A brief press release from CSIR, South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research announced a three-way partnership to develop “titanium powder-based additive layer manufacturing for fabrication of large and complex aerospace components.” The other partners in this venture are Aerosud, a South African-based aerospace manufacturer and the more well-known Airbus. CSIR provides… Continue reading Gigantic Titanium Printing: Aeroswift
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The Craziness of 3D Printing Stocks
As we’re now in the “Peak of Inflated Expectations” of 3D printing, according to Gartner, the stock market is taking a very close look at publicly available stocks for 3D printing companies. Needless to say, the prices of the two publicly traded 3D printing companies, 3D Systems and Stratasys, have been exhibiting some unusual… Continue reading The Craziness of 3D Printing Stocks
Rocket Moonlighting Used DMLS to Build Homemade Rockets
Anyone even a little bit interested in rocketry, space travel or just cool engineering should head over to Rocket Moonlighting for a peek into one of the most interesting DIY projects I’ve seen in a while… building homemade rockets! Read More at Engineering.com
3D Printed Optics
We were contacted by Karl D. D. WIllis of the Disney Research Institute, who wished to show us the work they’ve been doing on 3D printing optical mechanisms. This past June we speculated on the importance of clear materials, but we had no idea how far along researchers have taken the concept. The… Continue reading 3D Printed Optics
The B9Creator Creator Speaks
Core77 published a detailed interview with Michael Joyce (of Deadwood, South Dakota), the creator of the B9Creator. The B9Creator was a hugely successful Kickstarter project to fund the development of a resin-based personal 3D printer. How successful? Over USD$500,000 was raised, enabling Joyce to get production going. We encourage you to read the… Continue reading The B9Creator Creator Speaks
Fabbster’s Flexy Experiment
We’ve just viewed an interesting video of what appears to be a 3D print of a very flexible material, evidently performed on a Fabbster. You’ll recall Fabbster; the personal 3D printer that accepts pre-made plastic “sticks” of different materials and colors. Apparently they’ve somehow made sticks out of a flexible plastic material and printed out… Continue reading Fabbster’s Flexy Experiment
Now Real: Printing Your Own Replacement Parts
Eventually it had to come to this: a company providing 3D models of their spare parts so that you could print your own copies. Traditionally one would have mail-ordered for the spare parts or had to find a local reseller that carried the inevitably over-priced replacement knob. But now that’s changing due to 3D… Continue reading Now Real: Printing Your Own Replacement Parts
Bre’s Not A Bad Guy
One has to sympathize with Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot. While he’s had huge successes in the past few years, most recently by announcing the professional-targeted Replicator 2, he’s also caught some flack from the open source community. As we explained the other week, some members of the open source community are upset because… Continue reading Bre’s Not A Bad Guy
MOST Needs Your Help
The Michigan Tech Open Sustainability Technology Research Group is investigating the mechanical properties of parts produced with RepRap-style 3D printers and they need samples to put through extensive testing. They require a very large number of samples of “tensile bars” to undergo testing. They say: We are currently asking for companies/individuals with 3D… Continue reading MOST Needs Your Help
More 3D Gun Printing Controversy
This topic just won’t go away. Last week 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys revoked the 3D printer lease of Defense Distributed, a team intent on producing an open source, 3D-printable gun design – using a Stratasys 3D printer. No doubt Stratasys was concerned they might be sued by someone in the future or the subject… Continue reading More 3D Gun Printing Controversy
The Ultra-Bot 3D Printer
The Ultra-Bot is yet another Kickstarter project producing a unique 3D printer. This one is already successful, raising over 5x its goal of USD$7,500. Project creator William Steele of Indiana did indeed do something very unique on this project. No, he didn’t invent or incorporate a new technology. No, he didn’t make something incredibly… Continue reading The Ultra-Bot 3D Printer
Design Of The Week: Sunken Coffee Mug
This delightful and shocking design by German Thingiverse user FMMT666 has been selected as this week’s Design of the Week. What is it? Simply a coffee mug, but with a surprising difference: the lower portion is sliced off, making it appear to be embedded in the table. You’d visually expect it to either be… Continue reading Design Of The Week: Sunken Coffee Mug
3D Systems Gets A TIM
3D Systems has acquired another regional 3D print service bureau: The Innovative Modelmakers BV, a Dutch company. According to 3D System’s press release, TIM is a “leading full service provider of on-demand custom parts services”. They plan on integrating TIM’s business into the 3D Systems’ already operating On Demand parts service, specifically 3D Systems… Continue reading 3D Systems Gets A TIM
The 2013 Extreme Redesign 3D Printing Challenge
Each year Stratasys sponsors an excellent competition between students to determine the most interesting and useful 3D printable designs. This year they’re launching the 2013 edition of the Extreme Redesign Challenge. The rules are very similar to previous years: submitted designs compete for scholarships and an opportunity to print out their design. Nine winners… Continue reading The 2013 Extreme Redesign 3D Printing Challenge
3D Print Your Dream House?
