- 1st birthday celebrations for formerly conjoined twins saved by 3D printing (3ders.org)
September 17, 2015
In 1996, the Spice Girls told us that ‘tonight is the night where two become one’, but one fortunate family have good reason to celebrate a night where one became two. Additive manufacturing is regularly used to save time, money and the environment, but relatively few people can claim to have had their lives saved by it. Tyler and Tyson Proctor, a pair of formerly conjoined twins whose life-saving operation was helped by the use of 3D-printed models, have celebrated their 1st birthday in the hospital in which they were operated upon.
- Bitonti Creates Gold-Plated 3D Printed Shoes, Launches Mutatio Line with 3D Systems & United Nude (3dprint.com)
September 16, 2015
Stunning! Today, we’re talking shoes, of the 3D printed variety, from one of our favorite fashion designers. And shut the front door–yes, we could actually wear these. Known to many, Francis Bitonti has been able to accomplish quite the ‘feat,’ establishing himself as a designer who successfully mixes the innovative and industrial materials of this brave new world with apparel and shoes. We’ve been following Bitonti with great interest, but certainly few missed his 3D printed dress for Dita von Teese, or the Molecule 3D printed shoes, which came shortly after.
- Polymaker & Bayer Team for Desktop Polycarbonate 3D Printing Filaments (3dprintingindustry.com)
September 15, 2015
Polycarbonate material, known for its strength and transparency, has only really been utilized as a filament base for more pricey industrial 3D printers, leaving the everyday user of desktop printing with less access to this valuable material. Though there are some manufacturers of PC for desktop machines, the exclusivity of this material is being reduced even further with Polymaker’s new polycarbonate-based filament, Polymaker PC.
- Intel and Chromat unveil Curie-powered 3D printed responsive sports bra that prevents excessive sweating (3ders.org)
September 15, 2015
As women throughout the world will verify, bras are not perfect. They can be uncomfortable, feature straps that dig into shoulders and after a long day quite a lot of sweat can accumulate in them. High time, fashion designers Chromat and technology giant Intel believed, to do something about it. At the New York Fashion Week, Chromat and Intel debuted their 3D printed smart sports bra, that is filled with enough Intel power to sense changes in temperature, breathing and perspiration and will even open or close tiny vents to prevent excessive sweating.
- NASA conducting tests on 3D-printed F-1 rocket engine parts against 1960s era part (3ders.org)
September 14, 2015
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s interest in 3D printing technology is showing no signs of slowing down. Less than a month ago, NASA were reported to be interested in Aurora Labs’ ultra-fast metal 3D printer. Now, engineers at NASA have been conducting tests on 3D-printed rocket engine parts, comparing their stability to equivalent parts made by traditional welding and forging.
- September 15th, 3D Hubs Events in Austria and Los Angeles (3dprint.com)
September 14, 2015
3D Hubs events ebb and flow weekly. Some weeks are jam-packed with so many events that there are several events scheduled on the same day. Other weeks, there’s only a few events, but they are nonetheless important for those planning to attend them. This week, we have two events on the calendar: one sponsored by 3D Hubs in Graz, Austria. The other event is a Scanner Party with Sketchfab in Los Angeles, California. At this party you can scan your own objects or yourself for a 3D printed selfie bust. You choose!
- Creator Kits launches 3D printed knife kit on Kickstarter, planning a series of 3D printable model kits (3ders.org)
September 10, 2015
Which one of us didn’t start out with assembling plastic model kits? In a way, 3D printing is a continuation of that fantastic hobby and a fine tradition for father and son, but it requires a lot more investments to work on worthwhile projects that go beyond the Pokémon pot planters. That inaccessibility has disappointed entrepreneurial duo Christ and Tyler from California, and has prompted them to found startup Creator Kits. The goal of Creator Kits is to launch a series of model kits containing a few components, 3D printable files and a tutorial that makes the hobby far more accessible and understandable, and they have just launched the first set on Kickstarter: a knife kit with a 3D printed handle.
- Who You Gonna Call? 3D Printed Ghostbusters! (3dprintingindustry.com)
September 9, 2015
3D printing has many important and potentially world-changing applications. From 3D printed homes, to prosthetics, to innumerable medical applications, there is no shortage of ways in which 3D printing can enhance our lives. No application, however, is more dear to my heart than having the ability to 3D print Halloween costumes. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, and having a 3D printer makes Halloween that much more fun. This past Halloween, in fact, I 3D printed two proton packs and dressed my two dogs up as Ghostbusters.
