A frequent item of discussion of 3D printers is the volume of the build space. You’d think that bigger is better, and we generally agree. However, there are times you may wish to print an object that exceeds the size of your build chamber. So, what are your options? Buy a bigger printer? Use special… Continue reading Scaling Up the Bear
Kerry Stevenson
Kerry Stevenson, aka "General Fabb" has written over 8,000 stories on 3D printing at Fabbaloo since he launched the venture in 2007, with an intention to promote and grow the incredible technology of 3D printing across the world. So far, it seems to be working!
A Resolution for Resolution
Last week we enjoyed reading Tim Pickup’s excellent review of several contemporary 3D printers. But hidden inside the article was something that we found intriguing. Tim pointed out a chart that compared the 3D print resolutions of various 3D printers. As you can see in the chart, there are vast differences in print quality between… Continue reading A Resolution for Resolution
ZCorp Expands
One of the most popular makers of 3D Printers, ZCorp is expanding. They’ve announced two developments: A new Vice President of Global Sales A new Director of Business Development In addition, their press release reveals they have added 22 more staff since January, and now comprise 161 staff in total. Analysis: 3D Printing continues to… Continue reading ZCorp Expands
3D Printers Reviewed
Tim Pickup reviews several 3D printers in a recent post. Included: Prodigy Plus ZCorp 310 Plus ZCorp 450 ZCorp Z510 RepRap Fab@Home Desktop Factory V-Flash Tim’s conclusion: ZCorp Z510, based on object quality, speed and media cost. Evidently many 3D print service operations have come to the same conclusion, as we seem to bump into… Continue reading 3D Printers Reviewed
MPP: Metal Printing Process
A interesting article appeared this week describing a new approach to 3D printing being undertaken in Europe by Norwegian research institute Sintef. The process attempts to use powdered metals “based on the process principles of xerographic printers”. This additive process works very similar to that photocopier machine down the hall: by changing the electrostatic properties… Continue reading MPP: Metal Printing Process
3D Printing Challenge: The Winners
Dimension has announced the winners of their annual 3D printing challenge. A few weeks ago we reported on this competition. The challenge is open to students in three categories, and we even selected the entries we liked the best. Did they win? Nope. Well, one of our three choices turned out to be correct, but… Continue reading 3D Printing Challenge: The Winners
EMP 3D Print Services
Another 3D print service: EMP Designs. Like most service bureaus, this UK-based company accepts .STL files and produces the requisite output. No instant quotes here, though. Via EmpDesigns
Nutella Printing
If it flows, melts or powders, someone will eventually stuff it down the media hopper of a 3D printer. Today’s discovery is “Nutella” printing. Yes, it’s true. Darkeye squeezed some of that brown goodness into a fab@home unit and printed elegant edible edifices on bread! For those readers keeping track, here’s a list of the… Continue reading Nutella Printing
Through The Barrier
Previously we reported on a breakthrough in 3D software that permitted Revit 2009 users to easily access 3D Print Services via a special .STL exported for Revit 2009. Now Bim & Beam are collecting sample images of printed 3D objects that result from the use of the new software. Via Bim & Beam
The Tiny Table Experiment
When shopping for a 3D printer, one of the primary considerations is the size of the build chamber. Generally, we prefer as large as possible to enable the biggest objects to be printed. Printers with smaller build chambers sometimes use specialized software that automatically decomposes the 3D object into snap-together parts that are printed separately,… Continue reading The Tiny Table Experiment
Instant Quotes… and A Lot More
Stratasys continues reaching into the market with innovative moves. Today we learned of another rather interesting angle: Instant Quotes. As readers may recall, Stratasys is the company behind the renowned Dimension series of 3D printers. Their service unit, Redeye RPM is now partnering with Alibre (makers of the Alibre Design 3D CAD software) to offer… Continue reading Instant Quotes… and A Lot More
Mass Media Alert: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
3D Printing has now been discovered in Pittsburgh! Or at least by Pittsburgh’s media outlets, as the Post-Gazette’s Techman recently published a story introducing the concept of 3D fabbing to their readers. They contrast the difference between subtractive and additive technologies, and forecast a day in the future when people will be printing objects at… Continue reading Mass Media Alert: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
3D Printing… on PAPER… This Summer?
