Hardware

TTP’s Multimaterial 3D Print Head

  Perhaps the most significant technology barrier in 3D printing today is the limitation of materials. Most 3D printers can produce only a single material at a time. Some manufacturers have short-circuited this problem slightly by adding additional print heads to enable more than one material, and only one (Stratasys) has the technology to mix… Continue reading TTP’s Multimaterial 3D Print Head

Inexpensive, High Quality 3D Printer Resin?

Most personal 3D printers are filament-fueled extrusion machines, but there are a number of resin-based machines, such as the Form 1, the Nautilus, the mUVe 1, the B9 Creator and others. There’s also several open source plans for resin-based machines.    But there could be a problem. Resins used by some of these machines can… Continue reading Inexpensive, High Quality 3D Printer Resin?

The Mebotics Microfactory

  It’s billed as “the world’s first machine shop in a box”, and it very well might be. The Mebotics Microfactory is an enclosed unit that holds not only a CNC cutter but also four (yes, FOUR) extruders on its 3D printing head.    The idea is to produce a portable, safe-for-the-office small manufacturing facility.… Continue reading The Mebotics Microfactory

Four MakerBot Digitizer Implications

We’re certain most of you have heard of MakerBot’s latest device: The Digitizer. It’s a relatively inexpensive 3D scanner designed for prosumer use. As the first 3D scanner that could hit a mass audience, we pondered what it might mean. What happens when large numbers of people own a 3D scanner. Here’s our predictions:   … Continue reading Four MakerBot Digitizer Implications

Yet Another 3D Printing Pen: swissPen

After the monstrous success of 3Doodler, others hope to duplicate their success, including the 3D Printed Pen that replicated much of 3Doodler’s design. Now we see another: swissPen, made by Groupe JL Monnin, based in, of course, Switzerland.    The swissPen, which sells for CHF 95.00 (USD$103), is a handheld extruder that accepts PLA and… Continue reading Yet Another 3D Printing Pen: swissPen

Apple’s Tiny Step into 3D

Shortly after we suggested Apple won’t be 3D printing anytime soon, they took a teeny tiny step in that direction.    According to a report on AppleInsider, Apple has patented a system for accepting 3D input. As you can see in the diagram (and much more available at AppleInsider), hand gestures would capture 3D movements… Continue reading Apple’s Tiny Step into 3D

The MakerBot Digitizer: Now Available

As expected, MakerBot released their newest product today: the MakerBot Digitizer. It’s an inexpensive turntable-based 3D scanner directed at consumers and professionals.    MakerBot has taken steps to simplify the process of using the scanner itself. You simply drop an object on the turntable and start the process. The turntable rotates slowly, exposing the object… Continue reading The MakerBot Digitizer: Now Available

Fuel3D’s Harker Offering

We wrote recently on Fuel3D’s new 3D scanner, just launched on Kickstarter. While the project has been quite successful, gaining more than three times their goal of USD$75,000, they’ve created even more reason to buy one of their devices: Fuel3D has teamed with noted 3D print artist Joshua Harker, who has produced a unique design… Continue reading Fuel3D’s Harker Offering

D3D’s Unusual Extruder

While some develop 3D printers, others work diligently developing subcomponents. The extruder is particularly devilish, as it must withstand the most force and temperature of any part of a filament-based 3D printer.    Wait, why re-invent the venerable extruder? The answer lies in the challenges with multi-color 3D printing. Current 3D printer manufacturers simply “add… Continue reading D3D’s Unusual Extruder

Fuel3D: An Inexpensive 3D Scanner

There seems to be many developments in 3D scanning recently, including the unexpected announcement of a new, very inexpensive handheld 3D scanner from Fuel3D.    The new scanner uses a combination of geometric and photometric sensing to produce a highly accurate (up to 0.25mm resolution) 3D model in either STL or (color textured) PLY formats. … Continue reading Fuel3D: An Inexpensive 3D Scanner