- Ballantine designs 3D printed space glass for drinking Whiskey in zero gravity (3ders.org)
September 8, 2015
Thinking of astronaut food recalls images of toothpaste tube meals and drinking from plastic bags with straws. This may not be the case for long, however, as Scottish whiskey distiller Ballantine's has successfully commissioned a stylish 3D printed whiskey glass made for the microgravity conditions of space.
- The 10 Coolest Things to Ever Be 3D Printed (3dprint.com)
September 4, 2015
Okay, I know a list like this may be a tad bit too cliché for the internet but after covering the industry for close to two years now I thought it would be fun to compose a list of the 10 coolest (in my opinion) 3D printed items of all time. Note that ‘all-time’ really means in the last 29 years and a few months, as the technology is rather new, and the majority of these items have actually been printed in the last couple of years. Here you have it, the 10 coolest 3D printed items ever!!
- Tiertime Fights Back Against Stratasys on Home Turf with uCRobotics Lawsuit (3dprintingindustry.com)
September 16, 2015
As the 3D printing industry grows, so do the lawsuits. I may be missing a few, but, so far, here are the lawsuits occurring in the industry: Stratasys v Afinia, Shareholders v Stratasys, Shareholders v 3D Systems, and Rokit v Moment. Memjet v HP has been deemed by legal professionals as not very 3D printing related and 3D Systems v Formlabs has been resolved. To fill the lawsuit void is Beijing Tiertime, the manufacturers of the popular UP! series of 3D printers, who are now suing uCRobotics, a Chinese distributor of MakerBot 3D printers.
- Leading 3D artist Keith Brown transcends physical form with full-colour 3D printed sculptures (3ders.org)
September 16, 2015
Keith Brown is one of the most renowned and foremost digital sculptors currently working, and is considered one of the earliest adopters of 3D printing technologies within the world of fine arts. His latest work utilizes the full-colour technology of Mcor 3D printers to create mind-bending 3D creations that go beyond what is possible in photographic or 2D forms.
- ReconstructMe 3D real-time scanning system now available for free (3ders.org)
September 15, 2015
Our generation’s obsession with selfies doesn’t seem to be coming to an end any time soon, and why should it when companies are making it so easy and fun to take a boring old picture of your face and bring it to entirely new levels? Instagram filters and cutesy emoji stickers are just scratching the surface, but why stop there when you can capture and create a 360-degree, 3D printable likeness of your beautiful self? ReconstructMe’s intuitive 3D scanning system allows you to create 3D scans of everything from your face to an entire room, and is now available entirely for free.
- Polymaker and Covestro Introduce Polycarbonate-Based 3D Printing Filament PC-Plus and PC-Max (3dprint.com)
September 15, 2015
Since the 1950s one of the world’s most widely used thermoplastics has been polycarbonate because it is strong, rigid and easy to heatform. It is used in industrial applications as diverse as household appliances, dishes, automotive parts, DVDs, security glass and even water bottles. The material is also ideally suited to injection molding, mainly because once cooled it is remarkably strong, and can bend and deform without breaking or cracking. Unfortunately it hasn’t been widely used for 3D printing applications, mainly because its high melting temperature means that only expensive and specialized 3D printers can properly work with it.
- Hybrid 3D Printer Market Expands with Northype’s Adam All-in-One 3D Printer (3dprintingindustry.com)
September 14, 2015
When it comes to the next stage in 3D printing technology, all signs seem to be pointing towards manufacturing hybrid 3D printers that are able to handle most 3D-related projects. The market has already welcomed multi-faceted printers from companies like ZMorph and FABtotum, now the Italian-based Northype has thrown their hat into the hybrid race with their new all-in-one printer, the Adam. Adam will be launched via Kickstarter later this month, planning to go beyond being a desktop printer by implementing features that make the Adam a 3D platform that can be utilized for every step of the manufacturing process.
