We found a large repository of free 3D models, but there’s one catch: its pages appear in Chinese. But that’s not a problem.
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Authentise Releases Cloud 3D Print Service 3DIAX
Authentise launched their new 3DIAX service, which should make life much easier for larger organizations using 3D printing.
ToyZeroPlus Puts Your Head On Toys With Fuel3D
Hong Kong-based ToyZeroPlus provides amazingly high-quality 3D replicas of scanned faces.
Could Amazon Challenge Shapeways, Sculpteo and Other 3D Print Services?
Recent additions to Amazon’s growing 3D marketplace could indicate trouble ahead for current popular 3D print services.
What’s the Future of High-Speed 3D Printing – The Non-Metallic Edition
A few years back it looked as though 3D printing was set to take off. For those who were new to the tech the possibilities seemed endless. And then they didn’t.
Class Action Suit Filed Against MakerBot (and Stratasys)
Documentation filed in the US District Court in Minnesota alleges violations by Stratasys regarding their MakerBot subsidiary.
3D Printed Skull Transplant?
A report from China News Service describes how a three-year old received a new 3D printed skull.
The “Ultimate” Hackable 3D Printer To Launch Tomorrow
BigBox3D’s first 3D printer hopes to be the “no-compromises high specification 3D printer” you’re looking for.
3D Hubs Teleports Into Yet Another 3D Environment: Cults
3D model repository Cults announced a partnership with 3D Hubs that involves integrating the community 3D printing network directly into Cults’ repository.
The Skylon Spaceplane’s 3D Printed Injector
You may not have heard much of the Skylon spaceplane project, but you soon will hear more, partly due to 3D printing technology.
MakerBot Re-Announces Sam’s Club Partnership
In what might be considered an unusual move, MakerBot has announced their partnership with US warehouse chain Sam’s Club.
Free 3D Models Of The Martian Surface Available
NASA has published a very useful Mars exploration tool, MarsTrek, which happens to also provide 3D model download, too.
OpenSCAD or OpenJSCAD For Programmatic 3D Modeling?
An interesting new open source project could significantly simplify things for online 3D print services: OpenJSCAD.
Capcom Moves to 3D Printing for New Cover Art
Capcom, makers of many notable video games over the past 32 years, now makes use of 3D printing to bring a spotlight on their new game, Street Fighter V.
Amazon’s 3D Printed Figurine Service
Amazon’s 3D print marketplace now includes a number of highly-detailed 3D printed figurines of characters from popular video games.
Design of the Week: Cinder Blocks
This week’s selection goes to Reddit contributor rip1980 for “Cinder Blocks”.
We Live In That 3D Printed Future
A routine press release from Ultimaker with some new product videos got us thinking hard about what’s been happening over the past few years.
The Solus DLP 3D Printer
Reify3D’s Solus DLP 3D printer brings the price down for super-high resolution 3D printing.
Should You Use Blender for 3D Printing? i.Materialise Thinks So
3D print service i.materialise published a pretty decent guide showing how to prepare 3D print files using Blender, but we’re wondering if Blender is the right tool for the job.
The Stone Age Meets The 3D Printing Age
In a remarkable collaboration between Stratasys, Artists and Archaeologists, stone hand axe replicas were equipped with ergonomic handles.
We Found Some Very Inexpensive 3D Printers
While browsing 3D printer online retailers, we ran into one that seemed to offer some very low cost machines.
Arcam’s Q10 EBM Printer Answers the Need for Customized Metal Implants
Sweden’s Arcam has been in the metal additive manufacturing (AM) business since 1997, and has established itself as a leading manufacturer of electron beam melting (EBM) metal AM machines.
3DPrinterOS Hits Milestone Twice As Fast As 3D Hubs
3D printing cloud service 3DPrinterOS hit a big milestone: they now have over 2,000 participating 3D printers in their growing network.
PRINTinZ Releases the “Zebra Plate”
3D print accessory maker PRINTinZ released their new 3D printing adhesion system, the Zebra Plate.
A Seahorse Shows How 3D Printed Robots Can Be Much, Much Better
Dr. Michael M. Porter of Clemson University in South Carolina and team have discovered something very interesting about the mechanics of seahorses – and it may change 3D printed robotics.
US To Tighten Up Export Restrictions; Will Affect 3D Printed Weaponry
In a recent proposal, the US Department of State suggests a number of changes to that country’s export rules, which effectively would prevent 3D models of weapons to be transmitted.
The Scalar M and XL 3D Printers
We’re looking at the product launch for two low-cost, but high-volume 3D printers, the Scalar M and Scalar XL from 3D Modular Systems.
3D Printer SLA Tank Repairs Now Available
One of the annoying problem with resin-based 3D printers is the wear and tear on the resin tank, which must frequently be replaced. That may not be the case anymore.
3D Printed Food for the Elderly?
A report on Capital Technologies describes a venture to provide 3D printed food for seniors. We’re a bit skeptical.
Design of the Week: POKO Pocket Emptier
This week’s selection is the stylish “Pocket Emptier POKO” by 3DShook.
