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
Video: Maker Faire Bay Area Interviews About 3D Printing
Steve Tung brought his camera to the Maker Faire Bay Area this year and has produced a video focused on 3D printing.
Interviews include:
- Lis Sampson, founder of 3D-Bots
- Carine Carmy, Director of Marketing at Shapeways
- Ronald Rael, Professor of Architecture at UC Berkeley
A variety of materials were discussed, from plastic to ceramics to cement to wood to salt.
And Steve shows RepRap printers that can even print their own parts.
Watch the full video below.
Shapeways Opens NYC 3D Printing and Distribution Center
3D printing marketplace Shapeways has opened a NYC-based 3D printing and distribution center. This comes just a few weeks after raising $6.2M in Series B funding.
The NY-based startup began printing from a single 3D Systems ProJet 3500 Plus printer last week at its Long Island City factory/distribution center. Because the machines are customized for specific materials, the ProJet will only be churning out UV curable acrylic plastics until other printers are installed.
This past March, the Long Island City location began distributing its 3D printed wares, which paved the way for the company to begin ramping up its US production efforts. While this isn’t the “factory of the future” that was announced last November, Shapeways says the real deal will be up and running by the end of summer or early fall. There are also plans to implement a “lab” for creators and students alike to experiment with different materials and production methods to further improve and iterate upon current methods.
To date, Shapeways has over 150,000 active community members/designers with over 6,000 of them having their own online shops delivering their custom wares.
Via TechCrunch.
Harry Houdini First, Now 3D Printing Challenges Handcuff Security
Magician and escape artist Harry Houdini was knows as “The Handcuff King” in the early 1900s for his amazing ability to free himself from handcuffs. Now there is a new handcuff king in town, one who uses 3D printing to fabricate custom keys. As Forbes reports:
The security of high-end handcuffs depends on a detainee not having access to certain small, precisely-shaped objects. In the age of easy 3D printing and other DIY innovations, that assumption may no longer apply.
In a workshop Friday at the Hackers On Planet Earth conference in New York, a German hacker and security consultant who goes by the name “Ray” demonstrated a looming problem for handcuff makers hoping to restrict the distribution of the keys that open their cuffs: With plastic copies he cheaply produced with a laser-cutter and a 3D printer, he was able to open handcuffs built by the German firm Bonowi and the English manufacturer Chubb, both of which attempt to control the distribution of their keys to keep them exclusively in the hands of authorized buyers such as law enforcement.
This 3D printing achievement shows that even high-end handcuffs are no longer always secure. Keys can be reproduced and 3D printed into plexiglass or other materials that are not captured by metal detectors. It’s perhaps time to upgrade the technology used by law enforcement.
The photo below shows the 3D printed handcuff key.
Read the full story on Forbes.
Handcuff photo by Marcin Wichary used under Creative Commons license. 3D printed handcuff key by CabFabLab used under Creative Commons license.
3D Printing Architecture From the Cloud with 3D Model-To-Print Service
Cloud-based architecture 3D printing service 3D Model-To-Print announced availability of its service in North America after 3 years of development.
3D Model-To-Print (3DMTP USA and 3DMTP LTD) today announces the industry’s first affordable cloud-based service available in North America (www.3DMTPusa.com). Released after three years of development and rigorous testing, 3DMTP’s revolutionary, cloud-based patented technology prepares models to be 3D printed by automatically converting commonly-used architectural software files into 3D printable models, all without the need for costly and time-consuming manual preparation.
3D printing is used in architecture for a more effective and efficient design cycle, and improved visualization between the architect and their audience. The challenge of 3D printing for architects and designers has been the complexity, time, and cost required to prepare 3D design files for printing. With 3DMTP, architects and designers can see a return on investment in about one hour, compared to the traditional manual process.
“The solution that 3DMTP provides is one that has long been needed for our architectural customers,” states Kevin Carr, General Manager of Imaging Division of Mastergraphics — a a 3DMTP USA user, 3D print network member, and both an Autodesk and 3D Systems reseller with locations in Wisconsin, Chicago and Minneapolis. ”Not only does it save hours–even days–in the process of preparing 3D architectural design for 3D printing, it also significantly reduces the cost to prepare the designs, making 3D printing a more usable and affordable option for those wanting to make models of their architectural designs.”
