Mystified by the Form 1 high-resolution 3D printer? Considering purchasing one but you’re not quite certain it’s for you? Maybe you have a Form 1 and you’re not quite sure how to use it? If these questions have you puzzled, you might consider listening in to a webinar put on by Formlabs to introduce their… Continue reading Check Out the Form 1 Online
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Design of the Week: Wave Vase “Touch”
This week’s selection is the Wave Vase “Touch” by the Italian KIORO’design team. The “Touch” reinvents the common practice of placing dried tall vegetation in a vase with a new 3D printing approach. Colorful and obviously from non-organic sources, the design is so reminiscent of dried tallgrass. Except it’s red, yellow, pink and blue.… Continue reading Design of the Week: Wave Vase “Touch”
i.Materialise Opens In Japan
3D print service i.Materialise has blossomed into a new location: Japan. They now offer their services in Japanese. There’s a production change, too. The print service has long had operations in Belgium, its home base, but now can “partly” produce orders on the Japanese mainland. Language and culture can be a significant barrier,… Continue reading i.Materialise Opens In Japan
There’s More to the 3D Printing Revolution
We’re reading a piece in Forbes that describes what they call the “3D Printing Revolution You Have Not Heard About”. They refer to the less visible industrial application of 3D printing in the hearing aid market. A hearing aid must fit precisely into the patient’s ear and therefore must be custom made. Custom made… Continue reading There’s More to the 3D Printing Revolution
London’s Science Museum Needs Your 3D Prints
The London Science Museum is developing an exhibition focused on 3D printing, set to open this October. A key part of the display will include a giant wall containing a variety of different 3D prints from different printers, using different materials and having different shapes. But where will these prints come from? The museum… Continue reading London’s Science Museum Needs Your 3D Prints
The Creepiest Thing Ever 3D Printed
We anticipated a very cool robot when we watched the video. But we all went “ick”, too. The Robugtix T8 is a robotic octopod (a.k.a. spider) that’s largely made of 3D printed body parts. It’s the motion that is so creepy. The motion is realistic, but also strange. It’s as if the T8 is… Continue reading The Creepiest Thing Ever 3D Printed
Rapid Sheet Metal Prototyping at Ford
Over the last 100 years or so, the Ford Motor Company has gotten really good at stamping sheet metal parts. Sadly, stamping can take up to 6-8 weeks from the time the design leaves the CAD station, so it’s not great for prototyping. To speed up prototyping, Ford has created a rapid process they… Continue reading Rapid Sheet Metal Prototyping at Ford
Withings New Scale Rescued By 3D Printing
For those accustomed to digital manufacturing using 3D printing, it’s becoming hard to imagine how companies designed products in the past. Today’s leading companies use a digital process to create their offerings, and that’s precisely what Withings did to develop their latest smart scale. Withings, if you don’t know, produce an amazing personal weight… Continue reading Withings New Scale Rescued By 3D Printing
Leapfrog’s Startling 3D Printing Resolution Improvement
The quality of a 3D print is often measured by the layer size. That represents the size of the incremental layers put down by the extruder (or other mechanism) of the 3D printer. The smaller the layer, the finer and smoother the surface finish becomes. The first personal 3D printers that emerged… Continue reading Leapfrog’s Startling 3D Printing Resolution Improvement
GIANT 3D PRINTED BUGS!
The Australian National Insect Collection could be a creepy place if you’re adverse to meeting bugs. But now it’s enormously MORE creepy because they’ve used advanced technology to create GIANT 3D PRINTED BUGS! They’ve carefully 3D scanned specimens of several species and reproduced them up to forty times life size. Yes, FORTY. And they’re… Continue reading GIANT 3D PRINTED BUGS!
My3DTwin Makes… You!
A new service based in the UK can produce a full color 3D print of people. The service requires an in-person visit to their studio where your 3D image will be captured in some detail by a “custom made” 3D scanner. The captured 3D model is quickly cleaned up and printed in full color… Continue reading My3DTwin Makes… You!
The Velleman K8200 3D Printer
With the news that UK electronics retailer Maplin now sells the Velleman K8200 3D printer, we thought we’d better take a look at this new device. The K8200 is a plastic filament 3D printer, as most inexpensive 3D printers are. It accepts both ABS and PLA plastic from generic suppliers, avoiding the need for… Continue reading The Velleman K8200 3D Printer
Pay for 3D Printer? or Pay for 3D Materials?