The folks at RepRapCentral have produced a short video demonstrating what could become an interesting application of 3D printing tech: producing tactile 3D models of your dream house. While the video appears to be a concept print, the idea is to address the uncertainty home buyers face when evaluating possible home designs. At the… Continue reading 3D Print Your Dream House?
A New Program Creates Stronger Prototypes
Most of us have come across this problem before: We create a model and send it out for a print, and when it returns it isn’t as structurally sound as it should be. Over at Laboratory Equipment there is a great article about a new program that can detect a model’s deficiencies and create structural… Continue reading A New Program Creates Stronger Prototypes
Smithsonian Partners with 3D Systems
In an interesting move the venerable Smithsonian Institution has partnered with 3D Systems to provide “3D printing services and technology”. 3D Systems President and CEO Abe Reichental said: The Smithsonian has shown both foresight and technological leadership in embracing the potential of 3D printing to preserve and showcase today’s and tomorrow’s collections, making them readily… Continue reading Smithsonian Partners with 3D Systems
Cubify’s Bugdroids
3D Systems’ Cubify service announced yet another 3D model creation service: Bugdroids! The new service joins several existing services that enable anyone to create fun 3D models directly from your browser. Like their previously released Robot Nation app, Bugdroids permits tons of droid customization, including various structural adornments as well as colored stamps. … Continue reading Cubify’s Bugdroids
Up! Sharpens Its Output
3D printer manufacturer PP3DP improved the resolution on both its Up! Plus and Up! Mini personal 3D printers. The Up! Plus previously was capable of printing as fine as 200 microns (0.20mm), but with this upgrade it will be improved to 150 microns (0.15mm). Similarly, the Up! Mini 3D printer will be improved from… Continue reading Up! Sharpens Its Output
The Trouble With 3D Printers
You’re so intensely interested in 3D printing that you bought yourself a 3D printer. Great! You can design and print objects right in your own home. But then what? The problem then starts. The problem of renewal. Yes, your 3D printer still produces objects for you on demand, but you’re now suddenly aware… Continue reading The Trouble With 3D Printers
Transmuting PLA Into Metal
You can’t transmute lead into gold, but these days it is apparently possible to change a part, 3D printed in PLA plastic, into a metal part. The method used by maker Jeshua Lacock of 3DTOPO, emulated the eternal lost-wax casting method. He printed parts in PLA on his Ultimaker 3D printer and then surrounded… Continue reading Transmuting PLA Into Metal
De-Extincting a Mollusk
3D printing is an amazing process, not only to simply watch a print appear from thin air, but also for the things it makes possible. We’re reading how a species of mollusk, the multiplacophoran Protobalanus spinicoronatus, extinct for 390 million years has been re-created using 3D printing. Researchers at the Jackson School of Geosciences… Continue reading De-Extincting a Mollusk
Nick Ervnick’s Sculptures
Belgian sculptor Nick Ervnick has been working with Materialise to print several of his works for exhibition. One of his sculptures is featured in Tongeren, Belgium’s town centre, right in front of the Gallo-Romeins Museum, “one of the most important archaeological museums in Europe”. That’s not all. Ervnick’s works are being shown in… Continue reading Nick Ervnick’s Sculptures
Design of the Week: Antique Scandinavian Stoves
This week’s selection is a set of Antique Scandinavian Stoves by New York-based Thingiverse user PrettySmallThings, also known as Kacie Hultgren. Hultgren’s design represents a class of 3D print we’ve been seeing more frequently lately: miniature furniture. She says: I’m a scenic designer in the theatre industry, using my makerbot to make amazing… Continue reading Design of the Week: Antique Scandinavian Stoves
BFB’s AXON Updated
For readers using BitsFromBytes personal 3D printing equipment (that means a RapMan, BFB 3000 or 3D Touch), there’s a present for you to download: a new version of AXON. AXON is the software used by BFB devices to prep the files for printing on BFB’s line of 3D printers. It accepts STL and converts… Continue reading BFB’s AXON Updated
Canadian Plastic
The pattern seems to be regionalization. Plastic filament supply shops specifically focused on 3D printing are emerging in many countries supplying primarily their local markets. We’ve seen shops open up in the US, UK, Switzerland, Netherlands and other places. Now there’s one in Canada, based in Montreal: Voxel Factory offers an extensive list of… Continue reading Canadian Plastic
Wooden Filament? Yes!
