i.materialise is adding untreated brass to its range of finishing options – print your designs in basic brass without polish, coating or plating to give them a vintage look.
If you’re 3D printing jewelry or miniatures and want to create a vintage appearance, you’ll be interested to hear about i.materialise’s most recent addition to their range of finishing options – untreated brass.
With this new finishing option, you can print your creations in basic brass. This means you can choose no polishing, coating or plating. However, this can lead to more patina and even damage than if you choose to add a different finish.
The material, which is an alloy of copper and zinc, has a very old school appearance which will oxidize over time. i.Materialise also point out that this option is more affordable than other options when it comes to 3D printing in brass. This is due to the lack of plating or coating.
New Material and Reduced Lead Times from i.Materialise
If you choose untreated brass, it’s worth remembering that it will not receive a PU coating. This means it is not protected against oxidation or scratches. You will also be able to see the printing lines.
i.Materialise add that brass is very versatile and they offer it in a variety of other colors and plating. Reasons for choosing brass may be to form-fit before ordering in gold or silver due to the significant price difference.
However, it is also regularly used to print detailed miniatures, sculptures, and jewelry. But, if you’re now worried about scratches, there are over 20 different material options available to peruse instead.
Another important change happening at i.Materialise is their reduction of lead times for aluminum – they’re now shipping in 12 business days. They’ve also reduced titanium lead times which are now down to 11 business days.
Keep in mind that although untreated brass is an affordable option, the price is affected by the volume of your print. Visit the company’s website to find out more about the options available to you.
Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory researchers used X-rays to learn more about 3D printing defects and understand how to print 3D metal parts without defects.
Using 3D printing to create metal parts for cars, ships or planes has many advantages such as enabling manufacturers to create complex parts on-the-spot. However, there is still the problem and common occurrence of defects like micro-fractions during printing. Even parts, that were 3D printed on one machine, are running into different problems.
“With 3D printing, you can make parts with very complex geometries that are not accessible for casting like regular metal parts. Theoretically, it can be a quick turnaround – simply design, send, print from a remote location. But we’re not there yet. We still need to figure out all of the parameters involved in making solid, strong parts,” Johanna Nelson Weker, the SLAC Staff Scientist leading the research, explains.
Although 3D printed metal parts are already being used by many companies, such as General Electric, they need to undergo extensive testing before use.
The researchers argue that if they learn more about defects, they would be able to reduce the amount of required testing time. As a result, this could save a lot of time and money during manufacturing.
Learning and Understanding Defects to Save Time and Money
Often with 3D printing metal, the researchers found that pits or weak spots form due to uneven cooling and hardening. To understand this further and get rid of pits, the researchers are investigating every aspect of the 3D printing process from the metal used to the heating and cooling speed.
They hope this research could result in a “recipe” for 3D printer laser settings that manufacturers can use. “We are providing the fundamental physics research that will help us identify which aspects of metal 3D printing are important,” says Chris Tassone, a staff scientist in SSRL’s Materials Science Division.
Before deciding to use X-rays, the researchers observed prints from above and by using thermal radiation. However, two different X-rays techniques provided the best way to understand what is happening inside the part.
This way, the researchers collect micron-resolution images of events as well as bounce X-rays off the atoms and investigate the structure further when the metal changes from solid to liquid and back.
The team has further plans to also investigate directed energy deposition processes — usually used to repair parts — and also to integrate a high-speed camera into its experimental framework too so they can compare these images to X-rays.
The researchers are carrying out the study at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) along with others from the DOE’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Ames Laboratory. Find out more on the SLAC website.
What is it?: Participants will see 3D printing business applications and demonstrations of the latest developments in printers and services, including programs for designers, artists, and manufacturers.
Strength: At the Inside 3D Printing show you will see how 3D printing is revolutionizing the manufacturing, jewelry, medicine, architecture, the aerospace industry and many more.
Price: Free
Registration: The registration site is coming soon.
3D printed object made from hydrogel shapeshifts after it has been printed.
Engineers at Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology have developed a 4D printing method which may find application in tissue engineering and targeted drug delivery systems.
The 4D printing method uses a hydrogel which can change shape after being 3D printed. The shapeshifting is temperature regulated.
Hydrogels are traditionally used in everyday applications such as contact lenses or diapers. One of their benefits is that they retain their shape despite containing water (hence the name ‘hydro’).
The invention offers huge potential for the 3D bio-printing of organs. Alternatively, it could be used to transport drugs into the body as the gel can contain molecules.
According to Howon Lee, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Rutgers, there’s even room for soft robotics development using the new method.
“The full potential of this smart hydrogel has not been unleashed until now,” he explains. “We added another dimension to it, and this is the first time anybody has done it on this scale. They’re flexible, shape-morphing materials. I like to call them smart materials.”
Hydrogel shrinks and grows as temperature changes
Up until now, the use of hydrogel manufacturing has focused on using 2D methods such as lithography or molding techniques.
The latest study published in Scientific Reports by Lee and his colleagues highlights a new application for lithography methods to shape 3D objects.
As part of their testing, the engineers printed layers of a specialist resin to create a 3D object. The resin consisted of a hydrogel to act as a binder, as well as a light-activated bonding chemical and a controlling dye.
During testing, the researchers found that the hydrogel would retain more water and consequently grow at temperatures below 32 degrees Celsius. At higher temperatures, the gel would expel water and shrink.
That means, even the smallest objects such as human hair can be printed and subsequently grown in size.
Lee adds: “If you have full control of the shape, then you can program its function. I think that’s the power of 3D printing of shape-shifting material. You can apply this principle almost everywhere.”
Schematic of 3D hydrogel printing. (Image: Scientific Reports/Nature.com)
The open peer-to-peer marketplace pioneered by 3D Hubs has been relegated, say the company founders, to make room for a broader manufacturing platform driven by CAD-CAM technologies.
Once upon a time, 3D Hubs could be simply described as an online 3D printing service platform. The initial model matched owners of desktop 3D printers with people in their local area who needed something printed.
