Virtually all major resin-powered 3D printers today can use the manufacturerâs materials.
materials
What Filament Should I Use?
With the dramatic increase of 3D print material availability, the choice of filament becomes far more difficult.
Photochromic 3D Printing Under Development
Researchers at the University of Nottingham have developed what might be called âPhotochromic 3D printingâ.
More on Kimya’s Transformation
Last week we wrote on the benefits of having an easily searchable 3D printing company name, but we ended up finding out a lot more about one company.
Could Cheaper Carbon Nanotube 3D Printer Materials Be On The Way?
A new development might lower the cost of 3D print material that uses carbon nanotubes.
Choice: The Future Dilemma of 3D Printing
As things are unfolding in 2018, there seems to be a growing challenge: material choice.
3D Printable Glass?
Research from the Karlsruher Institut fĂŒr Technologie suggests the possibility of cold 3D printed glass objects.
Could We Propose Thermoelectric Filament?
Iâm reading some interesting research from MIT researchers, who have developed a substance with vastly improved thermoelectric properties.
Buying 3D Printer Filament: Online or In Person?
There are now more ways to acquire 3D printer filament, but what is the best way to do so?
The Other Reason for 3D Printing Pellets
Pellets are slowly becoming a more popular 3D printing material, but there is one surprising reason this is so.
What Happens When Flexible Gets Large
BigRep announced a new material that has my mind buzzing about what might happen.
BASF Takes a Huge Step – With BigRep
BASF and BigRep announced a blockbuster deal yesterday, or at least we think so.
Senvol Joins The US Navy
Senvol has contracted with the US Navy to develop very powerful 3D printing software.
3D Print Services and Certifications
Thereâs an interesting story at Sculpteo about how they provide certifications for their materials.
3D Print Materials Copyright Law Battle
Micheal Weinberg writes of an interesting legal battle taking place over use of third party 3D print materials.
Simplify3D Updates Their Free Ultimate 3D Printing Material Guide
While the term â3D Printingâ has become synonymous with creating physical objects
The New Future for 3D Printing: MetaMaterials?
Iâm reading more about the concept of metamaterials, and believe this is a lot more important than I imagined.
Recyclable BioPlastics Are Not Necessarily Energy Efficient
A research report puts doubt on the notion of âeco friendlyâ 3D printing.
Mass Portalâs Three New Excellent Products
Mass Portal continues to experiment with advanced 3D printing techniques.
Need Unusual Powder for 3D Metal Printing? Make it On Your Desktop!
We ran into something entirely unexpected at FormNext: a machine that produces 3D metal printing powder on your desktop.
The Arrival of the Big Guys in 3D Printing Shakes Things up
Something quite interesting was observed at the recent FormNext exhibition.
Professional Filament Drying Now Available
Latvia-based Mass Portal announced a new line of professional filament drying systems.
What is BASF Doing in 3D Printing? A Lot, It Appears
BASF is making more moves into 3D print space.
The Critical Importance of Certifications in the 3D Metal Market
An announcement today triggered some thoughts about the importance of certifications for companies in the 3D metal printing market.
Possibly Game-Changing 3D Print Spinoff From NASA?
NASA announced theyâre working on something called the âRefabricatorâ, and Iâm wondering where this is going.
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Polyethylene
How much do you know about polyethylene?
Should We 3D Print PVC?
There are an increasing number of thermoplastics that can be 3D printed recently, and one of them is PVC.
Get On It: A 3D Print Spool Enclosure
A Kickstarter project hopes to solve one major issue with 3D printer spools: contamination.
BASF Targeting 3D Printing?
Chemical giant BASF is to set up a new subsidiary dedicated to 3D printing.
Have You Used the Materials Project?
The Materials Project is a massive online database of materials.
Made In Space Begins 3D Printing PEI/PC on the ISS
Earlier this year, we spoke to Made In Space President Andrew Rush about some of the new exciting projects that the company is working on.
