We recently noted a pause until September 3rd in the lawsuit between 3D Systems and Formlabs (and Kickstarter) regarding potential violation of 3D Systems patents in Formlab’s Form 1 personal 3D printer, which was massively launched on Kickstarter some months ago. Formlabs took quick advantage of expiring basic patents on the initial 3D print… Continue reading Should 3D Systems Acquire Formlabs?
Ideas
Would You Actually Wear 3D Printed Fashions?
It’s easy to imagine using 3D prints. Print a doorstop and hold a door open. Print a coathook and hang up your jacket. Print a replacement gear and fix your whatever. But fashions. We’ve seen several truly fascinating 3D printed fashion shows in past months, including one from notable 3D fashion designer Iris Van… Continue reading Would You Actually Wear 3D Printed Fashions?
i.Materialise’s Size Charts
A confusing aspect of using 3D print services is the constraints you’ll find when selecting material for your 3D print. You may wonder why “this” is allowed, while “that” is not. The answer lies behind the curtain. The 3D print services may want you to think of them as a kind of “black box”… Continue reading i.Materialise’s Size Charts
What Does A Big Company Do With 3D Printing?
We’re reading a very interesting interview by Joris Peels, who spoke to Prabhjot Sing, General Electric’s Manager of GE Additive Manufacturing Lab at GE Global Research. The thought we had was: how does a very large company make use of 3D printers? Readers who have personal devices obviously have very different usage patterns. Here’s… Continue reading What Does A Big Company Do With 3D Printing?
The Coney Island Scan-A-Rama
If the title of this project, the Coney Island Scan-A-Rama, sounds suspicious, consider that the person behind it is called “The Great Fredini”. In reality, Scan-A-Rama is a project by Brooklyn-based Fred Kahl, who hopes to build an inexpensive 3D Scanning Portrait Studio in, where else, Coney Island. We’ve seen several experiments in… Continue reading The Coney Island Scan-A-Rama
Safety of 3D Printing Questioned
A new report has examined the propensity of personal 3D printers to emit ultrafine particles. “Ultrafine Particle Emissions from Desktop 3D Printers” by Brent Stephens, Parham Azimia, Zeineb El Orcha and Tiffanie Ramosa of the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago and the National Institute of Applied Sciences in… Continue reading Safety of 3D Printing Questioned
Where Did AMF Go?
Every once in a while you’ll run into a problem when 3D printing After some diagnosis you’ll realize the root cause of your issue was STL, the prehistoric file format most commonly used by the personal 3D printing industry. There’s no other way to say it, but STL sucks. It permits invalid 3D models… Continue reading Where Did AMF Go?
Extremely Rare 3D Printed Sugar Cube
A strange social experiment is underway, in which a plain sugar cube has been created using advanced 3D sugar printing technology. This apparently rare beast is currently on sale on eBay. Wait, what? Who would buy a 3D printed sugar cube? Who would buy any sugar cube? That’s exactly the experiment being undertaken… Continue reading Extremely Rare 3D Printed Sugar Cube
There’s More to the 3D Printing Revolution
We’re reading a piece in Forbes that describes what they call the “3D Printing Revolution You Have Not Heard About”. They refer to the less visible industrial application of 3D printing in the hearing aid market. A hearing aid must fit precisely into the patient’s ear and therefore must be custom made. Custom made… Continue reading There’s More to the 3D Printing Revolution
Pay for 3D Printer? or Pay for 3D Materials?
While it’s easy to see a vast number of 3D printers emerging recently, there are some patterns beginning to emerge. Today we’re thinking about the business model. Everyone is familiar with the Razor-blades business model: give away the razor, charge for the blades. But is this approach used in 3D printing? Yes. And… Continue reading Pay for 3D Printer? or Pay for 3D Materials?