3D printing marketplace 3D Hubs shifts focus towards CNC milling and injection molding.
The concept was innovative, to be sure. But in the drive to become a sustainable business, 3D Hubs has shifted strategies a few times since they launched in 2013. And those shifts have occasionally given rise to friction with their user-base, as ALL3DP has reported in the past.
Company founders Bram de Zwart and Brian Garret today release a statement which further codifies their transition from a peer-to-peer marketplace for 3D printing into a broader manufacturing platform.
“We started out with 3D printing because it was the most accessible technology with machine costs rapidly decreasing and a minimum order quantity of 1,” they say in a company blog post.
“The exponential growth of our recently added CNC machining service has revealed that the opportunity for custom, on-demand manufacturing is much larger than 3D printing alone and our platform can potentially be used for the production of more than 1 billion parts in the next five years.”
Some insight into this market came from the most recent 3D Hubs Trend Report, which contained data on the most used materials and finishes in their new service.
3D Hubs Places Broader Emphasis on Manufacturing
There are two big changes outlined in the statement.
The first is the decision to offer more comprehensive CNC machining and injection molding services alongside 3D printing. This will provide their customers with a single manufacturing platform they can use throughout the entire product development process (albeit still centered on technologies that are CAD-CAM driven).
This move is based on the observation that “our 280,000 customers typically use 3D printing in the early stages of their product development and then switch to other manufacturing technologies … further down the development cycle.”
The second — perhaps more controversial — decision is to de-empathise the peer-to-peer open marketplace model upon which the company was launched.
“We’re in a unique position to change the manufacturing industry.”
“Since last year, our offering is fully focused on professional engineers and designers as they have the strongest need for on-demand parts, but we’ve learned that part of this group is hesitant to use our original peer-to-peer open marketplace as there’s no guarantee on the quality and timeliness of parts.”
To address this, 3D Hubs are inviting a group of their top-performing B2B suppliers to become “manufacturing partners”. Following stricter quality standards, their completed jobs are branded as “Fulfilled by 3D Hubs”.
The goal is to combine the quality guarantee of a centralized supplier with the cost and lead-time benefits of their distributed manufacturing network. In doing so, say the founders, “we’re in a unique position to change the manufacturing industry.”
There’s no doubt that 3D Hubs have taken some bold steps today to shore up their future. Ironically, these steps distance the company further from the desktop 3D printing revolution they sprang from.
Yobi3D is a bleeding edge search engine that helps you find free STL files, and then offers comprehensive features like 3D visualization, sharing, and even one-click 3D printing. With this workflow, you can select any number of 3D printer models and have them fabricated without even touching a 3D printer. The numbers of free STL files may not be as big as with its competitors, still, this 3D model search engine is worth a try.
Claire, from the YouTube channel Fake It and Make It, came up with a way to make playing the guitar slightly easier for the instrumentally challenged. She used an Arduino, 3D printing and chopsticks to create the Strumbot.
Anyone who’s ever had guitar lessons knows the tedium in learning how to get both the chords perfect and the strumming down. You’ll come out from a lesson as a newbie with hand cramp and mental fatigue.
However, with a little trick invented by Claire from the YouTube channel Fake It and Make It, if you’re more computer literate than you are musically inclined, you can now program a robot to do the strumming for you.
Your hand can take a rest and you can really practice your chords. Claire explains: “I like to play music occasionally but I’m not particularly musically talented, so that’s why I decided to build something that would help me out.”
Claire invented the Strumbot which she simply sticks onto her guitar to give her hand a rest. The Strumbot consists of an Arduino, a USB powerpack, a servo, three tactile buttons along with three LEDs and a 3D printed case.
Rather than permanantly damaging the guitar, Claire opted for using “lots and lots of tape” to attach the Strumbot. Although there are only three strum patterns, Claire’s cover of Call Me Maybe is pretty cool. Check it out in the video below:
Play That Funky Music, Strumbot
The 3D printed housing holds the buttons and LEDs which are wired to some protoboard. This controls inputs which go to the Arduino. To play, it’s as simple as pressing the buttons to start and stop.
Claire also adds thanks, saying: “Adafruit.com sent me the servo for this basically because I asked really nicely so super thanks to them. Also they are a great company and I love them.”
You can change your strum pattern by choosing a different button on the 3D printed case. Claire also adds that for each song you’ll need to program different sets of rhythms. But, you’ll save time while playing in the long run.
The chopsticks then strum a pick across the strings making a surprisingly good sound. However, if you’re truly trying to get your groove on, the servo is pretty loud which may distract from your tunes.
All of the comments on Claire’s video are very positive, proving that even those who aren’t musically challenge could sometimes give their hands a break. If you want to create your own Strumbot, start by checking out the “sweet sweet code”, here.
What makes the Sinterit Lisa so unique is the successful integration of SLS technology into a compact and easy to use machine. Generally speaking, there are a number of advantages that SLS technology offers over FDM and SLA, such as the ability to print without supports, nest multiple objects in a single printer, and produce parts that offer increased durability and temperature resistance.
The Sinterit Lisa manages to boast these same benefits at a major fraction of the cost. The printer is designed for small business, designers, or engineers that need functional prototypes and parts.
With SLS 3D printing technology, you are able to print without the need for support structures. Moreover, you can nest multiple parts in a single powder bed, making the technology more efficient than FDM and SLA 3D printing in many cases.
The Sinterit Lisa offers a minimum layer thickness of up to 0.075 mm, XY accuracy of .05 mm, and a 150 x 200 x 150 mm build volume.
The Sinterit Lisa also includes a 4-inch touchscreen to walk you through the entire printing process, from the initial set-up to cleaning the machine once the print is complete. There’s also Wi-Fi connectivity and an onboard camera, which means you can watch the print process through the screen.