- 3D printed, GPS-enabled Camera Restricta prevents generic photos at popular sights (3ders.org)
September 10, 2015
When photography was first introduced, it was a specialized and complicated practice, requiring heavy equipment, a steady hand, and loads of patients. Today, with digital cameras and now smartphones, people point, click and upload without even thinking, leading to an endless stream of photos that are poorly framed, over-exposed, and worse of all: hopelessly generic. To prevent any more of these yawn-worthy shots, a new camera device uses invisible metadata to determine if too many photos have been taken in a particular spot, and if so, physically restricts the user from taking anymore.
- How a mustachioed Duchamp chess set is opening the dialogue on 3D printing and copyright laws (3ders.org)
September 9, 2015
Last year, US-based 3D fabrication artists Scott Kildall and Bryan Cera designed and created 3D printable chess pieces based on Marcel Duchamp’s personal, one-of-a-kind, hard-carved set. The files were uploaded to Thingiverse under the title “Readymake” to be shared, altered and printed for free, and the artists felt satisfied not only with the challenge of their 3D re-creation, but with the fact that they were following the footsteps of Duchamp’s ‘readymade’ art movement itself. Shortly thereafter, Kildall and Cera received a stern cease-and-desist from the Duchamp Estate citing copyright infringement, and were forced to scrub the internet of their work and disappear without a fight. This year, Kildall and Cera are back with a new 3D design project titled “Chess with Mustaches,” a playful, bold, and very well-thought out answer to the Duchamp Estate, which they hope will get people talking about the lines between intellectual property, artwork, and where 3D printing and Internet remixes fit into the debate.
- 3D Printing Marketplace “Formsfield” Sprouts Up in Poland (3dprintingindustry.com)
September 9, 2015
The issue that most 3D printable model marketplaces are trying to address is that either they offer a lot of relatively useless and unappealing designs or they must accept having an extremely limited selection of products. With consumer 3D printing being a very new means of production, not many designers have yet found the way to fully exploit it.
Formsfield, a new Poland-based 3D printing boutique, may represent the sign that something is changing. Like other marketplaces, including 3DShook and even MyMiniFactory, it has launched to provide consumers with a curated selection of home-office products. The news is that it already offers as many as 200 3D printable models and it has only officially launched today.
- 3D Systems Textiles: 3D Printed Fashion Out-of-the-Box & into the Cube (3dprintingindustry.com)
September 8, 2015
3D Systems’ claim to fame started with the creation of the first commercial 3D printing machine, invented in 1989. Since the time of 3D Systems’ conception, the market has expanded from strictly industrial applications to encompass more consumer-based systems, and a plethora of 3D printing companies are vying for a spot on top of creative sectors, including the ever-evolving world of fashion. And, as 3D printed fashion moves off the runway and into the home, the 3D printing inventor has made it even easier for any consumer to 3D print their own textiles through 3D Systems’ new Fabricate platform.
- Just in Time for Fallout 4: 3D Print Your Own AER9 Laser Rifle (3dprint.com)
September 4, 2015
If you’ve ever played any of the modern Fallout games, then you probably remember how excited you were when, after hours of endless roaming and fighting off mutant cannibals, giant rats and radscorpions, you finally found an AER9 Laser Rifle of your very own. While there are certainly more exotic and flashy weapons to be found in the massive world of Fallout, none was as useful while wandering the Wasteland as the highly dependable laser rifle. Because of its large ammunition capacity and because it’s a highly accurate weapon, players could easily take out all manner of enemies safely from a distance, often before they even had a chance to get a shot off.
- KerfCase Releases First Metal 3D Printed iPhone 6 Cases (3dprintingindustry.com)
September 16, 2015
3D printed iPhone cases have been around since just about the dawn of desktop 3D printing, but never has a 3D printed smartphone case been as classy as the ALLOY, from KerfCase, made with a combination of natural wood and 3D printed metal. Not only is the ALLOY series among the first, if not the first, line of iPhone cases to be 3D printed in metal, but KerfCase used an industrial-grade 3D printer, typically used for aerospace and biomedical printing, to make it.
- TurboSquid & 3D Hubs Kick Off New Partnership with 3D Printable Shark Week Collection (3dprint.com)
September 15, 2015
TurboSquid is an online 3D model marketplace that was started by digital animators in New Orleans in 2000, and it has grown over the past fifteen years to hold more than 300,000 models with 2.5 million members. A wide variety of people–spanning digital animators, visual artists, gamers, and 3D printing hobbyists–use this popular platform to modify and download 3D printable models. And now that TurboSquid has announced that 3D Hubs is its new global 3D printing partner, we will no doubt be seeing more growth as these two 3D printing companies collaborate to bring customers high-quality, affordable and convenient 3D printable items to their doorsteps.