TorrentFreak Contemplates 3D Piracy
TorrentFreak, a blog covering happenings in the BitTorrent world, forecasts doom for some manufacturers when 3D printing becomes widespread. BitTorrent is a file sharing protocol often used for pirating digital media, most notably music, movies and ebooks. TorrentFreak focused on the scenario of replacing a sink plug by personal 3D printing and realized plug manufacturers… Continue reading TorrentFreak Contemplates 3D Piracy
The Perfect Cast is 3D Printed
Designer Jake Evill has done something good. Something truly amazing that could change the future. He’s produced a custom-fit 3D printed exoskeleton piece that can be used as a cast for broken limbs. The “Cortex” cast is a sparse model that perfectly fits the exterior shape of the limb, while providing adequate support for… Continue reading The Perfect Cast is 3D Printed
3D Printing and Painting – Together At Last
Artist Ioan Florea has developed a new technique for linking the new technology of 3D printing with the ancient art of painting. The recent immigrant to the USA has developed a line of fast dry oil pants, but we’re most interested in the way in which he integrated 3D printing. The process begins with… Continue reading 3D Printing and Painting – Together At Last
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
Cura: An Unusual Slicer
3D Hacker has posted an interesting video interview with David Braam, the developer of Cura. What’s Cura? It’s a new 3D printing management program designed to drive the Ultimaker personal 3D printer. Braam used his own Ultimaker for some time but noticed problems in the software environment, specifically around time delays. 3D printing is… Continue reading Cura: An Unusual Slicer
African Jumpstart With 3D Printing?
Many years ago we wondered how Africa could ever catch up to the West in telecommunications. The cost of installing cabling would have been tremendous, but something happened to change the picture. Wireless technology emerged and Africa didn’t have to come up with cash to install wires. They simply leapfrogged over the old technology and… Continue reading African Jumpstart With 3D Printing?
3B Printing?
Yes, we said “3B” printing. It’s definitely not a technology like 3D printing, but we thought you’d be interested in seeing it. Created by liquor manufacturer Dewars, 3B printing was used for a promotion for their new “Highlander Honey” Scotch. It’s a relatively straightforward process: a custom-shaped form is filled with honeybees, who build… Continue reading 3B Printing?
How Will Stratasys and MakerBot Change?
After their acquisition of MakerBot, we’re expecting changes in StrataBot, or is it MakerSys? We’re just kidding; neither Stratasys nor MakerBot will change their name as a result of this week’s acquisition; there’s too much value associated with each brand. But what else will change? The two companies have some similarities in technology –… Continue reading How Will Stratasys and MakerBot Change?
The Budget That Was Saved By 3D Printing
South east of Huntsville, Alabama is the small city of Boaz, where something very interesting happened. The Boaz City School System discovered they had to replace all the switch mounts for their network upgrade. The 364 switches were to cost USD$2000, but Wayne Caudle, Director of Technologies for the School System had a better… Continue reading The Budget That Was Saved By 3D Printing
MakerBot’s First Post-Stratasys 3D Printer?
What will be the next personal 3D printer from MakerBot, post acquisition by Stratasys? We believe MakerBot’s next 3D printer could be significantly different from previous Replicators. Why? Because there will be huge synergies between the two companies technologies, as both use plastic extrusion processes. Extruded plastic 3D printing was invented by Stratasys… Continue reading MakerBot’s First Post-Stratasys 3D Printer?
I Will Not Print You A Gun!
The headline is not exactly what is said on a piece now appearing on Thingiverse. The “guns are bad” 3D model by Gecko is a desktop sign that actually says: NO! I will not print you a f***ing gun 3D printed guns are obviously controversial, so much so that the mandarins at Thingiverse… Continue reading I Will Not Print You A Gun!
Autodesk Battles Bad Design
3D software giant Autodesk has released an infographic portraying the need for, guess what? 3D design software. (Click on the image above to see the fine details). It may be in their self-interest, but they have a valid point. The infographic indicates that a surprising amount of newly released products are subject to recall… Continue reading Autodesk Battles Bad Design
3D Printed Sports Logos: Illegal?
Boston, Massachusetts is the original home of ZCorp, now owned by 3D Systems. It’s also the home of the Boston Bruins NHL hockey club, currently battling the Chicago Blackhawks for the championship Stanley Cup. In 2011 the Bruins won the cup and the folks (or perhaps fans) at ZCorp printed out the Bruins official… Continue reading 3D Printed Sports Logos: Illegal?
