Porifera is a new jewelry collection by Nervous System inspired by the forms of deep-sea glass sponges. It’s 3D printed using an experimental Ceramic Resin from Formlabs.
Nervous System is a generative design studio that produces unique collections of art, fashion, jewelry, and housewares. What makes their work so unique? Because it bridges the worlds of computer science, maths, biology, and architecture, their artifacts made using emerging technologies and techniques.
Case in point is their early adoption of an experimental Ceramic Resin from Formlabs. Using this new material, Nervous System is launching their first-ever 3D printed ceramic jewelry collection. It’s called “Porifera,” and the entire line is inspired by the forms of deep-sea glass sponges.
The product line came together in just a few months, according to the studio, after they beta tested the latest formulation of the resin. Its genesis, however, is rooted in years of experimentation with various ceramic materials.
“Ceramic materials are really beautiful and have nice qualities. They’re inexpensive and strong, and they have this nice tactile feel; they can be glossy or more earthy,” says Nervous Systems studio co-founder Jessica Rosenkrantz.
“One of the things we’re most excited about is the ability to make objects you couldn’t make using any other ceramic technique.”
Rosenkrantz explains that super thin interconnected three-dimensional structures can’t be cast, because the green state of most ceramic processing is very fragile.
“But the green state of the 3D printing material is strong because it has resin in it. So we can make these super weird geometries that are super strong when they’re fired.”
Nervous System Testing Multiple Concepts with Ceramic 3D Printing
Exploring a range of concepts with ceramic 3d printing, Nervous System began with working on a tea set. After running into challenges printing the set’s cellular structures — and maintaining cost-effective production — they honed in on making a smaller product.
“We knew that we wanted to work with a ceramic 3D printing material for a while, but we didn’t necessarily know what we wanted to make,” explains co-founder Jesse Louis-Rosenberg.
“A teapot and cups are very large, so it’s hard to make them affordable, so we’re still working on that project. We wanted to start with something smaller, like jewelry.”
In parallel to exploring 3D printing ceramics, Nervous System has been investigating minimal surface structures, an offshoot of research conducted with New Balance. Recalling the geometries of glass sea sponges, the studio reckons that their interconnected, self-supporting shapes are ideal for printing with Ceramic Resin.
The team simulated the sponge geometries to generate forms that became the final necklaces and earring pieces for the collection. The pieces are finished by hand; sanded, glazed, and fired twice in a kiln up to 2350F, creating vitreous ceramic jewelry with a sumptuous glazed finish.
Would you like to learn more? Visit the Porifera Collection over at the Nervous System site for further details and pricing.
Addictive computer game Fortnite has become one of the biggest tools in a parent’s arsenal, a study has found.
Instead of grounding their child, taking their sweets away or removing the television, almost two thirds of mums now threaten a complete ban on the game, if their child misbehaves.
With some 40million players worldwide, British children as young as eight are playing the game – for more than 13 hours every week.
Yet a study of 858 parents of Fortnite-loving kids shows 54 per cent are concerned about the negative effects of the game.
Check out the video below:
In particular, the average family polled endures 11 arguments a month because kids want to spend longer playing the irresistible, survival shoot-outs.
Siobhan Freegard, founder of ChannelMum, who commissioned the research, said:
Our advice to parents is not to panic about Fortnite. Played sensibly it’s fun, sociable and can even help some children’s co-ordination skills.
But like any habit, if it takes over all other activities, then it needs to be managed sensibly, with limits imposed.
Agree with your child what is acceptable use and ensure they stick to it. It may cause a Battle Royale in your home but it’ll be better for them long-term to have boundaries.
However, even if you fear your child is a Fortnite addict, just wait a few months and they’ll forget all about it when the next craze comes in.
A few years ago it was Minecraft, and next year it’ll be something else. Playgrounds are fickle places and even the most popular games don’t stay top of the leader board forever.
The study found 63 per cent of parents find themselves arguing constantly about the attitude they receive when asking the child to come off the computer.
Other common rows are about how much time is spent playing (54 per cent), the amount of money spent on in-game purchases (39 per cent) and the general bad attitude (53 per cent).
A fifth of kids have landed in hot water after being found playing the game when they shouldn’t and 28 per cent have been told off for ignoring what they’ve been told to do.
