While it’s easy (if you know how to search) find free 3D models for printing on Thingiverse, there are several sites offering pay-for 3D models. In a world where there are literally hundreds of thousands of free models, which ones would people purchase for cash? 3D model site 3DAGOGO offers a selection of free… Continue reading Which 3D Designs Are Worth The Money?
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Solid Conceptsâ Printed Metal Gun on Sale
In just short of two months 3D printing firm Solid Concepts has introduced, and will now sell a 3D printed metal gun. While the model M1911 semi-automatic pistol is made from stainless steel and Inconel 625 it’s going to cost you a bit more than your standard issue US Army pistol. According to… Continue reading Solid Conceptsâ Printed Metal Gun on Sale
Breaking: Afinia’s Startling Response to Stratasysâ Patent Claims
After appropriate time for attorneys to do their work, Afinia has formally responded in court documents to Stratasys’ claim of patent infringement. Readers may recall that Afinia is the target of a patent claim by Stratasys. The larger company claims Afinia has violated four of their numerous 3D printing-related patents. In the response, Afinia… Continue reading Breaking: Afinia’s Startling Response to Stratasysâ Patent Claims
The Fusematic 3D Printer
Maker’s Tool Works has announced a new 3D printer kit, the Fusematic. It succeeds MTW’s previous model, the MendelMax 2 by being “smaller, faster, and more affordable”. MTW simplified assembly by including assembly guides on the case, using linear rails, preassembling and pre-loading the electronics and keying the connectors. After assembly, you’ll find… Continue reading The Fusematic 3D Printer
The Beautiful Objects of MakerShop
Need something to 3D print? Tired of endlessly scrolling through Thingiverse? If that’s the case, you might want to try MakerShop, an alternative source for freely downloadable 3D models. Like most Thingiverse competitors, MakerShop has a far more limited selection of models. The site is organized into “Shops” by individual designers. One shop we… Continue reading The Beautiful Objects of MakerShop
Contour Crafting Update
Many years ago we wrote a brief story on Contour Crafting, who, if you don’t know, are developing the technologies necessary to 3D print entire buildings in concrete. The idea is to erect a “portable” 3D printer gantry around a home-building site and have the device extrude the walls of the building. This approach… Continue reading Contour Crafting Update
This 3D Printer is Truly a Monster
Ben Reytblat’s new venture, 3DMonstr, has attracted some attention on Kickstarter, where the pledges are flowing in rapidly for the new 3D printer. 3DMonstr is actually a family of fully assembled 3D printers, each of which entirely deserving of the “monster” label. Sure, it’s size that is the major factor. The “small” version, the… Continue reading This 3D Printer is Truly a Monster
FilaFlex is indeed Flexible
Another filament innovation has emerged from Recreus: Filaflex, a flexible filament. Using this material, your personal 3D printer might be able to 3D objects that are quite flexible, yet durable at the same time. How durable? Well, it seems that Recreus believes you can print usable footwear with this material as shown above. There’s… Continue reading FilaFlex is indeed Flexible
Four Possibly Crazy Predictions for 3D Printing in 2014
It’s that time of year again. The fresh new year has sprouted and we now must contemplate things that may come to pass in 2014. HP Enters the 3D Printing Marketplace – Again: Some years ago HP struck a deal with Stratasys to relabel and resell their uPrint line of (then) inexpensive commercial 3D… Continue reading Four Possibly Crazy Predictions for 3D Printing in 2014
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
Africaâs Octo-Choco-Printer
We’ve heard about chocolate 3D printers before, but never one like this. Fouche Chocolates of South Africa, and specifically its engineer Hans Fouche has developed an eight-nozzle chocolate printer for producing custom delicacies. A detailed report on htxt.africa takes you through Fouche’s development process, which explains how the printer is used to create “edible… Continue reading Africaâs Octo-Choco-Printer
Wait, How Big Will 3D Printing Become?
Market Intelligence company IDC forecasts 3D printing will grow “ten times” by 2017 and that “worldwide hardware value will more than double in the short term.” They suggest that 2D printer companies such as HP and Konica Minolta may enter the 3D market by partnering with existing 3D printing companies. The forecasted growth… Continue reading Wait, How Big Will 3D Printing Become?
