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 »
Search Results for: 3d printer
$300 3D Printer Printxel Shows at the Kansas City Maker Faire
The Kansas City Maker Faire was held this past weekend, celebrating things people create themselves. Geek.com posted a summary of the highlights from the show, one of which was the debut of a $300 3D printer called Printxel.
With 3D printing technology moving forward at a brisk pace, the KC Maker Faire was overrun by people who are doing some interesting things to broaden what can be done with the new printing process. Pictured above is one of the world’s first $300 3D printers, created by Billy Zelsnack. Coming out of a fully-funded Kickstarter campaign, the “Printxel” as it’s called sports the ability to print 6-inch items in its small frame using either regular plastic filament or PLA-based extrusion material.
The device is lightweight and surprisingly simple in person. While the resolution it’s capable of won’t knock your socks off, it’s capable of printing useful everyday items. The best part? After the initial Kickstarter delivery run, Zelsnack stated that he will be making the plans for the device open source so that you can build your own!
Below is the Kickstarter campaign video for the Printxel.
3D Printer Maker Objet Breaks Records by Developing 100+ Materials
3D printer manufacturer Objet has established a new record in the world of 3D printing: the ability to print with over 100 materials. This feat was accomplished by developing 39 “digital material” composites that are derivatives of other materials that can be fed to the printer.
By comparison, most consumer 3D printers can only support one, two or three unique materials in a single model and most marketplaces only support a dozen or so total materials to choose from.
From the Objet press release:
Objet expands material range to 107 including 39 new ‘Digital Material’ composites for the Objet Connex Multi-Material 3D Printing Systems
Objet Connex Multi-material 3D Printers can include up to 14 different material properties in the same model – unique to the industry.Objet Ltd., the innovation leader in 3D printing for rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing has announced 39 new ‘Digital Materials’ available with its Objet Connex range of multi-material 3D printing systems. This development places Objet customers at the forefront of additive manufacturing in terms of range of possible printing materials to choose from. Customers can now select from 107 materials ranging from rigid to rubber-like substances in terms of texture, standard to ABS-grade engineering plastic in terms of toughness, as well as from transparent to opaque, in terms of clarity and shades.
90 of the 107 materials made available by Objet are ‘Digital Materials‘, derived by the composite mixing of primary Objet materials. This enables designers, engineers and manufacturers to simulate very precise material properties to closely resemble their intended end-product with the greatest level of realism. The use of the Objet Connex multi-material 3D printer allows users to also combine up to 14 of these materials; such as rigid and flexible, or opaque and transparent materials, at the same time in a single consistent model.
According to David Reis, CEO for Objet, “With 39 new Digital Materials, Objet have become the first 3D printing company to break the 100 materials barrier. Considering that we had half this number just a few short years ago, this growth in material choice confirms our commitment to consistently deliver new and enhanced material properties to our customers,” explains Reis. These new materials will be used by design and manufacturing companies in virtually every industry segment and in every stage of their product prototyping process from form modeling to fit testing and functional verification.
The company has also today launched two new material enhancements. It now offers a new and improved Objet Rigid Black material (Objet VeroBlackPlus) providing increased dimensional stability and surface smoothness for all-purpose rapid prototyping applications.* Objet’s 2011-released High Temperature material, offering the high thermal functionality of engineering plastics will be available on all Objet Connex and Objet EdenV 3D Printers and the new Objet30 Pro Desktop 3D Printer.
Objet released a whitepaper listing the 10 reasons to shift to multi-material printing. In that whitepaper is the chart below that shows Objet’s continuous innovation in 3D printable materials.
Below is a video of a 3D printed car being manufactured with 14 different materials in the same model.
Via MarketWatch and Objet.
Objet Launches Versatile Objet30 Pro Desktop 3D Printer in Japan
We covered the announcement of the Objet30 Desktop 3D Printer back in May. It was touted as the most versatile desktop 3D printer and Objet released a catchy promo video to showcase its capabilities.
Today, Objet announced the launch of the Objet30 Pro in Japan.
The new desktop 3D printer offers 7 different materials, including, for the first time on a desktop system, clear transparent material and high temperature resistant material. Objet30 Pro is positioned as the ultimate rapid prototyping solution for designers and engineers, ranging from industries including consumer goods and consumer electronics to medical devices and design consultancies. Objet30 Pro will be showcased at DMS from Jun 20 – 22, 2012 at Tokyo Big Sight.
