Category Archives: News
Medical 3D Printing Breakthrough: Man Gets a New 3D Printed Face
Medical 3D Printing Breakthrough
In a medical 3D printing breakthrough, a man who suffered disfiguration from cancer gets a new prosthetic face and improved quality of life.
Four years ago, Briton Eric Moger was diagnosed with cancer when doctors found a tumor the size of a tennis ball growing inside his face. Moger immediately underwent surgery to remove the tumor, but the procedure also left him disfigured, literally missing part of his face.
In what is considered a first procedure of its kind, UK doctors have used medical 3D printing technology to create a new prosthetic face for Moger that matches the tone of his skin and includes a cheek, eye, and eyebrow.
The medical team used 3D scanning technology to develop a model of 60-year-old Moger’s face and then printed the prosthetic in nylon plastic.
In addition to giving Moger a more appealing look, the 3D printed face is also functional; it keeps water from spilling out of the cavity left behind from surgery when he drinks.
This is quite a medical breakthrough. In other examples, medical 3D printing techniques has been used to 3D print a new beak for a injured bald eagle and quickly fabricate a new titanium jaw for a woman inflicted with an infection.
The doctors hope that in the future these types of prosthetics can be printed in silicon for a more comfortable and even more natural look.
Via The Telegraph.
Photo credit: Geoff Pugh for the Telegraph
Sold Out: Play-Doh Kids 3D Printer and iPad App
Kids 3D Printer with Play-Doh
Well, that was quick! The folks over at ThinkGeek have SOLD OUT of the new Play-Doh 3D Printer.
Announced yesterday, April 1st, the innovative kids 3D printer is already unavailable. You can read the product description below.
Why buy things from stores when you can print them yourself? The DIY 3D printer revolution is here, friends, and have we got the entry-level 3D printer for you. It’s the Play-Doh 3D Printer, and it’s loaded with features without a price tag that will set your wallet on fire. Let’s take a quick tour, and then you’ll want to buy one.
First, some quick assembly (of the snap-together variety) and your Play-Doh 3D Printer is almost ready for action. Add 2 C batteries, plug it into your iPad, and launch the free app: iPlay-Doh 3D. Quickly design all sorts of things on the free app and then send them to your Play-Doh 3D Printer. Add up to 3 different colors (they’ll blend like soft serve ice cream) to the top of the Play-Doh 3D Printer and then watch your iPad for directions. The iPlay-Doh 3D app will let you know when the printer is ready for you to start cranking.
There are two different cranks on the Play-Doh 3D Printer: one to drip the Play-Doh down onto the conveyor belt and one to move the conveyor belt back and forth (to make sure the Play-Doh gets in just the right place). Sure, the overall product isn’t as sturdy as an expensive 3D printed object, but it will air-harden and can be painted just like one. With the Play-Doh 3D Printer, you’ll learn basic CAD skills, bow hunting skills (just kidding), and 3D printing skills. It’s time to stop reading and get one now. Go on. Get!
Summary of Specifications
- The most economical and fun entry-level 3D printer on the market.
- Uses Play-Doh as a print medium, so it’s safe for kids and noobies.
- Can print in up to 3 colors at once (blending them like soft serve ice cream).
- Connects to iPad for easy designing with free iPlay-Doh 3D app.
- iPlay-Doh 3D app also lets you share designs with others (and print their designs).
- Build Volume: 5″ cubed.
- Power: 2 C Batteries and you (it’s mostly crank powered).
- Includes: Play-Doh 3D Printer with conveyor belt, cranks, and printing head; plastic knife; 3 2oz cans of Play-Doh; and instructions.
- Dimensions: approx. 15.5″ x 8″ x 19″
Again, this product was only announced yesterday, April 1st, and is already sold out. You can check over at ThinkGeek to see if any more come into stock.
Top 3D Printing News Last Week: Fashion, Fab Lab, Pricing, iPhone
3D Printing News
A roundup of the top 3D printing news from March 25 to March 31:
Sunday, March 31
Get your exclusive 15% discount to the Inside 3D Printing conference with discount code PRINT.
Enterprise-Class 3D Printer Prices to Fall Below $2,000 by 2016
Enterprise-Class 3D Printer Prices to Drop Below $2,000 by 2016, Gartner Reports
In a new report. Gartner says early adopters of 3D printing technology will gain an innovation advantage over rivals.
3D printing is disrupting the design, prototyping and manufacturing processes in a wide range of industries, according to Gartner, Inc. Enterprises should start experimenting with 3D printing technology to improve traditional product design and prototyping, with the potential to create new product lines and markets. 3D printing will also become available to consumers via kiosks or print-shop-style services, creating new opportunities for retailers and other businesses.
“3D printing is a technology accelerating to mainstream adoption,” said Pete Basiliere, research director at Gartner. “It is a technology of great interest to the general media, with demonstrations on science shows, on gadget websites and in other areas. From descriptions of exciting current uses in medical, manufacturing and other industries to futuristic ideas — such as using 3D printers on asteroids and the moon to create parts for spacecraft and lunar bases — the hype leads many people to think the technology is some years away when it is available now and is affordable to most enterprises.”
The material science behind 3D printing processes and materials will continue to progress, and affordable 3D printers are lowering the cost of entry into manufacturing in the same way that e-commerce lowered the barriers to the sale of goods and services. As a result, the 3D printer market will continue moving from niche adoption to broad acceptance, driven by lower printer prices, the potential for cost and time savings, greater capabilities, and improved performance that drives benefits and markets.
“Businesses must continuously monitor advances to identify where improvements can be leveraged,” said Mr. Basiliere. “We see 3D printing as a tool for empowerment, already enabling life-changing parts and products to be built in struggling countries, helping rebuild crisis-hit areas and leading to the democratization of manufacturing.”