Currently, Sinterit is offering two proprietary non-toxic powders, including PA12 and Flexa Black. After sandblasting the model, you’re left with a functional part straight from the printer. The Sinterit Lisa includes all of the tools you need to start printing, and the team also offers installation and training.
Although the Sinterit Lisa is compact and inexpensive for a SLS printer, it’s still a professional-grade machine that should be taken seriously. You need a workshop that is fit for handling tasks like sieving fine powder and sandblasting.
Nonetheless, the Sinterit Lisa is the most accessible SLS 3D printer currently on the market, making it a intriguing option for pro-sumers and small businesses.
A combination of two different PDMS polymers allows for 3D printing of complex geometries with better mechanical characteristics and better biological adhesion, according to new research from Penn State University.
PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane, or silicone) is used to make lab-on-a-chip devices, organ-on-a-chip devices, two- and three-dimensional cell culture platforms, and biological machines.
The material is more commonly seen as heat-resistant silicone spatulas and flexible baking pans, but these are geometrically simple and can easily be molded. If the material is used for growing tissue cultures or testing, the geometries become much smaller and more complex.
“So far, PDMS has limitations in formability and manufacturing of devices,” says Ibrahim T. Ozbolat, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics and bioengineering at Penn State.
“Most research is done using casting or micro molding, but this fabrication yields materials with weak mechanical properties and also weak cell adhesion. Researchers often use extracellular proteins like fibronectin to make cells adhere,” he explains.
For any material to work in a conventional 3D printer, it must be able to go through the printing nozzle and maintain shape once it is deposited. The material cannot spread, seep or flatten, or the integrity of the design is lost.
Sylgard 184, an elastomer of PDMS, is not viscous enough to use in 3D printing — the material simply flows out of the nozzle and puddles. However, when it is mixed with SE 1700, another PDMS elastomer, in the proper ratio, the mixture becomes printable.
The researchers optimized the mixture to take advantage of a materials property called “shear thinning.” They report their results in this month’s issue of ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering.
Sniffing Out a New Use for PDMS Polymer
While most materials become more viscous under pressure, some materials have the opposite reaction and become less viscous. This is perfect for 3D printing because a fluid that is viscous enough to sit in the nozzle then becomes less viscous when the pressure of pushing out the “ink” occurs. As soon as the material leaves the nozzle, it regains its viscosity and the fine threads placed on the object retain their shape.
PDMS, when molded, has a smooth surface. The material is also hydrophobic, meaning it does not like water. Add those two properties together and the molded surface of PDMS is not an easy place for tissue cells to adhere. Researchers frequently use coatings to increase cell adherence. 3D printed surfaces, because they are made up of thousands of tiny strands of PDMS, have minute crevices that offer cells a place to stick.
To test the fidelity of 3D printing with PDMS polymer, the researchers obtained patterns for biological features — hands, noses, blood vessels, ears, and femoral head, from the National Institutes of Health 3D Print Exchange. Using these patterns they 3D printed a nose. Organs like this can be printed without support materials and include hollow cavities and complex geometries.
“We coated the PDMS nose with water and imaged it in an MRI machine,” said Ozbolat. “We compared the 3D reconstructed nose image to the original pattern and found that we had pretty decent shape fidelity.”
Because the PDMS materials are being printed, they could be incorporated with other materials to make one-piece devices composed of multiple materials. They could also incorporate conductive materials to enable functionalized devices.
Grohe, the world leader in supplying sanitary and water fittings, is planning to expand its production of fittings and incorporate 3D printing technology into its prototyping processes.
Looks like Grohe Water Technology AG has big plans for 2018 including expanding its production of fittings by using 3D printing in a new pilot project.
The German company revealed they will be using the technology at this year’s ISH trade show in Frankfurt am Main — an event for the combined topic of water and energy.
Grohe has the goal of accelerating product innovation by 20 percent. As well as this, it intends on improving efficiency at the new design center in Hemer, Germany. Therefore, new technologies are an important factor in design, development, and production.
The company’s plans for the next few months, as well as using 3D printing to expand the production of fittings, are to launch its latest ceramic line in March and work on new product innovations for 2019 ISH.
Creating Prototypes at Grohe with 3D Printing
The Grohe team have been using a Dimension 3D Printer from Stratasys. With 3D printing, they’ve already noticed a huge reduction in time and cost when creating prototypes.
According to a Stratasys application story, previously the company would rely on the company toolmakers or external suppliers. However, in the first four months of use, the 3D printer ran for over 380 hours.
Friedrich Imhoff, a Grohe product development manager explains some of the benefits of 3D printing. He says: “We reduced the time to develop a flushing system by 50 percent. Product samples could be produced at an early stage of the development process… The product can be presented within a short amount of time and our product managers are able to identify themselves with the product at a very early stage.”
Thanks to its use of technology, the company has received over 300 awards for design and innovation. Grohe is especially praised for its sustainability.
Interested in finding out more? Grohe CEO, Michael Rauterkus, is speaking about “Water as a resource in times of digitalization” at the World Market Leaders Summit today.
Industrial designer Josh Tulberg has created the Mini Boat, a 6ft electric boat manufactured with 3D printing and laser cutting technology. You can order a DIY kit from his website Rapid Whale, or build the Mini Boat from scratch using his step-by-step instructions.
Meet Josh Tulberg, a Bay Area-based industrial designer and recreational engineer that is in charge of Rapid Whale, a website that offers 3D printing and laser cutting services, as well as DIY projects that you can buy directly.
Thanks to him, with a little maker spirit and around $2,000, you can now live your dreams of sailing the seven seas in a tiny electric boat.
Tulberg recently released detailed instructions so you can build the electric Mini Boat from scratch. Alternatively, you can also buy his DIY kit for $950 and get started on your future seafaring adventures.
The designer came up with the idea for the Mini Boat after being inspired by viewing others online. But the maker didn’t just want any old sea vessel, his aim was to create a boat that was shorter than the rest – a boat that was just 6 feet long.