While it’s easy to see a vast number of 3D printers emerging recently, there are some patterns beginning to emerge. Today we’re thinking about the business model. Everyone is familiar with the Razor-blades business model: give away the razor, charge for the blades. But is this approach used in 3D printing? Yes. And… Continue reading Pay for 3D Printer? or Pay for 3D Materials?
3D Printing Liquid Metal Electric Circuits
Researchers Collin Ladd, Ju-Hee So, John Muth and Michael D. Dickey at NC State University have published a paper describing their experiment in 3D printing liquid metal – at room temperature. The liquid metal used by the researchers is binary eutectic alloy of gallium and indium, which, in very small droplet form becomes relatively… Continue reading 3D Printing Liquid Metal Electric Circuits
Another 3D Printer Found in a Retail Store
First was MakerBot’s single retail store experiment in downtown NYC, then 3D Systems struck a deal with Staples to offer the Cube 3D printer in all Staples stores. Now we see another retail example: UK electronics retailer Maplin now carries a 3D printer kit, the Velleman K8200. We’ll look at the Velleman another day,… Continue reading Another 3D Printer Found in a Retail Store
3D Printing Becomes Standard Equipment for UK Schools
UK Education Secretary Michael Gove announced England’s schools will use a new “national curriculum” commencing in September 2014. While the new curriculum contains a variety of improvements, there is a rather interesting inclusion: exposure and basic training on the use of advanced technologies such as robotics and 3D printing. This implies each UK school… Continue reading 3D Printing Becomes Standard Equipment for UK Schools
You Can Help Make 3D-Rex
A new Kickstarter project from Namisu proposes to produce a series of geometric mesh Tyrannosaurus Rex heads using 3D printing. The Namisu project team behind 3D-REX, four folks from Spain and the UK, view 3D-REX as their first of many similar decorative 3D art projects. They say: Through the 3D-REX project we wanted to… Continue reading You Can Help Make 3D-Rex
3D Modeling with Leopoly
A new browser-based 3D modeling tool has emerged: Leopoly. The new service presents simple-to-use methods of creating 3D objects. Leopoly focuses on the community dimension: created objects are shared among the community, who can build new objects based on yours. Tweeting, posting and tagging ensure wide visibility of Leopoly creations. Creating objects is… Continue reading 3D Modeling with Leopoly
Design of the Week: ONE_SHOT Stool
This week’s selection is the ONE_SHOT Stool by artist Patrick Jouin, who produced this piece in 2006. This 40cm tall item is an example of early 3D printed art, in the form of furniture. Produced by Materialise using polyamide and alumide, it rests today at the Art Institute of Chicago. So unfortunately you cannot… Continue reading Design of the Week: ONE_SHOT Stool
The UP Plus 2
One of the very first personal 3D printer manufacturers was Delta Micro Factory / PP3DP, a division on China’s Tiertime, who produced the widely used Up! 3D printer. Now its successor, the venerable Up! Plus, is to be replaced by a new version, the UP Plus 2. The new 3D printer is styled similar… Continue reading The UP Plus 2
The Cube Spotted At Staples
For the very first time, a personal 3D printer has been seen on display in a major retail chain. 3D Systems made a deal with Staples to resell the Cube some months ago, but until now the Cube has only been seen in Staples’ online store. Now it’s actually there in person, for real, no… Continue reading The Cube Spotted At Staples
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
3D Printed Car Wins Pilkington Design Award
Nir Siegel, a vehicle design student at the Royal College of Art has recently been awarded the Pilkington prize’s Best Design Interpretation for his Genesis car. The Genesis, which is built to be completely customizable can be 3D printed and self-assembled. According to Siegel the idea behind the Genesis is “to evolve products and… Continue reading 3D Printed Car Wins Pilkington Design Award
Enabling Octopod Propulsion
Squids, octopi and similar marine animals propel themselves through water by means of a water jet. While this has been known for years, building a mechanism to duplicate it has been challenging – until now, as Germany-based Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA developed a 3D printed design that does exactly that. … Continue reading Enabling Octopod Propulsion
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?
