Ideas Archives « Page 12 of 20

Are 3D Printed Cars A Sensible Thing?

I’ve heard a few stories about folks developing 3D printed cars, and I must say I’m a bit skeptical.

A 3D Printing Sideline: Industry Reports

One of the growing ‘sidelines’ in the 3D printing industry is that of industry reports.

A Reminder To 3D Scan BEFORE Disassembly

A 3D model of the now-mostly-destroyed Temple of Bel in Palmyra, Syria suggests action be taken to capture 3D objects before they’re torn down.

No Change: The Risks Continue For 3D Printing Usage

A piece in Forbes entitled, “When 3D Printing Gets Into The Wrong Hands”, discusses the risks and challenges enabled by 3D printing. It’s all true and it’s the same as it ever was.

Will Small Scale Desktop Production Tools Hurt or Further Enable Design Professionals?

Going back to the introduction of desktop publishing tools that allowed everyday Joes and Josephines to “design” and print documents with relative ease, the perceived value of professional design services has continued to decline as skills and processes that previously required years of training continue to be simplified and automated for nonprofessional users.

The Maker Revolution “Failed To Deliver”, But It Did

A piece in The Awl comments on the seeming demise of the maker movement through 3D printing by following the story of MakerBot.

Boom! Janne Kyttanen’s Literally Explosive 3D Prints

3D printing is just one method of making things, and it’s best exploited when combined with other techniques. But a new approach from designer Janne Kyttanen could blow you away!

UPS Believes 3D Printing Is Compelling. Of Course They Do!

A ten-page report commissioned by parcel delivery and logistics service UPS suggests that 3D printing is a huge opportunity.

Seven Guaranteed-To-Fail 3D Print Business Models

At Fabbaloo, we receive messages from new startups in the 3D printing field daily, but many of them pursue business models that simply aren’t going to work without exceptional effort and ingenuity.

Why You Need to Be Prototyping More, Faster, Better, and Now | Part 1: Theory

Prototyping. An overused buzzword? A misunderstood concept? A noun, a verb, and an adjective? Prototyping is a philosophy. Actually, prototyping is the philosophy when it comes to making top notch designs in today’s hyper competitive market.

You Know What We Need? A Universal Knob Generator!

Long ago, we all heard promise of using a personal 3D printer to fix stuff around home. But how real did it turn out?

More Thoughts On the Carbon Vs. UNIZ Question

I’ve noticed several comments and queries about our recent post comparing Carbon’s M1 to UNIZ’s SLASH and thought I’d clarify some aspects.

SmarTech Believes Consumer 3D Printing Isn’t Dead. Or Is It?

Industry consultant SmarTech has produced a report focusing on low-cost 3D printers and makes claims about the desktop 3D printer market.

Would You Trust A 3D Print With Your Life?

As 3D printed goods make their way into everyday life, one has to consider the question, “Would You Trust A 3D Print With Your Life?”

Those Aren’t 3D Printers! They’re Material Vending Machines!

You’d think you’re buying a 3D printer to produce objects, be they prototypes or otherwise. But there’s another way to look at the machine: as a vending machine.

The Two Dirty Secrets Of Resin 3D Printing

Of the many forms of 3D printing processes, resin is one that is seen as advanced – but sometimes there’s a secret issue looming.

The Gross “Modular Body” Isn’t Really 3D Printed

I’m perusing an extremely strange site describing “Oscar”, said to be the world’s first 3D printed modular organism.

Something Weird Is Happening In 3D Printing Patents

While perusing recent patent filings by the major 3D printing companies, I noticed something rather strange.

One Brilliant Way To Reduce Frustrating 3D Print Failures

Someone has devised a method for performing dynamic error correction on 3D printers to ensure the nozzle is always placed precisely where it should be.

The Cycle Is Complete: A 3D Pen Turns Into A 3D Printer

YouTuber Tinkernut shows how to produce a “cheap 3D printer” in a recent video, but there’s an ironic twist to the plan.