3D Printed Underwear?
A UK firm has revealed plans to produce a line of apparently 3D printed underwear. Tamicare has developed a new process that is said to enable 3D printed fabric, which they intend to produce underwear with, at least at first. The fabric generated through this process is trademarked as “CosyFlex”. It’s not entirely clear… Continue reading 3D Printed Underwear?
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!
Design of the Week: Spider Table
This week’s selection is the “Spider” table created by UK designer Daneil Widrig, who produced this work as a private commission. It’s made from 3D printed titanium, using an SLM process, and a slab of glass. The table is quite large by 3D printing standards; it’s 2.05 x 1.0 x 0.73 meters, but just… Continue reading Design of the Week: Spider Table
Somethingâs Going on at MakerBot
It finally hit us: something’s happening at MakerBot recently. We’ve noticed a couple of actual sales of their equipment, culminating with this rather striking Amazon deal. For the price of USD$2,799, you can obtain: A Replicator 2 A Digitizer Two spools of plastic filament Normally, this combination would sell separately for $3,695, but… Continue reading Somethingâs Going on at MakerBot
3D Systems Steps Into Multi-Material 3D Printing
3D Systems offers a very large suite of 3D printers, from personal to industrial, but none offered before has the capability of their new ProJet 5500x. What’s so different about it? The ProJet 5500x can print in multiple materials. To put that in perspective, the only other manufacturer that’s offered such a capability… Continue reading 3D Systems Steps Into Multi-Material 3D Printing
The LulzBot TAZ 3 Personal 3D Printer
LulzBot has released a new version of their popular TAZ personal 3D printer: 3.0. The new version includes several evolutionary improvements, including additional metal parts and a quicker-to-print-ready heated bed. The TAZ is an open-air 3D printer, meaning the heated bed is more important to avoid warping if you’re printing ABS plastic. TAZ has… Continue reading The LulzBot TAZ 3 Personal 3D Printer
Controversy Surrounds the Picaso 3D Printer?
We wrote earlier on the Russian-made Picaso Designer 3D printer. Now we’ve seen some evidence of strange goings-on in that company’s market. Picaso issued a press release stating (via translation): Due to the spread of false information and the advent of the Internet many sites do not have permission to sell products Picaso 3D,… Continue reading Controversy Surrounds the Picaso 3D Printer?
Miniature DMLS Prints Tiny Metal Parts
A joint venture between 3D-Micromac AG and EOS Gmbh has created a new micro-laser sintering technology (MLS) that can be used to create miniature metal components. While the two firms have been developing MLS technology since 2006 under the name of 3D MicroPrint, it was only last year that the technology was mature enough… Continue reading Miniature DMLS Prints Tiny Metal Parts
China Filament for your 3D Printer: Yes or No?
Owners of personal 3D printers require a supply of plastic filament to fuel their favorite device, but where should they purchase it from? The obvious and first answer is to simply buy it from the manufacturer of your printer. Most manufacturers, especially the larger manufacturers, often have a division that will sell you a… Continue reading China Filament for your 3D Printer: Yes or No?