Freeform 3D Printing with an Undo Ability

The Suspended Deposition Project, Brian Harm’s new 3D printing concept, is built to change the way architects create and design structures. According to Harms, “This project aims to blur the line between processes of design and fabrication in the context of rapid prototyping by increasing the fluidity of the fabrication process through coordinated material and… Continue reading Freeform 3D Printing with an Undo Ability

Inexpensive 3D Print Smoothing with the Touch Up

A new product from startup 3D Customization hopes to simplify the difficult process of smoothing ABS 3D prints with a new smoothing device: The Touch Up.    The Touch Up uses the acetone process, which we feel can be dangerous if not done properly. Acetone is a colorless, highly flammable substance. The acetone smoothing process… Continue reading Inexpensive 3D Print Smoothing with the Touch Up

BendLay Filament Bends!

The same folks who brought you the hard-to-believe-but-actually-real Wood filament now market a new bendable filament: BendLay, produced by Orbi-Tech and developed by Kai Parthy.    BendLay filament, available in spools of either 3mm or 1.75mm, has the unique property of being able to bend without creating stress marks that you’d quickly see if you… Continue reading BendLay Filament Bends!

3D Model Captured With Google Glass

Google Glass is a set of glasses that include processing, networking and sensory elements. It’s an experimental platform upon which developers many now invent new kinds of applications. One such experiment is Todd Blatt’s 3D scanning project.    The glasses themselves do not have the processing capability to generate a 3D model, nor do the… Continue reading 3D Model Captured With Google Glass

3D Printing Sugru!

You don’t know what Sugru is? It’s a peculiar substance that is malleable when first exposed to air, but then solidifies into a rubber-like material that can be bent but snaps back to its original shape.    Too bad you can’t 3D print it.    But now you can! HYREL has performed an experiments with… Continue reading 3D Printing Sugru!

HYREL is 3D Printing Clay

New 3D printer manufacturer HYREL has developed an extruder capable of 3D printing clay. In the video below you’ll see it printing a pyramid. A simple print indeed, but one that proves it’s possible.    The HYREL line of 3D printers includes an interesting feature: “multiple hot-swappable extruder head options.” If the clay extruder is… Continue reading HYREL is 3D Printing Clay

More Advanced 3D Interfaces Brewing

California-based Atheer is developing an advanced wearable 3D visual display that should be available in 2014. The as-yet-unnamed product appears to be a set of North Korean-style glasses that display 3D information to each eye.    You might think Atheer is repeating Google’s Glass product, but they’re not. Atheer’s product will be completely standalone and… Continue reading More Advanced 3D Interfaces Brewing

Hands On With The FinishingTouch Smoothing Station

If you’re 3D printing with plastic filament, you’ll be familiar with the layered effect, where progressive extrusions accumulate into an object. The object has the correct shape, but has unsightly ridges. What to do?    You can eliminate ridges with the Acetone technique, but it’s relatively dangerous, as acetone is flammable and generally not very… Continue reading Hands On With The FinishingTouch Smoothing Station

Emerging Objects 3D Prints Architectural Materials

Oakland-based Emerging Objects isn’t your normal design firm. Rather than designing homes, interiors, furniture or products from common materials, the four-person group is trying to create materials for tomorrow’s 3D printed objects.   Self-described as a “a pioneering design and research company that specializes in designing and 3D printing objects for the built environment using… Continue reading Emerging Objects 3D Prints Architectural Materials

What’s In Your PrintCave?

Sports fans might have a ManCave, equipped with a wall-sized flat screen, cushy recliner chairs, bar fridge and chip bowls. But what makes up a PrintCave?    A 3D printer, obviously, and perhaps storage for filament. But what else might you have in your PrintCave? Tools? Showcase of your best models? Lighting? Something you have… Continue reading What’s In Your PrintCave?