He began his journey by sketching and modeling his design idea on the 3D CAD software Solidworks. To test whether the Mini Boat design would be buoyant, he 3D printed and laser cut a 1:2.2 scale model and successfully floated it inside of a hot tub.
Impressively, the final full-sized Mini Boat only weighs around 100 lb, making it easy to transport this ship wherever the sea is calling your name. Simply fold down the backseats of your car and you can take it on days out on the lake (just don’t forget to pack the engine too).
The Mini Boat can fit a single person under 6’2″ tall and 200 lb in weight. It’s reportedly capable of sailing along at 3.5 knots (4 mph). It’s not a speed demon, but it’s still a perfect option for a person who want to spend a day alone on the calm of the sea.
Tulberg explains with excitement on his website: “This boat is ridiculously small and a blast to ride. It’s also simple to build with its cable-tie and epoxy construction. It’s designed to last a lifetime.”
Sailing the High Seas in Your Own 3D Printed Mini Electric Boat
The base of the boat is made from precision cut marine-grade plywood. Tulberg explains that internal bulkheads are installed to enable the boat to float, even when flooding occurs.
If you choose to purchase Tulberg’s kit from his website, you’ll receive the laser cut marine plywood, 3D printed components, a steering wheel, steering-shaft bearings, and various gaskets.
However, you’ll still need to spend an additional $500 to $1,100 on off-the-shelf components to finish the boat. According to the designer, the total expenses will depend on how luxurious you want the boat to be or how crafty you are.
You’ll need a Newport Vessels NV-Series electric motor, deep cycle SLA batteries, and chemical foam for the bulkheads, just to name a few components. You can find the full list of parts here.
Be warned that this project requires a heavy amount assembly and requires a lot of patience. In other words, the build for this DIY boat is far from smooth sailing. However, once you’ve created the electric mini boat, your weekends away will be a lot more exciting and relaxing.
Tulberg is currently making the DIY kits on a made-to-order basis. On the other hand, you can start the project from scratch by following his Instructables page.
A popular YouTuber named Austin used 3D printing to create rockets that launch with compressed CO2. He tried to modify the rockets to include an onboard camera, and his entire trial and error process was captured on video.
But you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to 3D print and fire up your own functional projectile. There are plenty of projects and experiments out there for those who want to launch DIY 3D printed rockets.
One of the latest attempts come from Austiwawa, a popular YouTube channel with 43k subscribers, created by an adventurous maker named Austin. Most of his videos feature interesting DIY projects that involve a mixture of electronics, engineering, and of course, 3D printing.
One of Austin’s most popular uploads is a video in which he makes 3D printed rockets and launches them using CO2 cartridges. In his latest video, he tries modifying this creation by installing both mini pen and USB cameras.
Rather than 3D printing a brand new rocket, Austin opted to make an extension piece for his existing design. His rockets were 3D printed on a Creality CR-10, and operate using a spring-loaded firing mechanism and 12 gram CO2 cartridges, the same that are normally used in paintball or airsoft guns.
Unfortunately, the 3D printed rockets weren’t successful at capturing much usable footage, but the project makes for an interesting showcase of trial and error, as you can sense Austin’s refusal to give up throughout the 13-minute video.
3D Printing Mini Rockets for CO2 Lift-Off
Although the first, second, or even the third tests didn’t work out as planned, Austin went back to the drawing board to come up with some improved rocket designs.
After the initial failure, the YouTuber modified his rocket design to include longer fins and space for the CO2 container at the top, changing the center of gravity. He tried out three varying designs equipped with different sized nozzles. Next, he tested out which design would work best before mounting the camera.
This time around, rather than using a pen camera, Austin opted for a USB camera. After further testing, he decided to attempt new modifications to the rocket design, but kept facing issues with the 3D printed rocket.
Austin attributes this failure to the fins not cutting through the air enough to keep the rocket stable, while the footage is compromised due to the rocket’s continuous post-launch spin. Finally, after seven unsuccessful trials, he decided to switch from the DIY rocket to a model rocket to see if it would offer more stability to the camera.
This model rocket held the unused pen camera and managed to launch upright, unlike most of the more inconsistant 3D printed versions. Strangely enough, once launched, this rocket was never found, providing a suspenseful and humorous ending to the video. However, on this final attempt, we do get to see some exhilarating footage before the rocket spins out of sight.
Unfortunately, Austin was unable to capture any worthwhile footage from the 3D printed CO2 rockets. We still certainly admire his perseverance, which is necessary with advanced DIY projects like this one.
Needless to say, with just a little bit of patience, creativity, and a 3D printer, you can also watch your own DIY projects soar high into the sky.
If you have any tips or suggestions for Austin, he asks that you kindly leave them in the comment section of his video, which you can watch below.
A team of Chinese plastic surgeons and tissue engineers have devised a method to 3D print cells which assemble into a replica of a patient’s ear.
Five children suffering from unilateral microtia in China are the first patients to receive newly grafted ears made from their own cells. Tissue engineers made the ears by combining cell culture methods with 3D printing.
Unilateral microtia is a deformity which results in deformed outer ears. Up until now, the only available treatment had been plastic surgery using a patient’s rib cartilage to form an ear shape. However, this relied on a surgeon’s expertise and skills to accurately shape the outer ear.
As described in a paper published by EBioMedicine, the team first took CT scans of the patients’ healthy ears. Subsequently, they created a mirror image of the ear using 3DPro CAD software.
The data was then used to create the 3D printed model which was cast as a mold using silicone and clay. The ear scaffold was cast with PGA, a biodegradable material and reinforced.
The team then isolated chondrocyte cells from the malformed ear tissue. Once the cells had grown to sufficient quantities, they were placed across the molds and incubated to nurture replication and growth.
It took 12 weeks for the cells to extend and form collagen and elastin fiber with the mold lattice.
At the same time, the PGA material degraded as the cells spread out. The finished implants consisted mostly of the children’s native tissues.