Public or Private? How Ownership Affects 3D Printing Companies
There are two kinds of 3D printer companies these days: privately held or publicly traded. We believe the company type affects how they interact with the rest of the industry. Most small firms are privately held by the founders or a small group of investors. The largest companies, most notably Stratasys and 3D Systems,… Continue reading Public or Private? How Ownership Affects 3D Printing Companies
Three Delta 3D Printers: How To Tell Them Apart
Recently we’ve seen an increase in the number of “delta” 3D printers being produced. “Delta” refers to the rather unique extruder mechanical movement: arms attached to three towers intelligently coordinate “tipping motions” to smoothly move a level extruder platform through the build volume. These machines are easy to recognize: three tall posts with an… Continue reading Three Delta 3D Printers: How To Tell Them Apart
The Picaso Designer 3D Printer
Region manufacturers seem to exist in every area. That paradigm continues with the Russian-made Picaso Designer personal 3D printer. It’s a filament-based device, like many regional machines, capable of printing either PLA or ABS plastic, offering fairly typical specifications: Build volume of 200 x 200 x 200mm Layer size of 0.05mm Minimum wall… Continue reading The Picaso Designer 3D Printer
Lulzbot Simplifies Life for a Mouthguard Manufacturer
We’re reading a case study in which manufacturer Megalodon Sports managed to save considerable cash and time by 3D printing prototypes of their new mouthguard product. Now, we know you’re thinking that this is going to be one of those standard stories where a manufacturer saves thousands by moving their prototyping from expensive CNC… Continue reading Lulzbot Simplifies Life for a Mouthguard Manufacturer
The Growth of 3D Printing Stocks
This blog has a number of years under its belt. We first published on October 27th, 2007, a period when 3D printing was not well known outside of a small set of industrial users. Much has happened since then. At that time there were two major 3D printing companies, 3D Systems and Stratasys, who… Continue reading The Growth of 3D Printing Stocks
London’s Science Museum Goes Online with 3D Printing
The London Science Museum, whom we visited recently, is displaying a huge collection of 3D printed objects in their “3D Printing The Future” exhibit. That massive collection is apparently not sufficient for them, as they’ve launched a new Tumblr blog for folks to post pictures of their best 3D prints. And what a set… Continue reading London’s Science Museum Goes Online with 3D Printing
The Kevvox 3D Printer
We had a close look at the Kevvox 3D printer at EuroMold. It uses a resin-based process, as so many new 3D printers seem to these days, but the results are quite spectacular. Three years in development, the Kevvox uses long-lasting LED lighting to cure the several resins offered. They offer a wax resin… Continue reading The Kevvox 3D Printer
Who Will Stratasys Acquire Next?
While attending EuroMold the other week we happened to listen in to a media talk by Stratasys CEO David Reis, who spoke about Stratasys’ progress over the past year. But one part of his talk was more intriguing than the rest. Reis explained that Stratasys had issued shares several months ago to raise funds.… Continue reading Who Will Stratasys Acquire Next?
The Asiga Pico 3D Printer
We’re starting to observe a collision between the lowering prices of commercial 3D print gear with the rising prices of increasingly more capable personal 3D printers. Today only a few thousand dollars separate the two. One example of a commercial unit that’s priced very effectively is the Asiga Pico, a small volume resin-based 3D printer. … Continue reading The Asiga Pico 3D Printer
Continuum Fashion Speaks
Mary Huang, co-founder of Continuum Fashion recently spoke at a LeWeb event, where she described some of their work to produce ready-to-wear 3D printed shoes. Ms. Huang explained the basics of 3D printing, which is still new to many. It seems that 3D printing with desktop equipment is actually quite suitable for the production… Continue reading Continuum Fashion Speaks
Design of the Week: Quantum Object #1
This week’s selection is Quantum Object #1 by sculptor Frederik De Wilde. It’s a trippy piece we first noticed at this year’s London 3D Printshow, where it was on display among many other spectacular pieces. Visually, it’s a plane with drips extending in opposite directions, defying gravity in two different directions. But why is… Continue reading Design of the Week: Quantum Object #1
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
Scan-A-Claus? In New York City?
3D Systems’ Cubify division announced a unique service: Scan-A-Claus, just in time for the holiday season. It’s a 21st Century take on a 20th Century tradition: a picture with Santa Claus. Some readers may recall from their youth the sometimes awkward moments sitting on a strange Santa’s knee waiting for a professional photographer to… Continue reading Scan-A-Claus? In New York City?