We’re not kidding. It really is filament made of wood – and you can print actual wooden objects with it. Developed by Thingiverse user Kaipa, the “LAYWOO-D” filament is a hybrid mix of recycled wood particles and secret binders. You may use this material in RepRap-style 3D printers at a temperature of between 185-200C,… Continue reading Wooden Filament? Yes!
Knocking off a few Gas Stations…
I’m guilty of conceiving elaborate plans and trying to make them perfect from the start. Seeing this, my father once said to me, “Son, you have to knock off a few gas stations on the way to the perfect crime.” What he tried to instill in me is that you have to be moving forward,… Continue reading Knocking off a few Gas Stations…
An Interview with the Ceramics Master
We managed to obtain an exclusive interview with one of the world’s leading print researchers, Professor Stephen Hoskins. Professor Hoskins’ group has recently been investigating the potential of 3D printing. Fabbaloo: You’re the Hewlett Packard Professor of Fine Print and Director of the Centre for Fine Print Research at the University of the West of… Continue reading An Interview with the Ceramics Master
Startling Form 1 Update
We discussed the sudden announcement of Formlabs’ amazing Form 1 resin-based 3D printer yesterday, but we need to talk about it some more. Something amazing is happening. The Formlabs is raising funds for device production on Kickstarter and set a goal of USD$100,000 within 30 days of launch. How close are they to meeting… Continue reading Startling Form 1 Update
A West-Coast 3D Printer Store
Two 3D printer stores, one on the east coast (MakerBot in Brooklyn, NY) and now another one to tell you about on the west cost: Deezmaker in Pasadena, CA. Deezmaker is the fruit of maker Diego Porqueras, who is also behind the Bukobot Kickstarter project. The intention is to sell not only the Bukobot,… Continue reading A West-Coast 3D Printer Store
The Incredible Form 1 3D Printer
You heard the rumors, as did we. Formlabs has been working on a top secret “revolutionary” personal 3D printer and today it’s unveiled for your consideration. We consider the new Form 1 3D printer to be a very important step in the development of personal 3D printing, and something you’ll want to check out. … Continue reading The Incredible Form 1 3D Printer
The Massive Kamermaker 3D Printer
Unveiled this month, the Kamermaker 3D printer must be one of the largest RepRap-technology based devices yet. How big is it? Let’s just say that the exterior case was originally a standard 20 ft metal container! How big is its build envelope? Well, normally we quote build envelopes in millimeters, but this goes well… Continue reading The Massive Kamermaker 3D Printer
MakerBot’s Bumpy Transition
Perhaps the biggest controversy in the history of 3D printing erupted this past week when an excited MakerBot community took a deeper look at the company’s new personal 3D printer, the Replicator 2. What did they find so upsetting? It seems that they’ve noticed en masse that MakerBot is changing much about how it… Continue reading MakerBot’s Bumpy Transition
3D Printing Shows Up in 2035
At least that’s the indication from a work commissioned by the US Air Force. The “Welcome to 2035… The Age of Surprise” video attempts to show some of the technologies that will be key in the year 2035. If we look at the frame captured at left, you’ll see “3D Printing” shown prominently among other… Continue reading 3D Printing Shows Up in 2035
Design of the Week: Mobius Sake Cup
This week’s selected design is Ovidiu Opresco’s Mobius Sake Cup. How simple is a Sake cup? What could transform such a straightforward object into the unusual? Ovidiu Opresco’s idea was to blend the concept of a an endless Mobius strip with the cup to create a very unusual piece. The cup is functional… Continue reading Design of the Week: Mobius Sake Cup
Sculpteo’s iPhone Case Maker
3D print service Sculpteo adds to the ever-increasing set of 3D model-generating apps by creating a custom iPhone design service. It’s similar to most other apps: a basic model is display and limited customization capability is provided. Sculpteo first requires you to download their 3DPcase iPhone app. Within the app you’re presented with several… Continue reading Sculpteo’s iPhone Case Maker
123D Catch In Your Pocket