3D printing is already established in industries ranging from automotive manufacturing to consumer goods to the military, as well as the medical and pharmaceutical industries. Businesses can use 3D printing to design personalized products, components, working prototypes and architectural models to promote their brand and products in new and interactive ways. Indeed, there are opportunities to create entirely new product lines in which the finished 3D-printed product is what the consumer purchases.
3D printers are now priced so that any size business can invest in them and start experimenting with the myriad ways to monetize them. By 2016, enterprise-class 3D printers will be available for under $2,000. Early adopters can experiment with 3D printers with minimal risk of capital or time, possibly gaining an advantage in product design and time to market over their competition, as well as understanding the realistic material costs and time to build parts. Furthermore, enterprise uses for 3D printers have expanded as capabilities of 3D scanners and design tools have advanced, and as the commercial and open-source development of additional design software tools has made 3D printing more practical. Gartner believes that the commercial market for 3D print applications will continue expanding into architectural, engineering, geospatial and medical uses, as well as short-run manufacturing.
Major multinational retailers have the means to market the technology to consumers and generate revenue by selling printers and supplies, as well as from sales of individual 3D-printed pieces. One vision is for the retailers to not only sell the printers, but also offer a service bureau that prints custom items or personalized variations on stock items, a key consumer trend.
Another possibility is for roving display vans to visit the retailer’s stores. Customers would visit these self-contained vans parked in front of the store that contain two or three operating printers and watch parts being made (including possibly their own personalized 3D item). Alternatively, the consumer could order the custom or personalized part to be made while they are shopping, or to be available for pickup the next day.
More detailed analysis is available in the report “How 3D Printing Disrupts Business and Creates New Opportunities.” The report is available on Gartner’s website at http://www.gartner.com/resId=2373415.
National Fab Lab Network Act Promotes 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Originally conceived by Neil Gershenfeld at MIT, a Fab Lab is a self-contained lab that has about $20,000 in equipment – a laser cutter, milling machine, programming tools, and of course, 3D printing. We regularly feature Fab Labs across the globe that are empowering people to make almost anything that suits their personal needs.
This month, Congressman Bill Foster introduced the National Fab Lab Network Act of 2013, which is intended to promote advanced manufacturing in the U.S. and invest in the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators. This is a great step forward in making amazing technologies like 3D printing more readily available.
The bill lists the following motivations for the introduction of the Fab Lab Network:
(1) Scientific discoveries and technical innovations are critical to the economic and national security of the United States.
(2) Maintaining the leadership of the United States in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics will require a diverse population with the skills, interest, and access to tools required to advance these fields.
(3) Just as earlier digital revolutions in communications and computation provided individuals with the Internet and personal computers, a digital revolution in fabrication will allow anyone to make almost anything, anywhere.
(4) The Center for Bits and Atoms of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (CBA) has contributed significantly to the advancement of these goals through its work in creating and advancing digital fab labs in the United States and abroad.
(5) CBA’s fab labs provide a model for a new kind of national laboratory that links local facilities for advanced manufacturing to expand access and empower communities.
(6) A coordinated national public-private partnership will be the most effective way to accelerate the provision of this infrastructure for learning skills, developing inventions, creating businesses, and producing personalized products.
This bill would provide a Federal charter to the Fab Foundation for the National Fab Lab Network, a national network of local digital fabrication facilities providing community access to advanced manufacturing tools for learning skills, developing inventions, creating businesses, and producing personalized products.
You can track the bill at govtrack or download the bill in PDF.
Below is a video of Congressman Foster introducing the bill.
More on this announcement below:
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) introduced the National Fab Lab Network Act of 2013 to promote advanced manufacturing in the U.S. and invest in the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators. The bill is being introduced with bipartisan support from 15 original co-sponsors including Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14), Rep. Tom Massie (KY- 4), Rep. Chris Van Hollen (MD-08) and others.
Fab Labs are state-of-the-art fabrication laboratories available to the public throughout the country where children and adults can invent, design and manufacture products. The equipment can be used to design anything from tools to motors to data networks to artwork.
The first Fab Lab began as a project of MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms, and has expanded to more than 100 locations throughout the world. Read more about the project here.
“We have a great tradition of innovation in manufacturing in America. With a national network of Fab Labs we can empower and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators,” said Foster. “These labs help students build the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills they need to succeed in today’s global economy.”
The proposed legislation would create a nonprofit entity to establish a National Fab Lab network throughout the United States. This chartered status would be similar to the status enjoyed by the VFW and Little League Baseball.
The goal of the network will be to establish at least one Fab Lab for every 700,000 people, giving students throughout the country access to the tools and skills needed to bring their ideas to life. The legislation does not provide funding to the network, but seeks to provide the project with the recognition needed to grow and establish new centers throughout the country.
“As a manufacturer, businessman and a scientist I believe it’s critical that we provide the next generation with the skills to succeed in engineering and manufacturing and build the next generation of products, businesses and industries,” added Foster.
Original co-sponsors of the legislation include: Rep. Randy Hultgren [IL-14], Rep. Tom Massie [KY- 4], Rep. Chris Van Hollen [MD-08], Rep. Michael Capuano [MA-07], Rep. John Carney [DE], Rep. David Cicilline [RI-01], Rep. Gerald E. Connolly [VA-11], Rep. Danny K. Davis [IL-07], Rep. Dave Loebsack [IA-02], Rep. Betty McCollum [MN-04], Rep. Gary Peters [MI-14], Rep. Mark Pocan [WI-02], Rep. Bobby Rush [IL-01], Rep. Jan Schakowsky [IL-09], Rep. Carole Shea-Porter [NH-01].
