Tag Archives: MakerBot
Color Blending with Consumer 3D Printers Produces Amazing Results
Consumer 3D printers, like MakerBot and the Cube, cost over $1,300 and can only print in one or two colors. If you want multi-color printing, you need to use a commercial grade 3D printer that costs $20,000 or more.
Well, electrical engineer and hobbyist Richard Home, decided to branch out and design his own method of “color blending”, a technique that turns a basic 3D printer into something much more capable. He started with the open-source RepRap design and developed his own extruder design, which he coined “RichRap.”
As featured in Wired:
Here’s how it works: The RichRap has three extruder motors feeding into one nozzle, or hot end. Each motor spools plastic filament into the hot end where it is melted, then deposited on a build surface. An operator could load a RichRap with red, yellow, and blue plastics and generate green parts by mixing the yellow and blue, or purple by mixing red and blue.
Watch the videos below to see Richard discuss his design and show off some of his color prints.
Top 3D Printing Headlines Last Week: Fashion, Tech, Music, Toys, Video
A roundup of the top news On 3D Printing brought you from September 17 to September 23.
Friday, September 21
MakerBot Introduces Replicator 2 and MakerWare Software
MakerBot announced its new MakerBot Replicator 2 3D printer, its 4th generation MakerBot and the best ever desktop 3D printer, according to CEO Bre Pettis.
Targeted at engineers and professionals, but priced closer to the consumer models, the Replicator 2 is a force. It is a major step forward from previous home 3D printers and features:
- 100 micron layer resolution – no more ridges
- PLA – renewable bioplastic 3D printing material takes less power to print
- It comes assembled, not a kit
The new printer is priced at $2,199, a slight increase from the original MakerBot, which costs $1,749.
In addition, MakerBot launched new software called MakerWare.
Introducing MakerWare™, the ideal software to drive your MakerBot—and not just because it’s pretty and simple to use. This Beta release of MakerWare™ includes an all new slicing engine that prepares models up to 20 times faster than before and improves print times by up to 30 percent. But wait, there’s more!
- Some clever code optimizations make for stronger, more consistant prints.
- MakerWare™ lets you open multiple models at once and arrange them on the build platform.
- You can easily scale, move, or rotate individual models or groups of models at once.
- Now you can work with both .stl and .obj files.
Here’s a video showing MakerBot’s new announcements.
Top 3D Printing Headlines Last Week: Katy Perry, Madonna, Airplanes, Military
A roundup of the top news On 3D Printing brought you from September 3 to September 9.
Monday, September 3
Thursday, September 6
Saturday, September 8
Top 10 Countdown: Most Popular 3D Printing Stories in August 2012
Here are the top 10 most popular stories On 3D Printing brought you in August 2012.
10. 3D Printed Meat for Dinner: Peter Thiel Backs Bioprinting Startup
9. TangiBot has a Kickstarter Project for a Much Cheaper MakerBot
8. Google Employees Treated to 3D Printed Pasta by Renowned Chef
7. Stratasys and HP Part Ways on 3D Printer Manufacturing
6. Open-Source 3D Printer Pwdr Takes on MakerBot, Offers New Materials
5. Finally, an iPhone Case That Does Something Useful (Opens Beers)
4. Video: Beauty and the Beak; a Bald Eagle’s 3D Printing Story
3. Team Great Britain Olympic Cyclists Fitted with 3D Printed Helmets
2. Infographic: How 3D Printing Works, Industry Growth, Stocks, and More
1. 3D Printing at Top of “Hype Cycle”, Gartner Reports
Thanks for reading in August!
