Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the updraftplus domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /var/www/vhosts/fabbaloo.com/httpdocs/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114

Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the wordpress-seo domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /var/www/vhosts/fabbaloo.com/httpdocs/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114
All « Page 149 of 163 « Fabbaloo

All

Digital Reality Developing 3D Print Service

We spoke at length recently with Chris Norman, head of Digital Reality Corp, a Texas-based company that knows a lot about 3D printing and product engineering. They’ve been working on a new distributed 3D print service that sounds a lot more comprehensive than those available today. We don’t know all the details yet, as Digital… Continue reading Digital Reality Developing 3D Print Service

Industrial Revolution 2.0 Held Over

What? You weren’t able to attend the London Design Festival this year and missed out seeing Murray Moss’s “Industrial Revolution 2.0” display? Well, now you can, because this exhibition has been held over at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. Instead of ending now, it’s been extended until early November.    Evidently the exhibition was extremely… Continue reading Industrial Revolution 2.0 Held Over

More on the 3DTouch 3D Printer

After yesterday’s announcement from 3D Systems / BFB on their new 3DTouch printer, we sought additional details. Today we’ve learned a few more things about this very interesting device, including why it’s called the “3DTouch”. Check out the much more detailed image above (click for larger view). Here’s our latest findings:     The “touch”… Continue reading More on the 3DTouch 3D Printer

A 3D Printed Hairbrush Bowl?

Qatar-based designer Thomas Modeen has produced a very unusual fruit bowl design. Well, we suppose it could hold a lot of other things, too. The design is inspired by a hairbrush – but upside down so that the bristles support items placed on top.    There are plenty more pictures of the “Hair-Brush Fruit-Bowl” at… Continue reading A 3D Printed Hairbrush Bowl?

DAVID Laser Scanner Updated

The inexpensive DAVID Laser Scanner has been updated to version 3.0 with some interesting improvements. This device can be used to capture complete digital 3D models of physical objects – which you can then print, of course.    For some time the scanner has supported laser scanning, but now version 3.0 adds the ability to… Continue reading DAVID Laser Scanner Updated

3D Systems Acquires Formero

Continuing their sweep across the world acquiring 3D print services, 3D Systems has now absorbed Formero, and Australian 3D print service. Formero focuses on the Asia-Pacific market from their Melbourne base of operations.    With this acquisition 3D Systems now has stretched its global reach quite a bit farther, at least in terms of 3D… Continue reading 3D Systems Acquires Formero

Ponoko’s New Gelatin!

Distributed manufacturing service Ponoko has released a new material available for their 3D printers, with the self-describing name of “Durable Fine Plastic”. We think this is a pretty cool material, because it’s actually TWO materials in one!    The objects themselves are printed in a rather nice ABS-like plastic that has both “durable” (strong like… Continue reading Ponoko’s New Gelatin!

Something Cooking at MCOR?

MCOR makes 3D printers that use inexpensive common paper as their print material, and they’ve been relatively successful. But we’re hearing something rather strange about a new initiative they’re about to release soon. Their new program is called “freeDrevolution” – and it supposedly involves free 3D printers from MCOR.    What? *FREE* 3D printers?   … Continue reading Something Cooking at MCOR?

Published
Categorized as Event Tagged

3D US Electoral Map or 3D Excel Chart?

We’re always fascinated when someone takes some raw data and somehow converts it into a printable object. Recently Thingiverse user TheNewHobbyist created a great model using the United States Electoral College. For those unfamiliar with obscure US election rituals, it is simply a quantity of votes assigned to each state for purposes of presidential voting. … Continue reading 3D US Electoral Map or 3D Excel Chart?