Cornell 3D Prints a Working Audio Speaker
Researchers at Cornell University have developed a method that is capable of 3D printing an entire, working audio speaker. The process involves two different 3D printers: one prints the basic structure in plastic, while the other prints the electronic parts within the plastic structure. It’s a two-stage operation, to be sure, but it… Continue reading Cornell 3D Prints a Working Audio Speaker
Fabulous Cosmo 3D Scans Released
Fabbaloo friend Cosmo Wenman, the fellow who produces incredibly detailed 3D models from scanned museum pieces, has released new sculptures. The two new releases are among the most famous statues in the world: the Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace. Wenman did not actually scan the actual pieces, but instead scanned highly… Continue reading Fabulous Cosmo 3D Scans Released
3D Printed Skulls Help Teach Future Brain Surgeons
Brain surgery is notoriously difficult with surgeons spending years honing their craft. Given the need for more hands-on practice performing surgical operations, researchers at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur have created a 3D printed skull that can provide just that. Using scans of each layer of the human skull, Vicknes Waran, professor… Continue reading 3D Printed Skulls Help Teach Future Brain Surgeons
Leapfrog’s Xeed Now Available for Purchase
As promised, the folks at Leapfrog have launched their biggest 3D printer, the Xeed. It’s big for a desktop 3D printer, but that fits its target market: offices where the device would be shared by (presumably) professionals. The Xeed offers premium 3D printer features, such as standard dual extruders, automatic bed leveling before each… Continue reading Leapfrog’s Xeed Now Available for Purchase
Is 3D Hubs’ 3D Printer Report Accurate?
The other day we reported on 3D Hubs most recent statistical analysis, in which they provided a list of what they consider to be the most popular 3D printers – at least in their scope of operation. The report generated comments and criticism, as the results were believed inaccurate by some readers. They’re right… Continue reading Is 3D Hubs’ 3D Printer Report Accurate?
Making Stuff Beyond 3D Printing
Those new to personal 3D printing may still glow from the thrill of creating objects simply by pushing the “print” button. It is always amazing to see objects appear from nothing and then hold them in your hand. But is this the end of it? Will you simply print plastic items? Not necessarily.… Continue reading Making Stuff Beyond 3D Printing
Prodways’ Unique 3D Printing Process
It’s always interesting to examine a 3D printer with an entirely new process for producing objects. One may think there’s only a few processes, but in fact companies often invent new methods. Prodways is one of them. We spoke with Prodways President Raphaël Gorgé (seen above with the M350) and Head of Research… Continue reading Prodways’ Unique 3D Printing Process
The Fabmaker 3D Printer
We checked out the Fabmaker 3D printer, which originates in Germany. It’s a plastic filament-based device that is targeted for educators. We asked about the features that make the Fabmaker so appropriate for the education market and were told: Fabmaker provides specific consulting services to educators The Fabmaker’s exterior case is made from safety… Continue reading The Fabmaker 3D Printer
Commercial 3D Printer Companies Focusing on Efficiency
At this year’s EuroMold trade show we were able to check out a number of commercial 3D printer companies. These are the organizations that produce the large scale devices capable of printing in exotic materials such as metal, nylon and even ceramics. They’re well beyond the price range of personal 3D printer owners, but the… Continue reading Commercial 3D Printer Companies Focusing on Efficiency
The Most Popular 3D Printers Are…
3D printer service 3D Hubs knows quite a bit about the state of personal 3D printers because it’s their business. They provide a service where folks with idle 3D printers can accept 3D print work for payment from the public. By tracking the changes in their population of 3D printer participants, 3D Hubs can… Continue reading The Most Popular 3D Printers Are…
Stratasys’ Nylon Material
A few weeks ago we speculated that Stratasys might begin focusing on new materials to exploit their huge base of installed 3D printers as their FDM patents expire, and it appears they’ve done so with the announcement of their new Nylon-12 material. Fred Fisher, Director of Materials at the company explained to Fabbaloo that… Continue reading Stratasys’ Nylon Material
The Village Plastics Acquisition: Explained
We stand corrected: today officials from 3D Systems informed us that in fact, Village Plastics has been supplying them with a very significant portion of the filament plastic used on their Cubify 3D printers. Yesterday we speculated that VP sold plastic only to 3D Systems’ competitors. Who knew? Now the acquisition makes complete sense.… Continue reading The Village Plastics Acquisition: Explained
3D Systems Acquires Village Plastics
In a totally surprising move, 3D printing giant 3D Systems acquired Ohio-based Village Plastics. VP, best known by their sales outlet Filaco, manufacturers generic plastic filament for personal 3D printers. The company is known for their high-quality, non-toxic filament and their penchant for experimenting with non-standard materials such as HIPS. But we’re wondering… Continue reading 3D Systems Acquires Village Plastics
Formlabs Releases a New Resin
Formlabs, makers of the popular Form 1 personal 3D printer have released a new resin. Previously, the company offered only two resins: Grey and Clear. The new material is “White”. For a rapid startup company such as Formlabs, it’s totally understandable they may take some time before introducing new materials, but now they’ve done… Continue reading Formlabs Releases a New Resin
Design of the Week: Verlan Dress
This week’s selection is the incredible Verlan Dress by NYC designer Francis Bitonti’s team. The dress is not only unusual in appearance but also its material, availability and creation process. The piece was sponsored by MakerBot in a successful effort to display their new Flexible Filament material, which was used in the dress to… Continue reading Design of the Week: Verlan Dress
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?