Autodesk has released an iOS version of its staggeringly easy-to-use 3D model generator, 123D Catch. The tool isn’t a 3D scanner, exactly, but the results are similar. You collect a series of images of a 3D subject from many angles, then submit them to 123D Catch for processing. Autodesk’s magic algorithms in the sky… Continue reading 123D Catch In Your Pocket
Lunar 3D Printing
NASA’s goal is to develop revolutionary technologies to assist in space exploration and they often start the process with funded studies of promising ideas. If these work out, they are developed further, ultimately becoming a reality if they are feasible and beneficial. One very interesting study in their “Early Stage Innovation” program is entitled,… Continue reading Lunar 3D Printing
Printing Vascular Structures
While rapid prototyping of mechanical parts is still the mainstay of 3D printing, recent adoption of the technology by biomedical researchers has sparked interest in how additive manufacturing might be used in the future. Doug Hendrie at Gizmag recently profiled a new advancement that couples 3D printing with tissue engineering. Read More at… Continue reading Printing Vascular Structures
Analysis: MakerBot’s Monster Announcements
Yesterday a series of startling announcements erupted from MakerBot’s Brooklyn NY headquarters, changing the flavor of MakerBot forever. MakerBot announced two new personal 3D printers, the Replicator 2 and Replicator 2X, as well as new software, a service program and a retail operation. The announcements appeared to us to take a huge step in… Continue reading Analysis: MakerBot’s Monster Announcements
New Software From MakerBot: MakerWare
Along with yesterday’s blockbuster announcement of MakerBot’s Replicator 2, MakerBot also announced, MakerWare, new software to supersede the long-used ReplicatorG, at least on the Replicator line. MakerWare performs the usual 3D printer management tasks: loading and orienting a model onto the print bed; resizing models; slicing the model into GCODE; sending GCODE to the… Continue reading New Software From MakerBot: MakerWare
MakerBot’s 4th Gen 3D Printer: The Replicator 2
We waited nine months and guess what happens? It’s another new 3D printer from MakerBot, their most awesome device yet: the Replicator 2. Visually, the Rep2 appears structurally similar to its predecessor, the un-numbered Replicator. But there’s a major difference: The Rep2 is made from “Industrial strength powder coated steel” painted a sleek black.… Continue reading MakerBot’s 4th Gen 3D Printer: The Replicator 2
Diving Deep into Art with 3D Technology
A detailed interview with Liz Neely, Director of Digital Information & Access at the Art Institute of Chicago by Fresh & New reveals some very interesting approaches to art now enabled by inexpensive 3D scanning and 3D printing technology. Among the new approaches being investigated by Neely’s team are: Detailed 3D scanning of… Continue reading Diving Deep into Art with 3D Technology
The Economist Speculates on 3D Piracy
The venerable magazine The Economist has a long piece speculating on the potential for 3D printed piracy. That is to say, the digital capture of items with a 3D scanner and subsequent reproduction with 3D printers. They say: But while the pirates’ labour rates and material costs may be far lower, the tools… Continue reading The Economist Speculates on 3D Piracy
Formlabs’ Secret Project To Be Revealed
Readers may recall a post from last year in which we introduced the mysterious Formlabs, a startup by three folks from the famous MIT Media Lab, who evidently were working on “something”. Something interesting to the 3D printing space, apparently. Now we see their website has suddenly livened up a bit with the words: … Continue reading Formlabs’ Secret Project To Be Revealed
ExOne’s M-FLEX 3D Printing System
ExOne announced a new metal 3D printer, the M-FLEX 3D Printing System. This device is capable of printing metal parts within a rather large build chamber of 400mm x 250mm x 250mm (15.75 x 9.8 x 9.8 inches). The M-FLEX prints in metal, but it appears it will be able to do a lot… Continue reading ExOne’s M-FLEX 3D Printing System
The HYREL 3D Printer
Another KickStarter project is launching an inexpensive 3D printer. It’s the HYREL 3D Printer by Daniel Hutchison of Alpharetta, Georgia. There are so many similar crowd funded 3D printing projects up at the moment it’s becoming difficult to distinguish between them. So what’s different about the HYREL? It’s fully assembled, calibrated and tested,… Continue reading The HYREL 3D Printer
Is ABS Killing You?