Six months ago we reported on an amazing development from Mcor Technologies in Ireland. They were creating a revolutionary 3D printer that uses plain old paper as the print media instead of using complex chemical stews or common table sugar as most other 3D printers do. That post was one of the most popular in… Continue reading 3D Printing… on PAPER… This Summer?
Discounts From Dimension
Stratasys’s Dimension Printing Group is offering a USD$10,000 credit for commercial customers for purchases of their 1200ES 3D Printer. The catch? You must trade in an existing 3D printer. And do it by the end of summer, 2008. This is a bold move by Stratasys, since 3D printing is still a relatively new activity. We… Continue reading Discounts From Dimension
Car Artists Meet 3D Artists
The guys at Local Motors are definitely not the same as those you’d find at your neighborhood garage. They are a full on “vehicle design studio”, and as you might imagine, they make use of 3D printing tech. This time they’ve taken a road trip to visit the wildly artistic “Design and the Elastic Mind”… Continue reading Car Artists Meet 3D Artists
“Without the Pine”
Jeff Gomez reports on how Utah students are making use of a 3D printer to compete in the Utah Valley University’s 3D car racing derby. They’re using a “$40,000 machine” (probably a ZCorp or Dimension) to quickly transform the student’s envisioned vehicles into reality. Well, at least the 10+ hours required for 3D printing. The… Continue reading “Without the Pine”
STL Barrier Broken!
One of the ongoing bugaboos of 3D printing is that most 3D printers accept a limited number of 3D input files. Most typically, STL is expected. If you don’t match the protocol of your printer, you can’t print. One of the biggest hurdles has been making it possible for existing 3D models to be printed,… Continue reading STL Barrier Broken!
Breakthrough Interest?
We’re seeing something happen with increasing frequency: mention of low-cost 3D printing in places where you would not expect it. For example, a recent post on Vdo Tutorials explains all about the basics of 3D printing, fabrication and personal manufacturing potential. But who are Vdo Tutorials? They appear to us to be a Photoshop tutorial… Continue reading Breakthrough Interest?
LandPrint Review
A while ago we introduced Landprint, a very interesting service that permits anyone to print a 3D model of a selected landscape.Using the service, you can print out a 3D map of your favorite vacation spot or neighborhood. Now we find the service discovered by the Geo-community in the form of EarthIsSquare, a site dedicated… Continue reading LandPrint Review
Stratasys Leading
A press release from Stratasys, makers of the popular Dimension series of 3D Printers, seems to indicate they lead the pack of manufacturers. The release. Evidently the Minnesota-based company is now producing more than half of the 3D printers being made today (53 percent, according to a report from Wohler’s, available here.) Other highlights: … Continue reading Stratasys Leading
Companion Cube Sequence
Zorink’s Flickr page displays a sequence of images of his “companion cube” creation, apparently designed in SolidWorks and printed out on what appears to be a ZCorp 3D printer. The images show not only the design, but also the printing process and the resulting cool object. Via Flickr
More 3D Printing in Education
Sherwood High School in Oregon has taken a step up by targeting to acquire a Dimension 3D printer for their advanced shop class. We’ve seen other schools use 3D printing technology to help teach engineering and manufacturing concepts to students, and usage like this is a growing trend. In an effort to catch up with… Continue reading More 3D Printing in Education
Timberland is 3D
Timberland, the makers of fine footwear had a problem. Their traditional product development process involved using 2D designs for 3D objects. That may sound crazy, but this is the way manufacturing has been done for a very long time. It’s only recently that 3D technology has begun displacing 2D techniques. At Timberland the 2D-to-physical-model process… Continue reading Timberland is 3D
Who Determines the Future of 3D Printing?
DesignNews discusses the recent “Design and The Elastic Mind” exhibit at MOMA in New York City, with an emphasis on the radical. They indicate that while “engineers who control the practical aspects of design and manufacturing”, “artists and industrial designers can provide some insight into additive fabrication too”. The article goes on to list specific… Continue reading Who Determines the Future of 3D Printing?