How To Compare The Real Costs Of 3D Printing Filaments

Most filament vendors price their filament by weight: pounds or kilograms, but is cost per pound really indicative of how expensive one filament is vs. another?

The 3D Printer Statistics War Is A Losing Battle

There seems to be two kinds of 3D printer manufacturers these days: those who focus on specifications, and those who don’t.

The Most Important Feature Of A 3D Printer Is Not What You’d Expect

Our streets are awash in 3D printers, each of which has different specifications and capabilities. But what is the most important consideration?

The J750 Causes Big Implications For Many

This week I’ve written a few stories about Stratasys’ new J750, and here’s more thoughts on what this milestone machine means for others in the 3D print universe.

Is Automotive Catching On To 3D Printing?

A report predicts big things for 3D printing in the automotive sector. But could this herald a revolution in design?

How Stratasys’ New J750 Changes The Product Development Game

The most interesting things about the J750 multimaterial and multicolor 3D printer is not the hardware, in my opinion, but instead it’s the effects it has on business processes.

3D Printer Goes into Beast Mode

Origin Laboratories promised to go into beast mode. They sold the idea that they could guarantee the authenticity of a line of Beast Mode footwear with an electronic tag, but now they had to produce it.

An Unsolvable Challenge Facing Every 3D Designer

The recent controversy over misuse of Thingiverse 3D models highlights an ongoing issue facing all 3D designers: theft.

Celebrity 3D Models: Useful, Silly or Just Out of Control?

I’ve encountered several 3D models based on celebrities recently and wondered whether this is a good or bad thing, and for whom.

Two Years Are Up, Which Companies Will Fail?

I’m expecting some big changes in the 3D printing startup community this year.

Confusion In Analysis of 3D Printing Stocks!

It’s a weird time to be tracking 3D print-related stocks these days.

MADE Shows How To Capture Your Feet In 3D

A crowdfunding project has demonstrated a method of producing custom-fit shoes using 3D scanning that could be adapted for 3D printing.

3D Printed Lock Key Actually Works!

A designer has been able to recreate a physical lock key with 3D technologies and a handy hardware store.

Bowden Style 3D Printing’s Critical Element: The Tube

We’ve been working on some Bowden-style equipment recently and realized an important design aspect.

Standards Still Lacking For Industrial 3D Printing

I’m reading an article by Robert Grace discussing the state of standardization of 3D printing within the industrial space.

Push Vs. Pull 3D Printer Marketing

BEEVERYCREATIVE posted a tale of how their 3D printer is being used, and it illustrates a change in how 3D printers are marketed.

Interest In 3D Printing Has Flattened – Literally

Over the past year or so, a number of 3D print-related companies have stumbled, and it could be due to a flattening of interest in the technology.

Sculpteo’s 3D Printing Survey Confirms Suspicions

3D print service Sculpteo recently undertook a survey of their members to gauge feelings on various topics. The results are quite interesting.

What Would A FrankenFilament Be Like?

Just as there are many desktop 3D printers, there are as many different kinds of filament for them. But what might an ideal filament be?

3D Printed Flatware: Another Big Market For Metal 3D Printing?

We’re checking out one of 3D artist Francis Bitonti’s latest ventures: Setae Flatware, and realized there might be a lot more to this.

It’s No Longer Possible To Launch A Printable 3D Model Sharing Site

Based on how the 3D print industry has evolved, it is now our opinion that it’s next to impossible to successfully launch a 3D model sharing site.

Loose Spools Of Filament: Just Don’t

Recently we attempted to use a loose spool of filament in the lab, but quickly found major problems and suggest vendors adjust their filament packaging methods.

Safety Concerns Rising For Desktop 3D Printers

There’s some good news, we believe: an increasing number of 3D printer manufacturers are now taking safety issues much more seriously.

Could the iPhone 7 Become an Effective 3D Scanner?

Rumors suggest that the upcoming iPhone 7 may include a feature that could enable it to be a 3D scanner.