A 3D Printing Workshop in Mexico
3D printing is gaining momentum worldwide; we’ve seen startup companies, innovative uses and conventions to educate those in the region. This now includes Mexico, which is set to host the 1st. Mexican Workshop on Additive Manufacturing in Monterrey. A joint project between Tecnologico de Monterreyand Newcastle University in the UK, the Workshop includes talks… Continue reading A 3D Printing Workshop in Mexico
3Doodler: CLONED
You always hear about offshore product cloning, but it’s a shock to see them. We were directed to the “Good Luck Buy” site, where we saw what appears to be an almost perfect clone of the famous 3Doodler 3D printing pen: the 3D Printing Pen for 3D Prototype Modeling. 3Doodler, you may recall, recently… Continue reading 3Doodler: CLONED
Autodesk’s 3D Print Utility
Autodesk has released yet another 3D print-friendly free tool, the 3D Print Utility. Autodesk has been punching out many different free 3D tools in the past few years, but this one is perhaps closest to 3D printing. What does the 3D Printing Utility do? It accepts an STL format 3D model and then offers… Continue reading Autodesk’s 3D Print Utility
TorrentFreak Contemplates 3D Piracy
TorrentFreak, a blog covering happenings in the BitTorrent world, forecasts doom for some manufacturers when 3D printing becomes widespread. BitTorrent is a file sharing protocol often used for pirating digital media, most notably music, movies and ebooks. TorrentFreak focused on the scenario of replacing a sink plug by personal 3D printing and realized plug manufacturers… Continue reading TorrentFreak Contemplates 3D Piracy
Pirate3D’s Booty
Pirate3D’s crowdfunded launch of their inexpensive Buccaneer personal 3D printer was a success mere minutes after it opened, but how did it end? Their campaign ended as one of the most successful 3D print launches in history. They achieved USD$1,438,765 of their now-modest-seeming USD$100K goal. Formlabs still holds the record for the biggest crowdfunded… Continue reading Pirate3D’s Booty
Joy Division’s Famous Cover is 3D Printed
The iconic cover for Joy Division’s 1979 hit album Unknown Pleasures has been 3D printed. German designer Michael Zoellner wanted to print Peter Saville’s design, which was based on an extra-terrestrial pulsar signal. Unfortunately, he ran into trouble right away: I could not find a single vector graphic or 3D model anywhere. There are… Continue reading Joy Division’s Famous Cover is 3D Printed
The Perfect Cast is 3D Printed
Designer Jake Evill has done something good. Something truly amazing that could change the future. He’s produced a custom-fit 3D printed exoskeleton piece that can be used as a cast for broken limbs. The “Cortex” cast is a sparse model that perfectly fits the exterior shape of the limb, while providing adequate support for… Continue reading The Perfect Cast is 3D Printed
3D Printing and Painting – Together At Last
Artist Ioan Florea has developed a new technique for linking the new technology of 3D printing with the ancient art of painting. The recent immigrant to the USA has developed a line of fast dry oil pants, but we’re most interested in the way in which he integrated 3D printing. The process begins with… Continue reading 3D Printing and Painting – Together At Last
THRE3D’s 3D Printing Directory
A new 3D printing online directory launches today: THRE3D provides a great index of materials, services and, of course, 3D printers. The site operates at a meta-level above manufacturer and resellers sites, providing an ability to compare offerings in a consistent manner. For example, if you’re interested in obtaining a spool of Laywoo-D3 wood… Continue reading THRE3D’s 3D Printing Directory
Design of the Week: Soap Dish
This week’s selection is “Soap Dish” by Thingiverse creator Tom Kerpert, a.k.a. alofus. The Soap Dish is just that: a holder for a bar of soap. Made from the word “Soap” written in script, the Soap Dish curves slightly to secure a slippery cleansing slab. We like this design because it overcomes that most… Continue reading Design of the Week: Soap Dish
3D Systems Joins Planetary Resources
You may recall the announcement of Planetary Resources? They’re the futuristic company that intends on developing technology to capture asteroids and refine them for their mineral wealth. The company is backed by several notable entrepreneurs and explorers, including X-Prize founder Peter Diamandis and filmmaker James Cameron. Now they’ve added another major investor: 3D Systems. … Continue reading 3D Systems Joins Planetary Resources
A 3D Printing Revolution in South Africa