A Dad Meets a 3D Printer
We’ve been working with 3D printers for so many years it’s sometimes hard to recall what it was like when first encountering a 3D printer. That’s why we’re reading a post on GeekDad by Brad Moon, who decided to dive deep into 3D printing by purchasing a 3D Systems Cube personal 3D printer. Moon… Continue reading A Dad Meets a 3D Printer
Digital Grotesque: A 3D Printed Room
In July of this year Digital Grotesque will launch. It’s a project to produce “an elaborate, fully-enclosed room that is entirely 3D printed.” Computational architects Benjamin Dillenburger and Michael Hansmeyer designed Digital Grotesque and exhibited a 1:3 scale prototype at the recent 2013 Swiss Art Awards in Basel. They hope to produce a full… Continue reading Digital Grotesque: A 3D Printed Room
3D Printing to Change the Shoe Industry?
James Shorrock writes on Hypebeast his thoughts on how 3D printing could change the future of the shoe manufacturing industry. He proposes that while shoe prototyping has already led to much more rapid shoe design, eventually shoes could be 3D printed directly, based on current experiments with different materials. Once the correct cushioning and… Continue reading 3D Printing to Change the Shoe Industry?
A Collectable Rubber Duck in Hong Kong
Eddie Tsai of Hong Kong’s Fung Academy researched the adoption of 3D printing by consumers and came up with the concept of “hyperlocal promotions, the ability to respond to events around the world with meaningful relevant products quickly.” An interesting concept certainly, but it quickly became reality for Tsai, who was contacted mere days… Continue reading A Collectable Rubber Duck in Hong Kong
3D Printing: It’s A Local Thing
We’re reading a post on BlogTO, a publication focused on events in Toronto, which talks about the sudden popularity of 3D printing in that city. They describe 3D printing technology for those who are not familiar and relate local 3D printing events. They list places in the region where people can get exposed to… Continue reading 3D Printing: It’s A Local Thing
Battle of the 3D Printer Manufacturers
The opening of MakerBot’s new factory has us wondering about their main competition’s manufacturing capability. 3D System’s Cube is now selling at Staples online shop, with intentions of being sold in each physical store location. We suspect the Cube is manufactured overseas in China, where large-scale manufacturing is commonplace and inexpensive. It also provides… Continue reading Battle of the 3D Printer Manufacturers
Seven Things You Must Know About 3D Printing
Many Fabbaloo readers are new to the idea of 3D printing. You may have been attracted to the technology because you’ve seen it on the web, or perhaps someone told you about it. But not having experienced it directly, there are some things you should know. It’s Slow. Do not expect Star Trek Replicator… Continue reading Seven Things You Must Know About 3D Printing
How Many Personal 3D Printers Exist?
With recent furor over 3D printed guns, we started wondering exactly how many people could actually produce them on their 3D printer. In other words, how many personal 3D printers exist? It’s very difficult to cite any specific number, mainly because the major manufacturers are very tight with statistical information. MakerBot used to leak… Continue reading How Many Personal 3D Printers Exist?
BBC: “3D Printing Is Not Going To Change The World”
BBC correspondent Peter Day says “3D printing is not—according to one of the prophets of the new personal manufacturing age—going to change the world on its own” in a recent piece. His notion parallels our thinking, and by extension, the thought process everyone must go through. It’s something like this: Wow! 3D Printing… Continue reading BBC: “3D Printing Is Not Going To Change The World”
Who Should Disney Sue for 3D Printing Mickey?
There’s an interesting piece at Intellectual Property Brief by Brianna Ford that looks at the legal scenario involved when copyright, trademark or patent items are illegally reproduced on a personal 3D printer. We strongly suspect this situation will occur; in fact, it’s probably already occurring. Disney-related items are appearing at Thingiverse and they will… Continue reading Who Should Disney Sue for 3D Printing Mickey?
BioHacking Leads to 3D BioPrinting?
A report on TechCrunch describes the work of two bio companies, Genome Compiler and Cambrian Genomics. They are developing hardware and software to design and print (the DNA) of new life forms. The idea is to provide software (that’s Genome Compiler’s part) that allows a designer to combine different gene sequences together into a… Continue reading BioHacking Leads to 3D BioPrinting?
U.S. Losing its Edge in Additive Manufacturing?
For the last few decades, American companies have dominated and advanced the field of additive manufacturing to its current state. However, in a recent report from industry analyst Terry Wolhers, America’s dominance in additive manufacturing could be waning. In preparation for Wohlers Associates annual Wohlers Report,the analysis firm hase released some data that might… Continue reading U.S. Losing its Edge in Additive Manufacturing?
Are 3D Printers Scary?
