Motorola Mobility, a Google company, is building a 3D printed modular phone, and has partnered with 3D Systems for commercial fulfillment. More »
The Captured Dimensions pop-up studio was located in the Smithsonian Castle and featured approximately 80 digital cameras all connected to 3D software. More »
Microsoft expanded their support for 3D printing by launching a Windows 8 app called 3D Builder. It includes a library of objects you can edit and 3D print. More »
3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) announced the availability of the Sense 3D scanner, the first 3D scanner designed for the consumer and optimized for 3D printing. More »
With rumors circling that 3D Systems will be purchased by IBM, the stock soars. We look at why IBM might be interested in the 3D printing giant. More »
i.Materialise Launches 3D Printing Design Challenge for Ceramics
3D Printing Design Ceramics Challenge from i.Materialise
3D printing marketplace i.Materialise has launched its latest 3D printing design challenge. This challenge asks for innovative ideas for ceramics.
Running April 8 to May 23, 2013, the competition asks entrants to submit a design on i.Materialise and the winner will get a free 3D print of their design.
Here are more details about the i.Materialise 3D Printing Ceramics Challenge.
Spring is finally entering our doors and we are in desperate need for more colors in our lives! So we’re ready to launch our first ceramics challenge where you can choose between nine vibrant colors. Are you ready?
THE CHALLENGE
For this competition, your challenge is to use 3D printing to create a product in ceramics. We give you carte blanche, so you can design anything you want: from tiles to vases, from jewelry to kitchen ware.
Surprise us by your creativity!
PRIZES
On the 23th of May the jury will select 1 winning design. The winner will receive his or her 3D print.
WHO CAN ENTER
This challenge is open to all designers, professional and amateur, regardless of sex, age or nationality.
CHALLENGE PERIOD
Submissions will be accepted up to 23:59 May 23th Central European Time, 2013.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
There is no limit on the number of entries per contestant. To enter, you need to upload your design(s) here and provide a clear explanation (under ‘desciption’) in at least 50 words.
JURY
The i.materialise team will vote upon the entries.
MATERIAL & BOUNDING BOX
Participants need to upload their file here. You can find more information about the file formats in our FAQs under ‘website’. The material for this challenge is ceramics.
There are limits on the size of the design:
Bounding box ceramics: 15 cm x 15 cm x 15 cm
i.Materialise is also hosting an Accessories Challenge, looking for accessories that are inspired by birds.
3D Printed Pets: Researchers Scan and 3D Print Animal Skeletons
3D Printed Pets
3D printing is now being used for nearly everything, but what about 3D printed pets?
Researchers at Notre Dame have combined their study of Biological Sciences with 3D printing. The team created a method for CT scanning anesthetized animals, such as rats and rabbits, converting the scans into contiguous 3D models, and then 3D printing the animal skeletons on a range of 3D printers.
Here is the abstract for their publication on this research.
Three-dimensional printing allows for the production of highly detailed objects through a process known as additive manufacturing. Traditional, mold-injection methods to create models or parts have several limitations, the most important of which is a difficulty in making highly complex products in a timely, cost-effective manner. However, gradual improvements in three-dimensional printing technology have resulted in both high-end and economy instruments that are now available for the facile production of customized models. These printers have the ability to extrude high-resolution objects with enough detail to accurately represent in vivo images generated from a preclinical X-ray CT scanner. With proper data collection, surface rendering, and stereolithographic editing, it is now possible and inexpensive to rapidly produce detailed skeletal and soft tissue structures from X-ray CT data. Even in the early stages of development, the anatomical models produced by three-dimensional printing appeal to both educators and researchers who can utilize the technology to improve visualization proficiency. The real benefits of this method result from the tangible experience a researcher can have with data that cannot be adequately conveyed through a computer screen. The translation of pre-clinical 3D data to a physical object that is an exact copy of the test subject is a powerful tool for visualization and communication, especially for relating imaging research to students, or those in other fields. Here, we provide a detailed method for printing plastic models of bone and organ structures derived from X-ray CT scans utilizing an Albira X-ray CT system in conjunction with PMOD, ImageJ, Meshlab, Netfabb, and ReplicatorG software packages.
