Weâve been testing the latest release of Simplify3D, version 2.1.1, a third-party 3D printer slicing system. Weâre impressed.
printing
Need a Spare Part? 3D Print It!
MyMiniFactory is testing a different approach for attracting 3D print services: printing replacement parts for common household equipment.
JewelDistrictâs Focused Approach
Weâre checking out a Korea-based 3D print service thatâs a little different. JewelDistrict is entirely focused on producing jewelry.
3DVIX: Economical 3D Print Services
Weâre looking at a new 3D print service, 3DVIX. Yes, we know there are already many existing 3D print services, but 3DVIX hopes to do things a little differently.
Skyforge Launches
Element Robot has launched the Skyforge 3D printing service with a new crowdfunding campaign.
Three Cheers for MeshMixer Supports!
If youâve been 3D printing youâll be familiar with the challenge of printing overhangs. Now thereâs a terrific solution that enables printing almost any shape on any 3D printer.
GeckoTekâs Build Plate
Thereâs a small explosion of build plates occurring, if you havenât noticed. Another good option has popped up on Kickstarter: GeckoTek.
What Does âExperimental 3D Printingâ Mean, Anyway?
The phrase âexperimental 3D printingâ has been used by several manufacturers, but what does it really mean?
Hands on with the PRINTinZ Flexible Printer Plate
We managed to acquire a test flexible printer plate from PRINTinZ and performed many test prints with it.
3D Hubs Hits a Milestone
Crowdsourced 3D printing network 3D Hubs achieved a major milestone this week by accepting their 5,000th location. But thereâs more to it than mere numbers.
SD3Dâs Adaptive Build Environment
Weâre checking out what could be the most unique and useful accessory any 3D printer owner might want: the Adaptive Build Environment by SD3D.
Is All 3D Print Slicing Software The Same? Apparently Not
Weâre looking at a story from Simplify3D that apparently demonstrates their product can handle prints that other software cannot.
Do You Need AstroPrintâą ?
If you have an opensource-powered 3D printer, you might want AstroPrint to manage your 3D printing operations.
3D Printing With Micro-Robots?
Weâre watching a video from SRI International, who have apparently been developing micro-robots that can assemble things.
A Recursive 3D Printer?
People have worked on the idea of self-replicating 3D printers for years now. But what would happen if that goal were achieved?
Making Long Duration 3D Prints More Reliable
The most spectacular 3D prints are often those that take a significant length of time to print. But how do you ensure the print completes?
Have You Tried BuildTak?
Frustrated by 3D prints that donât stick to your print bed? Drives us crazy too. Now there may be a good solution to that issue: BuildTak.
PrintToPeer is now on Indiegogo
PrintToPeer has launched their fundraising campaign on Indiegogo. They are a startup that hopes to dramatically change how you interact with your 3D printer.
Threeding.comâs New Approach
3D model repository Threeding is taking a new approach in their business model: a drastic reduction in commission fees.
Overhangs? What Overhangs?
Australian engineer Daniel Brown has been experimenting with overhangs, the bane of 3D printer operators worldwide. It looks like heâs managed to overcome them.
A Microscale 3D Printing Breakthrough
Harvardâs Jennifer Lewis has developed a technique for 3D printing a wide variety of materials at micro-scale dimensions.
3D Printingâs Fascination With Vases
Whatâs the most frequently produced item on personal 3D printers? We donât know – and probably no one knows – but we wouldnât be surprised if it was Vases.
Topolabs Could Change Your 3D Printing Direction
A startup company hopes to deploy a radically new way of 3D printing to existing machines. Topolabs has invented a way to print in three dimensions.
Jewelry with Jweel
Weâre checking out a new jewelry generator called âJweelâ. It looks like one of the best weâve seen so far.
Project Silkworm Shows The Future
Weâve always been slightly annoyed at the overly simple manner in which 3D models are sliced and printed. Much more is theoretically possible and that may now become reality with the work developed by Project Silkworm.
RP Marketplace Launches
A new online marketplace focused on professional 3D printing services has launched: RP Marketplace.
3D Printing: What is it Good For?
Once the initial magic of being able to print things for yourself, how do you explain the need for 3D printers to friends? We have some ideas.
Everyoneâs 3D Printing George Crowdsourcington
What do you do when you have a rather large 3D print to produce? One that might take weeks to complete? Thereâs a surprising answer.