We’re reading a post by Shelly Palmer of Huffington Post entitled, “3D Printing is Way Scarier Than Plastic Guns”. Palmer describes the recent 3D printed gun scenario that we’ve covered in several posts and then goes on to suggest that the knee-jerk reactions of various politicians are misguided, sensational and “like putting a Band-Aid on… Continue reading Are 3D Printers Scary?
3D Printers: Banned?
That could be the outcome of a proposal from California state senator Leland Yee of San Francisco. Upon reviewing recent reports of 3D printable weapons, Yee became concerned about the possible outcomes and has proposed that the technology must be regulated. He says: Terrorists can make these guns and do some horrible things to… Continue reading 3D Printers: Banned?
Stratasys Solves Those Troublesome 3D Print Seams
If you’re using an extrusion-based 3D printer, you’re likely familiar with the problem of seams. It’s an annoying strip right up the side of your object that disrupts the otherwise smooth surface of your 3D print. The seam is actually composed of the vertical accumulation of start / end points from each layer’s perimeter.… Continue reading Stratasys Solves Those Troublesome 3D Print Seams
Dynamic 3D Model Apps: Open or Closed?
It’s become apparent that dynamic models are a lot more fun than static models for 3D printing. Wait, what’s a dynamic model? A static model is simply a digital 3D model that is the same for everyone. A nice bracelet, for example. A dynamic model is one that’s created for you at the… Continue reading Dynamic 3D Model Apps: Open or Closed?
A Word On 3D Printed Gun Safety
If you happened to download the 3D printed handgun models before the US government confiscated them, it may be time to remind you of safety concerns should you attempt to 3D print this item. The ease of 3D printing and the sudden availability of a working gun model meant that some people will attempt… Continue reading A Word On 3D Printed Gun Safety
Is Your 3D Printer Filament Toxic?
You own a personal 3D printer that accepts 3rd party filament and you’ve purchased a selection of cool colors from an online shop – but is that filament safe? Aside from the obvious choices of color, quantity and filament diameter, the one factor most considered is price. Usually the lowest priced filament that meets… Continue reading Is Your 3D Printer Filament Toxic?
Why 3D Print Model Repositories Won’t Work
Another Day, Another 3D Model Repository opens for business. We can’t tell you how many people we’ve run into lately that hope to launch a type of 3D model repository. The story goes something like this: There’s gonna be so many 3D printers, there will be a huge demand for 3D models to print.… Continue reading Why 3D Print Model Repositories Won’t Work
3D Printing Napster? Not Yet
A piece in TechCrunch examines the notion that common availability of 3D printers will give rise to a “Napster for 3D Printing Models”. Napster, for those of you to young to recall, was the first big-time music sharing service, which emerged at a time when rules about such things were vague and corporate responses… Continue reading 3D Printing Napster? Not Yet
The 3D Printing Reliability Barrier
We’re reading a very short post on Zheng 3 where they attempted to print a Magic: The Gathering Beast Token. As you can see above, there were some very slight problems in successfully completing this operation. And that’s the problem – 3D printers are simply not sufficiently reliable. We’ve used many different 3D printers… Continue reading The 3D Printing Reliability Barrier
New Zealand Panics Over 3D Printing
A report from New Zealand’s 3 News shows big concerns about 3D printing are brewing in that Pacific nation. Minister of Customs Maurice Williamson has evidently learned about 3D printing technology and believes that: Household printers are likely to be able to manufacture drugs, weapons and other contraband in just a few years, which… Continue reading New Zealand Panics Over 3D Printing
3D Printing: Worth Billions By 2025?
A study by Lux Research proposes the value of the 3D printing market will reach an astonishing USD$8.4B by the year 2025. Last year’s value was a mere USD$777M, suggesting a rise of USD$7.6B over the next twelve years. This is a compound annual growth rate of around 22%. That’s big. Lux Research… Continue reading 3D Printing: Worth Billions By 2025?
3D Printing Survey Results
You might recall we pointed you, dear readers, to a survey being undertaken by Create It Real? Now the results of said survey have been published and we can take a look at what you said. The answers reveal the tone resonating among 3D printing enthusiasts these days. The first question asked, “what… Continue reading 3D Printing Survey Results
Stratasys’s Finishing Secrets
Stratasys has released a video detailing some of their secret (well, maybe not so secret) finishing processes. The video shows various tumbling media machines that operate similar to rock polishing tumblers – an object is tossed around within a bath of rough media. Gradually the objects become smooth after a relatively short period in the… Continue reading Stratasys’s Finishing Secrets
Perfectly Smooth PLA 3D Prints?