Seven per cent of parents found themselves faced with a huge bill after their children racked up in-game purchases.
Four in 10 parents are even convinced their child’s performance at school has been impaired due to the game, while a fifth are concerned their kids think the game is more important than real life.
However, six in 10 mums and dads do agree the game is suitable for children under 16 – due to its relatively mild violence, catchy dances such as the ‘floss’ and silly, fun, sense of humour.
Just under half of parents like the fact the game is sociable, while 43 per cent say it’s nice to see their children so animated and excited about something.
Of the 46 per cent of parents who think the game has had a positive influence, 52 per cent like the fact their kids have made new friends online and 31 per cent think they’ve become more confident since playing.
Interestingly, 61 per cent of mums and dads are convinced their little one’s hand-eye co-ordination has improved since playing Fortnite and 37 per cent think the game is important to keep children familiar with new technology.
Parents also like seeing their kids copy the funny dance moves – with the ‘flapper’, ‘electro shuffle’ and ‘best mates’ making their way into the nation’s playgrounds.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is testing a 3D printer designed to work under microgravity and fabricate with engineering polymers featuring high end mechanical and thermal properties.
A prototype 3D printer capable of printing in microgravity has been handed over to the European Space Agency (ESA) for use on the International Space Station (ISS).
Developed by leading Portuguese 3D printer manufacturer BEEVERYCREATIVE and an international consortium of partners, the microgravity 3D printer has been two years in the making.
The goal of the MELT project — Manufacturing of Experimental Layer Technology — is to design, develop and test a fully functional 3D printer that can work under the microgravity conditions on the ISS (International Space Station).
It must be capable of 3D printing demanding engineering polymers with high end mechanical and thermal properties. And it needs to be simple enough to operate and maintain by astronauts on board the ISS.
The international consortium, made up of Portugal’s BEEVERYCREATIVE, Germany’s SONACA Space, Germany’s OHB-System and Portugal’s Active Space Technologies has now delivered their prototype machine to ESA for testing.
ESA is Going to MELT Plastic in Space
Moving forward, BEEVERYCREATIVE plans to leverage the knowledge gained from the MELT project into developing a new, industry-oriented 3D printer for product development needs and rapid prototyping.
This new printer is being developed by the Portuguese start-up with the support of Instituto Pedro Nunes, who are a member of ESA’s Network of Technology Transfer Brokers. They facilitate the commercialization of space technology in non-space markets, and disseminate the best and most promising space technologies and competencies of Portuguese space companies and academies.
The institute also coordinates the ESA Incubation Center in Portugal, where startups that transfer space technology to terrestrial sectors are supported, as well as new companies wishing to enter the commercial space market, called New Space.
The new 3D printer from BEEVERYCREATIVE will be aimed at industries like automotive, footwear, electronic and many others, who require rapid prototyping with high-end properties, ease of use, material diversity and design flexibility. Overall, these industries will benefit from time and cost reduction in the product development processes.
Developed at Microsoft’s expansive campus in Redmond, Washington, the Xbox Adaptive Controller is a first of its kind for the company: a hardware peripheral created with an inclusive design approach.
In the world of console video gaming, exclusivity is a desirable thing. Exclusive games and studio partnerships give enough differentiation to draw some fans to one platform over the others.
With that said, these highly designed machines have the unintended consequence of a rather ugly form of exclusivity. In video gaming, through mere strokes of the keyboard or flicks of thumb-sticks, you compel pixels to victory. Simple.
Unless, that is, you have limited mobility. Then the ergonomically designed controllers, optimized for able-bodied hands, introduce a world of complications. For gamers with disabilities, it can necessitate expensive workarounds that exist outside of the video game platform’s ecosystem of hardware.
Following a journey of sorts that began way back in 2014 with a chance discovery on Twitter, and leading to the establishment of the Inclusive Tech Lab, Microsoft has revealed an adaptable controller for gamers that require an alternative to the traditional handheld game controller.
Dubbed the Xbox Adaptive Controller (XAC), this sleek slate of white plastic, big buttons and ports for peripherals is Microsoft’s solution for those of the near 2-billion video game players of the world with disabilities.
“As an industry, when you start to hit that kind of impact act in terms of the broad base of people that interact with your art form, I do think we have a social responsibility.” said Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft’s Xbox division.