3D Printing A Complex Mechanism: Proven
Solidsmack reports on a fascinating attempt to 3D print an entire working clockwork motor in a single print operation. Did it work?
An Additional 3D Printer Buying Factor
The other week we wrote a piece on the major factors to consider when deciding on purchasing a 3D printer. While we stand by our list, a readers suggested another key factor. Operating System: One reader suggested the ability to run the printer’s software on Linux would be a deciding factor for him. We… Continue reading An Additional 3D Printer Buying Factor
3D Printing⊠From Photoshop???
It’s true. Adobe announced new 3D printing capabilities within its current Photoshop Creative Cloud web service. At first, this seems to be an unusual function for a product dedicated, literally, to 2D images. But then it makes more sense when we thought about it. First, what does the new 3D print service actually do… Continue reading 3D Printing⊠From Photoshop???
Keeping The Heat in 3D Printing
Most 3D printer owners quickly discover the perils of printing ABS plastic in a cold or even room temperature environment. The quirky material shrinks a small amount when it cools after emerging from the hot extruder. This often leads to warping, as the lower portions of the print shrink and the newer portions are still… Continue reading Keeping The Heat in 3D Printing
Eleven Important Events for 3D Printing in 2013
It’s the end of another year and time to reflect on what has transpired. In the world of 3D printing, it’s great deal. 2013 had to have been the most momentous year in the history of 3D printing. Let’s look at some of the big events of the year. The ongoing acquisitions of smaller… Continue reading Eleven Important Events for 3D Printing in 2013
3D Printing Tall!
Most 3D printers have a significant limitation: size. The build volume dictates much about the things you produce on your device. Typically stated as a three axis volume, and rarely in liters, your standard personal 3D printer likely has a build volume of between 100-200mm per axis. Some machines have a relatively small volume,… Continue reading 3D Printing Tall!
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
How Good Can 3D Print Resolution Get?
Aside from research experiments in atomic-sized 3D printing, you might wonder what kind of ultimate 3D printing resolution could be achieved. Most personal 3D printers use a plastic filament-based process, which really doesn’t provide the best resolution. Typically prints are printed at a layer size no smaller than 0.1mm, simply because the visual appearance… Continue reading How Good Can 3D Print Resolution Get?
Digital Crafts: A Book for Artists Exploring 3D Printing
We’ve checked out a new book that is specifically designed to assist artists who enter the world of 3D printing and digital design. The book contains many case studies involving not only digital design using 3D CAD software, but also the process of 3D printing using contemporary equipment and 3D scanning. There’s even information… Continue reading Digital Crafts: A Book for Artists Exploring 3D Printing
Have You Joined 3D Hubs?
There are several initiatives seeking to link 3D print owners with 3D print buyers, but as time passes only a few are going to succeed. One of them is likely to be 3D Hubs, currently the leader in number of participants. The idea is pretty straightforward: if you have an idle 3D printer, sign… Continue reading Have You Joined 3D Hubs?
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
Nine Crazy Features That Should Be Built Into Every 3D Printer
Anyone who owns a personal 3D printer begins to think up features that would make their life easier. A few innovative startup companies actually have implemented some of them, but we’d love to see a personal 3D printer with all of these radically useful capabilities. Failure Detector. The worst is to discover, the next… Continue reading Nine Crazy Features That Should Be Built Into Every 3D Printer
The 3D Prints and Models of Maker6
We’re looking at a new service for 3D printer owners and users, Maker6. The site operates primarily as a source of 3D models, prints and printers for anyone seeking a print. There are three ways to use Maker6: Purchase a 3D print by selecting a design. It will be printed and sent to you… Continue reading The 3D Prints and Models of Maker6
3D Hubs Offers Community 3D Printing
3D Hubs joins several other startups attempting to crowdsource inexpensive 3D printing. The idea is that idle home or business 3D printers could be put to work producing objects for requestors in local or distant areas. 3D Hubs provides a “hub” where you can find participants offering such services. The process is straightforward, according… Continue reading 3D Hubs Offers Community 3D Printing
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
And The Top 3D Printing Country Is…