UMT Develops 3D Printing Metal Smoothing Technology

We had a brief encounter with Alexander Lobovsky, P.E., who is a partner with United Materials Technologies of New Jersey. Lobovsky’s company is developing a new method for smoothing 3D metal prints.    The problem with metal 3D prints is the same as plastic: printing by layer causes visible ridges on the object. These can… Continue reading UMT Develops 3D Printing Metal Smoothing Technology

Get Your 3D Printer Filament at Makerstash Soon

We had the opportunity to meet with James Coleman, gentleman and founder of Makerstash, which will provide a wide selection of 3D printer filament for your MakerBot, RepRap or many other 3D printers.    The filament business is straightforward, and success occurs simply by executing the business plan perfectly. MakerStash’s Mission describes theirs:    At… Continue reading Get Your 3D Printer Filament at Makerstash Soon

New 3D Modeling Interface From 3D Systems?

Another recent announcement from 3D Systems President and CEO Avi Reichental indicated that the company has been seeking ways to simplify the creation of 3D content suitable for 3D printing. Evidently they’ve been working with the Leap Motion 3D sensor in particular, but we have little information beyond that.    The Leap Motion sensor is… Continue reading New 3D Modeling Interface From 3D Systems?

The Doodle3D Box

Another Kickstarter launch in the 3D printing space: Doodle3D, made by a Netherlands startup company. This product is a method to simplify the design and 3D printing of 2D line drawings. It’s composed of an app and a WiFi box that attaches to your personal 3D printer.    Using the app you can “doodle” a… Continue reading The Doodle3D Box

Long Range 3D Scanning Demonstrated

3D scanning is a tricky business. Whether you’re using a USD$50,000 unit or a USD$100 Microsoft Kinect, none will meet all possible scanning requirements. You might require super-fine detail of a small object, or perhaps you’re scanning a building, or simply just grabbing a scan of your girlfriend’s face for a quick 3D print.   … Continue reading Long Range 3D Scanning Demonstrated

The Filastruder

The cost of a 3D printer is not only the printer itself, but also the print material. In most cases, personal 3D printers use plastic filament, either ABS or PLA plastic. If you’re a prolific 3D print maker, you might actually spend more on plastic than you did on the 3D printer.    How can… Continue reading The Filastruder

A 3D Print Refiner

We’ve seen countless startup 3D printer companies launch crowd funding campaigns in the past year. Now we’re seeing a plethora of 3D printing accessory devices sprout from the minds of world’s entrepreneurs. Today’s 3D print accessory is the 3D Refiner.    3D Prints Express’s 3D Refiner attempts to solve one of the banes of early… Continue reading A 3D Print Refiner

The Photon 3D Scanner

Tired of designing your own 3D CAD models? Worn out from endless searching 3D repositories for that specific 3D design? If so, why not scan your own physical objects and replicate them? Usually you can’t because 3D scanning is frequently an expensive proposition.    But that could change with the introduction of the Photon 3D… Continue reading The Photon 3D Scanner

3D Captured Tattoos

We’re looking at an unusual 3D scanning project on Kickstarter: the “3d tattoo body art scanner” by UK artist Lee Wagstaff. Wagstaff is notable as he was the first person to use his own body art as presentation material during his Master’s degree defense.    Having such an incredible array of intricate tattoos poses a… Continue reading 3D Captured Tattoos

Materialise Announces Flexible Material

Materialise, the industrial 3D print service, has announced a rather interesting material: TPU 92A-1. Despite the awkward and mysterious nomenclature, TPU 92A-1 offers a legendary feature: flexibility.    The video above shows the amazing flex provided by TPU 92A-1. Not only is this material flexible, but it also is resistant to tearing, temperature and abrasion,… Continue reading Materialise Announces Flexible Material