The XAC is designed to accept most, if not all accessibility peripherals that use a 3.5mm jack, plus some USB devices.
Designed with Everyone, for Everyone
The notion of an accessibility minded controller first caught the attention of an engineer at Microsoft after discovering a photograph on Twitter of the work of Warfighter Engaged. This was 2014, and the nonprofit was already ahead of the curve with its program producing custom video game devices for wounded military veterans.
In the following few years, the idea existed at Microsoft as a project of few employees for the company’s Ability Summit hackathons. Yearly iterations of the concept garnered support within the company, until the pieces aligned with an effort of Microsoft’s to improve inclusivity and diversity in gaming.
In the summer of 2017, the Inclusive Tech Lab was born, and it is here that the Xbox Adaptive Controller took shape. A hub in which Microsoft employees could better understand the difficulties faced by gamers with disabilities, this fed into an inclusive design philosophy that saw the XAC developed in direct collaboration with those the company hoped to address with the device.
Rather than going overboard with an array of buttons, levers, switches and other mechanisms to broadly cater to everyone, but really no one specifically, the end result is a device that lets go of the control of the experience that Microsoft might typically exert. Which is exactly the point.
Instead of cramming as many of the aforementioned doodads to paint with the broadest brush, the XAC instead serves as a hub of sorts. In addition to two main “confirm” and “back” buttons, a bank of 3.5mm jacks features on its rear surface. Each port corresponds to one of the Xbox games console’s 19 standard controller buttons.
The 3.5mm jack is a common input across the plethora of existing input peripherals for limited-mobility gamers, meaning that the XAC’s solution invites a custom solution for the individual.
Several 3D printed prototypes of the XAC’s outer shell (Image: Sam Machkovech, via Ars Technica)
Prototyping a Better Pad
Though it’s not specified where the XAC’s design physically took shape, it would be a sensible bet to say the prototyping stages were handled at Microsoft’s Building 87. An advanced additive manufacturing center, Building 87 is where the company’s Xbox One X games console took shape over 75 design iterations, all 3D printed for evaluation.
Imagery has surfaced to suggest the same for the XAC, with 3D printed shells of the controller showing a subtle evolution with button layouts clarifying into the simple arrangement we see on the final design.
Where such custom solutions were previously the sole domain of hardware hackers, non-profits, charities and healthcare institutions, Microsoft’s XAC seeks to complement what already exists.
The company claims the project came about not through any desire to gain an edge over its competitors, nor to create a profitable new segment of hardware for its business. It is a commitment to the company’s mission to make gaming more accessible.
The XAC will be priced at $99 — on par with Microsoft’s existing specialized controllers, and considerably less that the individual inputs that will plug into the XAC. It is slated to launch “later this year”.
Want to spend the summer days sailing the seven seas and soaking up the sun? Thingiverse user UniversalMaker shows us how to build a 3D printed Open RC Boat equipped with solar panels.
With summertime approaching and warm weather abound, it’s the perfect time to head over to your local body of water to lounge out, swim, and maybe even sail a remote controlled boat?
A German maker and Thingiverse user who goes by the name of UniversalMaker has revealed the Open RC Boat. The latest version is equipped with solar panels, made with 3D printed hull and electronics from Wavebreaker RC boat.
Started in 2012, the OpenRC Project has already taken the 3D printing world by storm, and was recently used to create a RC Formula 1 car by renowned maker Daniel Norée. Now, you can take this open source project to the high seas, soaking up energy from the sun while you cruise around with your RC boat.
If you want to build your own Open RC Boat with solar panels, here’s what else you’ll need:
Solar-Powered Open RC Boat: Putting it Together
The assembly process for the Open RC boat is surprisingly easy. First, use the customizer to select the parts you need. Print all of the parts, and then glue the main hull together and drill holes through the mounting plates so you can insert m3 screws.
Once you have the 3D printed hull glued together, it’s time to take the electronics out of a toy boat. Check out the photo below to see which components are used and where they are placed.
After the boat and electronics are assembled, use clear spray paint to make everything watertight, eliminating the porosity that FDM printing tends to create.
If you want to add the solar upgrade to the Open RC Boat, which is optional, there are some other parts you’ll need to 3D print. These 3D printed holders will be used to mount the solar panel to the boat.
