Tag Archives: CAD
Inside 3D Printing Conference in New York – A Retrospective
Inside 3D Printing Conference
In a context that felt a bit like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, this week 3D printing went to New York for the first ever Inside 3D Printing Conference. Over two full days at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, a broad array of industry leaders, innovators, academics and analysts gave keynotes, led seminars, and showed off their latest products to over 3,000 conference attendees. For many in the crowd, this was a crash course on a technology that has been exploding in the public consciousness over the past two years, and for others it was a chance to network, hear from big names in the industry, and get a sense for where 3D printing will go next.
In a role that seemed fitting given his company’s leadership in the industry and status as the conference’s primary sponsor, 3D Systems CEO Avi Reichental opened the conference with the declaration, “Complexity is free” in a 3D printed world. Never before, he underlined, has a manufacturing process been indifferent to geometric complexity, and to him this is the single biggest reason 3D printing will continue to grow and expand into sectors ranging from education to medical devices to automotive and aerospace.
Much of the conference’s focus was on these different segmentations of 3D printing, and breakout seminars throughout the two days took a deeper dive in a variety of subjects. Some of the more memorable seminars explored integrating 3D printers into K-12 education, topology optimization – a complex but very impressive design tool that appears to be a perfect match for 3D printing, consumer desktop and cloud 3D printing, and bioprinting human tissue for medical applications. Longtime industry analyst Terry Wohlers and Shapeways CEO Peter Weijmarshausen also gave keynote addresses highlighting their vision for the industry’s future.
3D Printed iPhone Case from Sculpteo
Outside the seminar room the conference also had a distinctly hands-on element. A bustling exhibit hall hosted dozens of booths showing off a variety of consumer and enterprise 3D printers along with more curious technologies like 3D scanners and novel CAD input devices. 3D printing service companies were also eager to engage with potential customers, showing high quality parts available for remote ordering online.
While many sides of the industry were highlighted at the inaugural Inside 3D Printing Conference this week, the underlying theme was very clear: while 3D printing technology may have existed in research labs and niche applications since the 1980s and ‘90s, it is only now beginning to truly change our lives in meaningful ways. And from the number of times speakers said “Nascent,” “Just the first inning,” or “Only scratching the surface” to describe the state of the industry, it is clear that insiders see the eventual impact that 3D printing will make on the world to be profound, far-reaching, and on a larger scale than most casual observers can imagine today.
Authored by Brian H. Jaffe, founder of Mission St. Manufacturing and contributor to On 3D Printing.
Inside 3D Printing Conference: Day 1 Top Stories
Inside 3D Printing Conference: Day 1
Day 1 of the Inside 3D Printing Conference was a big success, with great networking and inspiring speakers. Here are the top stories from Day 1.
3D Printing’s Apple 1 Moment: 3D Printing Conference (Part 1)
“3D printing is in its Apple 1 moment,” said Brian Evans as he showed a photo of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak (above). The first Apple 1 was just a circuit board. Customers had to build a plywood case around it. “Who knew that in 30 years we’d all be carrying iPhones?” Evans mused.
Keynote Declares “Complexity is Free”: 3D Printing Conference (Part 2)
Avi Reichental, CEO of 3D Systems, opened this week’s inaugural Inside 3D Printing Conference in New York City with the declaration “Complexity is free.”
3D Systems: Geomagic Design to Advance CAD and 3D Printing
3D Systems announced availability of Geomagic Design, a new suite of affordable CAD design solutions.
Invest in Bioprinting to Get a 3D Printed Ear or New Hip: 3D Printing Conference (Part 3)
Two well-respected speakers in the medical 3D printing field presented today at the Inside 3D Printing conference on bioprinting.
Demo Exhibits Open-Source Complexity: 3D Printing Conference (Part 4)
In a demo at the Inside 3D Printing conference, Brian Evans exposed the complexity of low-cost, open-source consumer 3D design and 3D printing.
3D Systems: Geomagic Design to Advance CAD and 3D Printing
3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) today announced the immediate availability of Geomagic® Design, a new suite of affordable CAD design solutions. Geomagic Design delivers comprehensive and robust mechanical CAD design tools, allowing ideas to go from concept to manufacturing and production for professional engineers, makers, students, consumers and hobbyists.