- Overworld Designs creates working, 3D printed Furiosa prosthetic for cosplaying amputee (3ders.org)
September 15, 2015
It’s rare enough to see disabled characters represented in mainstream Hollywood films, and even rarer to see them in powerful, lead roles, wielding guns, leading armies, and generally kicking their able-bodied enemies’ butts. But that’s exactly what Imperator Furiosa does, and what inspired fellow-amputee Laura Vaughn to have a fully functional, prosthetic mech-arm 3D printed in her likeness.
- Ira3D launches Poetry Infinity superfast 3D printer (3ders.org)
September 14, 2015
Italian 3D printer manufacturer Ira3D has recently launched a follow-up model to its Poetry2, which they are calling the Poetry Infinity. Just like its predecessor, the Poetry Infinity performs with accuracy, reliability, and a remarkably large build volumea (250x250x300mm), however this ‘superfast’ upgrade has been significantly improved in terms of speed and acceleration.
- 3D Printed Molds for Pieces in Throne of Kings Chess Set (3dprint.com)
September 14, 2015
I have seen a lot of 3D printed chess sets in my day, it seems to be a project that just cries out to 3D print enthusiasts, almost as a rite of passage. The sets have ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous to the downright ugly and just when I thought I couldn’t possibly stomach one more, my editor sent me a story on a chess game created by Studioqubed. Although still wary, I was hopeful as the designers at Studioqubed have been the creators of amazing pieces in the past, such as a 16″ high 3D printed model of The War Machine for Denver’s Comic Con back in July.
- Made in Gaza: Glia Project Offers Open Source, Low-Cost, Locally 3D Printed Medical Supplies (3dprint.com)
September 10, 2015
Last month, we covered news of Dr. Tarek Loubani’s Glia Project, which seeks to bring 3D printed medical equipment to the areas that need it most–starting with the much-beleaguered Gaza Strip. The incredible stethoscope he developed is able to be created at extreme cost savings and in a fraction of standard production time thanks to 3D printing technology.
- MIT labs FitSocket measures human limb tissue to 3D print better-fitting prosthetics (3ders.org)
September 9, 2015
Researchers at MIT’s biomechatronics group are developing a non-invasive tool that can sense the soft-tissue properties in human limbs, measuring which areas are softer or harder due to bones, muscles or nerves. This data can then be used to 3D print custom sockets for prosthetic-wearers, greatly decreasing the pain and discomfort associated with traditional, hand-made models.
- Maison 203 presents a nature-inspired clutch made entirely by 3D printing (3ders.org)
September 8, 2015
The Italian design house Maison 203, which specializes in creating contemporary 3D printed jewelry, has recently released its first entirely 3D printed clutch, known as Armure. Designed by the renowned Odo Fiorvanti, who has collaborated with Maison 203 in the past, the clutch was inspired by the fruit of the cypress tree: smooth, rounded scales appear to hover or ‘float’ over the inner sphere, much like a small pinecone (or, as the title suggests, a suit of armor.)
- Heijmans Contest Seeks the 3D Printed Wall Cladding of the Future (3dprint.com)
September 4, 2015
Heijmans is a construction company from the Netherlands, and together with 3D print luminaries DUS Architects and 3D Hubs, they’re sponsoring a 3D print contest.
You may be familiar with Heijmans from the company’s collaborations with 3D Print Canal House and the MX3D Bridge in Amsterdam. All those projects are at the forefront of 3D printed and AM architectural practice, and they include some of the most famous names in that practice.
- ZVerse Finding Big Success with 3D Printing Selfie Kiosks in Stadiums, Williams-Brice Next (3dprint.com)
September 4, 2015
3D printing has offered a lot to the wide world of sports–from allowing a versatile range of equipment to be 3D printed to unleashing enormous opportunity in retail markets for figurines, trophies, and more–not to mention offering companies a way to expand marketing and branding broadly. To enjoy the benefits of 3D printing, generally the starting point is creativity.