3D Buried Treasure

Seattle's Matt Westervelt contacted us to explain a new initiative being undertaken by Metrix Create:Space. They're concerned with the skills required to successfully perform powder-based 3D printing. According to Matt:

 

3D powder-based printing is more than designing something digitally and pulling it out of a machine.  There is skill involved in removing the excess powder, artistic expression in post process and finish.   

 

To bring up the skill level, Metrix Create:Space will be printing your 3D objects using their powder-based 3D printer and assisting in the finishing process. Most people don't have access to a 3D printer, let alone a powder-based unit and thus are not able to learn these skills, or as Matt puts it: "drive down the cost and crank up the artistry in 3D powder-based printing". 

 

But how will this work, exactly? Matt explains:

 

Powder prints are much different than FDM prints. You can print much more complex objects because of the material they're in, but unfinished they are delicate. To make them solid things, there are a ton of options, all of which require time and varying levels of artistic ability. We are going to leave that to you. 

 

3D buried treasure gives you a more affordable, hands-on idea of what it will take to unearth and finish your custom print. It's also a way to get a free version of your design if you don't mind sharing it with others. 

 

They've already had one "MakeShop" on this topic earlier this month; no doubt there will be others. 

 

Via 3D Buried Treasure

O'Reilly Names 3D Printing Best Tech of The Decade, Sorta

That's correct: James Turner at O'Reilly Radar has produced a list of what they believe to be the best (and worst) technologies of the past decade. Among the storied items on the list, "The Maker Culture" is prominently mentioned:

There's always been a DIY underground, covering everything from Ham radio to photography to model railroading. But the level of cool has taken a noticeable uptick this decade, as cheap digital technology has given DIY a kick in the pants. The Arduino lets anyone embed control capabilities into just about anything you can imagine, amateur PCB board fabrication has gone from a messy kitchen sink operation to a click-and-upload-your-design purchase, and the 3D printer is turning the Star Trek replicator into a reality.

We agree with that completely. And we agree with this even more:

Manufacturers cringe in fear as enterprising geeks dig out their screwdrivers. The conventional wisdom was that as electronics got more complex, the "no user serviceable parts" mentality would spell the end of consumer experimentation. But instead, the fact that everything is turning into a computer meant that you could take a device meant for one thing, and reprogram it to do something else.

For reference, O'Reilly's complete list of best tech includes:

• AJAX
• Twitter
• Ubiquitous WiFi (except where we seem to be, for some reason)
• Smartphones
• Open Source
• Hardware and Network availability

And their worst list includes:

• SOAP
• Intellectual Property shenanigans
• Scrum Cults
• The Ubiquitous Workplace (we ESPECIALLY agree with this last one)

A great list by James and the others at O'Reilly. But what might happen during the next decade? Remember, the 21st Century is now 10% over.

Via O'Reilly Radar

What Is This Called Again?

A lively discussion erupted recently over the terminology used to refer to our favorite technology. As you've probably noticed, manufacturers use all manner of words to describe their particular form of digital manufacturing. We've heard terms like: "Rapid Manufacturing", "Rapid Prototyping", "3D Printing", "Additive Fabrication" and many variations. Terry Wohlers believes that the term "3D Printing" will eventually win the terminology wars.

Our opinion? We agree completely. While there may be more technically accurate terms, such as the delightful "solid freeform fabrication", the general public will more likely key on something that relates to their current understanding. Today everyone knows what "printing" means. It is a very small step to say "3D Printing". We've tried this by mentioning such terms to neophytes, who tend to get "3D Printing" much more easily than other terms. 3DP it is.

Now then, how did "Bluetooth" ever slip in?

Via Terry Wohlers and Mass Customization

Top 3D Printing Stories of 2008

During 2008 we published a ton of articles on 3D printing and we've noticed a few major stories and trends that were hidden within the daily posts. Let's try and sort out the big items that came to be during 2008 right here:

• The rise of sophisticated specialized printing services. Let's face it; there have been 3D print services around for quite a while, but it's only this year that a few breakthrough companies began applying advanced Web 2.0 approaches to the problem. Companies like Ponoko, Shapeways and others are breaking new ground and beginning to gather a large audience that will eventually become the personal manufacturers of the future.
• The increasing capabilities of large-scale 3D printers. Increased build chambers, more colors, new and unusual print media and multiple media printing were all introduced by the major equipment vendors, Z Corp, Stratasys, 3D Systems and Objet. More, please!
• We're still waiting for the price breakthrough. The "Apple Laserwriter moment" has not yet arrived, but it's surely coming. Equipment such as MCOR's paper printer and Desktop Factory's sub-USD$5,000 device should be generally available in their initial incarnation in the coming year. Meanwhile, we await an inexpensive device to really blow open the market.
• The creativity unleashed by personal manufacturing. One can only look at Ponoko's library of designs to see what is beginning to happen; nothing less than Web 2.0 for manufacturing.

Best wishes to everyone in 2009 from Fabbaloo!

Advances in 3D Imaging

New tech created by researchers from The Johns Hopkins University and Ben-Gurion University in Israel may greatly simplify 3D imaging of real objects. The FINCH technology (standing for Fresnel INcoherent Correlation Holography) uses a specialized arrangement of filters, lights and cameras to capture 3D information without having to scan individual planes of an object. While today they can scan still objects, they are working on the ability to 3D scan moving objects.

If successful, FINCH may enable the creation of vast online repositories of all manner of objects.

Via Physorg.com

Simon Wardley Speaks

Simon Wardley posts a 24 minute video of his talk from the September 2006 EuroOscon, in which he speculates about the affects of 3D printing technology on the future of manufacturing - including the revolutionary concept of a kind of "hardware compiler".

This simultaneously interesting and amusing presentation covers the historical view of how such technologies evolve. For example he compares fabbing to the evolution of the photo printing industry and thus predicts 3D printing's path from initial innovation to future ubiquitous utility service. There are also excellent overviews of various 3D printing techniques. And of course, ducks.

Via swardley.blogspot.com

PolyJet Video

Further to this post, Objet has posted a video of their new composite-media technology, using the Connex 500 3D printer. The video shows how two reservoirs of different media can be used to produce objects not previously printable in a single pass. Watch the production of cellphone covers with differently colored keypads, a hairbrush and other objects involving two separate materials. Even better, some objects contain mixes of two colors - White + Black = shades of Grey.

Via Objet