3D Printers as Material Generators?
Iâm reading some research from last month where a new process was used to create graphene, but there are some other implications of the discovery.
Is âCarbon Fiberâ 3D Print Material Really âCarbon Fiberâ?
Recently a number of 3D print companies have announced whatâs described as âcarbon fiberâ materials, but are these really as strong as carbon fiber?
3D Printingâs MultiMaterial Problem of the Future
3D printers will eventually have a major challenge to overcome: printing a huge number of multiple materials.
The Marvel of 3D Print Material Profiles
Todayâs desktop 3D printer operators have a huge advantage over those from years before, through the magic of print profiles.
Will Mosaic Manufacturingâs Color 3D Printing Approach Catch On?
There are multiple ways to achieve color 3D printing, and one of them is Mosaic Manufacturingâs Palette. But will it catch on?
Coming Soon: Super Stretchy 3D Print Materials
Researchers in Singapore have developed new elastomeric materials that could be used in 3D printing applications.
Do Ya Think 3D Systems is Pursuing the Medical Market?
An announcement this week from 3D Systems has, for me, settled the debate about 3D Systemsâ strategy going forward.
MIT Develops 3D Porous Graphene 10 Times Stronger, But Lighter, Than Steel
Graphene. That awesome meta-material that was identified in 1916, imaged in 1948, grown on substrates in the 70âs, and finally manufactured in 2014, has yet to be incorporated into any consumer market applications.
3D Printed Weapons to be Produced by US Department of Defense
A very curious solicitation from the US DOD requests âexplosiveâ 3D printer materials.
Can You Really 3D Print ANY Material?
The notion of buying a desktop 3D printer that is sufficiently flexible to print in many materials isnât enough.
Has 3d-figo Figured Out How To 3D Print Any Material?
In a very tiny booth on the left side of the FormNext exhibition was a display from a one-person company that just may have figured out a monstrous breakthrough in 3D printing.
3D Printing: Shape, Check! Function, Not So Much
3D printing may be on the verge of a dramatic shift in focus as weâve overcome one mountain, only to be faced with another.
Stratasysâ Online Store
Stratasys made a bit of a splash with their online materials store this past week.
Another 3D Printing Materials Property You May Not Have Considered
Recently I had a discussion with a maker designing a handheld transmitting device, who insisted on 3D printing with ABS instead of PLA, but his reasons were not what you might think.
3D Print Community: The RMADS Rapid Manufacturing Advice System
This monthâs community support selection is the RMADS project undertaken by researchers at Newcastle University.
A Metamaterial Demonstration Suggests Insane Future 3D Applications
Iâm watching a video demonstrating a âmeta material mechanismâ and the mind boggles at what become of this concept.
Is Carbon Fiber Filament a Marketing Gimmick?
Running a small product design and 3D printing business, shookideas.com, I receive questions about carbon fiber filament almost every week.
MakerBotâs Peculiar, But Very Appropriate Announcement
This week MakerBot unleashed a series of announcements regarding their products, services and supplies.
Beyond the New 3D Printing Materials
The era of extremely limited 3D printer material selection seems to be ending, but what might the next materials challenge become?
Waiting for Transparent Aluminum 3D Printers
Among the infinite variety of materials in our world is a very peculiar substance known as Aluminium oxynitride, or as some call it, transparent aluminum.
Ti3AU, the Hardest New Metal Material for 3D Printing?
Researchers at Rice University and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory have developed a startlingly hard material, Ti3Au.
Dissolvable Metal Support Material for 3D Printed Metal Could Create New Opportunities
Researchers have developed a very unusual support material: dissolvable carbon steel that could be used for metal 3D printing support structures.
A New Bio-Active 3D Printing Polymer Suggests Many New Applications
Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have done something Iâve not seen before: mixed bio-active enzymes with 3D printing polymer.