MakerBot Gets A Huge Sales Boost

Stratasys announced a long-awaited cross-selling arrangement between its desktop and industrial lines, setting the stage for a potentially large boost in sales.

A Winning 3D Print Workflow Story

Readers may recall Fabbaloo held a contest with Stratasys in late 2015 to select a notable story of how 3D printing improved someone’s workflow. Now we have that story for you.

Could Lousy Filament Be Condemning Many 3D Printers To The Scrap Heap?

There is a dark secret of desktop 3D printing: many 3D printers are no longer in use. We have a thought as to why that might be.

Will HP’s New MJF 3D Printing Venture Succeed?

We’re reading an interesting post from Jeff Rowe at MCADCafe where he speculates on the future of HP’s 3D printing venture. We agree with many of this points.

Polaroid’s New 3D Printer Faces Daunting Challenges

As we described previously, Polaroid launched a new desktop 3D printer. After some thought, we believe it will face significant challenges going forward.

Cubify’s Demise Could Set Precedents For Desktop 3D Printing

A few short weeks ago, 3D Systems announced the closure of their consumer 3D printing venture, Cubify. Afterwards, we think there may be significant effects on the market.

The Stunning Markup On 3D Printer Resin

We had a chat with a major manufacturer of 3D printer resin and discovered the stunning level of price markup made by many vendors.

Photocentric’s Entirely Different Approach To Resin 3D Printing

You’d think a manufacturer of liquid photo-polymer resins would know much about 3D printing with resins, and this company certainly does.

AIO Robotics’ Breakthrough Idea For Educational 3D Printing

AIO has been producing desktop 3D printers for some time, but now they’ve come up with an incredibly useful idea that all educators cannot ignore.

The Most Interesting 3D Printing Innovation At CES May Have Been From 3D Systems

Hidden deep within the not-quite-football-field-sized 3D Systems booth at CES was something that might change manufacturing.

SmarTech’s Five Predictions For 3D Metal Printing: Are They Accurate?

SmarTech published five predictions for the future of 3D metal printing and we thought we’d take a closer look at them.

Four Unfortunate 3D Printing Crowdfunding Ventures

Launching a new product on a crowdfunding site can be quite challenging. Today we’re looking at four unfortunate ventures that are likely to fall far short of their goals.

Should 3D Printers Be Made For Children?

There have been a few attempts at developing 3D printers designed for use by children, but is this a wise thing to do?

If You Can Image It, You Can 3D Scan It

The ability to create detailed 3D scans of practically anything is in everyone’s hands and most people don’t realize it.

UCLA Invents New Strong And Lightweight Metal, But Can It Be 3D Printed?

A new metal alloy developed by UCLA researchers looks quite promising, particularly for aerospace use, but can it be 3D printed?

3D Printing As Expert Court Witness?

We’re reading an interesting report from The Expert Institute where they describe the increasing use of 3D prints in court.

3D Systems’ Soap Printer? Will We See a “SoapJet”?

While perusing patent databases we noticed that 3D Systems has published a patent on methods to 3D print soap objects.

Are These Really The Best 3D Printers Money Can Buy?

A post on The Motley Fool lists what they believe to be the “6 best 3D printers money can buy”. We’re not sure this is an accurate list.

Why The Interest In 3D Metal Printing?

We continue to hear growing interest in metal 3D printing. Is there a reason for this? We think so.

Some Interesting Analyses of 3D Print Stock Companies

We’re reading a post on Motley Fool regarding opinions of investing in 3D printer company stock, and found some interesting thoughts.

A Strange Pattern Emerges in 3D Hubs’ December Trends Report

Reading between the lines of 3D Hubs’ latest Trends Report revealed an interesting insight into the state of 3D printer quality.

Black Friday Takes Over 3D Printing Universe

What’s going on? Many 3D print companies have offered deals today, Black Friday.

3D Printing: The Longest Tail

We’re contemplating the effects of 3D printing on the world and realized that it could provide the longest tail of all.

The Flying Extruder: The Best of Bowden and Direct 3D Printer Extruders?