Origo, The 3D Printer for Kids

You might think 3D printing is hard. Well, it certainly can be. But now Artur Tchoukanov and Fabbaloo friend Joris Peels’ new venture Origo attempts to change all that. They’re making Origo – a 3D printer specifically designed for children. Imagine what ten-year olds could do with a 3D printer!    The question we’d immediately… Continue reading Origo, The 3D Printer for Kids

Look Out For 3D Printed Hats

.MGX, the high-end retail arm of 3D printing service Materialise, announced they’re now collaborating with notable Belgian hat designer Elvis Pompilio. He’s produced hats for many famous personages, having opened his first boutique soon after starting the business in 1987.    While we’re not personally likely to wear this style, we’re quite interested to see… Continue reading Look Out For 3D Printed Hats

AutoDesk’s 123D Gets Improved

The new beta 6 of Autodesk’s free 3D modelling tool includes a couple of very interesting features for 3D print operators. First, there’s the ability to convert text into 3D shapes using solid creation tools. You can place vector text on any plane and then apply extrude, bend, taper or other deformations.    This, we… Continue reading AutoDesk’s 123D Gets Improved

Published
Categorized as Software Tagged

Tinkercad Adds Shapeways

As we suspected, another 3D print service has added Tinkercad integration into their interface. Shapeways joins i.Materialise as an option for printing your 3D models developed in Tinkercad. Tinkercad is a web-based, very easy to use 3D solid modeling tool.    The addition of a Shapeways interface permits direct 3D printing capability, very similar to… Continue reading Tinkercad Adds Shapeways

Exclusive Video: 3D Printed Car Unveiled

Last night Fabbaloo attended the official unveiling of the Urbee 3D printed car, which we’ve covered previously. The Urbee is an ultra-efficient urban vehicle prototype that changes travel paradigm – and also engineering paradigms as its entire body was 3D printed using Stratasys 3D print services. Click the video above to see the unveiling, and… Continue reading Exclusive Video: 3D Printed Car Unveiled

Get a Free 3D Sample Print

3D printing is a new thing; so new that many people simply don’t believe you if you describe it to them. Blank looks, disbelief and heavy skepticism are typical reactions to “3D printing”. How then can one explain this very different concept to someone? You have to show them something – or even better, have… Continue reading Get a Free 3D Sample Print

Industrial Revolution 2.0

Industrial Revolution 2.0 is the name of a special event taking place at this year’s London Design Festival. This event is located at the Victoria and Albert Museum, as are some of the other events. It turns out that most of the items on display at Industrial Revolution 2.0 are 3D printed by 3D print… Continue reading Industrial Revolution 2.0

The Hamburger Shoe

People always get excited about 3D printed food in spite of the fact there are precious few ways to do so. While we await the development of a consumer food printer, others continue to experiment. Shapeways reports on a great experiment in which their member Tristan Bethe 3D scanned his shoe, 3D printed a slightly… Continue reading The Hamburger Shoe

Urbee, The 3D Printed Car

Can you 3D print a working car? The folks making the Urbee car believe so. They’ve prototyping an ultra-efficient (300 miles per gallon, 0.8L/100Km) urban vehicle whose body is entirely 3D printed.    We recently visited the Urbee shop and found it to be a very unusual vehicle:    Two seater with some room for… Continue reading Urbee, The 3D Printed Car

New York City Ground Zero Model

An amazing three-part model of New York City’s Ground Zero is now on display at the Manhattan’s New York City Fire Museum. The three part model by artist David Munson shows a 3D cityscape of buildings in the vicinity of Ground Zero before the Sept 11th event, immediately afterwards, and finally after all is rebuilt. … Continue reading New York City Ground Zero Model

Published
Categorized as Event Tagged

MCOR Gets a New Chair

MCOR, makers of the very unusual paper-based 3D printer, have announced they’ve appointed a new chair of their board of directors. The Irish-born Ryan has had a very long career in California in the electronics industry and now acts as an industry advisor for start-up companies – and now will provide advice and guidance to… Continue reading MCOR Gets a New Chair

Published
Categorized as Corporate Tagged

The V&A Goes 3D

If you’re visiting London soon, we’d recommend you spend some time at the Victoria and Albert Museum, home of incredible deisgns of all kinds. Typically the works are historical, but at times contemporary works are displayed. That’s what’s happening now in a new exhibition called “The Power of Making” taking place at the V&A from… Continue reading The V&A Goes 3D