There are two plastics most commonly used in home 3D plastic extrusion printers: ABS and PLA. When you’re printing, you definitely notice them – or, your nose does. PLA, also known as Polylactic acid or polylactide, has a rather pleasant aroma when heated, sometimes described as “waffles” or “honey”. Along with its lack of… Continue reading Is ABS Killing You?
Design Of The Week: Doublefeature
We’ve selected designer Paul Kweton’s Doublefeature as this week’s noted design. What is it? It’s a dual wristwatch, apparently “custom made for a client in Houston, TX”. If you’re interested in getting one, don’t fear, as Kweton says: “For custom orders please contact us via email at …” Obviously the intricate time-telling watch… Continue reading Design Of The Week: Doublefeature
3D Print Speed Advice From Stratasys
Stratasys has published a very informative white paper detailing their thoughts on the speed of 3D printing. This is sometimes a touchy subject, as 3D prints often take many hours to complete and some manufacturers may claim their printer is faster than another’s. But what’s the whole story? Stratasys says, correctly we believe,… Continue reading 3D Print Speed Advice From Stratasys
3D Printing Survey
We just noticed an online survey of 3D printing usage that readers may be interested in filling out. Created by Spanish mechanical/product engineer JulioHCD, the survey is intended to assist in his research: I have been involved in 3D print for building product models and prototypes…My interests include design inspired by nature, plastic… Continue reading 3D Printing Survey
A 3D Printed Camera – Almost!
The folks at RepRapCentral have just printed what appears to be an entire DSLR system on their MakerBot Replicator. This startling print by Sergey includes the camera body and a permanently attached zoom lens. However, closer inspection shows that there is no optical lenses in the print, as one would expect. Nevertheless, as… Continue reading A 3D Printed Camera – Almost!
EnvisionTEC Unveils New Materials
EnvisionTEC, Inc. will showcase the company’s expanded range of 3D printing materials at the IMTS exhibition in Chicago. EnvisionTEC announced the launch of its new AB Material resins, with the first two commercially available offerings: ABflex and ABStuff. Both are used with the company’s DLP 3D printers. Read More at Engineering.com
3D Printed Beaks!
Grist reports on a touching story involving an American Bald Eagle, injured years ago by a poacher’s shotgun, who has had its beak replaced by a 3D printed equivalent. The injured bird was rescued by animal workers and gradually brought back to health. However, it turns out that the beak is an essential component… Continue reading 3D Printed Beaks!
Freshfiber Offers 3D Printed iPhone 5 Cases
Mere hours after Apple’s iPhone 5 announcement, custom case vendor Freshfiber announced they now offer cases for said device. In all, Freshfiber announced six different case styles, all of which are quite interesting, uniquely functional and offered in several cool colors. The cases include one that doubles as a business card holder; another… Continue reading Freshfiber Offers 3D Printed iPhone 5 Cases
Slic3r Author Interviewed
RepRap’s Josef Prusa recently interviewed Slic3r author Alessandro Ranellucci in Prague. Ranellucci initially used Skeinforge to prepare his 3D models for printing, as did most small scale 3D printers of the day. Like everyone else, Ranellucci was baffled by the monstrously complex parameterization of Skeinforge when trying to print small architectural models on a ShaperCube. He… Continue reading Slic3r Author Interviewed
Save Some Cash With ISQUARED Consumables
It was only a matter of time before someone began producing “clone” plastic materials for high-end 3D printers. That’s the business of Swiss-based ISQUARED, who produce “high quality FDM filament at fair prices”. They say: “Our products are 100% compatible with OEM parts.” Currently, ISQUARED offers material evidently compatible with the following devices: … Continue reading Save Some Cash With ISQUARED Consumables
Sculpteo Lowers Prices
3D print service Sculpteo has abruptly lowered their pricing for 3D models. Evidently their print volume must have increased sufficiently to permit more effective plastic purchases from their suppliers. This change affects only their plastic price. They say: Thanks to this success, we can now lower the price of your 3D prints made… Continue reading Sculpteo Lowers Prices
The iScan 3D App
A new app promises to enable generation of instant 3D models right from your iPhone. iScan3D by Digiteyezer works using a combination of images and a cloud service. Here’s how it works: your subject remains still while you move about taking between 5 and 30 images. Presumably it would help if there wasn’t much… Continue reading The iScan 3D App
The PandaBot
Yet another 3D printer startup company is launching. Panda Robotics of Seattle/Toronto is developing the eyponomously named “PandaBot”. PandaBot is focused as a consumer-oriented product and thus includes a number of features to make it robust and visually attractive. They say: Our printer’s materials and aesthetics were chosen to ensure that our end product… Continue reading The PandaBot
Design of the Week: The Bloom Table Lamp
This week’s selected design is Patrick Jouin’s incredible Bloom table lamp. What makes it so interesting? It’s based on the mechanics of an actual flower: to emit more light, the lampshade opens as a flower does when exposed to light. The piece is actually 3D printed as a single unit, including hinges for the… Continue reading Design of the Week: The Bloom Table Lamp
Quantum International Invests in 3D House Printing?