We’ve written previously about a method to create a perfectly smooth (even shiny) surface finish on your ABS plastic 3D prints, but one wonders whether the same can be done on PLA 3D prints. ABS plastic is dissolved by Acetone, so a typical approach is to (CAREFULLY AND SAFELY) dip your ABS object into… Continue reading Perfectly Smooth PLA 3D Prints?
For 3D Printing “Early Adopters Have Big Advantage”
In a recently released report by technology research company Gartner, experts have concluded that companies who adopt 3D printing early will see major advantages over those who don’t. According to Pete Basiliere, research director at Gartner, “Businesses must continuously monitor advances to identify where improvements can be leveraged.” Read More at ENGINEERING.com
Avi Reichental Talks
3D Systems President and CEO Avi Reichental was interviewed by Huffington Post correspondent Lilia Ziamou. The interview material is basic, as it’s intended for folks new to the concept of 3D printing. However, Reichental spends many words on 3D Systems’ strategy of “democratizing” 3D printing, talking about Cubify, CAD design and the ease of… Continue reading Avi Reichental Talks
An Interview With Limor Fried
Fabbaloo recently caught up with Adafruit’s Limor Fried to discuss her views on 3D printing. Here’s the interview: Fabbaloo: Adafruit recently partnered with MakerBot to produce a bundle of DIY electronics and the capability of 3D printing. Do you see further collaborations with 3D printer manufacturers or 3D print services? Limor Fried: We’ll… Continue reading An Interview With Limor Fried
The End of the 3D Printing Party?
We’re reading a piece by Brad Moon on InvestorPlace entitled, “3D Printing Party Could End Before It Begins”. The point seems to be that the magic of 3D printing will be destroyed by legal infighting amongst participants. Cited as evidence in the article are: Intellectual Venture’s patenting of a method for enforcing DRM… Continue reading The End of the 3D Printing Party?
3D Printing To “Go The Way of Virtual Reality”?
We’re reading a piece from last year by Christopher Mims in the MIT Technology Review, in which he dumps rather strongly on the notion that “any object can be rapidly synthesized with a little bit of energy and raw materials.” He says: There is a species of magical thinking practiced by geeks whose… Continue reading 3D Printing To “Go The Way of Virtual Reality”?
Companies to Explore the Next Generation Concepts for 3D Metal Printing Machinery
Sigma Labs Inc. announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Interactive Machines, Inc. (IMI) of Southwick, Massachusetts. The MOU sets forth the parties’ intent to explore the formation of a joint venture or other arrangement for the purpose of developing and commercializing next-generation 3D printing devices designed to produce an increased… Continue reading Companies to Explore the Next Generation Concepts for 3D Metal Printing Machinery
Sculpteo’s Customizable Dock
3D print service Sculpteo has been experimenting with a variety of end-user customizable 3D models. Once customized, you can order a 3D print of the model through Sculpteo’s banks of expensive 3D printers. The latest end-user modifiable model they’re offering is an iPhone 5 dock. The customization offered is very straightforward: you can specify… Continue reading Sculpteo’s Customizable Dock
3D Printing Changes Everything
Yup.
Forbes Points to 3D Print Services
We’re reading an article from Forbes in which they predict the “early action” on 3D printers will be in the form of services. They correctly state that the number of home 3D printers is kinda small right now, saying: the number of US households that actually own one of these super-cool devices is less… Continue reading Forbes Points to 3D Print Services
$2M Worth of 3D Printing Pens and a Big Implication
The amazing 3Doodler 3D printing pen seems to be rather popular: it’s Kickstarter fundraising campaign has now passed the USD$2M mark and it’s still rising. At this rate, the USD$75 handheld 3D printing device could potentially raise USD$4M or more. Now that’s a lot of 3D pens! More importantly, if there are suddenly… Continue reading $2M Worth of 3D Printing Pens and a Big Implication
3D Printed Solar Cells? Maybe Not
A report on Knovel proposes that solar cells could be made much more efficiently with 3D printing techniques. It seems that the cost of producing solar panels stays high as new design approaches squeeze more watts out of each square inch. One highly efficient design involves producing a solar “cube” rather than a solar… Continue reading 3D Printed Solar Cells? Maybe Not
Al-Jazeera On 3D Printed Guns
A video report on Al-Jazeera explores the 3D printed gun scenario. While we’ve written (probably too much) on this topic, Al Jazeera’s Phil Lavelle points out one aspect not written so much about: what happens outside of the USA? Within the USA, proponents of 3D printed guns suggest that the US Constitution permits such… Continue reading Al-Jazeera On 3D Printed Guns
Dyeing At Shapeways
While on our recent visit to Shapeways in Queen’s, NYC, we noticed vats of color dyes. Why color dyes? It’s all in the finishing. Some people expect “finished” objects to emerge from their 3D printer, but in fact they often require “finishing”, which might be simply removing excess plastic material created during printing or… Continue reading Dyeing At Shapeways
4D Printing?
