Author Archives: on3dprinting
Now You Can Invest Your IRA in a 3D Printing Mutual Fund
As we covered in our 3D Printing Year in Review 2013, 3D printing stocks grew more than 350% last year, wildly beating the S&P500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
It’s no wonder then that firms are looking to capitalize on investment interest in the 3D printing sector.
Outlook Funds Trust announced the launch of the 3D Printing and Technology Fund, the Trusts inaugural fund and the first-ever mutual fund covering 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing.
The Fund is managed by 3D Printing Fund Advisers, LLC, with Alan M. Meckler serving as Senior Portfolio Manager and John M. Meckler as Co-Manager and Chief Compliance Officer.
According to the fund’s website, its investment strategy is as follows:
The Fund will invest in equity securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. 3D printing and technology companies. “3D Printing”, or “additive manufacturing”, produces three-dimensional objects from digital models. 3D Printing and technology companies include, among others, those in the manufacturing, biotech, computer software and hardware industries. In selecting securities for the Fund, the Adviser uses a “top down” approach to create a universe of securities in which the Fund may invest. The Adviser then employs a research oriented “bottom-up” investment approach to create the Fund’s investment portfolio, focusing on company fundamentals and growth prospects when selecting securities.
In a statement, the fund managers elaborated that 3D printing companies in their fund service many sectors, including automotive, aerospace, military/defense, dental, medical, bioprinting, fashion, footwear, jewelry, eyewear, education, geographic information systems and food products.
The initial offering is available currently in one class -Institutional (TDPIX) — and the minimum investment is $2,500.
Editor’s note: Alan Meckler is Chairman of Mediabistro, the company that runs the Inside 3D Printing conferences and a media partner of On 3D Printing.
One Week Left to 3D Print Your Valentine’s Day Gift
Want a really unique Valentine’s Day gift this year? Then check out these designs from 3D model marketplace CGTrader’s Valentine’s Day 3D printing challenge.
CGTrader has partnered with Sculpteo, 3DPRINTUK, iGo3D, and Plastic Scribbler in their latest design challenge, and is offering great prizes.
The winner will receive:
- Asterid 1000HB fully assembled 3D printer from Plastic Scribbler
- 300 USD from CGTrader
- 5kg of premium PLA Filament from iGo3D
- 3D printing your model of choice by 3D Print UK
- 100 EUR gift card for 3D printing by Sculpteo
- 3D printing accessories set from iGo3D
- CGTrader T-shirt
Two runners up will receive:
There are already some great designs uploaded with the deadline of February 10th approaching. Here are three designs we liked:
- Cupid Pendant by Sajid Diaz
- Love & Peace iPhone Case by Sajid Diaz
- Heart Dove Figurine by Ricardas Marozas
Go to CGTrader’s Valentine’s Day Challenge to submit your own entry or get one of the designs.
Related: Check out MyMiniFactory’s Valentine’s Day competition
Gravity, A Specialized 3D Printing Recruitment Firm Opens for Business
An established and successful video games recruitment specialist from the UK has set up a new recruitment service focused on the additive manufacturing and 3D printing industries.
Gravity Recruitment Ltd will help companies hire in a range of areas including engineering, design, software development, marketing, sales and R&D.
According to its founder, James Squires, ‘After surveying 100 key influencers in the 3D printing industry in 2013 we decided to put our skills and connections to work in the additive manufacturing industry. We became the first recruitment company to focus on this space, offering our clients and candidates a greater level of insight and industry knowledge than non-specialist recruiters.
Squires has been recruiting for over 13 years and has taken a keen interest in 3D printing technology since being inspired by a Ted Talk in 2013.
“We believe in the power of 3D Printing to change the world and benefit people and organisations in a multitude of ways,” said Squires. “Our mission is to act as ambassadors for the industry, bringing in top talent from around the world to ensure companies can keep pace with demand for 3D printing technology and its applications in the years ahead.”
The company offers a contingency based service, only charging a fee if a successful introduction is made. Placements can be made on a permanent or contract basis globally. To find out more, visit www.gravity3drecruitment.com.
3D Printing Week: Battle of the 3D Printed Figurines
3D Printing Week
This past week featured two cool new projects for 3D printing your own mini figurines. One in the fantasy realm and one of the bobble head form.