3D Systems Acquires Figulo
3D Systems has made another key acquisition, this time of a small but very interesting provider: Figulo. If you haven’t heard of them, they are perhaps the leading provider of glazed-ceramic 3D prints. We understand their services are used by some of the major 3D print services for outsourced ceramic work. Why is this… Continue reading 3D Systems Acquires Figulo
The RepRap Industrial
RepRap 3D printers are for hobbyists, right? For tinkerers who like to build their own machines? Not always, if you were to ask the brothers Kühling & Kühling, who produce the RepRap Industrial 3D printer. This machine is a pre-assembled RepRap machine specifically designed for industrial use. What makes it so? We noticed multiple… Continue reading The RepRap Industrial
The 3D Printed Robot Heart Powered by Urine
Researchers in the UK have created a 3D printed robotic heart that uses urine as its fuel source. While many might be repulsed by the idea of a heart that pumps urine, have no fear – the robotic heart is designed for use in robots, not humans. In a paper published in the… Continue reading The 3D Printed Robot Heart Powered by Urine
A Visit to the London Science Museum’s 3D Print Exhibit
We strolled through the London Science Museum’s new exhibit on 3D printing recently. The intent of the exhibit, entitled, “3D Printing the Future”, was to expose more of the public to the amazing technology of 3D printing. Indeed, this was the case as we observed dozens of people marveling over the numerous print examples on… Continue reading A Visit to the London Science Museum’s 3D Print Exhibit
The Be3D DeeOrange 3D Printer
The Be3D DeeOrange is a small personal 3D printer assembled by a Czech company with 20 years of experience in engineering and technology. Available for two years, the device is a solid unit containing some solid features. Inside the attractive case is a heated plate the makes the machine capable of 3D printing ABS… Continue reading The Be3D DeeOrange 3D Printer
Project Shapeshifter: How To Torture Objects
Autodesk certainly has delivered very interesting free 3D software available recently – and another that might join the suite might be “Project Shapeshifter”. It’s a web-based service that can be used to develop 3D models. The service is terribly easy to use: start with a template and simply shift the sliders (as seen in… Continue reading Project Shapeshifter: How To Torture Objects
Interactive 3D Model Design with Digital Forming
We spoke with Lisa Harouni (yes, the Lisa Harouni of TED fame) regarding her new venture, Digital Forming. It’s a cloud service that provides an ability to interactively generate 3D models, which of course, can then be 3D printed. How does it work? After a designer develops a 3D model of an object or… Continue reading Interactive 3D Model Design with Digital Forming
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
Uformia’s MeshUp
Scandinavian software developer Uformia is working on a new tool: MeshUp. The new product complements their existing product, Symvol, which operates as a plugin to Rhino3D, the popular 3D modeling software package. MeshUp offers similar functionality but in a standalone application without the requirement for Rhino3D. But what does it do for you? Many… Continue reading Uformia’s MeshUp
A Personal 3D Metal Printer: In Progress
We’re checking out a project that’s listed on the RepRap Wiki: MetalicaRap. The goal is to produce a: Open 3D metal & home solar cell printer, based on the principles of electron beam welding and vapor deposition. No, it isn’t ready yet – the project is still in the planning stages. While the… Continue reading A Personal 3D Metal Printer: In Progress
The Five Most Important 3D Printing Tips You Must Know
If you have a plastic extrusion-based personal 3D printer, there’s some things you’d better know. This printing technology has its quirks regardless of the brand and model of machine you’re using. We’ve put together a few of the most basic things to know before you get started. Level The Bed: Perhaps the single most… Continue reading The Five Most Important 3D Printing Tips You Must Know
Personal 3D Printing In Gold
Can you 3D print in gold at home? Not exactly. But we have found an example of how you can use 3D printing technology to cast gold. In a now-old post on the Ultimaker blog, jeweler Paul Steenbrink (a.k.a. Cardillac) experimented with a technique for preparing gold jewelry: The 3D print is invested… Continue reading Personal 3D Printing In Gold
Sculpteo Partners with French Post Office
France-based 3D print service Sculpteo has partnered with the French post office, La Poste, to provide 3D print services at three locations in the Paris area. La Poste is interested in exploring new ways to revive interest in using postal services – and 3D printing could be one of those ways if the experiment… Continue reading Sculpteo Partners with French Post Office
Could 3D Print Recycling Be Dangerous?