Comments on our Bowden vs Direct 3D printer extruder post led us to the “flying extruder” concept, which is a bit of both.

The Volatility of 3D Printing Stocks and What it Means for the Industry

3D printing has already become widely accepted as a technological revolution that very likely will change the way the world looks at manufacturing.

Bowden or Direct? A Primer on Extruder Styles

Two methods of extrusion are typically found on desktop 3D printers these days. Do you know what they are?

Is The Future In “Friendly Neighborhood” 3D Printshops?

We’ve been discussing the idea of 3D print services with Dan Riley, founder of Blu-Bin, a chain of “neighborhood” 3D printshops.

A Messy Recommendation From The US Library Of Congress For 3D Printer Use

Last week the US Library of Congress issued a recommendation related to 3D printers. It’s short, promising or catastrophic depending on your point of view and utterly confusing.

In Spite of Recent Gloom, It Seems 3D Printing May Grow Spectacularly

Dampened stock prices and disillusionment with consumer 3D printing ventures aside, it may still be that 3D printing technology will explosively grow in years to come.

An Easy Method To Generate Hair – On Almost Any 3D Printer!

Researchers at Carnagie Mellon have developed a ridiculously simple method of 3D printing hair-like structures.

What Happens When Your 3D Printer Isn’t Enough?

There are many people today who have taken the personal technology step to acquiring their own 3D printer. But what happens when you need to do more than it can do?

3D Printing Stocks Remain Low, But Is This Due To China?

The stock price of many publicly-traded 3D printing companies remains flat or even low. Could China be the cause?

The Crazy Caterpillar 3D Printing Build Plate Will Never Be Real

With the development of a continuous build plate system by Mobium Solutions, we wondered if there are other concepts for this capability.

Is It Filament Weight or Length?

There are several ways to measure the amount of material required for a 3D print, but however it’s done, it should be practical.

When Should You Buy A 3D Printer?

The question of choosing a 3D printer has become very complex given all the options available, and now another factor emerges: When should you purchase one?

Yes, Hollow 3D Prints Are Often A Good Idea

A common misunderstanding by newbie 3D print folks is that objects are printed completely solid. In fact, we believe that many prints should be hollow!

Why Are 3D Print Service Costs So Different?

You need to use a 3D print service. You get quotes from several firms. All the quotes are wildly different! Why is this?

Formlabs Explains Their Kickstarter Success

When Formlabs first appeared on the 3D printing scene some three years ago, they made history by raising an unprecedented USD$3M. How did they do it?

How To Cross The Chasm With Great Customer Service

You can order almost anything you want online, thanks to social media and e-commerce.

3D Printing and the Future of Manufacturing

3D printing has changed production processes for the better and has transformed what was originally a prototyping tool into one that engineering firms now utilize to make final products, too.

Engineers Thoughts on the Impact of 3D Printing in Traditional Manufacturing

At the conclusion of the recent opening of their facility to the media, Joe Allison, CEO of Stratasys Direct Manufacturing introduced SMS Research Advisors.

MakePrintable’s GCODE Feature Could Cause Issues For Some

Another MakePrintable story? Yes, because they’ve developed a feature that could shake things up in the intellectual property space.

3D Systems May Be Readying A New Color 3D Printer

If you want high-quality full-color RGB continuous color 3D prints, one of the premiere options is 3D Systems’ ProJet series. But now an unusual message may indicate something may be changing.

More On Gartner’s 3D Printing Predictions

Gartner 3D printing analyst Pete Basiliere pointed us at their company’s latest detailed report on 3D printing and it shows some interesting predictions.

Should You Purchase a 3D Printer From A Reseller?

There are multiple ways to purchase a 3D printer these days, and often at low cost. One way is to use a reseller, particularly for unusual makes and models.

A 2D Reseller in a 3D World

At a recent training session at the MakerBot headquarters in Brooklyn, NY, I happen to sit next to Vincent Colaianni, the Director of Sales Development at TGI Office Automation, a leading office technology provider that has been in business over 50 years.