An event featuring several notable 3D print designers is to take place in Johannesburg on July 6th. The event, “Agents of the 3D Revolution Exhibition and Seminar”, is put on by, of course, Agents of the 3D Revolution, a new group formed to promote use of 3D technology in South Africa. The group includes… Continue reading A 3D Printing Revolution in South Africa
Cuboyo’s 3D Model Shop
With all the new printable 3D model shops opening online, you’d wonder how they can possibly distinguish one from another. We’ve been examining Cuboyo and found they offer a convenient online experience for 3D model shopping. The site contains only printable 3D models, greatly simplifying the shopping experience from typical and numerous 3D model… Continue reading Cuboyo’s 3D Model Shop
3D Model Captured With Google Glass
Google Glass is a set of glasses that include processing, networking and sensory elements. It’s an experimental platform upon which developers many now invent new kinds of applications. One such experiment is Todd Blatt’s 3D scanning project. The glasses themselves do not have the processing capability to generate a 3D model, nor do the… Continue reading 3D Model Captured With Google Glass
Optomec’s Mini Metal Printer
In the world of 3D printing, bigger really is better, but New Mexico-based Optomec plans to take things in a different direction. The company will bring selective laser sintering down to the micro scale with their new Laser Engineered Net Shaping printer. Originally created at Sandia National Labs for use by the military and… Continue reading Optomec’s Mini Metal Printer
Cura: An Unusual Slicer
3D Hacker has posted an interesting video interview with David Braam, the developer of Cura. What’s Cura? It’s a new 3D printing management program designed to drive the Ultimaker personal 3D printer. Braam used his own Ultimaker for some time but noticed problems in the software environment, specifically around time delays. 3D printing is… Continue reading Cura: An Unusual Slicer
3D Printing Sugru!
You don’t know what Sugru is? It’s a peculiar substance that is malleable when first exposed to air, but then solidifies into a rubber-like material that can be bent but snaps back to its original shape. Too bad you can’t 3D print it. But now you can! HYREL has performed an experiments with… Continue reading 3D Printing Sugru!
Windows 8.1 Incorporates 3D Printing
You know that something is becoming mainstream when it shows up in Microsoft Windows – and that’s precisely what’s happened in the most recent release of Windows, 8.1. Does this mean any Windows computer can now 3D print? Not exactly – this announcement is really for software developers. Microsoft announced a set of standard… Continue reading Windows 8.1 Incorporates 3D Printing
Preventing 3D Gun Printing?
Create It Real announced they’ve developed a system for preventing 3D printing of firearms. The system apparently uses some kind of geometric detection to identify firearm-like 3D models. Once identified, it simply prevents them from printing. But how does it work? They say: Upon opening a 3D file, the smart software scans the model… Continue reading Preventing 3D Gun Printing?
12,000 Swarovski Crystals On a 3D Printed Dress
The unlikely team of costume designer Michael Schmidt of Los Angeles and architect Francis Bitonti of Brooklyn collaborated to create the world’s “first fully articulated garment made using 3-D printing”, according to a report in the New York Times. Bitonti created a detailed scan of burlesque performer Dita Von Teese, while Schmidt used the… Continue reading 12,000 Swarovski Crystals On a 3D Printed Dress
3D Printed Ponies!
Across the world today many people have 3D printers, but what do they make with them? We’re seeing inventive folks focus on very specific categories and styles of objects, each trying to eke out a business by servicing the needs of others. Student and artist Nyasu decided to make cute ponies with his 3D printer. … Continue reading 3D Printed Ponies!
African Jumpstart With 3D Printing?
Many years ago we wondered how Africa could ever catch up to the West in telecommunications. The cost of installing cabling would have been tremendous, but something happened to change the picture. Wireless technology emerged and Africa didn’t have to come up with cash to install wires. They simply leapfrogged over the old technology and… Continue reading African Jumpstart With 3D Printing?
3B Printing?
Yes, we said “3B” printing. It’s definitely not a technology like 3D printing, but we thought you’d be interested in seeing it. Created by liquor manufacturer Dewars, 3B printing was used for a promotion for their new “Highlander Honey” Scotch. It’s a relatively straightforward process: a custom-shaped form is filled with honeybees, who build… Continue reading 3B Printing?