Recently several ventures have attempted to produce devices for producing your own 3D printer plastic filament. The idea is that you can purchase plastic pellets at a fraction of the price of filament, feed them into the filament machine, which then extrudes filament for you to spool. There’s another way to use these devices:… Continue reading Could 3D Print Recycling Be Dangerous?
The Fatal Paradox of Plastic Extrusion 3D Printing
There are several questions always asked by the public about personal 3D printing whenever they are exposed to the technology. They want to know: How big of an object can I print? Is there a way to get rid of those unsightly layer lines? Why does printing take so long?!! The answers have… Continue reading The Fatal Paradox of Plastic Extrusion 3D Printing
Design of the Week: Shades of Grey
This week’s selection is Claire Thompson’s Shades of Grey. It’s a fascinating work that is both smooth and two-tone. Perfectly sized to sit on the edge of a table, the portrait carries an interesting story. From Thompson: Shades of Grey is a portrait, digitally and manually created, which references the complexity and ambiguity of… Continue reading Design of the Week: Shades of Grey
What 3D Printers Will Be Announced at CES 2014?
Last year at CES 2013 in Las Vegas we saw the start of a pattern: two significant personal 3D printers we announced. Both MakerBot and 3D Systems showed off new flagship devices. As they have not released any new machines since then, we suspect they both plan big announcements. But what could they be?… Continue reading What 3D Printers Will Be Announced at CES 2014?
MCOR Doubles Their 3D Print Speed – At No Cost!
3D printer manufacturer MCOR, who produce the full-color Iris paper 3D printer, announced a pretty major new feature: double speed printing. Yes, TWICE as fast. Even better, the software upgrade that increases the speed is being made available for all existing machines. But how do they do it? It’s all in the motion.… Continue reading MCOR Doubles Their 3D Print Speed – At No Cost!
Leapfrog’s Selling Simplify3D
We managed to get a close look at the new version of Simplify3D software today, courtesy of Mathijs Kossen of Leapfrog 3D Printers. Leapfrog is offering Simplify3D as an option for use with their printers. The standard software, Slic3r, works well, but sometimes introduces layer artifacts such as those illustrated above. Simply3D attempts to… Continue reading Leapfrog’s Selling Simplify3D
We. Touched. It.
The rather simple plastic item shown above happened to be in the possession of certain individuals at 3D Systems’ booth at EuroMold 2013. What is it, exactly? We don’t really know or care, because that’s not its important characteristic. It is the very first 3D printed object. Ever. Made some 30 years… Continue reading We. Touched. It.
