Category Archives: News
Retailer Asda Launches 3D Printed Portrait Service in the UK
For years, retail shops have operated portrait studios, where families or individuals can come get professional-looking photos taken at a reasonable price.
Well, UK-based Asda is taking this concept to a new dimension. Asda has become the first supermarket in the UK to offer customers the ability to get a 3D printed miniature of themselves right in the store.
“We’re trialling an exciting new service — offering you the chance to pick up a detailed 3D printed miniature version of you and your family while you’re doing your weekly shop!” said Asda in an announcement. “The technology produces highly realistic ‘mini me’ figurines at whatever scale you like!”
Starting this week, Asda is pioneering its 3D printing offering in its York store.
How to get a 3D printed portrait at Asda
Asda has setup a small studio in its store where a customer stands motionless and a store employee 3D scans the customer with a handheld scanner. From the scan a model is built and Asda then 3D prints the model in ceramic offsite.
3D printed miniatures cost £40 and up, and can be printed in white, bronze, or full color.
Asda is inviting customers to scan anything, including people, pets and even cars. “Good luck scanning pets…” wrote one customer on an Asda forum. To get the scan, a subject does need to remain still for a few minutes which might make capturing pets and children a challenge.
Watch this video to see a woman being 3D scanned and her likeness created on a 3D printer.
ESA Announces The AMAZE Project to Bring Metal 3D Printing to Space
The European Space Agency (ESA) is making a major push into metal 3D printing
Today, at the London Science Museum, the ESA is showcasing complex 3D printed parts made of metal that can withstand temperatures at 1000°C – fit for space and the most demanding applications on Earth.
Moving from plastic to metal
3D printers are great from rapid prototyping or creating industrial objects out of plastic, but what about metal?
The ESA and the EU, together with industrial and educational partners, are developing the first large-scale production methods to 3D print with metal. This technology would allow the creation of complex objects in space — imagine full-scale systems like reactors or rockets.
“We want to build the best quality metal products ever made. Objects you can’t possibly manufacture any other way,” said David Jarvis, ESA Head of New Materials and Energy Research, in an interview with BBC.
Above: a titanium 3D printed structure
This novel technology offers many advantages. 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, can create complex shapes that are impossible to manufacture with traditional casting and machining techniques. Little to no material is wasted and cutting the number of steps in a manufacturing chain offers enormous cost benefits.
The AMAZE project – Additive Manufacturing Aiming Towards Zero Waste & Efficient Production of High-Tech Metal Products – began in January and factory sites are being set up in France, Germany, Italy, Norway and the UK to develop the industrial supply chain.
Below is a video produced by the ESA.
MakerBot Has Glow-in-the-Dark 3D Printer Filament for Halloween
Get Your 3D Printed Ghosts Ready for Halloween
Desktop 3D printer company MakerBot has launched glow-in-the-dark filament just in time for Halloween.
Made with a special dye, MakerBot Glow-in-the-Dark PLA Filament glows a ghostly green in the dark. You don’t need sunlight to power up your glow-in-the-dark 3D print: any light source will do the trick in just two to three minutes.
To get your filament, go to the MakerBot store and stock up.
3D Printing Week: VJET, ClickBank, Shapeways Bronze, Artec 3D Scanners
3D Printing News
Here is a roundup of the top 3D printing news from October 7 to 13.
voxeljet is the latest 3D printing company to go public. The German company priced it’s $91 million IPO and chose the ticker VJET on the NYSE.
It seems like new materials are coming to market for 3D printers all the time. Last week, Shapeways announced they can now 3D print in bronze.
In a sign of further market adoption, ClickBank, an affiliate marketing platform, created a new 3D printing category.
We also profiled Artec 3D scanners and the London Science Museum.
Wednesday, October 9
- Inventor of 3D Printing Chuck Hull Receives Award
- voxeljet Plans $91 Million IPO (VJET) to Compete with DDD SSYS XONE
Thursday, October 10
Friday, October 11
Saturday, October 12
Sunday, October 13
Affiliate Marketing Juggernaut ClickBank Embraces 3D Printing
ClickBank Creates New 3D Printing Category for Affiliate Marketers
“Tomorrow is coming!” — Jeff Leget, VP Strategy at ClickBank
With headquarters in Boise, Idaho, ClickBank is a company that has a global footprint. Founded in 1998, the company now has a network of more than 100,000 affiliate marketers who promote 60,000 digital products on its platform to customers in 190 countries. The company’s marketplace supports products ranging from e-books to audio tracks to videos and beyond, making ClickBank a juggernaut in the affiliate marketing world.
And now this powerhouse is expanding into a new category: ClickBank 3D Printing.
“Today there is a new industry that is being born. Like the personal computers in the mid-80s and the boom of the internet in the mid-90s this new technology aims to transform manufacturing and our lives as we know it. The new technology is 3D printing,” said Jeff Leget, Vice President Strategy & International for ClickBank. ”Submit your ebook, software, or general advice for building a business around 3D Printing. You can be one of the first ClickBank information entrepreneurs to land in this exciting new category. At ClickBank we reward business innovation every day. Tomorrow is coming!”
The 3D Printing category is currently empty but ClickBank does not expect that to last.
How ClickBank Works
ClickBank is a platform where content creators connect with marketers. Let’s say you author an e-book about something you are an expert in and want to get distribution. You upload your e-book to ClickBank, assign a commission, and its network of affiliate marketers pick it up and sell it online. ClickBank handles the e-commerce payments and fulfillment.
Watch this video from ClickScoop to hear more about how ClickBank works.
Here are some high-performing products on the ClickBank:
- The Truth About Explosive Rotational Power For Baseball Or Softball This 4 module series will have you hitting like an MLB player. Promote key movement science principles with limited muscle activation to achieve explosive rotational power.
- Your Safe Retirement Package A book on changing how people think about retirement. Goes beyond financial matters to comprehensively address what it takes to create a safe and fulfilling retirement, and prepare you for your golden years!
- How To Help Your Child Learn To Talk Better In Everyday Activities Yes, you can help your child learn to talk or talk better. Get the information you need from this easy-to-read, parent-friendly eBook. Explanations and examples will guide you to blend new, stimulating methods into your everyday activities—starting right away.
With such a successful track record and marketplace, ClickBank 3D Printing is sure to be an exciting new category for the company.