Brooklyn, London, Silicon Valley: Hot spots for 3D printing, correct? They are indeed, but there are other areas where you’ll find an unnatural amount of 3D printing manufacturers, operators and activity, like Israel or The Netherlands. We wondered how to find these hot spots. And then we figured out a way to do… Continue reading And The Top 3D Printing Country Is…
The 3D Printing Embedding Trick
Want to know a trick that could make your 3D prints a lot more useful? It’s called embedding. It’s a way to include alternate materials in your 3D print and it works on almost any 3D printer. It’s so easy you’ll wonder why you didn’t figure it out yourself. You simply stop the print… Continue reading The 3D Printing Embedding Trick
The 3D Printer Cycle Time
At this time a new iPhone has been announced and is flooding stores in many countries. You’ll see people gleefully lining up to replace their 12-month old previous phone as fast as they possibly can. We don’t see this in the 3D printing world, but should we? A pattern of personal 3D printer… Continue reading The 3D Printer Cycle Time
7 Things You Probably Won’t 3D Print At Home Any Time Soon
Some people, usually those just introduced to 3D printing, often believe the technology is capable of printing “anything”, in the manner of a Star Trek replicator. That, of course, is not the case. There are many limitations in the technology and indeed within each type of 3D printing process. This means there are things… Continue reading 7 Things You Probably Won’t 3D Print At Home Any Time Soon
A Collaborative 3D Printed Sculpture
Calgary-based PrintToPeer is experimenting with what could be the world’s first crowd-printed sculpture. Anyone with access to a 3D printer can participate. The idea is quite simple: each participant signs up and is able to customize a single piece. The customized piece is converted into a 3D model and downloaded for you to print.… Continue reading A Collaborative 3D Printed Sculpture
5 Things To Make With Your 3D Printer
You’ve got your first personal 3D printer. You’re excited to make things, and have already finished printing a few samples that came with the device. Now what? Here’s some ideas you might consider making: Art: There is a surprising amount of fascinating artwork you can 3D print at home. While we don’t know… Continue reading 5 Things To Make With Your 3D Printer
CowFab: Post and Perform 3D Print Jobs
A competitor to MakeXYZ has emerged: CowFab. The service, like MakeXYZ permits owners of personal 3D printers to make some cash on the side by bidding on posted 3D print jobs. At this time CowFab has around a dozen 3D printer operators signed up, with some six projects. It’s obviously just starting up, but… Continue reading CowFab: Post and Perform 3D Print Jobs
eBay Launches 3D Printing App
eBay, known for its auction and sales system, stepped deeply into 3D printing by launching a 3D print iOS app. The app (and service) isn’t revolutionary as it is similar to services launched by many 3D print companies, which provide a means to customize and print an object. eBay Exact permits users to browse… Continue reading eBay Launches 3D Printing App
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
3D Printing: It’s A Local Thing
We’re reading a post on BlogTO, a publication focused on events in Toronto, which talks about the sudden popularity of 3D printing in that city. They describe 3D printing technology for those who are not familiar and relate local 3D printing events. They list places in the region where people can get exposed to… Continue reading 3D Printing: It’s A Local Thing
Seven Things You Must Know About 3D Printing
Many Fabbaloo readers are new to the idea of 3D printing. You may have been attracted to the technology because you’ve seen it on the web, or perhaps someone told you about it. But not having experienced it directly, there are some things you should know. It’s Slow. Do not expect Star Trek Replicator… Continue reading Seven Things You Must Know About 3D Printing
The 3D Printing Reliability Barrier
We’re reading a very short post on Zheng 3 where they attempted to print a Magic: The Gathering Beast Token. As you can see above, there were some very slight problems in successfully completing this operation. And that’s the problem – 3D printers are simply not sufficiently reliable. We’ve used many different 3D printers… Continue reading The 3D Printing Reliability Barrier
The Doodle3D Box
Another Kickstarter launch in the 3D printing space: Doodle3D, made by a Netherlands startup company. This product is a method to simplify the design and 3D printing of 2D line drawings. It’s composed of an app and a WiFi box that attaches to your personal 3D printer. Using the app you can “doodle” a… Continue reading The Doodle3D Box
PanaShape’s Differences
There are multiple “upload and 3D print” sites available today, but Brian Bauman of PanaShape wants you to know their service is slightly different. Yes, PanaShape permits upload of STL 3D model files – and the service creates animated 3D renderings as well as live-quoting your price to produce the model. They are able… Continue reading PanaShape’s Differences