The Explosion of 3D Print Connector and Model Services
It’s another week and there’s another batch of new online connector services for 3D models.
Hands On With FoxSmart’s New Filaments
We’ve been testing some new 3D printer filament from FoxSmart, and it’s pretty interesting.
MakerBot’s Jaglom Tours America for Feedback: What Will They Do Next?
MakerBot’s new CEO, Jonathan Jaglom, just completed a massive 22 state tour meeting 60 clients to gain feedback. We’re wondering how this affects their next moves.
Shapeways Gets More Cash. Lots More Cash
3D print service Shapeways has completed another round of investment, this time totaling USD$30M.
The Difference Between 3D Fabrication and 3D Construction
With several larger 3D printing experiments taking place, it’s now becoming clear there are two distinct styles of 3D printing: Fabrication and Construction.
CarbonFil™ 3D Printer Filament Now Available from Formfutura
Formfutura, makers of fine 3D printer filaments, has joined others in marketing a carbon fiber filament.
Could Apple Make the Best 3D Scanner?
Rumors of an improved iPhone camera could lead to a widespread ability for 3D scanning.
Smooth or Bumpy? New 3D-Printed Surfaces Change on Demand
An MIT team has been working on a way to make soft materials using a 3D printer.
3DCADemy To Offer Training in 3D
Toronto-based 3DCADemy is preparing to offer training in 3D skills to interested parties.
Just Maybe This 3MF Thing Is Going To Work
The 3MF Consortium announced the arrival of four more companies to the project. And they’re notable companies.
Verbatim’s Impressive 3D Printing Materials
Media giant Verbatim now sells a series of very impressive 3D printing materials.
This New 3D Print Service is Fully Optimized
A new 3D print service hopes to raise the bar for part quality and delivery: CloudDDM.
The Curious Case of the Ekocycle 3D Printer
Where can you buy a 3D printer? Harrods, of course.
Zeepro’s Smooth Consumer-Oriented Zim 3D Printer
Zeepro is taking a very consumer-oriented approach to their 3D printer offering.
3D Hubs’ July 2015 Trends Reveals Interesting 3D Printing Behavior
This month’s trends report from 3D Hubs has some interesting data that identifies who’s actually 3D printing.
Minichua’s Customizable 3D Printed Dogs
Finally there’s a way to easily create 3D printed dogs!
WinSun Global To 3D Print Buildings in Dubai
Remember the Chinese company said to 3D print buildings? Now their next project takes place in Dubai.
3D Printed Furniture: Possible
Is it possible to 3D print furniture? Yes, indeed!
iGo3D Goes Store-in-a-Store with Hornbach
3D print retail operations continue to experiment with different approaches: now a retail chain opens a store-within-a-store.
3D Printing PEEK for Profit
INDMATEC has developed a method of 3D printing PEEK plastic, and they could be the only one that can, at least as a commercial product.
Make a Huge 3D Printer for only $1300!
Students at the University of Washington have designed a very large format paste-based 3D printer that can be built for as little as USD$1300.
CreateItReal Supercharges Another 3D Printer: WEISTEK
CreateItReal has struck a deal with China-based WEISTEK to provide ultra-fast 3D printing power.
ARCAM Expands
Sweden-based 3D metal printer manufacturer ARCAM is expanding by hiring no less than ten new positions.
3D Printed Furniture Venture Launched by Drawn
France-based Drawn has developed a line of 3D printed furniture using a robotic printing approach.
Forbes Proposes 3D Printing Is About To Change The World Forever
A thought provoking article on Forbes by Rick Smith discusses reasons why he believes 3D printing could trigger significant changes in manufacturing and beyond.
Four Hotly Contested 3D Printing Markets
The industry of 3D printing is rapidly growing, and as you’d expect there are a number of different business angles at play. We describe four of them today.
Easy Geodesic Domes Using 3D Printing
We always enjoy seeing a great application of 3D printing and found a good one today: 3D printed geodesic dome joints from “hubs”.
3DPrinterOS Expands Ecosystem Into Facebook With SketchFab
Two cloud ventures have partnered to create a bigger cloud: 3DPrinterOS and SketchFab can now easily push 3DPrinterOS 3D models to Facebook.
Design of the Week: 3D Printed Bike
This week’s selection is a 3D printed bicycle kit by Stephan Schürmann / ColorFabb.
MakerOS Simplifies Everything For 3D Print Professionals
There’s a growing number of people making their living from 3D printing, and now cloud service MakerOS by Manulith can make life a lot easier.
Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Takes Off with 3D Printed Parts from Windform Materials
FLYING-CAM began the close range aerial filming concept in the 1970s, leading the way with its Flying-Cam II.
Simplify3D Is 3.0!
The leading commercial 3D printing slicing software just got a lot better: Simplify3D has announced version 3.0.
Formlabs Toughens Up Their 3D Printing Resins
Desktop 3D printer manufacturer took a big step today by announcing a new “Tough” resin.