Hero Forge launched a Kickstarter campaign that has raised over $200,000 with 20 days to go. The company is offering customized tabletop fantasy figurines that are 3D printed.
Mixee Labs, a 3D printing startup that has launched creators for jewelry, cufflinks, dog bone tags, slim wallets, and figurines, now offers bobblers. It’s latest online creator lets your design a 3D printed bobble head doll that looks just like you!
Be sure to read our 3D Printing Year in Review 2013! It includes the top stories by month for 2013 and five predictions for 2014.
Hero Forge Custom 3D Printed Fantasy Miniatures a Hit on Kickstarter
This is a guest post by Abdul Rehman, whose bio is at the end of the article.
Have you ever looked at some fantasy character and said to yourself “Wow! I wish I could have a miniature version of that on my table here”? Hero Forge, a newly founded project, allows you to do just that.
Hero Forge – A Combination of Fantasy, Art and Science
While companies like ASDA have used the miniature 3D printing concept to create realistic models of real-life humans, Joshua Bennett and Teagan Morrison, founders of Hero Forge, have taken this concept to the realms of fantasy and imagination.
Started as a kickstarter project, Hero Forge promises to give you control of a simple web interface enabling you to create a unique 3D character which will then be brought to life using the power of 3D printing and sent to you by mail. Furthermore, you also have the option of selecting the material that you wish to print your character in, as well as the kind of paint you want on it.
The Team – Artists and Programmers
The founders of this project are Joshua Bennett and Teagan Morrison.
Joshua Bennett calls himself a jack-of-all-trades. He is a freelance artist and has been working with the table top community for 3 years. His work has appeared in Wayfinder Magazine, on Paizo.com, and in dozens of online shops and indie RPG releases.
Teagan Morrison is the technical art director at the game studio “Naughty Dog” and has diverse experience in 3D modeling and managing teams of artists.
Other members of the team are Nicole Cardiff, a freelance artist whose work has appeared in Dungeons and Dragons, War Hammer and Game of Thrones flash cards; Molly Maloney, a concept artist for Telltale Games; Margaret Dost, an expert 3D modeler; Beverly Sage, a freelance rigger and technical artist in the video game industry and David Lenna, whose background is in programming and pipeline.
Hero Forge has well-known artists and a computer programmer in its team, making it perfect for the project. Joshua Bennett writes, “We have an amazing team with passion, big ideas, and the technical chops and experience to back it up. We can’t wait to make Hero Forge a reality!”
3D Printed Miniature Characters
The 3D printed miniature characters belong to one of five races: Humans, Half Orcs, Halflings, Dwarfs and Elves. Additional races will be added subsequently such as Sci Fi, Half Demons and Half Dragons. Hero Forge uses two materials for printing most of the miniatures.
- Ultra Detail Plastic: This is high quality plastic offering a high level of detail and is also suitable for painting. It is more expensive as well.
- Strong Plastic: This plastic offers lower details and is harder to paint on. However, it has the advantage of being cheaper.
An array of weapons is also available which includes swords, hammers, saws, chains and scythes. You can select any of these in either or both hands of the character. The miniatures are available in three sizes: 28 mm, 3 inches and 6 inches. Faces, facial hair, clothes, armors and even poses of the characters are all customizable. This customization is done on an Open GL based web program through which you can customize your character by simple clicks. These miniature characters are detailed on Hero Forge’s youtube channel.
A New Era of 3D Printed Entertainment
3D printing is revolutionizing all fields of life. It has opened up new possibilities. Being able to create a character on the web and receive it within days was unimaginable a few years back. However, Hero Forge has made it a reality. The interest in this project can be gauged by the fact that Hero Forge’s initial funding goal of $95,000 was reached within 72 hours! This project definitely heralds a new era in entertainment: The era of 3D printed entertainment.
If you’re interested in Hero Forge’s project, you can support them on their Kickstarter page and follow them on Facebook or on their blog.
About the author: Abdul Rehman is a medical student with a keen interest in all things technology. Computers, graphic cards, mobiles, tablets, 3d printing and tissue engineering are just a few of the things he’s been following for years. A regular author at 3dprinthq.com for about an year, he’s written on dozens of 3D printing topics from aviation to fashion.