RepRap Price Points

Neil Underwood posted a great summary of pricing options for getting your own RepRap 3D printer. His analysis shows three different price levels, ranging from a full-on everything-you’d-possibly-want version for USD$850 to a very basic, just-enough-to-say-you-did-it USD$350 version. There’s also a more practical level at USD$550 for a “realistically cheap prusa model”.    Be sure… Continue reading RepRap Price Points

Homemade Stereo Lithography

Maker Rob Hopeless developed a primitive stereo lithography 3D printer. For those unfamiliar with “SLA”, it’s a 3D printing technique involving shooting a laser beam at a vat of liquid plastic resin and gradually solidifying that resin into the desired solid object. While most hobbyists attempt to make thermal plastic extruder-based 3D printers, Rob attempted… Continue reading Homemade Stereo Lithography

Ceramic 3D Printing At Ponoko

Distributed manufacturing giant Ponoko now offers a “glazed ceramic” material option for their 3D printers. This is a big development because it permits the creation of “food safe” objects. Typical extrusion-based 3D printed objects have tiny grooves corresponding to the extrusion layers that can obviously become fouled with foodstuff and be unsafe. Not so with… Continue reading Ceramic 3D Printing At Ponoko

Objet Prints a Toddler!

Most of a toddler, that is. They’ve used their unique multi-material 3D printing capability to print the upper half of a human toddler. As you can see in the image, they’ve used a clear material for most of the body, with a harder, white material for the skeleton – which is embedded within the 10Kg… Continue reading Objet Prints a Toddler!

Virtual To Physical World Bridge Reopened

Long time Fabbaloo readers may recall a distant post describing the Fabjectory service that could 3D print your Second Life avatar. Fabjectory has long since disappeared, and we’re not likely to see a similar service because Second Life’s owner, Linden Lab, now strictly limits digital capture of in-world virtual items (including avatars) due to intellectual… Continue reading Virtual To Physical World Bridge Reopened

3D Printing’s Rule 34

Charles Stross’s latest science fiction novel, Rule 34, includes a whole lot of deep thinking on the implications of widespread 3D printing. We’ve discussed some of these issues before, but Stross’s novel proposes another more aggressive solution: forbidden shapes. In other words, 3D printers could be rigged to detect and prevent the production of certain… Continue reading 3D Printing’s Rule 34

Published
Categorized as Ideas Tagged

Forbes On 3D Printing

There’s been a plethora of mainstream media talking about 3D printing lately, and we’re not entirely sure why. Maybe the meme has simply spread wide enough that “normal” people are now starting to talk about it. We’ve experienced this too, where technically innocent relatives talk about something they saw. When grandmother talks about 3D printing,… Continue reading Forbes On 3D Printing

3D Printing Event Coming Soon!

We’ve learned of an important 3D printing event taking place in Eindhoven, the Netherlands this October 25th. The event is named, not surprisingly, the “3D Printing Event”. If you attend you’ll be able to listen to talks by notable 3D printing personalities and also walk through an exhibition of 3D printing vendors. We’re not sure… Continue reading 3D Printing Event Coming Soon!

Published
Categorized as Event Tagged

MakerBot Is Hiring (Again)

MakerBot, that Brooklyn, NY-based 3D printing startup that always seems to be in the news is hiring again. We noticed a post recently in which they are trying to recruit yet another worker bee, this time a Customer Support Tech:    You’ll be responsible for eloquently representing a growing DIY 3D printer and technology company… Continue reading MakerBot Is Hiring (Again)

Up! Gets A Stepper

PP3DP, makers of the popular Up! personal 3D printer announced they’re upgrading their filament feeder in a significant way. Their original feeder involved a DC motor and mechanical switch, which limits the accuracy of prints as the DC motor takes a while to start up and spin down when electricity is applied. This means you’re… Continue reading Up! Gets A Stepper

Does 3D Printing Follow Moore’s Law?

Computer geeks are all familiar with Moore’s law, which posits the idea that the number of transistors practically placed on a chip doubles every two years. Of course, more transistors means more power – and that’s exactly what we see: cheaper, more powerful computers every year.    Johnny Ryan wonders whether a similar law (maybe… Continue reading Does 3D Printing Follow Moore’s Law?