The Guy Behind The Company Behind DesktopFactory
There’s a great article interviewing Bill Gross, founder of IdeaLab. That’s the venture capital incubator company that hatched DesktopFactory, the makers of the first sub USD$5,000 3D printer. The highlights: IdeaLab is old! They’ve been around since BEFORE the dot.bomb bust! Evidently they must know how to incubate, having survived for so long The… Continue reading The Guy Behind The Company Behind DesktopFactory
Motley Fool Features 3D Vendor
Our favorite online financial information service, The Motley Fool, posted an analysis of Stratasys’s recent results. And the results were quite good indeed. We wrote our opinion of this as well, but The Fool says that “the idea seems to be catching on.” They rave of how the big guys use Stratasys, and how their… Continue reading Motley Fool Features 3D Vendor
Finalists in the Ultimate 3D Printing Challenge
Dimension is a well-known name in the 3D industry, and one reason why this might be is that they hold an annual 3D Printing Challenge. This year’s Challenge involves three categories: a high school level engineering challenge a college-level engineering challenge an art & architectural challenge open to students of all grade levels Dimension… Continue reading Finalists in the Ultimate 3D Printing Challenge
Stratasys Reports Record Results!
In spite of the lousy economic situation, Stratasys has managed to pull off very good results for the first quarter of the year. Manufacturers of the Dimension line of 3D printers, Dimension set records for revenue and unit sales. According to their press release, some 577 units were shipped in 1Q08, and revenue rose to… Continue reading Stratasys Reports Record Results!
An Ideal Service?
Perhaps, but that’s what they are really called: Ideal. Actually Ideal is first and foremost a reseller of a very wide array of 2D scanners, but it appears they’re branching into the 3D printing as a service offering. We believe they are addressing peripheral needs of their existing industrial client base, as they do not… Continue reading An Ideal Service?
Xeni Jardin Tours TechShop
BoingBoingTV’s incomparable Xeni Jardin took an extensive tour of TechShop, interviewing founder Jim Newton and several on site users of TechShop. TechShop is a chain of open access workshops containing various high-tech (read: expensive) manufacturing equipment that anyone can use. Hobbyists and small businesses bring ideas to TechShop and bring them to life. The concept… Continue reading Xeni Jardin Tours TechShop
Maker Faire 2008
Every year makers of wonderful things congregate at the Maker Faire. This year it was held on May 3 and 4 in San Mateo, California, and as expected, many interesting items were exhibited. Wired has the best coverage of the event, and includes stories on such items as: A hand-built steam-powered time machine A… Continue reading Maker Faire 2008
3D Printing to the Rescue!
Our vision of the future includes a 3D printer in every home, where people may print out objects as required. Even for real-time repairs. This vision is beginning to come true, as Brenda attests in the post below. A broken part was repaired simply by printing a new one. We’ll see a lot more… Continue reading 3D Printing to the Rescue!
Alternative to TechShop?
TechShop is a very popular service for skilled manufacturing hobbyists who just don’t have the space or funds to own their own 21st century fabbing equipment. TechShop addresses their needs by planting multiple well-equipped shops in various cities. But are they the only option? Fabbaloo has identified a potential competitor: eMachineShop. Well, not exactly.… Continue reading Alternative to TechShop?
Shapeways Taking Shape
We caught a brief mention of a new 3D service start-up company: Shapeways. While they are not yet open to the public, they are soliciting for beta signups. (Yes, we’ve applied!) We can’t yet see how their system works yet, but indications show a fairly straightforward process: make your own model; export; upload to Shapeways;… Continue reading Shapeways Taking Shape
Fabidoo Heads West
The German-based Fabidoo consumer oriented manufacturing service is now available worldwide! Previously focused on the German market, the service now provides English web pages suitable for use in USA, Canada, UK and other major markets. We’ve written about Fabidoo before: they provide a very easy to use service for custom made figurines. For those with no 3D… Continue reading Fabidoo Heads West
Ponoko Exclusive
One of the most interesting companies in today’s fabrication space is Ponoko, a New Zealand based start-up that seems to be a mashup of a 3D print service, eBay and design library. We thought we’d better take a deeper look at them, and we interviewed Steven Kempton, Ponoko’s Blog Editor. Fabbaloo: Tell us the story… Continue reading Ponoko Exclusive
3D Yoyo
“Have you ever made a Yoyo with a 3D printer”, asks bollweevil in this Yoyonation forum discussion. Yoyo enthusiasts know their yoyos, and many custom build them. Now, they consider using a 3D printer to do so. The result is interesting, as YoMattSta replies: “Yes, I have. I made 2 yoyos on a 3d… Continue reading 3D Yoyo
Parametric House!