MendelMax 2 Now Available
Maker’s Tool Works now offers their new MendelMax 2 personal 3D printer. We wrote about this unit some time ago, but now you can actually buy them direct. Maker’s Tool Works successfully completed a beta test involving over 100 testers, who helped certify and refine the final product. Now this product is available in… Continue reading MendelMax 2 Now Available
Figulo Prints Ceramics
There is no shortage of 3D print services these days. Some are large, some are small, but virtually all of them have a strategy of expanding their scope as wide as possible. Consider Shapeways, who have the peculiar habit of adding new materials almost weekly, or Kraftwurx, who offer over 100 different materials. … Continue reading Figulo Prints Ceramics
The First 3D Printed Fashion Show in Asia
Kuala Lumpur was the scene of the first 3D printed fashion show to take place in Asia. Designer Melinda Looi of Malaysia teamed with 3D print service Materialise to produce the works shown. Five startling creations were shown by models who wore the pieces in bodysuits to focus attention on the 3D printed articles. … Continue reading The First 3D Printed Fashion Show in Asia
Design of the Week: Orbital Levitation Lamp
This week’s selection is designer Margot Krasojevic’s amazing Orbital Levitaiton LED Lamp. It’s a wispy, cloud-like 3D printed shape with an embedded LED light source. Beautiful, to be sure, but that’s not the most interesting part. The lamp uses magnetic levitation to float above its mount. It floats in thin air! Even better, you… Continue reading Design of the Week: Orbital Levitation Lamp
Stratasys Wins Gold Medal
Stratasys was awarded a Gold Medal at the 2013 Concours Lépine International Inventions Exhibition. The Concours Lépine is an annual competition for French inventions that has been taking place since 1901. This year’s event included some 600 inventors from France and beyond. Stratasys’ winning entry related to a new “pseudo-composite” material for use in… Continue reading Stratasys Wins Gold Medal
Skanect Under New Management
Skanect is now part of Occipital, Inc., according to an announcement by Skanect. Skanect produces one of the most powerful systems for capturing casual 3D scans with a Microsoft Kinect. Occipital produces 360 degrees panoramas and related computer vision products, so acquiring Skanect seems like a logical extension of their existing business. The… Continue reading Skanect Under New Management
How Will Stratasys and MakerBot Change?
After their acquisition of MakerBot, we’re expecting changes in StrataBot, or is it MakerSys? We’re just kidding; neither Stratasys nor MakerBot will change their name as a result of this week’s acquisition; there’s too much value associated with each brand. But what else will change? The two companies have some similarities in technology –… Continue reading How Will Stratasys and MakerBot Change?
The Budget That Was Saved By 3D Printing
South east of Huntsville, Alabama is the small city of Boaz, where something very interesting happened. The Boaz City School System discovered they had to replace all the switch mounts for their network upgrade. The 364 switches were to cost USD$2000, but Wayne Caudle, Director of Technologies for the School System had a better… Continue reading The Budget That Was Saved By 3D Printing
Demand for 3D Printers Continues to Grow
In a recently released report, independent market research firm IDTechEx found that the 3D printing market did an impressive billion dollars in business in 2012, and that by 2025 it could reach four billion in total sales. In the study, titled “3D Printing 2013-2025: Technologies, Markets, Players,” IDTechEx argues that 3D printing sector growth… Continue reading Demand for 3D Printers Continues to Grow
MakerBot’s First Post-Stratasys 3D Printer?
What will be the next personal 3D printer from MakerBot, post acquisition by Stratasys? We believe MakerBot’s next 3D printer could be significantly different from previous Replicators. Why? Because there will be huge synergies between the two companies technologies, as both use plastic extrusion processes. Extruded plastic 3D printing was invented by Stratasys… Continue reading MakerBot’s First Post-Stratasys 3D Printer?
MakerWare 2.2 Released
MakerBot has the good habit of continually releasing improved versions of their software to make their hardware work even better. The latest release of MakerWare, software to drive MakerBot’s Replicator 3D printers, showed up last week. We’re particularly interested in this release because it offers significant improvements in handling overhangs. 3D printer operators are… Continue reading MakerWare 2.2 Released
I Will Not Print You A Gun!