Cloud-Based 3D Printed Part Stress Analysis Available
Is that part you just designed really going to survive the stress of the machine into which it will be installed? Now there’s an easy way to find out.
Argillasys Launches New 3D Printed Ceramics Service
A new 3D print service has launched that specializes in ceramics: Argillasys.
MakerBot’s Jaglom Speaks with Adafruit
MakerBot’s new CEO sat down with Adafruit’s LadyAda (a.k.a. Limor Fried), who asked some pointed questions about the new paths being taken by the 3D printer manufacturer.
Autodesk Files Patent For Unusual 3D Printing Materials System
US Patent Application 20150093465 recently filed by Autodesk describes a very strange 3D printing approach.
Rocinante, The Beautiful 3D Printed Horse
To celebrate the 400th anniversary of Don Quixote, Oyma3D has produced an amazing horse 3D print.
Design of the Week: Codename Colossus
This week’s selection is the fabulous Codename Colossus kinetic toy by Machination Studio.
3DSimo’s 3D Printing Pens
3DSimo is an unusual 3D printing pen in that it can use multiple materials. Now they’re about to launch an even smaller version.
3D Systems Ports iSense to iPhone
3D Systems’ popular iSense handheld scanner solution has a new platform: iPhone 6.
An Easy Way to Vapor-Smooth PLA 3D Prints?
For years hobbyists have been smoothing their ABS plastic 3D prints with acetone vapor, but PLA has had no solution. A video shows a potentially useful method using PVC pipe cleaner.
An Introduction to SolveSpace
I was recently made aware of a free modelling tool called SolveSpace.
Formide OS Open Sourced
Netherlands-based Printr, the folks behind the slick “Element” 3D printer controller, have open sourced some of their software stack.
Concept Laser M3 Linear
Germany’s Concept Laser has been a leader in the field of laser metal melting since the debut of its M3 Linear system in 2004.
3D Button Hopes You’ll Press It
A German startup has developed a potentially universal “button” to print 3D content.
A Visit to the Imperial College Advanced Hackspace
There are a great many makerspaces around the world and we recently were able to visit the Imperial College Advanced Hackspace in London.
Cellulose Has Been 3D Printed
A report on PhysOrg describes how researchers developed an ingenious method of 3D printing with cellulose.
MyMiniFactory Launches Another Service
We’ve written several stories on MyMiniFactory in recent days, and now there’s another one: the company has launched a peculiar idea validator.
Digits2Widgets’ List of 3D CAD Software
There are a huge number of different 3D design software environments. We found a good list of them for you.
The Two Types of 3D Printing Companies: Open and Closed
It seems there are two types of 3D printing companies these days: those that support open source principles and those that operate in the world of patents.
Trouble With 3D Print Plate Adhesion? Try 3D-EeZ
One of the most problematic issues with personal 3D printers is having prints remain stuck to the bed during printing. 3D-EeZ has a solution for that.
Will 3D Printed Fashion Ever Be Practical?
Every once in a while, we see spectacular 3D printed fashions displayed on a runway by supermodels. But are these pieces practical?
What’s Next for MyMiniFactory?
While we were amazed at MyMiniFactory’s current operations during our recent tour, what’s even more interesting are their plans for the future.
Doom for 3D Printer Manufacturers? AFINA Loses Battle With Stratasys
Stratasys announced the outcome of their lawsuit with Afina regarding patent infringement, and it’s not good for Afinia, or others.
American Standard Now 3D Prints Faucets
You never know where to expect the next 3D printed innovation, but this time it’s the kitchen and bathroom, where American Standard now provides a line of 3D printed faucets.
Design of the Week: SR-72 Aircraft
This week’s selection is artist Don Foley’s smooth SR-72 model.
Do You Need a Smoke Alarm for your 3D Printer?
There’s another accessory you might consider for your 3D printer: a smoke alarm.
The Arithmetic of 3D Printed Sculpture Intellectual Property Rights
One of the things that bugs us a lot is the way many museums consider the intellectual property of their works.
Can 3D Printing Combat Climate Change?
A piece in The Bulletin proposes that 3D printing could be used to help stop climate change. But is this really possible?
3DPrinterOS’ Opensource Move Could Challenge MakerBot
In a bid to gain market share, 3DPrinterOS has publicly released the code for their multi-platform 3D printing client, and there are some big implications.
Stratasys and Creaform Enter 3D Printing and 3D Scanning Agreement
Stratasys announced an interesting joint marketing partnership in North America with Creaform, which manufactures cutting-edge 3D scanning technology.
Time For a Breakthrough in 3D Metal Printing?
3D metal printing is an expensive proposition, and it may be that this expense is holding back adoption by industry. Is there anything that can be done?
Formfutura Releases Unusual Wood 3D Printer Filaments
Formfutura, a Netherlands-based manufacturer of 3D printer filaments, announced today some very interesting new wood filaments.
MyMiniFactory’s Meticulous Method
We recently visited MyMiniFactory headquarters in London where were quite surprised to see the scope of their operations.