How It’s Done
3DMTP is dedicated to making 3D scaled models printable and available to every architect, developer, and designer at a reasonable price. The innovation is based on cutting-edge algorithms which study the geometric structure of the model, then identify and automatically fix problems that would have prevented it from successfully printing.“We are committed to providing a state of the art experience that will simplify and enable seamless execution of 3D architectural scale model creation,” comments Ilan Sidi, CTO of 3DMTP and the pioneer of the technology.
How to Get Started
First, log in to the 3DMTP Portal. Once you are ready to turn your design into a 3D printable model, upload your design file and set your parameters: scale, profile, and desired 3D printer. 3DMTP automatically processes the file without any additional operator interface. 3DMTP also fixes holes between polygons and facets, repairs reverse surfaces, changes the thickness of walls to minimum print tolerance for the selected printer, fixes non-volumetric geometry (making objects “watertight”), and fixes many other problems of degenerated geometry that otherwise would prevent the model from printing successfully.Become a Member of the 3D Print Network
3DMTP USA is now cultivating a 3D print network in the US and Canada, comprised of 3D printer dealers, BIM/CAD dealers, and 3D print providers such as architectural model shops and reprographics service bureaus.“We are creating this professional network to help support the anticipated demand for printing 3D architectural models, due to the reduced time and cost to ready AEC models. This increased demand will be a direct result of the introduction of the 3D Model-to-Print™ automated technology into the North American markets,” explains Phil Magenheim, Director of 3DMTP USA.
Those interested in learning more about converting their 3D architectural designs into printable 3D models, or those interested in learning more about becoming a member for the 3DMTP print network member, should visit 3DMTPusa.com or contact 3DMTP USA by emailing info@3DMTPusa.com or by calling 301-637-5900.
About 3DMTP
3D Model-To-Print (3DMTP) develops and offers a unique, innovative, patented cloud-based processing service and studio software that can make every architectural 3D CAD, BIM, or SketchUp design a scaled printable model. 3DMTP is a privately owned and funded venture founded by a group of software entrepreneurs and architects who identified a novel and cost-effective solution for automatizing and optimizing the creation of 3D architectural scale models using 3D printing technologies.
Via 3dmtpusa.com.
3D printed architecture photo by post-apocalyptic research institute used under Creative Commons license.
3D Printing Presents Long-Term Threat to Otherwise Healthy Toy Stocks
Back in April, we discussed how 3D printing could disrupt the toy industry, and in May featured a story about a father printing the Rosetta stone for kids toys.
The analysts at Seeking Alpha have put together an interesting perspective of how an otherwise appealing dividend growth stock might be a failed investment because of the emergence of 3D printing. The stock is Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS), the owner of brands such as Tonka, G.I. Joe, Transformers, and My Little Pony.
As an investor who is interested in dividends, I look at these metrics to begin my analysis.
- Dividend: $1.44
- Yield: 4.1%
- 5 yr. DGR: 17.2%
- Payout Ratio: 44%
- Debt Coverage Ratio: 6.1
This is just a quick peek at a few data points, but upon deeper analysis, the company looks relatively healthy with plenty of room to increase its dividend in the near term. Additionally, the recent success of the Avengers movie is expected to translate into revenue for Hasbro. What has me worried is the future of the company five to ten years out. Why? 3-D printing.
The analyst goes on to say that once 3D printing becomes ubiquitous, it will become a threat to traditional toy makers, and we won’t be able to get the genie back in the bottle. He cites some examples of 3D printed substitutes and complements.
- The following is a video of a student at a community college who created a STAR WARS TIE Fighter. There are 2 important additional points to note: Hasbro owns the rights to sell STAR WARS toys, etc. I don’t believe that this is an exact/scanned replica because it is not as detailed as the real one would be.
- Soon, owners of Microsoft’s (MSFT) XBOX Kinect will be able to use it to scan objects and create 3-D models. This will make it very easy to create the schematic (instructions) that the printer needs.
- Also, the Pirate Bay (an illegal file-sharing website that has successfully fought against being shut down) recently created a section for sharing the 3-D schematics. There are already a number of possible cases of patent infringement. The Huffington Post notes one case where someone has shared a file that is probably a copy of a “Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine Dreadnought.”
In my eyes, this is just the first evidence of what will be gaining speed throughout the next couple of years.
Read the full article at Seeking Alpha.
Read more coverage about 3D printing and toys.
Hasbro booth photo by Gage Skidmore used under Creative Commons license.