The headline is not exactly what is said on a piece now appearing on Thingiverse. The “guns are bad” 3D model by Gecko is a desktop sign that actually says: NO! I will not print you a f***ing gun 3D printed guns are obviously controversial, so much so that the mandarins at Thingiverse… Continue reading I Will Not Print You A Gun!
BREAKING: Stratasys Acquires MakerBot
Call us wrong on this one. The other week we suggested it didn’t make much sense for Stratasys to purchase MakerBot, in spite of rumors. Regardless of our analysis, simultaneous press releases from both companies this afternoon say a deal has in fact been made. The deal, set to close in Q3, is a… Continue reading BREAKING: Stratasys Acquires MakerBot
Autodesk Battles Bad Design
3D software giant Autodesk has released an infographic portraying the need for, guess what? 3D design software. (Click on the image above to see the fine details). It may be in their self-interest, but they have a valid point. The infographic indicates that a surprising amount of newly released products are subject to recall… Continue reading Autodesk Battles Bad Design
There’s Something About 3D Printed Shoes
One of the most interesting items to 3D print on a high-power color 3D printer turns out to be shoes. We were blown away when we first encountered a color 3D printed shoe last year – the visual realism is only broken when you pick up the shoe and realize its made of sandstone. … Continue reading There’s Something About 3D Printed Shoes
3D Printed Sports Logos: Illegal?
Boston, Massachusetts is the original home of ZCorp, now owned by 3D Systems. It’s also the home of the Boston Bruins NHL hockey club, currently battling the Chicago Blackhawks for the championship Stanley Cup. In 2011 the Bruins won the cup and the folks (or perhaps fans) at ZCorp printed out the Bruins official… Continue reading 3D Printed Sports Logos: Illegal?
3D Systems Acquires Phenix Systems
3D Systems continues its acquisition run with the announcement they’ve agreed to take on Phenix Systems, a manufacturer of metal 3D printing devices. France-based Phenix Systems uses the “Direct Metal Selective Laser Sintering” process, which uses high-powered lasers to fuse layers of metal powder into solid objects at very fine resolutions. The process is… Continue reading 3D Systems Acquires Phenix Systems
A Dad Meets a 3D Printer
We’ve been working with 3D printers for so many years it’s sometimes hard to recall what it was like when first encountering a 3D printer. That’s why we’re reading a post on GeekDad by Brad Moon, who decided to dive deep into 3D printing by purchasing a 3D Systems Cube personal 3D printer. Moon… Continue reading A Dad Meets a 3D Printer
The Incredibly Inexpensive Nautilus 3D Printer
A fundraising campaign has launched for the Nautilus 3D printer. It’s a resin-based DLP printer, using a process similar to that used by Formlabs and 3D Systems. The Nautilus uses a DLP projection system to fuse each layer of photo-curable resin. The Nautilus was developed by a team of four from Beijing who were… Continue reading The Incredibly Inexpensive Nautilus 3D Printer
Digital Grotesque: A 3D Printed Room
In July of this year Digital Grotesque will launch. It’s a project to produce “an elaborate, fully-enclosed room that is entirely 3D printed.” Computational architects Benjamin Dillenburger and Michael Hansmeyer designed Digital Grotesque and exhibited a 1:3 scale prototype at the recent 2013 Swiss Art Awards in Basel. They hope to produce a full… Continue reading Digital Grotesque: A 3D Printed Room
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
Design of the Week: Mask 3
This week’s selection is Mask 3 by artist Stuart Wade. Wade has developed a series of 3D printed masks inspired by “native masks and patterns”. The others in the series are, of course, Mask 1 and Mask 2, both similar in style but very different. At first glance, the design of the Masks seem… Continue reading Design of the Week: Mask 3
3D Printing to Change the Shoe Industry?
James Shorrock writes on Hypebeast his thoughts on how 3D printing could change the future of the shoe manufacturing industry. He proposes that while shoe prototyping has already led to much more rapid shoe design, eventually shoes could be 3D printed directly, based on current experiments with different materials. Once the correct cushioning and… Continue reading 3D Printing to Change the Shoe Industry?