Objet30 Pro is the top-of-the-line addition to Objet’s existing desktop 3D printer line which starts at JPY1,980,000*, offering professional 28 micron print quality and wide ranging material versatility, opening the doors to limitless possibilities.
Mr. Eric Goguy, President & CEO of Objet Japan Co. Ltd commented, “Demand for 3D printers has been growing steadily over the years on a global level. At the same time, 3D printing applications are becoming more diverse due to the increasingly complex requirements as a result of the ever-changing market conditions. The need to shorten time-to-market has become a critical competitive advantage; thus rapid prototyping is indeed a cost-effective solution for many manufacturers. We believe that such trend will in turn heighten the demand for 3D printers such as the Objet30 Pro, one that is versatile, compact and most importantly, without compromising quality.
Read the full press release for more details.
UP! 3D Printer from China: Viable Competitor to US 3D Printer Makers
Forest Higgs, a self-proclaimed “technocratic anarchist”, has written a detailed review of the UP! 3D printer, a compact desktop 3D printer from China.
Forest explains how he first was introduced to the UP! 3D printer.
Some months ago, a long term technology friend of mine acquired an UP! While Peggy has been a inspired developer of educational technology for years, she did not, to the best of my knowledge, have any prior knowledge of the ins and outs of 3D printing on personal printers. In spite of that, Peggy whipped her UP! printer out of the box and did a brilliant print first time out. That really caught my attention. I’d been working on the Reprap project for years and still, when I bought a Rapman, a greatly enhanced Darwin-derivative, several years ago it had taken me the better part of a month to get used to the quirks of printing on it to the point that I could get reliably good prints.
Later he walks through specific features and functionality, with detailed photos and comparisons to other printers in the market.
Out of the box, one thing that immediately struck me was the tiny size of the UP! The 140x140x135mm print volume reminded me a lot of the old Makerbot Cupcake. It took me about half an hour to get out of the box and set up, ready for operation. While the manuals indicated that I might have to level the print surface, this was not necessary. Calibrating the printhead height took about ten minutes. When I ordered the UP, I was very worried about print adhesion to the print surface. Delta Micro offered three solutions; perforated printed circuit board, painted glass and Kaplon tape covered glass. I had had so much drama with prints peeling off of the print table with the Rapman over the years that I ordered all three options.
Forest concludes: the UP! is a meaningful competitor from China.
Finally, it appears that Delta Micro is going for the throat of the manufacturers of Repraps in the US and elsewhere. They are now offering a slightly smaller printer, the UP! Mini! with a 120x120x120 enclosed print volume which uses standard 1.75 mm filament for less than $1,000. The UP! Mini appears to be a serious challenge to both the Reprap variations and to the 3D Systems Cube system. It strikes me that unless the quality and ease of use of UP! competitors makes a rather quick quantum leap they could easily find themselves to be a historical footnote in the history of 3D printing rather than a new paradigm of virally diffused technology.
Read the full review by Forest Higgs, who says on his blog, “If I wasn’t supposed to take it apart, it wouldn’t have screws in it.”
UP! 3D printer photo by donjd2 used under Creative Commons license.
Why to Get Your Dad a 3D Printer for Father’s Day: The New Tool Belt
Dad’s love to fix things. Many a dad has a wood shop or tool shed, and increasingly digital creation software as well.
Although Dad can easily use a hammer and nails to repair part of the house, it is nearly impossible to fix something “Made in China”, that was, before 3D printing.
Here is a story from Duann Scott at Shapeways about fixing his child’s stroller when a plastic piece broke.
Being a father is one of life’s greatest adventures, simultaneously rewarding and incredibly challenging. Some of the most rewarding moments are those when you get to overcome those challenges in a creative way. I have had the pleasure of using 3D printing to solve some of the challenges fatherhood raises and to help my children understand they can make whatever they want, now.
My crowning victory in domestic innovation and DIY mastery came when I repaired my broken stroller for under $25, saving money and opening my wife’s eyes (and many other geek dads) to the potential of 3D printing. It was incredibly empowering after being abandoned by a manufacturer because a product was out of warranty that I could crack it open and fix it, like a modern day handy man, using LASERS….
Morale of the story
This Father’s Day, give Dad the newest tool in home improvement: a 3D printer.
Or, maybe a gift card to Shapeways?
Via Shapeways blog.