Following the surgery to place the ear, the patients were monitored over 2.5 years. Remarkably, the authors found that the chondrocytes remained healthy and intact. However, not all their trials went as planned. The authors admit that one of the patient’s new ear produced less cartilage, whilst another received a less aesthetically pleasing ear.
Despite these shortcomings, the new technique offers promise that it could be a viable method in future prosthetics.
In June 2017, 3D printer manufacturer Formlabs announced the launch of Fuse 1, the company’s first selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printer.
“When we launched the world’s first desktop stereolithography 3D printer in 2012, Formlabs created new possibilities for designers and engineers to create physical products by giving them access to professional 3D printing technology that had historically been unavailable,” says Max Lobovsky, CEO of Formlabs.
“With Fuse 1, we are taking the same approach to making powerful SLS technology available to a huge range of customers.”
Numerous companies, including global brands like New Balance and Google, are already testing the new systems.
“SLS technology enables designers and engineers to accelerate their prototyping process by combining realistic material properties with the minimization of 3D printing design constraints,” says David Beardsley, manager of Google ATAP Skunkworks.
“With the Fuse 1, a combination of high precision parts, reduced cycle time and robust materials allow teams to easily iterate throughout the design process and accelerate from whiteboard to final parts.”
With this new hardware, Formlabs hopes to make next-generation digital manufacturing more accessible, and enable mass customization through industrial-grade 3D printing.
In this round of our giveaway bonanza, we’ve upped the ante with one of our biggest prizes yet! Aleph Objects’ flagship 3D printer, The Lulzbot Taz 6. Packing a big build volume and plug-and-play ease of use, this Taz 6 giveaway has got it all.
The Lulzbot Taz 6 is a big 3D printer with a big price tag. Valued at approximately $2,500 (depending on where you look), it’s the most expensive printer to feature in our season of giveaways. And unlike the Peopoly Moai last time out — a printer with a small print volume — this time the sky is the limit with what you can fabricate.
Packing a 280 x 280 x 220mm print volume, automatic bed leveling system, all metal LulzBot v2 Hot End and heated PEI print surface, chances are it’ll cater to most, if not all 3D printing needs.
A special shout out to our friends MatterHackers, the one-stop online store for 3D printers, supplies, and materials, for partnering up with All3DP to make this giveaway possible.
Create your own Raspberry Pi Airplay Boombox using a 3D printer, the Raspberry Pi Zero W, free software, and electronics. However, be warned that soldering and electronics knowledge is required for this project.
Adafruit Industries have come up with a design using the Raspberry Pi Zero W which is both cute and practical – they’re calling it a Boomy Pi, or AirTunes Boombox. You can follow along with their design instructions to create your own smiling AirPlay-ready audio player.
All you need to create the Boombox is a Raspberry Pi, a 3D printer and a few electronics. Plus, access to a CNC mill for post-processing decoration.
However, if you don’t already have the components for this project or access to a 3D printer, it could be an expensive build. Altogether, the parts cost over $100. But, undeniably, the result is pretty nifty.
Using Shairport Sync, you can stream music from your iOS device to the Raspberry Pi. So long as you’re connected to WiFi, you can carry the mini boombox around with you too.
Adafruit suggest you peruse the basic guides for soldering and the Adafruit Speaker Bonnet for Raspberry Pi. However, if you’ve glanced over those and feel confident in your abilities at soldering and electronics, this could be the project for you.
Everything You Need for the Raspberry Pi Boombox
The build starts with the Adafruit Speaker Bonnet, which gives the Raspberry Pi a stereo audio amplifier. Burn the lightweight Raspberry Pi OS Jessie Lite to an SD card and install the software and its libraries.
Next, wire up the electronics to test out the circuit. After 3D printing the parts, which you can download from Pinshape, you should assemble them, making sure to secure the breakouts with machine screws.
The design looks pretty cool with 3D printed buttons which allow you to control the sound and power down the Pi. Adafruit suggest you 3D print these in Ninjaflex or another flexible filament.
Finally, the speakers and electronics all snugly fit inside the case. As well as these parts, the Adafruit PoowerBoost has a 2200mAh battery which also fits and means you can carry it around with you without running out of power.
An Adafruit Speaker Bonnet is hooked up to two 3W stereo speakers giving your boombox a stereo audio amplifier. There are also USB and mini HDMI ports accessible too.
At the back of the design is an acrylic window which allows you to see the electronics inside. This can be CNC milled or laser engraved to add your own personal touch. Add your own artwork to the back of your front cover so you can see it through the window. Finally, the inside of the Boombox lights up thanks to the included LEDs, creating your own mini disco.
The Seattle-based company Iro3D is developing a desktop metal 3D printer that will cost just $5,000. The printer is reportedly capable of producing strong, high carbon steel objects. It was recently debuted on Joel Telling’s “3D Printing Nerd” YouTube channel.
Nowadays, it’s relatively easy and inexpensive to get your hands on a decent 3D printer. The consumer market for FDM 3D printing is full of options. But other additive manufacturing technologies have historically been reserved for industrial manufacturers with money to spend.
However, over the past few years, a number of companies have been pushing to make these advanced techniques, such as selective laser sintering and metal 3D printing, more affordable and compact. One man from Seattle, named Sergey, is working on a desktop metal 3D printer that would only cost $5,000.
Still in the stages of prototyping, Iro3D is planning to sell the first round of beta printers to customers in the Seattle area and expand from there. Sergey also intends to implement user feedback into future stages of development.
Iro3D’s Desktop Metal 3D Printer Targets Middle of the Prosumer Pack
While a machine this compact and inexpensive is certainly a welcome addition to the metal 3D printing market, don’t expect this desktop printer to deliver prints of steel right off the bat.
With Iro3D’s unique process, the printer uses metal powder for parts and sand powder for support structures. The materials, which include different granularities of metal powder and sand, are held in four different containers. Then, the print heads pick up the selected material and deposit it onto the print bed. The printer uses finer metal powder for the exterior of the print, while the rougher powder is for the interior.