Check out UniversalMaker’s YouTube video below for more detailed assembly instructions. He also shares some important information tips on the project’s Thingiverse page, so be sure to check that out while you’re downloading the STL files.
Bitte bestätigen Sie das Abo in der Bestätigungsmail. Falls Sie keine Bestätigungsmail erhalten habe, schauen Sie im SPAM-Ordner Ihres E-Mail-Postfachs. Danke!
BMW has created a special-edition Mini to celebrate the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markle. Boasting a hand-made graphic print and 3D printed details, the car will be auctioned off for charity.
What could be more British than a royal wedding? A one-of-a-kind Mini Cooper S with a bold graphic on the roof and a set of 3D printed details, that’s what.
Designed by an in-house team at BMW, the hot hatch will be donated to a charity chosen by Prince Harry and Megan Markle, The Children’s HIV Association, for public auction following the royal wedding on 19 May 2018.
“As an iconic British brand with almost 60 years of history in the UK, we are pleased to mark the royal wedding with this special charitable gift,” says Oliver Heilmer, who leads the Mini design team.
“Its specially designed roof graphic combines with 3D printed personalized interior and exterior details as well as special embroidery to make this a MINI like no other,” he enthuses.
A pale shade called Crystal White was chosen for the exterior of the car. A set of silver-blue stripes wrap the body, with a framing black outline featuring a metallic blue tint.
For the roof, the designers created an abstract pattern in shades of black, white, blue and red, meticulously applied by hand in several layers. It combines elements of the British Union Jack flag and the American Stars and Stripes flag, to represent the nationalities of the couple.
Royal Wedding Gets a Mini Makeover
Other details on the exterior include 3D printed signal indicators; these feature the initials “M” and “H” for Megan and Harry, plus a heart and ring symbols. When entering the car, the indicators project the words “Just Married” onto the ground in front of the driver and passenger doors.
Inside the car, the first names of the couple and the date of the wedding are featured on a 3D printed panel opposite the front passenger’s seat, while the leather sun visor is embossed with the words “love is…”
Accents of color from the roof graphic are integrated into the head restraints, the steering wheel and trim strips. On the head restraints, there is a Union Jack pattern on one side and a Stars and Stripes design on the other. The Union Jack can also be found on the rear lights when they are activated.
The big question is, who would wish to be seen driving such a car? Is it a charming memento of the special day? Or is it more of a tacky curiosity overstuffed with hideous embellishments? Let us know in the comments below.
A new experimental Ceramic Resin is a now available for the Form 2 from Formlabs, making ceramic 3D printing the most affordable and accessible it has ever been for engineers and designers.
Stereolithography specialists Formlabs have announced the availability of a special new material for their Form 2 desktop 3D printer. Their experimental Ceramic Resin makes 3D printed ceramics accessible for the first time outside of expensive industrial machines and high-tech research labs.
With this resin, makers can fabricate objects with a stone-like finish and fire them to create a fully ceramic piece. Potential applications for the material are not just engineering research, but also distinctive art and design pieces.
Important to note, however, is that the experimental Ceramic Resin sits in the “Form X” product class. The means this material is more difficult to work with than other products in the Formlabs ecosystem. It will require extra steps, additional experimentation, and a whole lot of patience for successful printing.
Check out the tongue-in-cheek launch video below, which leans hard on 1980s retro-futurism to pitch their product. The gold-plated digital wristwatch is a nice touch.
What’s the Big Deal about Experimental Ceramic Resin?
Looking beyond traditional pottery, ceramics have the advantage of mechanical properties like high heat resistance and electrical conductivity. This makes alumina ceramics a common choice for electronics components like insulators, resistors, and semiconductors.
But did you know that an entire branch of NASA is devoted to ceramics research? They’re developing materials like Nextel fabric, an advanced ceramic that resists fire penetration and keeps satellites from getting smashed to pieces, and GRABER, a ceramic-filled adhesive used to repair small cracks in space. Moreover, the US military is using ceramic materials to design lightweight armor.
So there’s clearly a big opportunity for ceramic 3D printing. But current solutions are prohibitively expensive, with machines costing upwards of $100,000 (according to Formlabs).
With their Ceramic Resin, Formlabs has made the process the most affordable and accessible it has ever been, enabling more engineers and designers to bring rapid iteration with ceramics in-house.