Another 3D Printer Shop

3D Makers is one of several new sites we’ve seen recently that provide services, at a small level, to the 3D printing community. Spokesperson Michael Triana pointed out their site, which provides sales of 3D printer plastic filament as well as a  personal 3D printer, the Lulzbot AO-101.    More than likely 3D Makers will… Continue reading Another 3D Printer Shop

Mod Your Un-Moddable 3D Printer

Some 3D printers are made for modification, such as the RepRap kits or early MakerBots. But some 3D printers were specifically designed to be used “out of the box” without modification. These 3D printers were not designed for modification by ingenious owners.    However, in spite of such design constraints, we see continuing effort by… Continue reading Mod Your Un-Moddable 3D Printer

The MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner

MakerBot announced, but did not release, a personal 3D scanner at SXSW yesterday that could dramatically change how personal 3D printers are used and accepted by the general public.   Perhaps the biggest problem facing home 3D printer owners today is finding the right 3D models to print. Unless one is a designer equipped with… Continue reading The MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner

Point And Shoot 3D Scanning

The folks at Lynx Lab have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the initial units of their “Lynx A Camera”. It’s  designed to be a point and shoot 3D camera, capable of capturing 3D shapes as well as motion.    The Lynx A tries to put all the elements of 3D scanning in… Continue reading Point And Shoot 3D Scanning

Formlabs Forms Form 1’s

True to their pledge, Formlabs has begun production of their resin-based personal 3D printer, the Form 1. In an astonishing Kickstarter campaign last fall, Formlabs busted their speedometer in raising almost USD$3M.    Now they have to deliver on those and other subsequent device orders.    It’s obviously extremely challenging for a startup to begin… Continue reading Formlabs Forms Form 1’s

FormFutura Sells Wood Filament

Most personal 3D printers require plastic filament of some kind or another. Recently some manufacturers have moved to use factory-certified cartridges, but many devices still can use “any filament” that meets the necessary dimensions.    There are several online stores ready to sell you such filament, some trying to distinguish themselves by offering wider varieties… Continue reading FormFutura Sells Wood Filament

Metal 3D Printing Everywhere

In addition to the major plastic 3D printer manufacturers appearing at Euromold 2012, quite a few metal 3D printer manufacturers also exhibited. Metal printing might be unfamiliar to many of our readers who focus on more inexpensive plastic machines.    Metal-capable machines are typically quite expensive and are varied in features and abilities. At Euromold… Continue reading Metal 3D Printing Everywhere

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Do You Carbomorph?

Carbomorph is a new, experimental material for 3D printing that promises to add a whole new range of capabilities with its ability to embed sensors within 3D printed items.    Carbomorph was invented by researchers at the University of Warwick in the UK in their quest to develop a method of 3D printing electronic circuits.… Continue reading Do You Carbomorph?

3D Printed Electronics Demonstration

Optomec and Stratasys are set to demonstrate their hybrid technology that permits a type of 3D printed electronics. We’ve written about this before, but now they intend on demonstrating the process to the public.     The process does not involve a mutant plastic-and-metal 3D printer. Instead it simply is a way for the two companies… Continue reading 3D Printed Electronics Demonstration

Objet Adds to its List of Materials

3D Printer maker Objet Geometries announced new additions to its now massive selection of materials available to its 3D printers. The new additions include a “rigid black” material and no less than sixteen different “rubber-like” materials that offer varying degrees of hardness (or flexibility, if you prefer).    This brings their current complement of materials… Continue reading Objet Adds to its List of Materials

MakerBot’s Photo Booth

It doesn’t exactly print photos, however. It prints sculptures! Of you! It can be found at MakerBot’s retail store in Brooklyn, NY.   Team MakerBot has combined their Replicator 3D printing technology with ShapeShot 3D capture software into a booth setup to provide a true 3D printing “photo booth”. The ShapeShot involves several fixed cameras… Continue reading MakerBot’s Photo Booth