3D Printing Pre-Formed, Expandable Structures
In what could be a preview of the future of architectural design, Los Angeles-based architecture office ID4A has created a method for creating pliable, reconfigurable 3D prints. According to Rania Hoteit and Malek Idriss, principles at ID4A, their new method for architectural “hyper-prototyping” employs a “rigorous exchange between computational design, physical prototyping and additive… Continue reading 3D Printing Pre-Formed, Expandable Structures
Extending the Ban on 3D Printed Weapons
A story in the Guardian describes the work by New York Senator Chuck Schumer to extend the ban on “undetectable guns” before it expires on December the 9th of this year. Obviously this work was inspired by recent events where working guns were produced on 3D printers – although the weapons produced were by… Continue reading Extending the Ban on 3D Printed Weapons
The Ethical Filament Foundation
Do you know where your 3D printer plastic filament came from? Do you know who produced it, and how they did it? Is it possible you purchased 3D printer filament that was made by children, perhaps in dangerous environments? It seems that some filament is produced in third world countries by having the poor… Continue reading The Ethical Filament Foundation
Bee The First – A Portable 3D Printer
We managed to get a first hand look at a very unique 3D printer, BeeTheFirst from Portugal-based BeeVeryCreative. While the device has mechanical characteristics similar to most 3D printers of its category, it has a very unique design that includes a handle for easy portage. BeeTheFirst is a 20 pound unit that prints… Continue reading Bee The First – A Portable 3D Printer
Most 3D Scans are In Jail
Every few weeks we are bombarded with press releases from research organizations that are keen to tell the story of how they have captured in great detail a 3D scan of a building or property. Museums in particular are getting into the scanning business. It’s thought that the Smithsonian, for example, has hundreds, perhaps thousands… Continue reading Most 3D Scans are In Jail
The Robox Personal 3D Printer
We’re looking at another Kickstarter campaign for yet another 3D printer. There have been so many recently it has become very difficult to distinguish one offering from another. So how does Robox do it? We were surprised to find it does have several very unique and interesting features. Aside from the now-industry-standard features… Continue reading The Robox Personal 3D Printer
3D Systems Explodes with Announcements
3D printing giant 3D Systems isn’t standing still. At the EuroMold exhibition today they announced not one, not two, but twelve products to bolster their already considerable portfolio of equipment, software and services. They not only announced the products, but showed them at their massive booth at the Frankfurt trade show, staffed by what… Continue reading 3D Systems Explodes with Announcements
Finland’s miniFactory 3D Printer
We managed to check out a 3D printer from Finland: the Mini Factory and found it has several interesting features that differentiate it from other 3D printers in its class. Like many inexpensive 3D printers, the miniFactory uses plastic filament. A problem sometimes observed is that filaments break or bend during printing. The miniFactory… Continue reading Finland’s miniFactory 3D Printer
The Delta Tower 3D Printer
Tall. That’s one way to describe the incredible Delta Tower 3D printer. It uses, obviously, the delta technique for rapidly and efficiently moving the single or dual extruders through each layer during printing. The statistic you’re looking for is this: it can print items up to 580mm tall, approximately twice that of the biggest… Continue reading The Delta Tower 3D Printer
The KentStrapper Volta 3D Printer
We examined the Italian KentStrapper Volta 3D printer and found a very solid design. The Volta uses a laser-cut wood frame, unlike other models that have shifted to metal frames, but does use linear bearings to provide smooth mechanical movements. The Volta offers a relatively large build area, as you can see in the… Continue reading The KentStrapper Volta 3D Printer
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
Design of the Week: IKEA Ramvik Reinvented
This week’s selection is an incredible 3D printed table by Ole Hermann Godø. It’s not entirely 3D printed, but as you’ll see, the “guts” of this table were definitely 3D printed. The table’s innards have been replaced with several dozen intricately arranged 3D printed gears – that move! Combined with interior lighting, the effect… Continue reading Design of the Week: IKEA Ramvik Reinvented
Off To EuroMold!
This week we’re traveling to Frankfurt, Germany to take in this year’s EuroMold trade show. If you don’t know, EuroMold is the world’s largest event focused on mold-making and prototyping equipment – and that means 3D printers, too. What do we expect to see? There will be displays from all the large commercial 3D… Continue reading Off To EuroMold!