The Spinscan

Thingiverse user tbuser has been working on an open source version of a 3D scanning turntable, complete with cross-platform software. While 3D printer owners are amazed at their ability to produce things, it gets a bit more tricky to create models. Scanning is obviously a great way to get great models for printing – or… Continue reading The Spinscan

Shapeways AbFab3D

A powerful new capability was announced by 3D print service Shapeways: AbFab3D. It’s a software architecture that permits the existence of “3D Creators”, which are programs that create printable 3D models based on some input parameters. In other words, on-the-fly customized models.    The catch is that you need a “3D Creator” for each type… Continue reading Shapeways AbFab3D

MakerBot’s $10M Challenge

MakerBot chief Bre Pettis made a very big announcement yesterday: They’re taking in the staggering amount of USD$10M in a special investment round! The sixteen listed investors, led by Foundry Group, obviously have huge confidence in MakerBot’s future.    MakerBot has come a very long way from their modest start in early 2009, growing to… Continue reading MakerBot’s $10M Challenge

More on the 3D Systems’ BotMill Acquisition

We were a tiny bit surprised last week when we learned that up and coming 3D printer manufacturer and marketer BotMill was snapped up by industry giant 3D Systems. At the time there was not a lot of information available about this move, so we contacted 3D Systems VP of Global Marketing to clarify the… Continue reading More on the 3D Systems’ BotMill Acquisition

The Three Phases of Personal Data

Jordan Staniscia describes an interesting link between current developments in 3D printing and “2D media” that we’ve all been using for many years. His concept is “custom personal data”, data that can be mixed, manipulated and of course chosen by you.    In the increasingly distant past, such choices were made by media execs in… Continue reading The Three Phases of Personal Data

3D Printing Reality Checklist

An article posted on ExtremeTech showed up recently and introduced 3D printing to the general public in the usual overly-optimistic way:    a replicator and teleporter in every home You can plug it into your computer via USB, load up some freely-available 3D modeling software, and print stuff; it really is that simple. The only… Continue reading 3D Printing Reality Checklist

Published
Categorized as Ideas Tagged

My Robot Nation is Coming

Design News tells of a not-quite-opened 3D printing service: My Robot Nation. It’s a joint venture between ZCorp, Kodama Studios and Offload Studios (one of ZCorp’s print services clients). They’re attempting to bridge the gap that exists in the 3D printing space right now: where are some great printable objects? Specifically, robots.   There’s not… Continue reading My Robot Nation is Coming

BotMill Acquired by 3D Systems

Buzz on the interwebs last night indicated another 3D Systems acquisition has taken place. This time they’ve scooped up Florida-based hobby 3D printer manufacturer BotMill.    While there doesn’t seem to be an official announcement or press release on this event yet, there is a very telling indication from the graphic on BotMill’s site, as… Continue reading BotMill Acquired by 3D Systems

3D Printing For Supervillains

An amusing article at BigThink ponders the consequences of 3D printing technology in the hands of supervillains. Writer Chris Cunnyngham read the article describing the first flyable 3D printed airplane (a drone, don’t get your hopes up yet) and said:    Very cool. And it scared the hell out of me.   He goes on… Continue reading 3D Printing For Supervillains

Published
Categorized as Ideas Tagged

Big Robot Comes to Life

Those guys at Metrix Create:Space think big. Really big. This time their experiment is to create the “Big Robot”, a rather large HDPE-extruding 3D printer.    They’re not building it from scratch, but rather they’ve adapted an ancient DynaCNC 1000 router table by replacing the cutter with an enormous RepRap-style extruder. This massive extruder is… Continue reading Big Robot Comes to Life

Generated Spaceships

Once you have a 3D printer, the eternal question is, “what should I print?” One can tediously look through online repositories for something interesting, or perhaps tediously design something new with your 3D modelling software if you have the skills, ability and time.    But what if you could generate your own model? And specifically… Continue reading Generated Spaceships

Hi Res Home 3D Printer Update

We’re perusing Junior Veloso’s blog – he’s the fellow who’s developing a very high-resolution personal 3D printer. The device is quite different from most home RepRap-derived 3D printers in that it doesn’t heat and extrude plastic. Instead, Veloso’s printer uses light to solidify resin, layer by layer. The results are pretty amazing – click the… Continue reading Hi Res Home 3D Printer Update