An interesting press release came from Quantum International the other day. Quantum appears to be an investment firm specializing in various robotic technology. In their press release they talk of USC Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis’s work in developing large-scale concrete 3D printers capable of 3D printing whole houses. They say: Quantum International Corp. (OTCBB: QUAN)… Continue reading Quantum International Invests in 3D House Printing?
Answer Those 3D Printing Questions!
If you’re like us, you’ve often fielded many questions about 3D printing technology. And they’re the same questions almost every time. It would certainly be nice to simplify the questioning – and that’s exactly what Thingiverse user Shawn Grover of Calgary, Canada did. He produced a pre-made “brochure” that answers the most commonly observed 3D… Continue reading Answer Those 3D Printing Questions!
The Eventorbot 3D Printer
Yet another innovative 3D printer has been announced: The Eventorbot Open Source 3D Printer by maker Duy Dang. Be warned, though, this is not an assembled unit; it is not even a kit but instead is a complete blueprint and parts list, including 3D models of all the parts you can print on your… Continue reading The Eventorbot 3D Printer
Rapid Prototyping Reveals Evolutionary Clues
Over at Scientific American’s Observations blog, Kate Wong has an interesting piece about paleoanthropologists using 3D printers to help recreate the skeleton of one of humanity’s ancestors. Australopithecus sediba, a “nearly two million-year-old” member of Homo Sapien’s evolutionary lineage was discovered at the Malapa Fossil Site in South Africa. Like most fossils, the bones… Continue reading Rapid Prototyping Reveals Evolutionary Clues
Afinia’s Low Cost 3D Printer Filament
3D printer manufacturer Afinia has suddenly introduced a new line of plastic filament that has a very attractive feature: low cost. Their “Value-Line” is comprised of 1.8 or 1.75mm ABS filament sold in 1kg (2.2 lb) spools. Prices are only USD$31.99 per kg, one of the lowest we’ve seen recently. Afinia offers two… Continue reading Afinia’s Low Cost 3D Printer Filament
Hands On With Skanect
There’s quite a few free tools to make good use of your XBox Kinect 3D sensor. We’ve already tested ReconstructMe, a wonderful tool for scanning 3D objects. Today we’re taking a look at Skanect, another 3D scanning tool. Skanect, by Manctl, is available for OSX and Windows XP+ (32 or 64 bit versions). If… Continue reading Hands On With Skanect
The Lunavast XG2 3D Printer Kit
The Lunavast XG2 is a kit to build a resin-based personal 3D printer. The XG2 uses DLP technology to project a pattern onto the surface of a vat of resin to progressively solidify each layer. The XG2 kit does not include the critical DLP projector, which can easily be obtained almost anywhere at low… Continue reading The Lunavast XG2 3D Printer Kit
3D Photografting Introduced
Scientists at the Vienna Institute of Technology have developed a new technique they call “Photografting”, which promises to enable significant advances in bioprinting. The new technique involves starting with a hydrogel, a porous material in which other molecules can be placed. Lasers then focus on specific spots within the 3D hydrogel and break apart… Continue reading 3D Photografting Introduced
A 3D Printed Racing Car
While it isn’t the world’s first 3D printed car, it may be the first 3D printed Racing Car. The Areion was designed by 16 engineers from “Group T” as their entry in the Formula Student 2012 Challenge. Obviously, the entire car was not 3D printed – only the body, which was then attached… Continue reading A 3D Printed Racing Car
Blended Color 3D Printing
It’s been a dream of 3D printing hobbyists to be able to print in glorious color. That dream still is developing, but maker RichRap has taken a big step in that direction by developing a 3-way extruder for RepRap-style 3D printers. It’s not exactly a full color 3D printer, although RichRap’s initial intentions were… Continue reading Blended Color 3D Printing