Dorota Kabala and Verena Vogler of the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia have designed an amazing and stunningly beautiful system for an adaptable house. It can: “adapt to its environment, to its users or to any other parameter” The idea is to produce a modular system based on a 3D matrix of spaces… Continue reading Parametric House!
Cutting Modeling Costs
Sweet Onion Creations (whom we’ve covered before) has posted several very useful tips for reducing the costs of printing 3D models. The article focuses on the Architectural crowd, but the tips are useful for anyone printing 3D objects. Some tips we noticed: “… think about doing a hybrid model – This entails a complete… Continue reading Cutting Modeling Costs
3D Printing from Google Sketchup
QuickArc has just announced that their 3D model viewer, QuickArc 3D, now can read and convert Google Sketchup 3D files into printable 3D format without any fuss. This development enables the release and potential printing of tens of thousands of 3D models previously in 3D jail within Google’s vast library. Free download (registration required)… Continue reading 3D Printing from Google Sketchup
Evil 3D Printing
Like Atomic Power, any technology can be used for Good or Evil. Now it’s 3D Printing’s turn for negative press. Computerworld New Zealand posts what I believe to be the first negative quote on 3D Print technology. Speaking on the use of the Open Source Rep-Rap 3D printer, Vik Olliver says: “We know that… Continue reading Evil 3D Printing
Dining Room Table Printed
It’s really just a model, but the concept was developed by Swiss Designer Phillippe Cramer. Interestingly, Philippe’s model is entitled, “Stalactite Table”, which mirrors the 3D printing process that produced it: layer by layer. Maybe when the build chambers of commonly available 3D printers are a bit bigger than they are now (12 inches… Continue reading Dining Room Table Printed
Tactile Images
Valerie Belmonte, a photographer, bumped into a book containing tactile images – that is to say, images with raised relief. Tactile images can be used by visually impaired folks to gain an understanding of visual material that would otherwise be difficult to do. Valerie posts a list of links to research on tactile images and… Continue reading Tactile Images
Proto Technologies Service
Today’s 3D print service is Proto Technologies, Inc., of Washington State. Their claim to fame is that customers can access a multi-material capable Object Connex 500 3D printer. Readers may recall this amazing device has two media hoppers that can hold completely different build materials, enabling one-step printing of objects having hard and soft… Continue reading Proto Technologies Service
Actual Town 3D Printed
Well, not the town itself, but a complete 3D model of a new town was created for a new market town outside of Plymouth, UK. Sherford used a variety of photographic, topographical and other techniques to build a highly accurate model of the townsite, which is comprised of some 5,500 homes. The work was done… Continue reading Actual Town 3D Printed
Land Printing
Yet another niche 3D printing service: LandPrint.com, who can “create a 3D model of Any Place on Earth!” To use the system, you must download a special software program (LandPrint Designer) that looks a heck of a lot like Google Earth (but isn’t). Then you browse “the Earth” to identify the location you want… Continue reading Land Printing
3D Printing As Replicator
Steve Puma posts his thoughts on the future of 3D Printing, and envisions a Star Trek-ish direction. We agree, since the predicted widespread personal manufacturing technology of five years from now will become a fertile field for entrepreneurs to develop all manner of solutions and services. As Steve points out there are energy implications… Continue reading 3D Printing As Replicator
Wax Milling
We’ve seen some strange materials being used in fabrication before, including Paper, Metal, Sugar, Iron , Live Tissue, and even Pasta! Now we see another media: Wax! Dutch company Delft Spline Systems makes the DeskProto software that can be used with inexpensive desktop milling machines, like the Roland JWX-10. Aimed at the Jewelry Maker’s market, the 123WaxRing… Continue reading Wax Milling
Prism Engineering Training & Support
You just can’t pick up an advanced 3D Modeling tool like SolidWorks or others and expect to be productive immediately. However, you can get training. One company offering training on a variety of CAD/CAM products is Prism Engineering of Pennsylvania. Their team of engineers, techs and trainers provide support and training on not only… Continue reading Prism Engineering Training & Support
Blind Man Sees!
