An exploration of the exciting field of 3D Printing and 3D Printers in the fab shop, at work, at home and in school.
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
3D Printing a World of Design
http://futurismic.com/2009/08/26/3d-printing-a-world-of-design/
"It’s 2017. I go in to the hairdresser to get dolled up for a night out. I bring a sample of the pale blue color of the dress I’m going to print for tonight and one of the taupe shoes I’ve already made this morning. The hairdresser uses a hand-held machine to scan my samples and my scalp, and then she sends a patented design for a hair band only available through her salon to the 3D printer in the back. Twenty minutes later, just as she’s finishing with her blow dryer, one of her assistants brings the hair band, which fits and looks perfect. After my night out, the hair band, shoes, and dress all go into the recycler to be sorted into raw material for my wardrobe the next night out.
It’s 2019 ..."
Saturday, 15 August 2009
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Friday, 7 August 2009
3D Printing in Metal! Surely that is not possible?
3D printing can create functional metal parts printed directly from CAD.
[snip] The ProMetal three dimensional printing process is an accurate, flexible, and reliable tool that can create extremely intricate metal tools, workpieces and molds. In many cases, ProMetal is capable of producing components that would be impossible to produce by any other means.
ExOne holds patents on 3D Printing in Metal
[snip] As I write this, I'm making things mostly by direct-metal printing: there's a machine that takes a CAD file specifying a 3D object, and builds the object, physically, as metal. If this sounds like science fiction to you, well it might.
I don't (yet) have this machine on my desk, I just rent time on it. The process that I use is proprietary to Ex One, and they do the printing. What follows is very much a layman's explanation of how it works -- for more technical information, please visit Ex One's Prometal site. (Some information about other types of 3D printing is here.)
To start with, the design is laid down, one layer at a time, in stainless-steel powder held in place by a laser-activated binder. You can see the layering on the finished pieces, it is the source of the characteristic texture of my work. Each layer is .004" to .007" thick.
The steel granules are so fine that they feel like very heavy, cool flour. During the build the extra unbound powder supports the piece, so no extra structure is needed to handle undercuts. The powder is very flowable, it's not caky like cornstarch, so removing this extra supporting powder from the finished model is quite easy. It slides off with a little shake and a light brush, and it can be poured out of interior spaces.
After the whole model is built up, and the extra powder is shaken off, the piece goes into an oven, where heat drives off the binder and fuses the steel powder. There's just enough heat to make the granules weld together where they touch, without collapsing the entire piece into a puddle. This produces a porous steel part that's about 60% dense, like the one at left.
This "green" material is matte gray, feels like sandstone, and won't take a polish. It is soft enough to cut quickly with a hacksaw, but can't quite be dented with a fingernail. It's considerably lighter than steel, which is not surprising since it's 40% air.
An artist exploring math and science in sculpture using 3D Printing in a variety of media
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Objet shows Printed Objects
Amazing 3D 'printed' objects from ObJet ... but Objet are really going to have to work on improved communications in the first part of this video. I failed to count how many times the presenter explained what was going on while managing to explain nothing at all!
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Objects are print-outs!
[snip] ... the "objects are print-outs" line stuck with me. It encapsulates not just an attitude towards material possessions, but--in one pithy phrase--one possible shape of the next economy. Take a design for a simple product--an engine part, for example, or a piece of silverware, and feed it into a computer. Press "print." Out pops (for a sufficiently wide definition of "pops") a physical duplicate, made out of materials plastic, ceramic, metal -- even sugar. Press "print" again, and out comes another copy--or feed in a new design, for the next necessary object.
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/jamais-cascio/open-future/material-issue
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
3D Printing - The Next File Sharing?
[snip] the future will see file-sharing networks trade designs for (possibly copyrighted) products. Make a bedside lamp, flyswatter, pair of sandals, plastic wine glass or a coat hook, rather than buying one. The makers say that the next version will even be able to make its own electronic circuitry.
Pirate Bay founder labels 3D printers "the future of sharing"
Friday, 10 July 2009
Fab @ Home Video
Now you can buy relatively cheap 'kits' for 3D printing. The printing process is simpler than the high end printers from ZCorp or Objet, results won't be as professional, but the fact this is possible, at this price point, is testament to the inherent simplicity of the 3D printing process and the rapid comoditization of the parts required to build a 3D printer. Watch this video, think about your application and then go buy yourself a kit and start to Fab @ Home:
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Models of everything!
There will soon be models of everything, everywhere. [snip] It's a defining moment in a parent's life: Seeing their unborn child's image on an ultrasound for the first time. Now pregnant women could have the chance to hold a life-size model of their unborn baby.
Stunning new technology allows parents to hold a life-size model of their unborn child