MIB 3’s 3D Printed Weaponry
Did you ever wonder where the amazing weapons in the MIB movies come from? They are prototyped using 3D printing by Moddler, a custom 3D printing service based in San Francisco using an Objet Eden 550V. The Objet device is a good choice for this application, since it’s PolyJet technology permits the creation… Continue reading MIB 3’s 3D Printed Weaponry
Design of the Week: RD Time Extrusion
This week’s selection is the RD Time Extrusion. What is it? We’re not sure, but the designers, Nervous System believe it could serve as a pencil holder, as depicted here. You’re free to figure out other uses for this unusual item. The item was designed mathematically, like many Nervous System products, and is freely… Continue reading Design of the Week: RD Time Extrusion
Cubify Introduces Bracelets
Well, that didn’t take long! Mere days after introducing web applications capable of dynamically generating rings and earrings to your specifications, 3D Systems has fired up another similar application: Bracelets. It’s very easy to use and offers just the right amount of customization for most people. The Bracelet app works in a fashion similar… Continue reading Cubify Introduces Bracelets
3D Systems Announces the ProJet 5000
There’s another big dog on the corner and its name is the ProJet 5000. It’s the latest production 3D printer from 3D Systems, offering “maximum productivity in the factory or office”, with a “typical accuracy of 0.025-0.050mm (0.001-0.002 inch) per inch of part dimension “. This device doesn’t just look big on the outside;… Continue reading 3D Systems Announces the ProJet 5000
Legends of Kalidasia Pioneers A New Approach
Jason Rutherford of Kalidesia contacted us to talk about a new approach he’s taken in his gaming business. Rutherford makes the Legends of Kalidasia game, played with traditional resin and pewter figures. His company manufactures and markets these figures, but he’s concerned about the future. You know, the future where people print out their own… Continue reading Legends of Kalidasia Pioneers A New Approach
3D Systems Brings LAIKA’s ParaNorman to Life
3D Systems Corporation’s ZPrinter 650 is the first ever full-color 3D printer used in a stop-motion animated film, ParaNorman, produced by Portland, Oregon based animation studio LAIKA. Known for integrating innovation with the hand-created artistry of the stop motion technique, LAIKA utilized 3D printing to create over 31,000 individual, color facial parts for production. … Continue reading 3D Systems Brings LAIKA’s ParaNorman to Life
The ShapeWright Experiment
Artist Dolf Veenvliet is experimenting with user-designed custom 3D printed metal jewelry. His new experimental site, ShapeWright, allows anyone to pick and shape components into a unique jewelry item that can be immediately sent for 3D printing in precious metal! The service is incredibly easy to use. The experiment is to customize a “Variable… Continue reading The ShapeWright Experiment
Easy 3D Printing with File2Part
Preparing 3D models for 3D printing is often problematic. They’re in the wrong orientation, wrong size, etc. While most 3D printer-specific operation software can do rudimentary orientation and sizing, you’ll still have to use other programs to fix errors in the model and slice it into printable form. That will change with the introduction of… Continue reading Easy 3D Printing with File2Part
Cirque Du Soleil 3D Prints?
Fabbaloo has learned that international dance company Cirque Du Soleil uses both 3D scanning and 3D printing technology. Evidently most of Cirque Du Soleil’s acrobats are 3D scanned and the models are held in a repository. Custom masks and other personal-fitting equipment are 3D printed for each member of the troupe for use in… Continue reading Cirque Du Soleil 3D Prints?