An incredible story comes from 3D Systems, a 3D service bureau that we’ll have to review very soon. The University of Louisville’s Rapid Prototyping Center and Harvest Technologies (a 3D Systems provider) together helped produce an amazing result for the popular TV show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”. The show’s premise is to rapidly rebuild or… Continue reading Blind Man Sees!
Second Level Servicing
“Second Level Servicing”? What’s that all about? Well, it goes like this: services like TechShop provide access to high-power fabrication equipment that anyone can use simply by dropping by a TechShop. However, Breakpoint offers another possibility: He’ll drop by TechShop and build your project for you, thus creating a service on top of a… Continue reading Second Level Servicing
Z Corp and DeskArtes
Recently we were totally impressed with the amazing new ZEdit Pro software from Z Corp, which provides a variety of 3D printing optimizations in addition to standard 3D modeling capabilities. Turns out that ZEdit Pro wasn’t entirely from Z Corp. According to a press release from DeskArtes OY, a Finnish software house, the ZEdit Pro… Continue reading Z Corp and DeskArtes
DesktopFactory Reveals Future Pricing?
Some time ago Fabbaloo pointed out an interview with Ed Fries, CEO of FigurePrints (a new 3D service that can print out your World of Warcraft character in glorious 3D). Now ComputerWorld takes up the topic, and publishes yet another interview with Ed. But that’s not the interesting part. Buried within the story is a… Continue reading DesktopFactory Reveals Future Pricing?
3D CSI?
We’ve all seen those amazing police sketch artists who transform vague witness accounts into highly realistic portraits, often featured in “WANTED” posters. More recently artists have used manual techniques to create lifelike head and face models by applying clay “muscles” and “skin” to casts of skulls. Today we see the same function accomplished with 3D… Continue reading 3D CSI?
Sotopia Concepts
Today’s 3D print service discovery is a bit unusual: Sotopia Concepts provides not only 3D printing services as do many other shops, but instead focuses on the creative aspects. According to their website, they: develop new design and communication concepts to get back in contact with your customers. And this involves the development of… Continue reading Sotopia Concepts
3D Brain Lamp
It’s been a few days since we last reported on an unusual 3D design item, so today we have a very unusual item indeed. The designer, Alexander Lervik of Lervik Designs managed to massage MRI scan data of his own brain to create a 3D model of that most important internal organ. After punching it… Continue reading 3D Brain Lamp
DesktopFactory Still on Track
In their most recent newsletter, DesktopFactory provides an update on the development of their breakthrough 3D printer, the sub-USD$5000 125ci. Readers may recall DesktopFactory delayed production release of the device due to two issues. CEO Cathy Lewis wrote: we did receive feedback that our support structure removal and waste management needed some improvement. At the… Continue reading DesktopFactory Still on Track
12,616 Lenses for your Camera
We’re not sure where this one is going, but a very interesting optical development may eventually result in astounding 3D scanning technology. A group from Stanford University has developed a unique optical camera concept. While a typical camera may have a 3MB pixel digital sensor, they want to modify it to contain a separate lens… Continue reading 12,616 Lenses for your Camera
Sigma Design Service
Yet another 3D Rapid Prototyping Service has been detected: Sigma Designs. This New Jersey-based engineering firm appears to specialize in engineering design and consultation, but also offers a rapid prototyping service. According to their website, they can: Take your geometry and produce prototypes Design new geometry and produce prototypes Develop and manufacture prototype devices,… Continue reading Sigma Design Service
3D Printing Will Transform Your Life
LiveScience picks ten “Technologies That Will Transform Your Life”. Included, of course, is 3D Printing. They say: Instead of going to the store for your next gadget, you might download a design of your choosing and generate it in your desktop 3-D printer. The next step will be to design your own gadgets, post the… Continue reading 3D Printing Will Transform Your Life
Local Motors Chooses a Printer
A great post from Mike Pisani of Local Motors details their experience in selecting a 3D Printer. In the end they chose a Z Corp Z510 and a Z Corp Z800 scanner, both very popular items in the 3D fabbing world. Mike describes the results of the test prints fresh out of the build chamber:… Continue reading Local Motors Chooses a Printer
Materialization
Near Future Laboratory argues that manufacturing is giving way to what they term, “materialization”, in which individuals produce unique designs based on their own thoughts and needs. They believe: What makes it worth talking about is that it is the power of creation that manufacturing is able to achieve, but done at an entirely different… Continue reading Materialization
Individuality!