Monday, 15 June 2009
"One Round Left" by Jessie Sasser, PictureBandit.com
Jessie Saaser explains the process of creating a 3D sculpture:
PictureBandit.com
Thursday, 11 June 2009
Consumer services are going to explode ...
Shapeways does it again .... 3D printed light sculptures (3D photographs). Watch and love. I need one. I do. I really do.
Inside thinglab.co.uk - skulls, color, face scans and more ...
Must visit these guys. One of the best videos I have seen showing the range of possibilities for 3D printing:
Fused deposition modeling
Which 3D printing technology will 'win' in the market, or are different approaches going to find specific uses. Here's one way: fused deposition modeling. Durable, accurate, parts ... from your desktop. Slice the STL files and generate 3D support structure and extrusion paths. Solid material (thermoplastic) in filament form is heated to a less viscous state for extrusion. The model is built layer by layer, from the bottom up. Soluble supports are simply dissolved in a water based solution resulting in a part with smooth surface finish and fine detail in tact.
Inkjet Gurus from HP Scitex = Objet Geometries
Squirting solid stuff (photopolymer cured instantly) is inkjet science stuff. The part is fully ready to be used at end of 3D print. Explains the background to this technology, and describes some of the materials used. 16micron layer allows very small surface on bio-compatible materials. How to produce moving parts .... squirt those air pixels.
Solid color model copying and printing
As this field develops, new terminology will emerge. It's important the concept is 'understood', is an instant. I was struck by the terms used in this excellent video:
From a 3D computer file emailed from Australia, to a model in your hand!
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Materials innovations for 3D Printing
My guess is, there will be considerable innovation in materials for 3D printing over the next decade. Here is a snip from ZCorp:
[snip] Z Corporation today released zp(R)150, a premium composite build material for its ZPrinter(R) 450 and ZPrinter(R) 650 3D printers. zp150 improves the strength and color of 3D printed models for 3D CAD while producing whiter whites for applications such as architectural modeling where true white is the traditional standard.
Z Corporation Introduces zp150 Composite Material for Tougher 3D Printed Parts, Rich Colors and Whiter Whites
Jay Leno - 3D Print Old Car Parts - Video and Article
Jay Leno - US TV Host - has a lot of old cars with a lot of obsolete parts. When he needs to replace these parts, he skips the error-prone machinist and goes to his rapid prototyping 3D printer. Simply scan, print and repeat. Read the article, and watch the video. As he says 'Pretty amazing"
Jay Leno’s 3D Printer Replaces Rusty Old Parts
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Now I'm convinced - print your own 3D Helicopter

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Is it really this easy? A nice video from Dimension
Everything you ever wanted to know about Dimension 3D Printers:
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
With more 3D printer 'kits' appearing, schools are also starting to print in 3D

Thursday, 21 May 2009
3D Print in Sugar? Yum!
Thursday, 14 May 2009
3D Printing from Holograms

Alphabet Blocks
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
From Digital Life to Real Objects!
ProTocuBe uses the potential of 3D technology to make ideas real and to visualize projects. In particular, ProTocuBe uses various Rapid Prototyping technologies to make physical models, real-scale prototypes and scale models, for architecture, design and many different fields of application.
Rapid Prototyping is a series of systems able to create an object automatically, starting from a digital 3D model, in short times, without limits referring to the geometrical complexity, with a deep detail, in various materials, also coloured and textured.
Here is a video of a series of workshops led by ProTocuBe as they worked with students of 3D technologies.
Thursday, 23 April 2009
3D Printed Art

Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Design, Make, Collect - It's easy at Shapeways
If you ever wondered "Should I - should I go ahead of try out one of those 3D Print services, but were worried it might get complex, take a look at this compelling video from Shapeways. It shows the simplicity of the end-to-end online process of designing, ordering, printing and .... Ta Da ... delivery in 3D. Some call it Make On Demand.
Shapeways
Saturday, 18 April 2009
Moddler

Thursday, 16 April 2009
Color 3D Print Demo - ZPrinter 450
A neat video of a 3D Printer in an office location printing in color.
Ponoko
What will 3D Printing mean for a Make On-Demand service like Ponoko?
[snip] We wanted to create a place where you could shop for and make things that are completely original, and do this in the greenest way possible. So we made Ponoko ... the first online shop for individualized goods – things designed and made just for you.
Ponoko
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
MakerBot
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Friday, 27 March 2009
ObJet Printing
[snip] Parts that are difficult or impossible to make by conventional subtractive methods can be produced by additive fabrication but there are still a few limitations to what can be printed and these include wall thickness, overall physical size and the ability of the software to process your digital designs.
3D Printing You!

Just how important is 3D Printing?

Thursday, 26 March 2009
Materialize Magics Software

3D Creation Lab UK

Tuesday, 24 March 2009
ZCorp Spectrum Z510

Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)