Researchers at MIT’s Self Assembly Lab have developed a new technique for 3D Printing which they call “4D Printing”. It’s 3D printing of objects designed to change their shape after printing. By exposing the printed object to a different external environment – think light, water, pressure, etc., specially designed joints in the object react… Continue reading 4D Printing?
3D Printed Mammoth Steaks?!
Modern Meadow is 3D bioprinting startup developing a method of 3D printing “meat and leather” ultimately for human consumption. They combine advances in biotech with 3D printing to eliminate the need for real animal food production, which is hugely energy intensive. Recently Modern Meadow’s Andras Forgacs performed a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything). The… Continue reading 3D Printed Mammoth Steaks?!
Feet As Big As You Want
The University of Washington’s Solheim Additive Manufacturing Laboratory has long experimented in radical approaches to 3D printing and now they’ve shown us another example technique for your 3D printing toolkit: Scaling. They were approached by the VA Center of Excellence for Limb Loss Prevention and Prosthetic Engineering to assist in the production of a… Continue reading Feet As Big As You Want
An Interview With Neri Oxman
We’ve discovered a lengthy interview with 3D artist and research Neri Oxman of the MIT Media Lab, whose astounding explorations into radical structures using 3D printing have been featured here previously. In the 2200 word interview, published in Material Connexion, Oxman explains much of her 3D printing and artistic philosophy. We noted some highlights: … Continue reading An Interview With Neri Oxman
CHART: Optimism for consumer-class 3D printers
A recent ENGINEERING.com survey revealed that our engineering and design readers are very optimistic about the future of the consumer-class 3D printers. But counter to the wishful claims made by those with a vested interest, they don’t believe that sweeping change is coming. Read More at ENGINEERING.com
3D printing: Interest Long Overdue, Enthusiasm Not Sustainable
On Thursday, we reported on a Seeking Alpha article and discussed the market volatility in 3D printing and the possibility of an over-exuberant market. Seeking Alpha’s analysis appears to have created a self-fulfilling prophecy: On January 28, 2013, 3D Systems and Stratasys stocks fell 14% and 10% respectively. One day later they rebounded by… Continue reading 3D printing: Interest Long Overdue, Enthusiasm Not Sustainable
3D Printing’s Effect on Retail
We’ve been reading Dalton Caldwell’s take on entrepreneur Marc Andreessen’s position that physical retail stores are in a bad position as they have to pay for not only inventory but also real estate, whereas online retail does not. Caldwell, who’s currently the CEO of app.net, believes that 3D printing could eventually affect physical retail as… Continue reading 3D Printing’s Effect on Retail
Ping Fu Doesn’t Break
Ping Fu is very well-known in the 3D printing community, as she created Geomagic, maker of powerful 3D software tools enabling freeform design, scan handling, metrology and most notably, haptic-based design (that’s using a touch interface). Recently Geomagic was acquired by 3D Systems, where Ms. Fu now becomes their Chief Strategist. Her journey to… Continue reading Ping Fu Doesn’t Break
Edinburg Scientist Print Stem Cells
Although controversial in the US, stem cell research offers some of the best opportunities to produce breakthrough medical discoveries, including growing tailor made replacement organs. In a new development for bioprinting, Dr, Will Shu of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh said, “We found that the valve-based printing is gentle enough to maintain high stem… Continue reading Edinburg Scientist Print Stem Cells
3D Printing Resources
We’ve spent some time updating our 3D resources page. If you haven’t seen it, the page contains our list of key 3D printing resources. Areas of coverage now include lists for: Do It Yourself Options Hobbyist 3D Printers Commercial 3D Printers Popular 3D Print Services Popular 3D Print Related Books 3D Print Crowdsourcing Notable… Continue reading 3D Printing Resources
Global TV Features 3D Printing
Chief Correspondent Carolyn Jarvis of Canada’s Global TV presented a very comprehensive look at today’s state of 3D printing on their current affairs show, “16×9”. We bring this to your attention as this is perhaps the most mature examination of the technology we’ve recently seen by the media, which recently has tended towards the spectacular,… Continue reading Global TV Features 3D Printing