National Geographic Video: IKEA’s 3D Printers

Specifically, IKEA uses Objet’s Eden500V 3D printer. But do they print furniture? Not as far as we can see, but instead they’re using the printer to produce prototypes of utensils and other small objects in their familiar simplistic Scandinavian design style.    National Geographic has posted a video of their process, in which Technician Johan… Continue reading National Geographic Video: IKEA’s 3D Printers

Video: Using Haptic Tech for 3D Design

Artist Farah Bandookwala describes her experience using a haptic input device to design wonderful 3D sculptures. Haptic technology is the ability to “touch” a model using physical feedback mechanisms. This changes the design process significantly from conventional 3D design methods to something perhaps more akin to traditional art approaches. She’s been using the Cloud9 software/hardware… Continue reading Video: Using Haptic Tech for 3D Design

Faberdashery Sells PLA With a Twist

A new service for 3D printer owners has emerged: Faberdashery. They sell plastic filament that’s suitable for use in several types of popular 3D printers, including MakerBot, Bits From Bytes, Ultimaker and the many variants of RepRap.    The difference at Faberdashery, beyond their broad color selection and exclusive sales of PLA, is that they… Continue reading Faberdashery Sells PLA With a Twist

PP3DP Releases Mac Software Option for Up! 3D Printers

There were rumours of such a release earlier, but now it’s official. You can actually drive your Up! printer directly from your Mac.    The version 1.0 software they’ve provided for Mac is not quite the same as their Windows version 1.12, as some features are not present. On the other hand, it appears that… Continue reading PP3DP Releases Mac Software Option for Up! 3D Printers

BBC Covers 3D Printing

Every few months we see a flurry of articles introducing 3D printing to the general public. While those familiar with the space may find this repetitive, it actually is quite beneficial to the 3D Printing industry, since there are a great many businesses, artists, architects, designers and individuals who don’t completely understand what it’s all… Continue reading BBC Covers 3D Printing

Concrete Printing at Loughborough U

Principle Investigator Dr. Richard Buswell of Loughborough University in the UK  leads a project to develop a method of 3D printing concrete building components that’s been ongoing for several years. The components could potentially accommodate pre-made services, such as piping or electrical. The project will also enable the production of building geometries not easily done… Continue reading Concrete Printing at Loughborough U

Shapeways Is Three. Is 3D Printing Old?

Shapeways just celebrated its third birthday and while we’re happy to see they’re doing well and continuing to innovate, we asked ourselves if 3D printing is getting old?    Shapeways is three years old.  Fabbaloo has been posting since late 2007, some four years ago.  Objet is twelve years old. Z Corp is sixteen years… Continue reading Shapeways Is Three. Is 3D Printing Old?

Win Thousands From Formero

Australian 3D Print service Formero is running a contest for the “most creative and innovative use of Objet 3D printing technology”. The prize: AUD$1000 and AUD$2000 worth of Formero’s 3D print services. That’s AUD$3000 in total for one of you creative readers.    The contest, called “When Images Come To Life” is pretty open as… Continue reading Win Thousands From Formero

All About Ultimaker

Jon Kalish digs deep into the history and motivation behind the development of the amazing Ultimaker 3D printer in a new Make magazine article. Ultimaker, created by Erik De Bruijn and Martijn Elserman, was an attempt to create a better 3D printer based on the RepRap model – but they soon discovered they could start… Continue reading All About Ultimaker

Autodesk Acquires Instructables

3D software giant Autodesk, makers of Maya, Revit, 3DS Max and AutoCAD announced they’ve acquired Instructables. Instructables provides do-it-yourself instructions for a wide variety of projects, some of which involve 3D printing. Instructables chief Eric J. Wilhelm says:    Autodesk gives us the scale and support to grow and improve Instructables, build some great apps, and… Continue reading Autodesk Acquires Instructables