Objet’s Flexy Materials

An interesting video from Objet shows off many of their latest materials. While many Fabbaloo readers have 3D printers capable of printing in hard plastic, the items in this video demonstrate what can be achieved when you are able to print in flexible material.    Oh, did we say that Objet has an almost perfectly… Continue reading Objet’s Flexy Materials

3D Systems Donates to Singularity U

Singularity University is a specialized institution dedicated to leveraging “the power of exponential technologies to solve humanity’s grand challenges”, and created by forward-looking entrepreneurs Peter Diamandis and Ray Kurzweil. The grand challenges include research in very diverse areas, including energy, security, poverty and space exploration. The institution attracts top level students to work on these… Continue reading 3D Systems Donates to Singularity U

Gigantic Titanium Printing: Aeroswift

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

MakerBot’s New Colors

3D printer manufacturer MakerBot has announced the availability of no less than nine new colors of plastic filament, suitable for use in not only their 3D printers, but any others that use the same diameter of plastic filament.    The new colors are pretty awesome:    Slate Gray Stone Helsinki Sky (a very light blue)… Continue reading MakerBot’s New Colors

The zSpace System

  There’s something inherently difficult trying to do 3D modeling on a 2D display. We usually have the ability to spin models around and your mind has to do the “3Ding” of the subject, depending on the software you’re using. But is there a better way to do this?    Apparently so, according to JF… Continue reading The zSpace System

Introducing Mak3D

Opening in “late August 2012”, Mak3D is billed as the “World’s first 3D printing co-working environment”. Located on London’s Brick Lane across from the notable Brick Lane Bakery, Mak3D will provide workspace and access to 3D equipment for makers.    For £200 per month (USD$312), you’ll have access to the following:  A 1000 sq ft.… Continue reading Introducing Mak3D

NASA Testing 3D Printers For Space Use

NASA is taking their Electron Beam Freeform Fabrication (EBF3) technology to the next level, according to a report in The Daily Mail.    EBF3 is a type of 3D printing that uses a high-power electron beam to instantaneously melt metallic wire. The fluid metal is then positioned incrementally to build up arbitrary solid metal objects.… Continue reading NASA Testing 3D Printers For Space Use

Water Cooled Extruder?

RepRap researchers have been experimenting with a unique water cooled extruder design. Cooling your extruder is important to ensure that the heat from the hot end that melts the plastic printing material doesn’t creep up into the rest of the mechanism, where you risk frozen plastic in the wrong places that gum up the works. … Continue reading Water Cooled Extruder?

The RA 3D Printer Controller

It’s not a 3D printer, but you could make one with it. It’s the RA 3D printer controller, now showing on Kickstarter.    The project involves creation of a “cutting edge” 3D printer controller board. This is the electronics portion of your 3D printer, typically used in RepRap-style kit assemblies.    What makes this board… Continue reading The RA 3D Printer Controller

An Interview With The DreamVendor

Actually we’re not interviewing the DreamVendor itself; instead we’re interviewing Dr. Chris Williams, the Director of the DREAMS Lab at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, the organization that produced the DreamVendor. (Wait, what’s a “DreamVendor”??? Read on and you’ll find out.)    Fabbaloo: We’re wondering what the DREAMS lab is all about? Can… Continue reading An Interview With The DreamVendor

3D Printing Electrical Circuit Discovery?

We’re reading about a group of researchers at Stanford who have concocted new gel-like substance that has some very interesting properties. We think the electrically conductive hydrogel created by Stanford Associate Professors Zhenan Bao and Yi Cui could potentially be used in 3D printers, or perhaps a modification of it. At least it’s worth an… Continue reading 3D Printing Electrical Circuit Discovery?