A provocative post by Code Monkey speculates on the future of trends in style. What happens when we can all make the things we want? We already can publish our own newsletters, songs, photos, movies and even books. Who sets the trends? According to Code Monkey, it may not be the elite for much longer.… Continue reading Individuality!
Elastic Fabric
Strange things continue to appear at the Design and the Elastic Mind exhibit in New York City. This time someone has posted pictures of textiles apparently made on a 3D printer. Unfortunately, the image comes with few (well, no) details, so we can only speculate how this was done. Perhaps using a unique type of… Continue reading Elastic Fabric
New Fab at Home Video
We’ve posted videos of the Fab@Home project’s devices before, but this one shows a complete animation of the device itself, with all necessary parts exploded before your eyes. Via Next VDOhttp://nextvdo.com/2008/03/15/fabhome-personal-fabber-3d-printer/
Another Service Materialises
Another addition to our growing list of 3D fabbing services: Materialise. Belgian-based Materialise falls into the “professional” category, as they focus on delivering rapid prototypes to engineers and designers. A large, 500 person operation, Materialise has four divisions and provides not only fabbing services, but also is “a major player in medical and dental image… Continue reading Another Service Materialises
Ponoko Contest Winners
The lads at Ponoko (a New Zealand-based prosumer-oriented fabbing service) have announced the results for the Invitation Round of their Jewelry Design Challenge. Truly amazing designs were devised by Ponoko’s customers. Steven from Ponoko said: There were a spectacular number of creative and interesting designs, and it was VERY hard for all involved to choose… Continue reading Ponoko Contest Winners
ZEdit Unleashed
The big news this week was Z Corp’s announcement of new software: ZEdit Pro, which is used to develop 3D designs suitable for printing on 3D printers. Of course, the software just happens to be optimized for use in Z Corp’s line of 3D printers, but we suspect it works with other devices as well.… Continue reading ZEdit Unleashed
Digital Fabrication Pool
Found on flickr: A group dedicated to images of objects created with digital fabrication techniques. It’s a popular group with 164 members and 537 images as of this writing. Via Flickr
Mystery Knick-Knack
Matthew Gregori has a bit of a mystery on his hands. He’s received a gift produced on a 3D printer, but doesn’t know what it is. Here’s the description: I received a gift from a client that was produced on his 3D printer. It consists of a square base with 2 perpendicular slots with a… Continue reading Mystery Knick-Knack
3D Scanning Is Simple
Actually, it’s not. Instead we’re referring to a terrific page containing links to a whole lot of information on all conceivable 3D scanning technologies. Simple3D.com links to technology, product and vendor information ranging from Acoustic Position Trackers to the ZettMess Portable 6 Axes Measuring System. Via Simple3D.com
What To Do With A 3D Printer?
That’s the question being both asked and answered by Lee Byron, who is developing a rather interesting 3D typographic model of our favorite planet, Earth (well, it’s Fabbaloo’s favorite planet! For now, anyway.) Byron hopes to print out a globe with each country being composed of 3D lettering of the country’s name, as you can… Continue reading What To Do With A 3D Printer?
