modern techniques.
Book of the Week: Machinery’s Handbook
This week’s selection is “Machinery’s Handbook: Toolbox” by Erik Oberg et al.
Beyond CAD: ChatGPT’s Experiment Paves the Way for AI-Designed 3D Parts
Can you design any 3D printable part using ChatGPT? That’s the claim of a new experiment.
Additive Drives’ 3D Printed Motors Could Revolutionize EV Industry with Enhanced Efficiency
An interesting development has occurred in the automotive sector that could drive adoption of 3D printing.
Book of the Week: Value Proposition Design
This week’s selection is “Value Proposition Design: How to Create Products and Services Customers Want” by Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur, Gregory Bernarda, and Alan Smith.
Trinckle: Simplified 3D Tooling Design Software for Non-CAD Users
Trinckle continues to innovate with a new version of their tool-making software.
Adapting to Disruption: How Desktop 3D Printer Manufacturers Can Compete With Bambu Lab
What must desktop 3D printer manufacturers do to keep up with their competitors?
Book of the Week: Pencil Me In
This week’s selection is “Pencil Me In: The Business Drawing Book for People Who Can’t Draw” by Christina Wodtke.
The FLOCKS Wobot: A Step Towards Greener Future with 3D Printed Wool Applications
The FLOCKS Wobot is a wool 3D printer.
SharkNinja’s Integration of 3D Printing in Product Design and Development
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi discuss SharkNinja’s ongoing and potential 3D printing activities and opportunities.
Fundamentals of Computational Engineering: Part 5 — All You Need is a Few Functions
With the rendering of implicit functions into the voxel field, we have created the ability to work with lattices and complex infills.
Fundamentals of Computational Engineering: Part 4 Implicits
We will dive a bit into the technicalities of a Voxel-based kernel here, how do we interact with it?
Fundamentals of Computational Engineering: Part 3 — Voxels to the Rescue
Thanks to the previous articles, we should have a pretty good understanding of the reasoning behind Computational Engineering and the fundamental technology necessary to support it.
Fundamentals of Computational Engineering: Part 2 — The Technology
After setting the stage in the first two installments of this series of article, let’s dive a bit deeper.
Fundamentals of Computational Engineering: Part 1 — A Bit of History
Let’s define what Computational Engineering is and how it differs from the way we currently use computers to design physical parts.
Fundamentals of Computational Engineering: Prologue
For the last decade, I have relentlessly pushed for a change in the way we humans engineer physical things. Our future depends on it.
Book of the Week: CAD Projects with Tinkercad
This week’s selection is “CAD Projects with Tinkercad” by Johannes Wild.
How 3D Printing can Help Businesses Shut Down by the Hollywood Strikes
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi discuss the ongoing Hollywood union strikes, the impacts on small businesses serving production studios and how 3D printing can be a solution.
Book of the Week: The Mechanical Design Process
This week’s selection is “The Mechanical Design Process” by David G. Ullman.
Trane Technologies Integrates 3D Printing in US Federal Heat Pump Initiative
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi discuss how US federal funding is fueling heat pump innovation, and how Trane, Texas A&M, and Purdue University are leading the way.
LEAP71: Exploring Computational Engineering in the 3D Space
LEAP71 announced a deal with The Exploration Company, but what’s this all about?
Embrace the Freedom: Unlocking the Full Potential of 3D Printing
Do we have sufficient imagination to truly use 3D printing?
Book of the Week: 3D Printing for Product Designers
This week’s selection is “3D Printing for Product Designers: Innovative Strategies Using Additive Manufacturing” by Jennifer Loy, James Novak and Olaf Diegel.
Choosing the Perfect Colors for Your 3D Prints: Introducing FilamentColors.xyz
A new service hopes to help you select 3D print colors.
The Future of 3D Design: Exploring an AI-Driven Workflow for Physical Product Creation
A Reddit contributor described an astonishing 3D print workflow that just might become a normal approach in the future.
Shifting Gears: How 3DEO is Transforming Their Approach to 3D Printing Services
There’s been a change of course at 3DEO.
Rethinking Design in Construction 3D Printing: Time for a Revolution
Finally there is someone talking about the biggest issue in construction 3D printing: design.
Bridging Biology and 3D Printing: Researchers Create Groundbreaking Mesosurface Technique
Researchers have developed a method of 3D printing highly unusual “mesosurfaces”.
MIT Develops MechSense to Integrate Sensors into 3D Printed Devices
MIT has developed “MechSense”, a new way to integrate sensors into certain 3D prints.
ICON’s Initiative 99: A Chance to Transform Construction with 3D Printing
ICON announced something that should have happened a long time ago: an architectural design contest.
Book of the Week: Digital Crafts: Industrial Technologies for Applied Artists and Designer Makers
This week’s selection is “Digital Crafts: Industrial Technologies for Applied Artists and Designer Makers” by Fabbaloo friend Anne Marie Shillito.
Book of the Week: Thinkertoys
This week’s selection is Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques” by Michael Michalko.
What Is the Reality of 3D Printing Car Parts?
An interesting view of 3D printing from outside the industry.
Book of the Week: Hit Makers
This week’s selection is “Hit Makers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction” by Derek Thompson.
Exploring Qatar University’s 3D Printing Solutions for the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi reveal the way 3D print tech was used to help create this year’s World Cup stadiums.
When a Leading Designer Uses a 3D Printer
Charles R. Goulding and Valentina Alzate review the use of personal 3D printing by a noted designer.
Book of the Week: Designing Pleasurable Products
This week’s selection is “Designing Pleasurable Products: An Introduction to the New Human Factors” by Patrick W. Jordan.