Nokia’s 3D Printing Adventure
Nokia has long used 3D printing internally to design cases and shapes for their handsets, but now they’re permitting customers to do the same. Nokia has released the 3D model files required for designing your very own back cover for their new Lumina 820 handset. The model includes the structures required to match the… Continue reading Nokia’s 3D Printing Adventure
CHART: Readers predict 3D printing’s future
Strong, steady growth for the entire 3D printing industry is what our survey results show. According to our readers, that growth will be driven by advances in materials, output quality, speed and overall performance. What they aren’t accepting are the extremes: no growth or explosive growth. Read More at ENGINEERING.com
3D Printers and Airport Security
Just as you are, we’re getting tired of speculative propositions on the prospect of 3D printed weapons and try not to post on it, but we encountered an interesting question of this ilk on Quora. The question read: Could a small 3D printer be brought through security at an airport and then used… Continue reading 3D Printers and Airport Security
LeapFrog Sells 1000 – But How Many More 3D Printers Exist?
We received a note from Netherlands-based Leapfrog 3D Printers who, among other notable achievements, said they’ve sold their 1,000th 3D printer. It was a LeapFrog Creatr, evidently sold to someone also in the Netherlands. This is quite an accomplishment for the small manufacturer, but it leads us to ponder: exactly how many personal 3D… Continue reading LeapFrog Sells 1000 – But How Many More 3D Printers Exist?
Emerging Personal 3D Printer Business Patterns
There seems to be patterns emerging among the major personal 3D printer manufacturers. It seems that in order to be a “player” in the space, you’d better have a few of these features in your business: Produce your own plastic in your own factories. This permits complete control over the formulation, which a manufacturer… Continue reading Emerging Personal 3D Printer Business Patterns
Neri Oxman’s Mediated Matter Lab at MIT
Neri Oxman, founder of the Mediated Matter Group at MIT’s Media Lab, believes that one day everything will be designed by nature. The Mediated Matter Group’s mission statement reads something like a manifesto. The Mediated Matter group is dedicated to the development and application of novel processes that enable and support the design… Continue reading Neri Oxman’s Mediated Matter Lab at MIT
MakerBot’s Plastic Farm
If you can’t get what you want, just do it yourself. That’s the approach MakerBot has taken on plastic. Previously they’d have to do extensive searching for vendors able to provide appropriate plastic for their line of 3D printers. They’d have to ensure quality of color, sizing consistency and deliver availability. Lots of work! … Continue reading MakerBot’s Plastic Farm
Mainstream 3D Printing?
An article on Business Insider by Dylan Love entitled “This Is What It Will Take For 3D Printing To Go Mainstream” proposes a shift in machine capability may lead to deeper mainstream use. He says: Up until now, much of desktop 3D printing revolved around simply getting the machines up and running, just to… Continue reading Mainstream 3D Printing?
3D Printing Outside The Box
Joris Peels proposes a radical idea for 3D printing: mobility. Longtime Fabbaloo readers will be familiar with the concept of a “build chamber”, in which extruders or other printing mechanisms move about to create an object. The build chamber is based on the mechanical concept of three axes of movement, but it has a major… Continue reading 3D Printing Outside The Box
Shapeways’ Tetris Process
Our visit to Shapeways Factory of the Future revealed a fascinating technique they use to produce your objects. You might assume they take your order and then simply print it on one of their big machines. This is hardly the case, as they have to ensure the most efficient use of those big boys in… Continue reading Shapeways’ Tetris Process
A Visit To Mulberry Street
During our New York adventure we managed to sneak into MakerBot’s exclusive retail store. Actually, it was less sneaking than simply walking in the wide open door, located at 298 Mulberry Street in Lower Manhattan. We were impressed with the simplicity of the store’s design, somewhat reminiscent of Apple Store design, yet with its… Continue reading A Visit To Mulberry Street
APIs for 3D Printing?