Once the print is complete, the object is placed into a kiln and baked at high temperatures for several hours. Finally, once the heating process is complete, the user will remove excess powder from the part using a wire brush.
As of now, the current iteration of the printer offers a humbling 32 x 30 x 10 cm build volume. Still, Sergey acknowledges that there’s a lot more work to be done under the hood. For starters, the prototype printer operates with a slow 8-bit micro controller. Additionally, the self-developed software still needs to be enhanced with additional printer mechanics and safety features.
Although the printer is currently limited to a select few residing in Washington, that reach will expand if the initial launch is successful. And there’s good reason to believe that the Iro3D will become an intriguing option for many makers and businesses.
Companies like Desktop Metal and Digital Metal are emerging at the forefront of metal additive manufacturing, but Iro3D could bring accessibility to the next level. At just $5,000, this desktop 3D printer’s low retail price is unprecedented in the modern metal 3D printing market.
If you want to learn more about this unique metal 3D printer, you can check out the 3D Printing Nerd episode below, or one of Iro3D’s very own demo videos.
After losing the initial legal battle against 3DR Holdings over defamation allegations, Just 3D Print is taking the media company back to court in a new appeal. The controversy started after multiple publications reported that the startup downloaded various 3D models from Thingiverse and was selling them on eBay.
There’s something about the 3D printing community that evokes a feeling of openness and togetherness. Be it the open source nature of the beast, or the 3D model repositories like Thingiverse that allow designers to share their creations with anyone, the technology allows digital ideas and objects to spread across the world.
However, this type of openness can sometimes be taken advantage of or abused. Designers can have their designs downloaded and sold without their permission or knowledge, even if they have the proper protections in place.
Back in 2016, a Thingiverse user named “loubie” — full name Louise Driggers — discovered that an eBay storefront called Just 3D Print was selling one of her models (along with many others) without respecting the Creative Commons license attached. It turns out the Philadelphia-based startup had downloaded hundreds of models from Thingiverse and was selling them as printables on eBay.
One of the listings from Just 3D Print’s now-closed eBay store.
This discovery caused an uproar throughout the Thingiverse community, and subsequently, a number of tech publications covered this controversial story. Soon after, eBay had shut down the Just 3D Print storefront in response to user complaints. But CEO and co-founder Ryan Simms believed he was not infringing on copyright, and moreover, that these articles were defamatory and ultimately caused his business to fail.
And so, a longwinded legal drama was born.
A Brief Retrospective on the eBay Controversy and Subsequent Court Battle
For those unaware of how this whole debacle started, let’s start with a quick trip down memory lane.
In February 2016, after discovering her “Aria the Dragon” model being sold on an eBay store, Driggers decided to create the simple and symbolic “Sad Face” model, which rallied the Thingiverse community and sparked a fiery controversy. After a lengthy back and forth between Just 3D Print and the Thingiverse user base, eBay eventually closed down the shop and that was that… Or so we thought.
Obviously, as a community-driven 3D printing magazine, All3DP and many other publications were compelled to cover this story. However, Simms felt that some of the coverage was defamatory and negatively impacted his business venture. In fact, Just 3D Print’s legal team initially alleged that the negative coverage cost the company a whopping $100,000,000 in potential business.
And so, the Just 3D Print founder ended up taking three different parties to court, accusing each of defamation among other counts. Simms filed a lawsuit against Stratasys (which owns MakerBot and in turn Thingiverse), TechCrunch, and 3DR Holdings, a media company that owns web publications such as 3DPrint.com and 3D Printing Industry.
Although he was victorious in the case against Stratasys, Simms ended up losing to both TechCrunch and 3DR Holdings.
The case against 3DR Holdings was taken up by the Philadelphia Municipal Court in August 2017, and the judge ultimately ruled against Simms because, as 3D printing legal expert Michael Weinberg exclusively told ALL3DP in an interview, “we are in America and reporting on public behavior and having opinions about public controversies is not illegal.”
Ultimately, the court decided that 3DR Holdings did not defame Just 3D Print because the plaintiff failed to prove that the media company’s actions were related to any harm experienced by Just 3D Print. It’s important to note that whether copyright infringement actually took place or not was not a factor in the conclusion of this case.
If you want more information (or a quick refresher) on how this labyrinthine legal battle came to fruition before you scroll on, we also recommend checking out our previous coverage linked below.
Learn more:
What is Simms Alleging in the New Appeal Against 3DR Holdings?
Although Simms lost the initial lawsuit against 3DR Holdings, he decided to file an appeal in October 2017 (which was then amended and resubmitted in December). According to the amended complaint, Just Print It (which is the official company name for Just 3D Print) is now suing 3DR Holdings on three counts: defamation, unfair trade practices, and tortious interference.
We talked to Simms over the phone in order to find out why he felt the articles published on 3DPrint.com and 3D Printing Industry justify his charges of defamation.
“There were all kinds of claims that were completely factually incorrect, such as the claim that we were charged with copyright infringement. The district attorney has not sent any communication to me of any kind, let alone charged me with a crime, so you can’t say that I’ve been charged with copyright infringement. That’s blatant defamation,” Simms said.
In the amended complaint, you can see Simms’ legal team is arguing that the article on 3DPrint.com contained “false statements” about Just 3D Print. After browsing through the court documents, it’s clear the the plaintiff’s position is that the article contained opinions that were presented as fact.
As this is a relatively complicated legal matter, we decided to get 3D printing and copyright law expert Michael Weinberg to help break down the allegations.
“I think that comes back to the statement that – it continues to rest on his assertion that the claims in the articles were false, and maliciously false. And tortious interference is similar. It’s the idea that there the plaintiff wanted to, in certain ways, sell things and that 3DR kind of swooped in and interfered with the sale of the item between the seller and the customer,” says Weinberg.
“So, all of these circle around this idea that this article was false and sullied the name of the business and drove away potential customers because it was full of false accusations.”