David Kaplan Reveals the Wrench Truth

The other week controversy erupted when National Geographic published a short video in which physicist David Kaplan visited ZCorp HQ and apparently witnessed the incredible feat of 3D scanning a large wrench and replicating it – will all moving parts! We thought this might be slightly misleading, as you can’t scan-capture moving and internal parts… Continue reading David Kaplan Reveals the Wrench Truth

Made In Space: Update

Last week we mentioned Made In Space’s achievement of testing two commercial 3D printers in a simulated weightless environment. But we wondered which 3D printers were used, as the material we saw did not specify the printer involved – only that one of the printers originated from 3D Systems.   Today we see a press… Continue reading Made In Space: Update

Flying a 3D Printed Airplane

3D printed parts have been in production aircraft for some years now, but what about printing an Entire Aircraft? That’s what researchers Andy Keane and Jim Scanlan from the University of Southampton achieved.  The 2 metre wingspan unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has both impressive design and performance:    Almost 100Mph (160Kph) flight speed Near silent… Continue reading Flying a 3D Printed Airplane

3D Printing In South Africa

There’s a great story in Design Magazine describing how Kenneth van Rensburg came to create a 3D printing business in South Africa. After seeing the technology by accident during a Jaguar factory tour in the UK, van Rensburg created Protoform in 2008 to “bridge the gap between design and manufacture”, initially focusing on boat design.… Continue reading 3D Printing In South Africa

Up! Supports Macs

Or will soon, according to a short mention in a recent post on PP3DP’s blog: “The version of software that can be used on MAC will be released soon.” Strangely, this was briefly stated at the tail end of a post on a new platform heating cable.   Soon the very powerful but end-user simple… Continue reading Up! Supports Macs

Space-Based 3D Printers Pass Important Test

Space.com reports this morning on experiments undertaken by Made In Space to verify whether 3D printers can be used in orbit. Evidently two commercial 3D printers were tested during temporary zero-gravity environment simulation fights.   We’ve written about Made In Space before, as they were formed last year to address the problem of efficiently solving… Continue reading Space-Based 3D Printers Pass Important Test

BioPrinting Stem Cells

Continuing with our recent (and totally unexpected) theme of bioprinting, more researchers at Harvard have found a more effective way to print biomaterial with stem cells. Stem cells are very specialized living cells with the unique ability to theoretically spawn any other type of cell in the body, which of course would be incredibly useful… Continue reading BioPrinting Stem Cells

Human Cloning in Akihabara

We’ve written about various methods of scanning yourself in 3D, then replicating your face, hands or favorite body part on a 3D printer. But what if you didn’t need a 3D printer and could simply walk into a retail location and get it done on the spot? That’s precisely what’s going on in Tokyo’s Akihabara… Continue reading Human Cloning in Akihabara

Printing Micrometer-Sized BioScaffolds

Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute have developed a new way to 3D print bioscaffolds. Scaffolds are three dimensional structures on which organic material (cells) may grow into properly formed tissue structures. Typically the scaffold then dissolves, leaving the newly formed tissue. The new process involves hitting a liquid concoction mixture of polymers and proteins with… Continue reading Printing Micrometer-Sized BioScaffolds

Ponoko’s Glossiness

Distributed manufacturing service Ponoko has announced a new material for their 3D printers: black and white glossy plastic. This ABS plastic (for use in their Dimension 3D printers) is durable and strong – and glossy! Prices range from USD$1.88-2.00 per cubic centimetre, depending on your Ponoko membership.    Via Ponoko

BioPrinting: Organovo Strikes Agreements

Organovo, the bioprinting startup that hopes to eventually print whole replacement human organs, has struck agreements with two pharma companies to assist in drug testing. Organovo will print tiny scaffolds on which human tissue can grow into lifelike shapes. These shapes tend to be better grounds for drug testing, as cells in a simple petri… Continue reading BioPrinting: Organovo Strikes Agreements

i.Materialise Glitters with Gold and Silver

3D print service i.Materialise now offers printing in Gold and Silver metals. They’re not the first service to offer this ability, but it’s wonderful to see another golden service.    Specifics: In addition to the sterling silver, there are three colors of 14 kt gold offered, bright yellow, reddish tinge and white gold available. Prints… Continue reading i.Materialise Glitters with Gold and Silver