Electric 3D Printing? New Adhesive Method Could Enable a New Form of 3D Printing
A new adhesive is triggered by electricity, suggesting the possibility of a new form of 3D printing.
Chemically Active 3D Prints To Make Amazing Things Happen
Some interesting research in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials shows how a 3D printed object could be functional in a chemical manner.
Mosaic Manufacturing Finally Ships The Palette
If youâre looking for a fascinating way to coax your monocolor 3D printer into producing multiple colors, you can now obtain a Palette from Mosaic Manufacturing.
Carbon Dioxide As 3D Printing Material?
Yes, weâve all seen carbon fiber 3D printing material, but now scientists from the University Of California have managed to use carbon dioxide to 3D print.
Body-Temperature Polymer Could Provoke Some Very Interesting 3D Prints
A new polymer developed by a team from the University of Rochester has an interesting property: it changes shape when triggered by body temperature alone.
3D Hubs Adds PolyJet Capability
Community 3D printer network 3D Hubs announced another significant step into the world of commercial 3D print services by adding PolyJet materials.
Worldâs First 3D Printed Photosynthetic Wearable
Stratasys announced that its long-term collaborator, architect and designer Neri Oxman, has revealed the worldâs first 3D printed photosynthetic wearable, âembedded with living matter.â
Could 3D Printing Use a K-Cup Strategy?
Several 3D printer manufacturers are experimenting with different business models, but is there a way to emulate the hot beverage companies?
Is Metal 3D Printer Filament Dangerous?
Weâre wondering whether using metal-infused filaments in personal 3D printers is actually a safe thing to do.
Researchers Create New Class Of 3D Printed Aerogels
Using a 3D printing technique called direct ink writing, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers created graphene aerogel micro lattices with an engineered architecture.
ProtoCrate Offers Monthly Filament
Startup ProtoCrate now offers a âfilament of the monthâ subscription service.
Is 3D Printer Filament a Commodity?
While most 3D printer manufacturers would prefer you use their in-house plastic filament in their equipment, weâre wondering whether filament is nearing âcommodityâ stage.
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.
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.
Stratasys Opens New Factory
Sales of Stratasysâ Connex equipment must be going well. So well they had to open a brand new factory to build them.
How Much 3D Printer Filament Do You Need?
Thereâs a slight trend emerging in the 3D printer filament market: volume shipments.
Endless Filament with the FUSE Welder
Weâre looking at a unique device, the FUSE welding filament clamp, by industrial designer Pedro M. Librero.
The Pros and Cons of Proprietary 3D Printing Filament
Some folks have very strong feelings regarding the use of proprietary filament by some 3D printer manufacturers. Are those feelings warranted?
ABS Plastic On The Way Out?
We’re beginning to notice a significant trend. When looking at new emerging personal 3D printers we are seeing fewer that offer ABS plastic as an option as a 3D printing material. ABS was among the very first materials used by historic personal 3D printers, as it was commonly available due to its heavy use… Continue reading ABS Plastic On The Way Out?
ColorFabb’s Focus on 3D Printing
We had a chat about filament with Sander Strijbos of ColorFabb at the recent 3D Printshow in London. While there are quite a few vendors marketing filament, most of their innovations involve new colors of PLA and ABS plastic. Not so with ColorFabb, who explore the edge of the envelope in filament technology. Strijbos… Continue reading ColorFabb’s Focus on 3D Printing
Inexpensive, High Quality 3D Printer Resin?
Most personal 3D printers are filament-fueled extrusion machines, but there are a number of resin-based machines, such as the Form 1, the Nautilus, the mUVe 1, the B9 Creator and others. There’s also several open source plans for resin-based machines. But there could be a problem. Resins used by some of these machines can… Continue reading Inexpensive, High Quality 3D Printer Resin?