Neri Oxman Exhibition Video
Oh, you DIDN’T manage to get to Paris to view Neri Oxman’s astonishing display of multicolor 3D prints at Centre Pompidou? We managed to do so and reported it here. But just in case you didn’t see it, there is a very interesting video of the event produced by Objet, the sponsors of… Continue reading Neri Oxman Exhibition Video
Shapeways Gets A New Engine
Did you visit Shapeways recently? It’s different – but not different visually. Instead the techs at Shapeways have replaced the software engines running behind their website to provide various improvements, specifically in the Order Placement and Order Fulfillment functions. Some of the improvements include: An ability to consolidate all your Shapeways coupons into… Continue reading Shapeways Gets A New Engine
3D Print Your Escher
Everyone has seen those perplexing drawings by M.C. Escher and marveled at their paradoxical nature. Confusing images that could never be real. Until now. Gershon Elber of the Computer Science Department of Technion, Israel Institute of Technology has done just that. He has designed 3D shapes that, when 3D printed and viewed from specific… Continue reading 3D Print Your Escher
More 3D Printed Shoes
There’s more cool stuff from the folks at Continuum Fashion, who have previously produced a 3D printed Bikini. They’ve now released the “strvct” 3D printed shoes, a mesh-like design printed in nylon. Don’t worry, they are indeed wearable as they include a “patent leather inner sole, and coated with a synthetic rubber on the bottom… Continue reading More 3D Printed Shoes
Design of the Week: For All Mankind
There is but one choice for this week’s Design of the Week: For All Mankind, by Thingiverse maker Doug Keenan. We selected this design in honor of the passing of Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first person to step onto another world. The model depicts an Apollo astronaut taking that giant step off the Lunar… Continue reading Design of the Week: For All Mankind
3D Printing Titanium Bike Parts
There’s a detailed story on Road.cc describing the process of producing a metal dropout bike part using DMLS – Direct Metal Laser Sintering. Producing bike parts is much like any other product; prototypes must be tested and final versions become mass produced. The problem is that producing prototypes has been time consuming and wasteful… Continue reading 3D Printing Titanium Bike Parts
Ponoko’s Badass Black
Ceramic 3D printing services are not exactly new, but there are limits to the colors offered by popular 3D printing services. Ponoko has announced the availability of black ceramic material. Previously Ponoko offered a variety of pastel-ish colors, including Green, Pale Blue, Peach, Periwinkle, Teal, White and Yellow. The new colors include a choice… Continue reading Ponoko’s Badass Black
Cubify’s Rings and Earrings
Cubify has been very busy lately. They’ve introduced a way to “design and personalize your own rings” very soon after launching a similar method for producing customized earrings. Both cubify “apps” work similarly: select various physical features of rings or earrings. The apps include a very wide variety of preselected shapes and icons, as… Continue reading Cubify’s Rings and Earrings
Additive Manufacturing File Format Allows for Volumetric Specifications
In a recent post on “The End of Polygons,” Aaron Trocola correctly points out that the STL file format is becoming a major barrier to production of objects with high volumetric complexity, such as internal lattices and graded materials – essentially reaching a point where STL files make certain advanced applications difficult or impossible. … Continue reading Additive Manufacturing File Format Allows for Volumetric Specifications
Battlefield 3D Printing
In Afghanistan the US Army has deployed the first of several USD$2.8M mobile prototyping labs. These container-sized labs house 3D printers and CNC machines capable of rapidly producing spare or replacement parts that would otherwise take months to order and be delivered using conventional approaches. The Army has a special unit known as the… Continue reading Battlefield 3D Printing
Articulate Your Own Mesh!
The other week we wrote about Moritz Bächer’s amazing software that is able to read a 3D model of a figurine and automatically determine where the joints occur. If that wasn’t enough, the software goes as far as to generate a new 3D models of all the limbs including movable joints. In other words, it… Continue reading Articulate Your Own Mesh!
Modern Meadow’s Meats’ Organovo Roots
A new bioprinting startup suddenly appeared: Modern Meadow, courtesy of a small investment by Internet billionaire Peter Thiel. It’s goal is to develop lab-grown “food grade animal protein”, also known as “meat”. The idea is to produce the protein without the massive environmental cost of actual cows, pigs and other meat-laden critters. Their one-line pitch… Continue reading Modern Meadow’s Meats’ Organovo Roots
Is That A MakerBot? Or a TangiBot?
You have to look closely to tell the difference, because the TangiBot is very similar to a MakerBot Replicator. Extremely similar. In fact, it’s literally a clone. Wait, what? How could the fine Replicator be cloned? It’s a project by Mechanical Engineer Matt Strong of Utah that’s currently on Kickstarter. Strong seeks USD$500,000 to… Continue reading Is That A MakerBot? Or a TangiBot?
Four Reasons Why Stratasys Won’t Announce a Personal 3D Printer
There are two massive corporations that currently dominate the 3D printing market. One is 3D Systems, whom most have heard of, and the other similarly sized corporation is Stratasys, who recently merged with Objet. As of today Stratasys does not manufacture a personal 3D printer designed for consumer use, whereas 3D Systems offers several.… Continue reading Four Reasons Why Stratasys Won’t Announce a Personal 3D Printer