Simms also pointed an accusatory finger at the current state of journalism, stating that the publications under the umbrella of 3DR Holdings didn’t follow “the proper procedure of labeling their opinions”, and added “that is a terrible thing for us and for many other people that have negative articles written about them falsely”.
Ryan Simms and the Just 3D Print team (Source: LinkedIn)
The Just Print It founder also told us that he offered to drop the lawsuit against 3DR Holdings if the media company decided to rewrite the stories “as an opinion piece”.
“We’ve made that offer again halfway through the litigation. I might offer it again, despite spending enormous amounts on litigation to date, just to be over and done with things, but unfortunately, the journalistic outlets – you guys , 3DPrint.com, and 3D Printing Industry – have absolutely no willingness to go through and correctly label things as opinion. Because we simply have no other choice, that has led to litigation,” Simms says.
After talking to Alan and John Meckler, the father-son duo that runs 3DR Holdings, they confirmed that Simms did offer to drop litigation, but also that his demands were a little different.
“I did have a conversation with him after he filed the appeal in which he seemed to indicate that if we would delete all the articles, he would drop the case. Actually, first, he said we must delete all the articles and pay his legal bills, then he just said to delete the articles,” John Meckler responded.
3DR Holdings Responds to Just 3D Print’s Recent Appeal
In the response to the new complaint, Alan and John Meckler vehemently refute the allegations, and are confident that the judge will rule in their favor once again. In the Preliminary Objections to Amended Complaint, the legal team of 3DR Holdings argues the following:
Just Print alleges that the article is defamatory, and that as a result of this article eBay banned Just Print from selling any items in the site. Just Print identifies no evidence to support this claim, and in fact has brought multiple lawsuits against various defendants alleging the exact same conduct raising the obvious question of causation.
Alan Meckler expressed that the case has heavy implications about freedom of press and personal reputation, and he believes that Simms has a “vendetta” against the media company.
“We feel that the facts totally go against every one of those claims. Again, it’s now a question of reputation and freedom of the press, and that he’s just trying to bully us into removing articles, which is silly because even if we didn’t have them in our archive, they’ll be on Google forever. So, the whole thing – from the beginning to this latest claim – appears to be a vendetta by somebody who is imbalanced,” Alan Meckler said.
Alan Meckler of 3DR Holdings.
Meckler went on to defend the journalistic approach taken by 3DPrint.com on the matter.
“A writer can’t run anything unless they are essentially working with what they perceive to be facts, unless they’re being dishonest. There’s the fact of what he did; there’s the fact of what eBay did. It’s a question of how you want to interpret that,” Meckler says.
According to Weinberg, 3DR Holdings is essentially arguing that the article was clearly an opinion piece and therefore can’t be labeled as defamatory.
“They’re actually stating that an opinion clearly stated as an opinion cannot be defamatory and, therefore, the ultimate truth of that opinion is not as important as the fact that it was clearly presented as an opinion and not a statement of facts,” Weinberg explained.
3D printing and copyright legal expert Michael Weinberg (Source: Shapeways)
The legal expert told us that, unless Simms presents new evidence that proves the 3DPrint.com article caused eBay to shut down the Just 3D Print storefront, the ruling is likely to be in favor of 3DRHoldings yet again.
“He’d have to provide evidence that that is the case. He may not have to provide a smoking gun, like someone’s internal email at eBay where someone says, ‘Oh, I saw this article and therefore we’re taking this down.’ But he would have to convince a fact-finder, probably a judge in this case – maybe a jury – that that is probably what happened. I haven’t seen any evidence to that effect.
I think there is also – because of the discussion on the Thingiverse page, there’s also at least a suggestion that the users on Thingiverse – the people who thought their rights were being violated – were discussing sending takedown notices to eBay.”
The Final Say: Copyright Issues, Fact vs Opinion, and Freedom of Press
Ultimately, the entire lifespan of this controversy has been shrouded with confusion, lack of clarity, and perhaps even outlandish allegations. Even an legal expert like Weinberg seems a bit flabbergasted that this case is still going on. As he puts it to ALL3DP:
“At this point I have no idea what purpose this case is serving. It does seem to be effective at wasting a lot of people’s time. It is also starting to develop the characteristics of the types of cases that are brought to intimidate critics and find scapegoats for the failure of stupid business ideas. Without even getting to the question of if there was copyright infringement or not, two courts have already concluded that the reporting in question here is not the type of behavior that can trigger defamation. Just 3D Print does not appear to have found any new evidence to call that basic conclusion into question or any substantive reason why those courts are incorrect.”
At this point I have no idea what purpose this case is serving. It does seem to be effective at wasting a lot of people’s time.
Will this be the final chapter in the saga? Probably not. According to Simms, Stratasys is in the process of appealing the case that the company previously lost to Just Print It, and that the court is scheduled to take that up in May 2018.
For now, we will have to wait and see how the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas rules over the appeal, but at first glance, it doesn’t seem like Simms has brought much to the table in terms of new evidence. Needless to say, it’s fascinating to see how a controversy centered around potential infringement of Creative Commons has evolved into an argument about freedom of press and fair business practices.
Unfortunately, the dilemma has also cast a wider light on the muddled and ambiguous nature of copyright issues in the 3D space. While Creative Commons licenses exist to protect designers and creators who wish to share their work, there remains a slight ambiguity of whether the subject of a 3D design constitutes copyright infringement, and furthermore, what can actually be done about it when these boundaries appear to be crossed.
Josef Prusa nabs himself a coveted spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Technology in Europe, and shares a status update on the Original Prusa i3 MK3 3D printer two months after shipping began.
It’s been officially two months since the Original Prusa i3 MK3 3D printer and 3D printer DIY kits started shipping to eager customers.
Launching a brand new product is a busy and intense period for any company. So two important updates reach us from Prusa Research HQ in Prague today, both pertaining to recent developments.