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
HYREL Achieves Multi-Part 3D Printing
In almost every 3D printer we’ve seen, even those with multiple heads, only one print head is actually used at a time. First you print the model material, then you print support material, layer by layer, one extruder at a time. But now that’s changed. HYREL, notable for 3D printing clay, Sugru and other… Continue reading HYREL Achieves Multi-Part 3D Printing
Are You Ready To Mold 3D Prints?
Most 3D printers produce objects in a very limited set of materials, typically only one or two. But what if there was a way to make items from many kinds of materials? That’s exactly what you can do by combining your 3D printer with ComposiMold, a system for making molds. ComposiMold is a reusable… Continue reading Are You Ready To Mold 3D Prints?
Shapeways To Gain Even More Materials?
A posting on Shapeways blog solicits applications for a new position at the 3D print service. The position? Here’s what they say: We are looking for a someone to help us to find and introduce new 3D printing materials and processes to Shapeways. This can only indicate they mean to dramatically increase the… Continue reading Shapeways To Gain Even More Materials?
$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
Objet’s Flexy Materials
An interesting video from Objet shows off many of their latest materials. While many Fabbaloo readers have 3D printers capable of printing in hard plastic, the items in this video demonstrate what can be achieved when you are able to print in flexible material. Oh, did we say that Objet has an almost perfectly… Continue reading Objet’s Flexy Materials
Fabbster’s Flexy Experiment
We’ve just viewed an interesting video of what appears to be a 3D print of a very flexible material, evidently performed on a Fabbster. You’ll recall Fabbster; the personal 3D printer that accepts pre-made plastic “sticks” of different materials and colors. Apparently they’ve somehow made sticks out of a flexible plastic material and printed out… Continue reading Fabbster’s Flexy Experiment
EnvisionTEC Unveils New Materials
EnvisionTEC, Inc. will showcase the company’s expanded range of 3D printing materials at the IMTS exhibition in Chicago. EnvisionTEC announced the launch of its new AB Material resins, with the first two commercially available offerings: ABflex and ABStuff. Both are used with the company’s DLP 3D printers. Read More at Engineering.com
MakerBot’s New Colors
3D printer manufacturer MakerBot has announced the availability of no less than nine new colors of plastic filament, suitable for use in not only their 3D printers, but any others that use the same diameter of plastic filament. The new colors are pretty awesome: Slate Gray Stone Helsinki Sky (a very light blue)… Continue reading MakerBot’s New Colors
How to Pick a 3D Printer Material
I’ve written two blog posts about the importance of materials to the future of 3D printing. The bottom line is that without a material that performs as needed, speed, cost and quality are irrelevant. Read More at Engineering.com
Sculpteo Alumides!
3D print service Sculpteo announced the availability of a new 3D print material: Alumide. What is Alumide? It’s a mix of polyamide and aluminum powder yielding 3D prints that are stronger than just plastic but weaker than metal. Like plastic and some metals, it can actually bend slightly, making it useful for objects undergoing minor… Continue reading Sculpteo Alumides!
The Materials Project
We’re not sure how useful this is to most Fabbaloo readers, but it is very cool. The Materials Project is an online database of, well, materials. Once you register for free you can access the service by entering a chemical formula and the service returns you a wealth of information about the selected material. You… Continue reading The Materials Project
The End of 3mm Filament?
An increasing number of personal 3D printer manufacturers are switching their products from using standard 3mm plastic filament (either ABS or PLA plastic) to a smaller size: 1.75mm. One of the early converts was PP3DP’s Up! 3D printer, which came with a 1.75mm extruder and smaller nozzle to match. In those early days 1.75mm filament… Continue reading The End of 3mm Filament?
Imagined Shopping For 3D Printer Materials
Objet just announced another amazing material for their Connex and Eden 3D printers. This new material, called “High Temperature Material”, not surprisingly provides 3D prints that can withstand high temperature exposure. It can withstand a temperature of +65C (149F) right out of the printer, but if you post-process the object with a “short oven-based,… Continue reading Imagined Shopping For 3D Printer Materials