More Fashion Designers Moving to 3D Printing
We may be past the pioneering stage in 3D printed fashion. While there have been several experimental forays into 3D printed clothing and accessories, we’re now seeing more fashion designers join the 3D printing movement. Today we’re reading of designer Catherine Wales, who previously worked on projects for Yves Saint Laurent, has developed an… Continue reading More Fashion Designers Moving to 3D Printing
A Collectable Rubber Duck in Hong Kong
Eddie Tsai of Hong Kong’s Fung Academy researched the adoption of 3D printing by consumers and came up with the concept of “hyperlocal promotions, the ability to respond to events around the world with meaningful relevant products quickly.” An interesting concept certainly, but it quickly became reality for Tsai, who was contacted mere days… Continue reading A Collectable Rubber Duck in Hong Kong
An Interview with Shapeways Bart Veldhuizen
Andrew Mazotta of 3D Hacker posted a video interview with Shapeways’ Bart Veldhuizen, recorded at Shapeways’ European headquarters in Eindhoven. In the interview Mazotta goes through the basics, starting by examining the history of Shapeways. Veldhuizen, European Community Manager for Shapeways, has been with the company for five years and has witnessed the tremendous… Continue reading An Interview with Shapeways Bart Veldhuizen
World’s Largest 3D printer built in China
Dalian University of Technology has announced the development of the world’s largest 3D printer. The massive laser sintering 3D printer has a build volume of 1.8m3 and can reduce print processing time by some 35%. In addition, the printer’s “contour scanning” printing technique can also reduce manufacturing costs by 40% when compared to other… Continue reading World’s Largest 3D printer built in China
Could the Buccaneer Raise USD$1M?
The launch of Pirate3D’s inexpensive and classy Buccaneer personal 3D printer on Kickstarter was explosive, raising their initial funding goal within mere minutes. Now, weeks later into the campaign, they’re approaching USD$900K in funding and seemingly within reach of the magic USD$1M mark. Will they make it? We think so. The… Continue reading Could the Buccaneer Raise USD$1M?
Organovo 3D Prints a Human Liver
In a video report on CBC, Organovo CEO Keith Murphy describes his company’s latest achievement: 3D bioprinting portions of a human liver. Even more amazing is that the liver cells actually exhibit partial function. Murphy says: “Today we can print tiny parts of these organs… About half a millimeter to a millimeter thick”.… Continue reading Organovo 3D Prints a Human Liver
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
Ford Predicts 3D Printed Spare Parts
A recent Wall Street Journal article describes Ford and General Electric’s experiments in 3D printed prototypes and production parts. While that’s not new, we observed an interesting quote: The auto maker sees a future where customers will be able to print their own replacement parts. Theoretically, a customer could log onto the Web, scan… Continue reading Ford Predicts 3D Printed Spare Parts
How Many Things at Thingiverse? Lots!
3D printing is taking off, if one believes the signals seen this year. Another milestone was reached last week by popular repository Thingiverse, who declared they now have over 100,000 3D models available. Thingiverse also released several interesting statistics. Apparently the number of models rose by 20,000 in just the past month. At this… Continue reading How Many Things at Thingiverse? Lots!
Battle of the 3D Printer Manufacturers
The opening of MakerBot’s new factory has us wondering about their main competition’s manufacturing capability. 3D System’s Cube is now selling at Staples online shop, with intentions of being sold in each physical store location. We suspect the Cube is manufactured overseas in China, where large-scale manufacturing is commonplace and inexpensive. It also provides… Continue reading Battle of the 3D Printer Manufacturers
Win a Replicator 2X In Manchester
A 3D modeling contest has been launched that offers a complete MakerBot Replicator 2X as first prize. The sponsor is unlikely for a 3D contest: 2D print cartridge company CartridgeSave.co.uk. Nevertheless, a contest is a contest. This one involves producing a figurine of an “original 3D character”, “your ultimate action hero”. The organizers will… Continue reading Win a Replicator 2X In Manchester
HYREL is 3D Printing Clay
New 3D printer manufacturer HYREL has developed an extruder capable of 3D printing clay. In the video below you’ll see it printing a pyramid. A simple print indeed, but one that proves it’s possible. The HYREL line of 3D printers includes an interesting feature: “multiple hot-swappable extruder head options.” If the clay extruder is… Continue reading HYREL is 3D Printing Clay
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
Amazon Is Selling 3D Printers
Surprise! Amazon is now selling 3D printers. The online retailing giant now offers a rather lengthy selection of 3D printer gear. Included in Amazon’s extensive portfolio are: FlashForge MakerBot Replicator 2 Afinia H-Series MBot Cube Airwolf FF3D JET Felix Robotics Fabbster 3D Systems Cube, RapMan and 3D Touch LulzBot AO-101 BotMill Glide … Continue reading Amazon Is Selling 3D Printers
Free 3D Scans Of Famous Sculptures?