3D Printer Comparison
The research team used three different methods for 3D printing the skeletons: consumer 3D printer MakerBot, 3D printing service Shapeways, and industrial 3D printer ProJet HD 3000.
Below is a detailed comparison:
| Method of Printing | Advantages | Disadvantages | Cost per Model |
| MakerBot | Extremely fast, variety of color options, able to print in two colors, extremely inexpensive | Lowest level of detail. Removal of support materials is slow (on the order of a couple hours). | $3.50 |
| Shapeways | Varity of color options, variety of materials for printing, high level of detail, relatively inexpensive | Two-week time to process and receive an order | $41.61 |
| ProJet HD 3000 | Relatively quick turnaround, highest level of detail, high throughput, easy to remove support materials (wax). | Most expensive up front cost ($80,000 equipment), only one color option during practical use. | $30.00 |
A video is available that walks through their method of scanning and a comparison of the results. You can watch the video at the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE). Chapters include:
| 0:05 | Title |
| 1:41 | Image Acquisition and Data Processing |
| 4:21 | Makerbot Printing |
| 6:33 | Shapeways Printing |
| 7:32 | ProJet HD 3000 Printing |
| 8:45 | Results: 3D Printed Models |
| 10:39 | Conclusion |
Top 3D Printing News Last Week: Cube, iPhone, Mars, Prosthetic Face
3D Printing News
A roundup of the top 3D printing news from April 1 to April 7:
- 3D Printing on Asteroids and Mars (Video)
- The Crowd Loves 3D Printing! Kickstarter 3D Printing Summary
Get your exclusive 15% discount to the Inside 3D Printing conference with discount code PRINT.
The Crowd Loves 3D Printing! Kickstarter 3D Printing Summary
Kickstarter 3D Printing
This post is courtesy of Internet of things blog Hack Things.
The crowdfunding world loves 3D printing. 4 of the top 10 all-time Kickstarter technology projects are 3D printers: Form1, 3D Doodler, Printrbot and the RoBo 3D printer. And there have been many other successful 3D printer campaigns as well. Here is a Kickstarter 3D printing summary.
It’s been a good week for 3D printers and related paraphernalia. Joe interviewed the guys working on the Photon 3D Scanner earlier this week. Since then they’ve hit their Indiegogo campaign goal (congratulations!).
At $450 fully assembled, the RigidBot is at the extreme inexpensive end of the spectrum for 3D Printers, but with capabilities and build volume usually reserved for much pricier machines.
The Filastruder turns plastic pellets into ready-to-use ABS or PLA plastic filament. Much like ink for traditional printers, one of the big hidden costs of operating a 3D printer is the plastic. But while the filament runs $40 or more for a 1kg spool, the pellets only cost a couple bucks. The Filastruder itself is $300, so it would pay off pretty fast.
The 3D Refiner is a simple device to get a high quality finished product out of even lower resolution 3D printing. By smoothing out the layers of a 3D printed object the Refiner leaves you with a perfectly polished final part.
Kickstarter’s stated mission is to help bring creative projects to life, so I guess it’s not too surprising that the community is eager to fund tools like these for making stuff.
We tend to assume that only a small number of dedicated hobbyists actually buy these things, but the success of so many different campaigns demonstrates that there’s actually a broad and healthy appetite. Home 3D printing is already more mainstream than you may have thought.
Via Hack Things.
3D Printing on Asteroids and Mars (Video)
3D Printing on Asteroids and Mars
NASA engineers use 3D printing to build a next-generation rover to support humans exploring other worlds, such as asteroids and, eventually, Mars. Watch the video below or see more at Stratasys.