3DArtToPart
Another specialized 3D print service is open for business. This time it’s 3DArtToPart.com, a artist-oriented service that specializes in printing small works of art. In reality, they appear to be able to accept any 3D model in any of these formats: .obj, .3ds, .lwo, .stl, .dxf, .c4d. and SolidWorks files, in spite of the preponderance… Continue reading 3DArtToPart
3D Printing Tip
An interesting forum post at 3DSociety.org talks about how best to reduce the “little sand-like jaggies on the surface” of your printed objects. Tim-Gibson writes: Sometimes you can place your 3D model on the bed in a certain way so as to reduce the stepping on the flattest surface of you model. For instance if… Continue reading 3D Printing Tip
Clean Media for Your 3D Printer
One of the main concerns with any 3D printer is the media. To a large extent, its characteristics govern the quality, appearance and robustness of a printed object, beyond the object’s design itself. We’ve even seen edible media, such as sugar, used in homemade printer projects. However, sugar-based objects generally have poor characteristics, even though… Continue reading Clean Media for Your 3D Printer
OpenMoko, Open Case
Popular Mechanics and The Globe and Mail report on the possibility of using 3D print technology to custom build cases for the OpenMoko Linux touchscreen. The device is not yet available, but OpenMoko has set precedents by releasing all of their software source code – and now the designs for the case too! The article… Continue reading OpenMoko, Open Case
3DScanCo
We haven’t previously posted on 3D scanning services, but we found one. Atlanta-based 3DScanCo provides industrial-quality scanning and modeling services. This highly capable company uses a wide variety of scanning technologies, including: 3D Laser Scanning, White Light Scanning, Photogrammetry, Machine Vision, Coordinate Measuring Machines, 3D CT / MRI Scanning, Theodolite, Trackers and something called “Destructive… Continue reading 3DScanCo
That 3D Pricing Effect
Previously we reviewed the amazing ZapFab 3D print service, in which users are permitted to post their own designs and have them used or even modded by others. The interesting bit we noticed was that we can browse the entire library of models stored at ZapFab and that includes seeing not only a pretty picture,… Continue reading That 3D Pricing Effect
HP On 3D Printing
GigaOm has posted an interesting video interview with Vyomesh Joshi, Executive Vice President of Imaging & Printing at HP. Joshi speaks of new twists in the 2D print industry, but our interest was perked up towards the 10 minute mark in the video, where he speaks of HP’s 3D printing interest. He said HP has… Continue reading HP On 3D Printing
3D Print Services Summary, 1Q08
We’ve identified many 3D printing services in previous posts. Today we’ll put them all together and classify them as per our prior post on the two types of services. Traditional (General industrial-quality and for professional usage)ProtoCAMMetropolitanWorksEnvizageAlphaPrototypesTangible Express QuickARC RedEye RPMMuur LabsTangerås Verksted & StøperiTech Workshop Sweet Onion Creations ConsumerFigurePrints (WarCraft avatars)Cosmic Modelz (3D Toy Modeling)… Continue reading 3D Print Services Summary, 1Q08
3D Modeling Contest
GraphicsCompetitions.com points out an “International Modeling Contest”. No, it’s not a runway in Milan – it’s a 3D design competition. Specifically, the contest seeks new designs for a scooter’s body and body parts. The contest is held by the SDT Institute Sezana, with major sponsors being Rhinoceros, Z Corp and Materialise. Oh, note that entries… Continue reading 3D Modeling Contest
Two Services, Your Choice
One of the most popular posts here at Fabbaloo is the identification of new service bureaus. Readers can quickly access the list of such posts by hitting our “Service” tag.But there’s more to it than that. One of the patterns we are beginning to observe is that there are two emerging forms of services. One… Continue reading Two Services, Your Choice
Zapped by ZapFab!
A tipster put us onto a new 3D print service: ZapFab. This Manchester, UK-based business is a bit different than your run-of-the-mill “send us your 3D file and we’ll print it” operation. They offer not only the printing process, but also have a highly usable user-generated library of pre-made designs of various types. Fabbaloo readers… Continue reading Zapped by ZapFab!