API enthusiast Kin Lane (above) has started working on a set of APIs for 3D printing. Wait, what’s an API again? It’s software, specifically the precise interface between programs. In other words, APIs are the equivalent of “standard electrical plugs” and the like between any software programs. The presence of APIs tends to encourage the… Continue reading APIs for 3D Printing?
Top Posts of 2012
It’s always fascinating to learn which posts were the most frequently read among the hundreds we posted during the past year. They’re typically not necessarily the top stories, but nevertheless they provide some insight into readers’ interests. MCOR To Offer 3D Printing At Staples To abruptly retract our earlier statement, this most frequently read… Continue reading Top Posts of 2012
Three 3D Printing Trends in 2012
Many things happened in 2012 within the world of 3D printing, particularly for home users. But what overall trends emerged? We noticed three trends that seemed to flavor 2012. Me Too! We actually lost track of the numerous plastic extrusion-based personal 3D printers that were announced in 2012. At one point they were appearing… Continue reading Three 3D Printing Trends in 2012
A Plea for More 3D Printer Manufacturers
3D printing aficionado Joris Peels writes a long treatise begging major manufacturers to produce 3D printers. He specifically requests HP, Brother, Xerox, Seiko Epson, Ricoh, RolandDG, IBM, Texas Instruments, Konica Minolta, Fujifilm and Sony to make a line of 3D printers. Why make such a request when we have several decent manufacturers already in… Continue reading A Plea for More 3D Printer Manufacturers
Another Legal Tangle for 3D Printing
Dezeen interviewed writer Adrian Mars, who brings up an interesting legal complication that potentially could derail some 3D printing ventures. We’ve written in the past regarding the “copy” issue. The technology exists to digitally capture the external shape of almost any object using advanced 3D scanning equipment – and once a 3D model is… Continue reading Another Legal Tangle for 3D Printing
Manufacturing in 3D Printing’s Future?
We’re reading a post by Joel Hans, managing editor of Manufacturing.net where he postulates the future of 3D printing in manufacturing plants. This got us thinking about manufacturing versus personal 3D printing. Fabbaloo readers are quite familiar with personal 3D printing and sometimes wonder why this amazing technology isn’t used more by manufacturing plants.… Continue reading Manufacturing in 3D Printing’s Future?
More Thoughts on 3D Printed Weaponry
We’ve been reading two pieces on the topic of 3D printed guns, one by Reason.com and the other from Design News. For those who somehow haven’t yet heard of the controversy, it seems that more than one group has decided to test the feasibility of 3D printed guns. The technical feasibility has been proven;… Continue reading More Thoughts on 3D Printed Weaponry
Co.Design Names 3D Printing a Trend
Design blog Co.Design (part of Fast Company) listed Frog Design’s view of the “20 Tech Trends That Will Define 2013”. Such lists are always interesting to examine, as they usually confirm suspicions and indications observed throughout the year. But what did Frog believe were the trends? There are too many to mention, but some… Continue reading Co.Design Names 3D Printing a Trend
What 3D Printing Books Are You Reading?
We’ve been taking a look at books that seem popular among Fabbaloo readers and found some interesting options. How to Cast Small Metal and Rubber Parts (2nd Edition) 1800 Mechanical Movements, Devices and Appliances 507 Mechanical Movements: Mechanisms and Devices Makers: The New Industrial Revolution Printing in Plastic: Build Your Own 3D Printer The… Continue reading What 3D Printing Books Are You Reading?
Another Way to 3D Print in Wood
Wood, the most historical building material – but can you 3D print in wood? Not so much, but some are trying different approaches. Another interesting wood experiment was done by artist and maker Ben Godi, who combined 3D printing and woodworking to produce some amazing models. Godi’s fascinating “production pipeline” first involves creating an… Continue reading Another Way to 3D Print in Wood
Rapid Ceramic Engineering
Ben Becker of HotEnd Works described to us the process his company uses to produce industrial-grade ceramic prototypes. Ceramic prototypes have been around for a very long time, but there’s only so much you can do using conventional prototyping tools. Some geometries simply cannot be produced. However, 3D printed ceramics can replicate any geometry.… Continue reading Rapid Ceramic Engineering