The Met’s 3-D Scanning and Printing Hackathon

An interesting experiment took place at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art recently, in which the Met tag-teamed with MakerBot to produce 3D art models.    A team of folks from MakerBot were invited by the Met to journey through several collections to perform 3D scans of famous artwork. The scans were then converted… Continue reading The Met’s 3-D Scanning and Printing Hackathon

Ice That 3D Cake

The folks at CNCDudez have been experimenting with cakes. Frosting cakes, actually. With a 3D printer. Spokesman Sean says:    We have seen videos showing chocolate being extruded out of a syringe and also cake dough being extruded to make cookies. But we wanted to see if we could Ice a cakes, buns etc etc.… Continue reading Ice That 3D Cake

Objet Hits 107!

3D printer manufacturer Objet is well known for their extensive list of different materials that you can use in their line of 3D printers. But this week they announced something perhaps significant: they now offer over 100 different materials (107 to be precise). With their recent announcement of a set of 39 new materials, they’ve… Continue reading Objet Hits 107!

A $34 Extruder?

Remember buying third-party parts for your car? They might have been less expensive, or better in some way and were fun to install and brag about. Now you can do the same on your 3D printer with QU-BD, who are launching a fundraising campaign for their new product: a replacement extruder that costs only USD$34. … Continue reading A $34 Extruder?

3D Scanning by UAVs

What’s that buzzing noise? It’s the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) hovering over your home, and now it could be taking a 3D scan of your house!    According to a report in PhysOrg, that scenario is now a possibility as researchers from the University of Granada in Spain have developed a way to combine 3D… Continue reading 3D Scanning by UAVs

Multicolor RepRap Printing Progresses

After the initial thrill of 3D printing wears off, one begins to look for possible improvements. One of the most sought-after improvements is the ability to print color objects. We don’t mean “a” color, we mean “many” colors. Since plastic filament comes in only one color (except for that elusive Tartan filament we were looking… Continue reading Multicolor RepRap Printing Progresses

Haptic A-Go-Go

Anarkik3D has opened a crowd funding initiative at IndieGoGO to raise money for enhancements to their Cloud9 haptic 3D modeling software. The project’s goal is sufficient funding for two full time programmers to develop the improvements, which means USD$120,000 by June 27th.    We think this is important, because, as Anarkik3D’s CEO Ann Marie Shillito… Continue reading Haptic A-Go-Go

Print The Eiffel

A post on Objet’s blog shows off a totally amazing 3D print of Paris’ Eiffel Tower. This 20+ cm version is highly detailed and is made with Objet’s clear material. We’re particularly impressed with the lack of “stringies” that are so often found on prints from extruded plastic personal 3D printers.    The problem is… Continue reading Print The Eiffel

Heated Chamber For Personal 3D Printers

This idea is hot – literally. Instructables member UglyBuddha created and posted a design for a Heated Build Chamber for his RapMan personal 3D printer. No, he doesn’t install a heated chamber into his RapMan. Instead he builds a heated chamber around the 3D printer!   Wait a moment. Why would one require a heated… Continue reading Heated Chamber For Personal 3D Printers

Microscopic 3D Printer

Numerous readers pointed us to a post by the Vienna University of Technology who recently made a very significant breakthrough in microscopic 3D printing. What is this breakthrough? They were able to successfully perform actual 3D printing operations at a microscopic scale, building the racing car you see in the image here.    How “microscopic”… Continue reading Microscopic 3D Printer

Resin-Based 3D Printer Developments

We’ve observed a few developments in resin-based 3D printing recently. While most personal 3D printers today use the fused deposition modeling approach (melted plastic squirted in a precise path, layer by layer), the resin approach is very different and in many ways offers advantages.    The resin approach involves light-curable liquid resin. Simply illuminate the… Continue reading Resin-Based 3D Printer Developments

Homemade Stereolithography?

Dissatisfied with your plastic extrusion-based home 3D printer? Looking for a mechanical build challenge? Perhaps you’d be interested in checking out the Laser 3D Printer on Instructables.    This project describes how to build a stereolithography (SLA) machine. You should know, however, that the SLA build process is quite different from typical RepRap-style 3D printers… Continue reading Homemade Stereolithography?