Cosmo Wenman is well-known for his incredibly realistic and large-size 3D prints of ancient sculptures. How does he do it? He visits museums to capture 3D scans later offered online at no charge. Now he’s taking the concept to a much higher level: a Kickstarter project hopes to raise funds for him to scan numerous… Continue reading Free 3D Scans Of Famous Sculptures?
Design of the Week: Milk Splash
This week’s selection is an arty yet practical 3D model: Milk Splash by CGTrader modeler GrafxBOX. Billed as a “pens holder”, the Milk Splash is also very attractive and seemingly animated. This model is available for purchase at CGTrader at a price of only USD$15. For that price you’ll receive the STL, suitable… Continue reading Design of the Week: Milk Splash
Stratasys To Acquire MakerBot?
A report on TechCrunch proposes that MakerBot is in talks with Stratasys “regarding a possible acquisition”. The report says “persistent rumors of a sale or new funding have followed the company this year”. The report also says MakerBot has been seeking investors with a goal to raise USD$25M by valuing the company at USD$300M. … Continue reading Stratasys To Acquire MakerBot?
MakerBot’s New Factory
As the rumors indicated, MakerBot has indeed opened up a brand new factory in a Brooklyn, New York neighborhood, close to MakerBot’s head office and original workshops. The new factory’s massive 55,000 square feet will be used to build the company’s current products, the Replicator 2 and Replicator 2X, and we suspect future products… Continue reading MakerBot’s New Factory
How Many Personal 3D Printers Exist?
With recent furor over 3D printed guns, we started wondering exactly how many people could actually produce them on their 3D printer. In other words, how many personal 3D printers exist? It’s very difficult to cite any specific number, mainly because the major manufacturers are very tight with statistical information. MakerBot used to leak… Continue reading How Many Personal 3D Printers Exist?
More Advanced 3D Interfaces Brewing
California-based Atheer is developing an advanced wearable 3D visual display that should be available in 2014. The as-yet-unnamed product appears to be a set of North Korean-style glasses that display 3D information to each eye. You might think Atheer is repeating Google’s Glass product, but they’re not. Atheer’s product will be completely standalone and… Continue reading More Advanced 3D Interfaces Brewing
Finland Looks to Enter the 3D Printing Market
In a recently announced partnership, the Institute of Photonics at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) and Dutch company LUXeXceL will partner together to create a photonic 3D printer. Started only a few shorts days ago, the UEF’s Institute of Phototonics has hit the ground running, grabbing its first large industrial partnership within a… Continue reading Finland Looks to Enter the 3D Printing Market
3D Printing Retail Store To Open In Illinois
We’ve seen MakerBot pioneer 3D printing retail deep in New York City and then in London at the iMakr store. Now there’s another retail venture taking place in Evanston, Illinois – which is just north of Chicago, for those unfamiliar with the area. GetPrinting3D is a showroom where visitors can take a look at… Continue reading 3D Printing Retail Store To Open In Illinois
Human Faces 3D Printed From Stray DNA
In another truly science fiction moment, PhD student Heather Dewey-Hagborg has developed a technique for transforming found DNA into a 3D model of the DNA owner’s face. This, of course, can be 3D printed. Studying Information art at Troy, NY’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Dewey-Hagborg has been involved in a wide variety of similarly unusual… Continue reading Human Faces 3D Printed From Stray DNA
China Turns to 3D Printing
Apparently some 40% of 3D printer installations are in the United States, while other countries lag significantly behind. China is positioned at only 9% despite being the world’s leader in manufacturing. That may change as a new conference specifically focused on 3D printing took place in Beijing. The World 3D Printing Conference, which concluded… Continue reading China Turns to 3D Printing