Due to the increasing number of terrorist-related attacks, researchers at Sheffield Hallam University have developed a new training method using virtual and augmented reality to better prepare police, first responders, and air workers called AUGGMED.
Historically, training for counter-terrorism assignments has been neither standardized nor readily available. Instead, training includes real-world scenarios and classroom exercises.
However, researchers from Sheffield Hallam University, UK have developed a virtual reality-based training method which they hope can prepare police and aid workers for stressful situations.
Their project is called AUGGMED (Automated Serious Game Scenario Generator for Mixed Reality Training). It’s an online multi-user training platform.
The platform makes use of both virtual reality and augmented reality. This means that police, first responders and aid workers can undergo training within virtual reconstructions of the real world.
Augmented reality is also used and allows trainees to see and interact with virtual civilians and terrorists within the real world. The idea is that both technologies will help improve decision making as well as give trainees experience of staying focused during such intense situations.
AUGGMED Training for Police, First Responders, Paramedics
To develop the platform, the researchers looked into the use of “serious games“. They worked with law enforcement agencies and United Nations organizations to do this.
From this research, they could successfully apply these simulations to training. Their work has also received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
AUGGMED is already in use, for example, by British police officers for critical incident response training and security officers with the Piraeus Port Authority in Greece for potential terrorist-related threats.
Interestingly, the platform also enables training with multiple agencies at the same time. This means, collaborative training between the police force, security personnel and paramedics is possible.
Finally, it may be the case that VR training methods become available to police forces worldwide due to the fact that they’re a cost-effective and a rapid training solution.
Jonathan Saunders, Research Fellow (Lead Games Developer) at Sheffield Hallam University certainly thinks so. He explains:
“In the future, the use of modern technologies to improve and augment existing practices will become commonplace… Serious games and virtual reality will one day be ubiquitous within training packages. But before then, the benefits of these technologies need to be explored and discussed further, because they hold remarkable potential.”
Titomic, the Australian industrial scale additive manufacturing company, has launched what it claims is the world’s largest metal 3D printer with a demonstration in its native Melbourne. The demo follows an MoU with Fincantieri Australia this week, which aims to evaluate how this technology can benefit maritime manufacturing processes.
Titomic, the Australian industrial scale additive manufacturing company, has officially launched its metal 3D printer in front of onlookers at a mega-warehouse in Melbourne. The company believe this printer is the world’s largest and fastest metal 3D printer.
The company’s 3D printing technology is known as Titomic Kinetic Fusion. Developed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and exclusively commercialized by Titomic, the process is capable of manufacturing and polishing a complete bicycle frame from titanium in approximately 35 minutes. Other potential uses include the production of aircraft wings and ship hulls.
Titomic boss Jeff Lang, explains: “The reality is when you look at the metals industry nothing’s changed fundamentally in 5000 years… The Greeks invented the process of digging a resource out of the ground, melting it and folding it into a metal shapes… When we talk about the standard metal printers, they’re still based on that fundamental technology. Our process completely defies that.”
Fincantieri Australia, a division of Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, is one manufacturing organization already working with Titomic. The companies have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (or MoU) which will last for 12 months. During this time, Titomic will investigate how its 3D printer can be effectively used during Fincantieri Australia’s manufacturing process.
Titomic Kinetic Fusion Technology Involves Shooting Metal at Scaffolding
Lang describes the process behind Titomic Kinetic Fusion as “a bit like throwing a ball at a wall.” Titomic Kinetic Fusion is a cold-spray process in which a gas-powered jet stream is used to accelerate titanium and other metal particles to high speeds. Robots then shoot the resulting mixture at a scaffolding structure, which the accelerated particles fuse to and build upon.
Such a process, the company claims, offers the benefit of stronger structures not subject to heat stresses in production and the ability to fuse dissimilar metals to achieve special properties in a final part.
The new machine demonstrated today can create parts up to 9 meters long, three meters wide and 1.5 meters high. Impressively, these metal prints could go even bigger with the appropriate configuration applied to the printer’s settings.
In order to create such large parts, the machine itself also has to be large. It comes in at 40m x 20m.
The reason for creating such a huge printer was that, rather than simply exporting titanium, the Australian government invested time and money on studying new uses for the metal. As a result, this project has been in the works since 2007.