The first is that CEO Josef Prusa has been added by Forbes Magazine to their 30 under 30 list for technology in Europe. Such recognition by a respected international business publication is no small achievement. Particularly since — as the profile notes — Prusa is a college dropout from the University of Economics in Prague.
“In the last five years,” runs the accompanying copy, “Josef Prusa has grown his eponymous company from a bootstrapped enterprise to one of the largest 3D printer companies in the world.”
Some official numbers from the profile are that Prusa has shipped tens of thousands of printers to over 130 countries. In 2017, the company made over €33M in revenue, and Forbes Czech Republic estimated its valuation to be €236 million in 2016.
Less interesting nuggets from the profile are is that “celebrities” like Wil Wheaton and Conan O’Brien are fans, but each to their own.
Over 2,000 Original Prusa i3 MK3 Units in the Wild
The second item of news is perhaps more pertinent to current and future customers of the Original Prusa i3 MK3. Josef Prusa has shared a frank assessment of the launch of his new printer, discussing problems the team encountered and the fixes being implemented.
The first bit of information is that 2,000 units were shipped before Christmas. ALL3DP was one of those lucky recipients (with a unit that the company paid for, so no preferential treatment for us).
Prusa says the launch went pretty smoothly compared to the MK2 launch; what was different was the greater number of printers shipped and the greater demand for feedback from their user-base.
“Not being able to manage this was the single biggest fail of the launch,” he says. “Lesson learned, with next product I will limit the number of units shipped in the first month and ship preferably to long time users.”
The Jolly Bearded One also drilled down to specific areas such as the Power Panic feature, quality of printed parts, firmware releases, crash detection, and more. If you already have a MK3, it’s strongly recommended that you read through the post and see if it addresses any specific issues you’ve encountered.
What’s especially remarkable is the volume of iterations and improvements released in only 2 months. We’ve already assembled and are testing an Original Prusa i3 MK3 in the ALL3DP workshop, and there’s a sizeable backlog of updates we need to implement for our unit.
“To sum it up, all the little annoyances were easily solved via drivers and firmware updates,” explains Prusa. “Parts we mixed up during manufacturing are replaced free of charge and I am looking forward to see the MK3’s bright future.”
Pitch: “Robust, precise and user-friendly upgrade for your desktop 3D printer that lets you print ceramics, porcelain and pastes.”
Comments on this Kickstarter 3D Printer Project: This project is a user-friendly add-on for your desktop 3D printer so that you can fabricate objects in ceramics and porcelain. The campaigners reckon that they’ve turned clay printing into a reproducible, simple, and enjoyable process for all.
Rewards: For a pledge of €375, backers get the Basic KIT Early Bird, which includes a print head, syringe pump, and control unit.
Flying under the radar of most 3D printing press, Flashforge quietly revealed the addition of five new desktop 3D printers to its lineup. Introducing the Guider IIS, Inventor IIS, Adventure3, Creator 3 and Explorer Max.
We thought the CES hype train had long since departed to pastures new but, unbeknownst to us (and most other 3D printing press it would seem), Flashforge revealed five new printers at the show.
Indeed, bolstering its range of printers to 11, the Chinese company’s new 3D printers cover the range of desktop use cases, from the fine detail of LCD resin printing to simple education-friendly FDM and dual-extrusion printers compatible with the gamut of tough to print and support materials.
Though Flashforge itself cites four new machines, reading through the announcement there are actually five 3D printers with something new to shout about. Four FDM machines suited to different segments of the market: the Creator3, Adventure3, Inventor IIS and Guider IIS.
And then there is the fifth, the Explorer Max. Packing LCD technology for resin curing, it’s a first for Flashforge and joins the company’s other resin curing machine, the DLP-based Hunter. It presents a broadening of Flashforge’s offerings that curiously omits laser-based SLA. Something we’ll perhaps see in the future.
Read more of the new machines and their capabilities after the jump.
Flashforge’s new LCD resin curing 3D printer, the Explorer Max (Image: Flashforge)
Flashforge’s New 3D Printers
The announcement of new printers is nothing without specifications. And while the initial data is thin on the ground, we have divined something to tell.
First up is the Creator3. A direct successor to Flashforge’s Creator Pro (surprise surprise), the new machine retains its MakerBot looks, but takes a major step change from its predecessor with independent dual extrusion — commonly abbreviated to IDEX. This means the Creator3 features two independent print heads that move on the X and Y- axes for efficient multimaterial printing. Not only that, but the Creator3 features a heated removable print bed, too.
Then there is the Adventure3, an education oriented machine that can print from the cloud. It’s compact form looks like it will make it an attractive option for the classroom, with features like a removable print bed, filament detection and a fully closed body a bonus. The Adventure3 print volume is currently listed on the Flashforge site at 150 x 150 x 150mm.
Flashforge’s incremental update to the Inventor II and Guider II printers means they looks identical to their predecessors. Details of what’s new in the Guider IIS are thin, with Flashforge revealing only that it is “playing up the role of a large, industrial 3D printer”. Meanwhile the Inventor IIS boasts new tricks in a filament run-out detector, a safety door and print monitoring camera.
Lastly is Flashforge’s new LCD-based resin curing machine, the Explorer Max. A fairly large build volume of 192 x 120 x 200mm puts it above the likes of the Form 2 for print volume, though there’s no word on resolution or resin compatibility.
There’s no word yet on pricing for the new printers, but we expect to see more from the company soon.
Like us, you’re tremendously excited by the possibilities of 3D printing. Unfortunately, the landscape is cluttered with trinkets, doodads and ornaments. We’re in danger of drowning in 3D printed objects that nobody wants or needs.
Fight the tide of mediocrity! Let’s make stuff that’s actually useful! Here’s a list of cool things to 3D print, right now, today. Prove to your nearest and dearest that there’s an everyday and practical application of this wonderful technology.
If you don’t have access to a 3D printer, you can still have the 3D models printed by a professional 3D printing service. To find the best price, please use All3DP’s 3D Printing Price Comparison Service.
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