3D Systems Partners with Motorola
There are not a lot of details, but an agreement was reached between 3D Systems and Motorola, whereby 3D Systems would produce 3D printed “modules” to be used in Motorola’s modular smartphone venture, Project Ara. Project Ara intends on devising an open source, “free, open hardware platform for creating highly modular smartphones”, in which,… Continue reading 3D Systems Partners with Motorola
A New Approach to 3D Printed Skin
The University of Liverpool has developed a different approach to 3D printed skin, which had been previously accomplished. The problem with prior techniques is the appearance: manufactured skin was entirely uniform, without the bumps, wrinkles, freckles and curiosities of actual human skin. The new approach involves scanning a subject’s surviving skin to prepare a… Continue reading A New Approach to 3D Printed Skin
Development is Underway for a Graphene 3D Printing Material
In a recent press release, Lomiko Metal, a Vancouver based firm, announced its intention to create a laboratory dedicated to the development of “graphene-enhanced” 3D printing materials. Graphene, which recently proved to be the world’s strongest material, has been of keen interest to a wide range of industries since its first isolation in 2004.… Continue reading Development is Underway for a Graphene 3D Printing Material
3D Printing Patents Sky Rocket in Number
In a recently released report, the UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has stated that the amount of patent filing related to 3D printing has increased dramatically since the year 2000. After analyzing 9000 patent records filed since 1980, a team of IPO researchers pinpointed a rapid upswing in 3D printing related patents; particularly in… Continue reading 3D Printing Patents Sky Rocket in Number
MakerBot Opens Two New Stores
It’s happened. We reported earlier that MakerBot intended to open not one, but two additional retail outlets to add to the initial store located in lower Manhattan. One of the new stores is located in Boston, a city of some technological innovation activity, particularly in 3D printing. The other store is located in… Continue reading MakerBot Opens Two New Stores
The 3D Printing Patent Backlash Begins
It was inevitable, but the personal 3D printing community is not reacting well to the announcement by Stratasys that it was suing Afinia for patent infringement. It seems that the feeling is that other new 3D printer manufacturers might also become legal targets as patented technology could be found in their equipment. The image… Continue reading The 3D Printing Patent Backlash Begins
A 3D Printed Movie Character Collection
At this year’s 3D Printshow we were excited to visit the large display of 3D prints by Legacy Effects. If you don’t know about Legacy Effects, they are one of the premier special effects shops in Hollywood, and have produced numerous famous characters for motion pictures you’ve no doubt seen. While much of Legacy… Continue reading A 3D Printed Movie Character Collection
Implications of the Stratasys – Afinia Lawsuit
By now you’ve no doubt heard that Stratasys has launched a major lawsuit against Afinia for alleged violations of several Stratasys patents. We examined these patents previously, but we believe there are implications that travel far beyond simply Afinia, as the patents describe methods commonly used in many personal 3D printers. The concept of… Continue reading Implications of the Stratasys – Afinia Lawsuit
Details of the Stratasys – Afinia Lawsuit
We’ve been reading more about this week’s legal action by Stratasys against personal 3D printer marketer Afinia, who are alleged to have violated several of Stratasys’ patents. We’ve obtained a copy of the “Complaint for Patent Infringement” filed in the United States District Court, District of Minnesota (where Stratasys’ HQ is located, and, totally… Continue reading Details of the Stratasys – Afinia Lawsuit
3D Printed Batteries?
Harvard materials scientist Jennifer Lewis has produced a new liquid material that could be used to 3D print lithium-ion batteries. The “ink” is intended to be 3D printed using the syringe approach that is frequently used for bioprinting or culinary experiments. The process to produce the liquid material is quite interesting. Printing battery… Continue reading 3D Printed Batteries?
Stratasys Sues Afinia
3D printing giant Stratasys launched legal action against Afinia, a marketer of personal 3D printers. The statement from Stratasys says: Afinia’s sale, promotion and use of its Series H printer infringes patents directed to part porosity, liquefier structure, temperature control, and tool paths for constructing part perimeters. The most recent Stratasys patent that Afinia… Continue reading Stratasys Sues Afinia
Cirri – A Software 3D Scanner
A new 3D scanning option has appeared, courtesy of a group in Ottawa. The Cirri scanner hopes to provide a “professional 3D scanning solution”. Cirri isn’t a piece of hardware – instead it’s a software solution that uses multiple digital images of a subject to develop a true 3D model. This means that you… Continue reading Cirri – A Software 3D Scanner