StrataSys Stock Falls
Stratasys, makers of the Dimension series and high-end FDM series of 3D printers, suffered an 18% drop in stock price after fourth-quarter 2008 earnings were announced. Earnings grew a measly 11%, down significantly from earlier quarters. However, we suspect this is simply due to a general slow-down in the US economy that is affecting many… Continue reading StrataSys Stock Falls
Advice on Buying a 3D Printer
A discussion thread at C4DCafe.com discusses the question, “what should you consider when buying a 3D printer?” The answer, not surprisingly, turns out to be “it depends on what you want to do”. As with any purchase, you must determine your intentions before proceeding. Once you know your direction, you can then consider the basic… Continue reading Advice on Buying a 3D Printer
Dimension Releases the 1200es Series
Dimension 3D Printing Group (a unit of Stratasys) has made available two new 3D Printers: 1200es BST ($26,000) 1200es SST ($34,900) The two key highlights of the 1200es series: A relatively large 10x10x12 inch build chamber (254 x 254 x 305 mm). (For comparison, the DesktopFactory 125ci has a 5x5x5 build chamber)… Continue reading Dimension Releases the 1200es Series
When Would You Start Using a 3D Printer?
The Society of Digital Artists has a poll going on right now, which asks the headline’s question: “When would you start using a 3D Printer?” The results of the poll clearly indicate that most users would start using a 3D printer “when the cost drops below $1,000 for a machine”. A few indicated they… Continue reading When Would You Start Using a 3D Printer?
Robots Constructed with 3D Printer
At the Sandusky Robot Games students entered a competition in which they must construct a robot capable of tossing a 40″ inflatable ball over a set height. While they had many challenges in constructing such a device, they did make use of a 3D printer to manufacture certain necessary unique parts. The video shows the… Continue reading Robots Constructed with 3D Printer
OoeyGui Continues
We’ve written about Lou Amadio’s garage-based “Fabr” project before, in which he’s building his own 3D printer – including self-designed portions of the machine itself. He’s now released code and Sketchups for the 3D printer, the controller board and the decomposer plugin – which apparently has run across some difficulties with Sketchup. An upcoming post… Continue reading OoeyGui Continues
Geometric 3D Art
Bathsheba Grossman is an artist that specializes in that geometric zone where art, science and mathematics link together. She produces very unique designs, and many are available for direct purchase over the web. Pictured is the 3 and 3/4 inch long “MG” metal piece, priced at US$325. According to Bathsheba: I use a lot of… Continue reading Geometric 3D Art
Craftsman CompuCarve in Your Garage!
Head down to your local Sears store Right Now and pick up a new Craftsman CompuCarve Computer-Controlled Compact Woodworking Machine for only US$1799! This device uses specialized MAC or PC software that loads models onto a special memory card. The card is then inserted into the CompuCarve so that your PC doesn’t have to get… Continue reading Craftsman CompuCarve in Your Garage!
RepRapRepository?
The RepRap guys (who design and build homemade self-replicating replicators for hobbyist use) have an interesting discussion about online 3D model repositories. The big concern is the commanding lead that Google currently has over all other 3D source material. According to the post: The Google 3D Warehouse has reached 300,000 objects, while the RepRap object… Continue reading RepRapRepository?
Advances in 3D Imaging
New tech created by researchers from The Johns Hopkins University and Ben-Gurion University in Israel may greatly simplify 3D imaging of real objects. The FINCH technology (standing for Fresnel INcoherent Correlation Holography) uses a specialized arrangement of filters, lights and cameras to capture 3D information without having to scan individual planes of an object. While… Continue reading Advances in 3D Imaging
NASA Seeks 3D Printing
NASA’s Langley Research Center has posted an invitation for solicitations for a “high resolution 3D printer”. At first we thought this device might be headed to outer space, ready to rapidly produce any missing spacecraft parts during deep space missions. However, we then saw the specs: 110 VAC power requirement. Of course, we all know… Continue reading NASA Seeks 3D Printing
Multi-Material 3D Printer Hits North America
Object’s amazing multi-material Connex500 printer has been shown in North America for the first time at the Solidworks conference. Incredibly, this breakthrough device actually can deposit two different materials during a single print run. Imagine a printed object with both hard and soft portions. We’ve covered this amazing device before and again. We hope to… Continue reading Multi-Material 3D Printer Hits North America