Leveraging 3D Systems’ combined Alibre® and Geomagic platform, Geomagic Design is now also available as part of a series of software packages that include Geomagic Freeform® products. These powerful packages combine organic, touch-based 3D sculpting with robust B-Rep CAD and detail design tools from Geomagic Design.
Geomagic Design is available in three versions: Personal, Professional and Expert, each tailored to the needs and budgets of our growing user base. Geomagic Design comes with over 35 new tools and more than 100 enhancements, built on a robust platform that is sure to deliver a rock-solid design-to-manufacture experience.
Top features of Geomagic Design include:
- 2D Documentation module – New tools and workflow enhancements allow engineers to immediately and accurately create 2D detail drawings from the 3D data for use in manufacturing and production planning.
- Sheet metal design module – Integrated sheet metal design capabilities plus new sketch bend commands tackle complex design tasks.
- New platform – featuring a highly productive engineering design environment for an exceptional user experience.
Geomagic Design solutions also include comprehensive rendering tools, built-in motion simulation tools and a wide range of 3D CAD and neutral 3D format support to enable interoperability of design data.
These products deliver on 3D Systems’ commitment to democratize access to intuitive yet advanced solutions that excel both as a standalone CAD design suite and as a seamless addition to any multi-CAD environment. Geomagic Design Expert provides 3D design, advanced sheet metal design, 2D documentation, rendering, data and process management and simulation tools for $1,999 and Geomagic Design Personal, for students, hobbyists and makers, is available for only $199.
“I just want to compliment the Geomagic team on an outstanding release,” commented David McMahon, a beta tester for the latest version. “The renewed toolsets for the 2D drawing mode and their full integration into the workflow are what I most appreciate.”
Advanced Design Tools Made Better with Software Packages from Geomagic
The Geomagic Freeform + Geomagic Design Expert software packages allow customers to benefit from a powerful and unprecedented design workflow. Users can now create intricate, organic designs, such as toys and jewelry, using combinations of voxel, NURBs, polygon and SubD modeling, into a downstream CAD platform for fast, accurate detail design, 2D drawing creation and sheet metal design ready for production. These packages start at $20,500.
“We are committed to democratizing access to powerful and affordable 3D design software for the benefit of professionals and beginners alike,” said Calvin Hur, Vice President and General Manager, 3D Systems Authoring Tools. “This release builds on that commitment by delivering powerful and capable design tools that are easy to pick up and hard to put down.”
Get a Free Trial of Geomagic Design
An online tour and Free Trial of Geomagic Design is available at:
http://www.geomagic.com/en/products-landing-pages/geomagicdesign
More at 3D Systems.
Make: Where Do We Really Stand On 3D Printing?
Make magazine has published an extensive opinion piece about 3D printing as part of its 3D Thursday series. The article is called 3D Printing Revolution: the Complex Reality.
The main thesis of the post is that while 3D printers are becoming increasingly popular, the reality might not match the hype. For one, designing for manufacturability is hard – from CAD software to industrial design techniques. Another issue is the durability and precision of materials used in 3D printing, such as ABS plastic, may not be engineering-grade.
Concluding, the author states:
One day, a silver bullet solution may materialize; if it does, it will be probably nothing like any of the existing technologies we are experimenting with. Until then, it pays to focus on the process, not on this week’s most-hyped tool.
These points are valid and one has to acknowledge that 3D printing won’t replace all manufacturing processes overnight. But look at the applications that are already commercial, from medical and dentistry to fashion to toys and games. Expect more to follow quickly with the rapid pace of innovation in 3D printing!
Video: Think You Can Solve Rubik’s Cube? Try 3D Printed X-Cube
Dane Christianson, a student at the Illinois Institute of Technology, used CAD and 3D printing to create X-Cube, a version of Rubik’s Cube for serious puzzle experts. Dane comments on his creation.
I created this using CAD and 3D printing. It’s a Rubik’s type puzzle with fully functional additional layers on four of the faces of a typical Rubik’s Cube.
This project was completed through the Idea Shop at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Watch the video below to see the mega-puzzle in motion.