Finally Shapeways Makes the USA

Makes “in” the USA, that is. 3D print service Shapeways announced they will now ship product from the USA – this means US-based users (and also nearby countries we suppose) will avoid the delays and shipping costs of Shapeways’ European distribution centre in the Netherlands.   Shapeways says they’re also “we are also increasing our… Continue reading Finally Shapeways Makes the USA

3D Printing Video Controversy

A 3D printing video from National Geographic went viral on the interwebs last week and quickly generated some controversy among 3D printing enthusiasts.    In the video, physicist David Kaplan visited ZCorp HQ to “find out whether they can print a crescent wrench”. Kaplan was shown a selection of amazing items printed on ZCorp devices,… Continue reading 3D Printing Video Controversy

eMaker Increases Capacity in an Unusual Way

You’ll recall that 3D printer manufacturer eMaker recently ran an IndieGoGo campaign to raise funds to kickstart their company. The campaign was wildly successful, raising not their intended USD$30K, but instead well over USD$158K!    Today they’ve announced a change in their manufacturing strategy that permits them to produce not 150 machines as was originally… Continue reading eMaker Increases Capacity in an Unusual Way

3D Systems Catches Alibre

Big announcement from 3D Systems this morning: They’ve acquired CAD/CAM software manufacturer Alibre. Alibre current markets several versions of their 3D modeling software for pro’s and hobbyists, as well as reselling several of 3D System’s 3D printers as software/hardware bundles – so obviously there was a strong existing relationship between the two parties.    … Continue reading 3D Systems Catches Alibre

3D Printed Roboworm

New Scientist reports that Engineer Jordan Boyle from the University of Leeds has developed a “Roboworm” that can be used to burrow into small spaces. Such a device would be invaluable for earthquake rescues, where victims might be trapped under tons of rubble.    While there are existing devices that can probe rubble piles, the… Continue reading 3D Printed Roboworm

A Visit to the ITC

You’re looking at a picture of Stephen McKendry-Smith of Manitoba’s Industrial Technology Centre. This organization is a government-funded operation dedicated to economic development, particularly in the use of new technologies such as 3D printing.    The ITC now has a Dimension SST1200es onsite that they use to demonstrate 3D printing concepts and technology to interested… Continue reading A Visit to the ITC

Where’s My 3D Print Button? Part 2

Last week we lamented the current state of personal 3D printing workflow: difficult. It’s so difficult we believe many potential mainstream 3D printer owners would never be able to make their way through it. But what’s the answer? What should the experience look like for the majority of future 3D printer owners?    Let’s look… Continue reading Where’s My 3D Print Button? Part 2

Sneakey Captures Your Keys!

We’re always interested in ways to develop 3D models for printing, and this method is quite startling: Teleduplicating physical keys via optical decoding!    Yes, they take a picture of your keys and then using sophisticated image analysis techniques can prepare a 3D model that duplicates the key shape. It’s, called, obviously, “Sneakey”.    In… Continue reading Sneakey Captures Your Keys!

3D Printing on xkcd

We’ve seen 3D printing show up on the hallowed pages of BBC, CNN, The Economist and other mass media outlets, but today we see it make an appearance on the highly popular internet comic strip, xkcd.    In the strip, xkcd predicts “widespread deployment”. And other things that, yes, will probably occur – if they… Continue reading 3D Printing on xkcd

A 3D Printer Made of LEGO?

It’s true – Instructables user graphmastur has designed a RepRap-style 3D printer entirely out of LEGO parts. While he was obviously unable to attach a high-temp plastic extruder, he has included a common Sharpie marker pen instead. This enables the LEGO 3D printer to operate as a pen plotter.    Why is graphmastur doing this?… Continue reading A 3D Printer Made of LEGO?

3D Printing From Minecraft

Minecraft must be one of the most popular online games these days. partly because it’s simple interface allows almost anyone to create semi-complex 3D environments. Now we see that an MIT Media Lab project headed by Cody Sumter and Jason Boggess has created a new tool to enable real-life 3D printing of objects made in… Continue reading 3D Printing From Minecraft