Lang explains: “Our idea is to sell this technology. To put it on the map and … push titanium powder… It’s what we believe is the first in the world at this scale and this capability. We know the build-speed of the part is 45kg per hour. Generally, the normal metal 3D printer is about 1kg in 24 hours.”
Lang adds that with such technology available, it’s time for engineers to go back to the drawing board and re-imagine what’s possible.
Titomic, the Australian industrial scale additive manufacturing company, has launched what it claims is the world’s largest metal 3D printer with a demonstration in its native Melbourne. The demo follows an MoU with Fincantieri Australia this week, which aims to evaluate how this technology can benefit maritime manufacturing processes.
Titomic, the Australian industrial scale additive manufacturing company, has officially launched its metal 3D printer in front of onlookers at a mega-warehouse in Melbourne. The company believe this printer is the world’s largest and fastest metal 3D printer.
The company’s 3D printing technology is known as Titomic Kinetic Fusion. Developed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and exclusively commercialized by Titomic, the process is capable of manufacturing and polishing a complete bicycle frame from titanium in approximately 35 minutes. Other potential uses include the production of aircraft wings and ship hulls.
Titomic boss Jeff Lang, explains: “The reality is when you look at the metals industry nothing’s changed fundamentally in 5000 years… The Greeks invented the process of digging a resource out of the ground, melting it and folding it into a metal shapes… When we talk about the standard metal printers, they’re still based on that fundamental technology. Our process completely defies that.”
Fincantieri Australia, a division of Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, is one manufacturing organization already working with Titomic. The companies have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (or MoU) which will last for 12 months. During this time, Titomic will investigate how its 3D printer can be effectively used during Fincantieri Australia’s manufacturing process.
Titomic Kinetic Fusion Technology Involves Shooting Metal at Scaffolding
Lang describes the process behind Titomic Kinetic Fusion as “a bit like throwing a ball at a wall.” Titomic Kinetic Fusion is a cold-spray process in which a gas-powered jet stream is used to accelerate titanium and other metal particles to high speeds. Robots then shoot the resulting mixture at a scaffolding structure, which the accelerated particles fuse to and build upon.
Such a process, the company claims, offers the benefit of stronger structures not subject to heat stresses in production and the ability to fuse dissimilar metals to achieve special properties in a final part.
The new machine demonstrated today can create parts up to 9 meters long, three meters wide and 1.5 meters high. Impressively, these metal prints could go even bigger with the appropriate configuration applied to the printer’s settings.
In order to create such large parts, the machine itself also has to be large. It comes in at 40m x 20m.
The reason for creating such a huge printer was that, rather than simply exporting titanium, the Australian government invested time and money on studying new uses for the metal. As a result, this project has been in the works since 2007.
Lang explains: “Our idea is to sell this technology. To put it on the map and … push titanium powder… It’s what we believe is the first in the world at this scale and this capability. We know the build-speed of the part is 45kg per hour. Generally, the normal metal 3D printer is about 1kg in 24 hours.”
Lang adds that with such technology available, it’s time for engineers to go back to the drawing board and re-imagine what’s possible.
All3DP travelled to Hannover Messe 2018 to witness the unveiling of the new Ultimaker S5 3D printer. To learn more about this professional-grade 3D printer and the company’s refined focus, we sat down with to Siert Wijnia, the co-founder of Ultimaker; and Paul Heiden, Senior VP of Product Management.
Back in 2011, a Dutch 3D printing company called Ultimaker was born out of frustration over the inability to get a RepRap Darwin 3D printer up and running. That year, the Ultimaker Original was released to the world. As one of the first-ever desktop 3D printers to hit the market, this small, wooden framed 3D printer was only capable of printing at 20 micron resolution on a 21 x 21 x 20.5 cm build volume.
Nonetheless, it’s mere existence helped jumpstart the desktop 3D printing revolution that we currently see today.
Although much has changed over the last seven years, Ultimaker continues to lead the industry with its open-source 3D printing ecosystem. Long gone are the days of 3D printers with rinky-dink wooden frames. Instead, Ultimaker is now focused on manufacturing 3D printers that are accessible, reliable, and designed for the professional environment.
Released in 2016, the Ultimaker 3 quickly became one of the most coveted professional-grade desktop 3D printers on the market. This groundbreaking machine offered dual-extrusion capabilities, swappable print cores, and an all-around intuitiveness that were unprecedented at the time.
The open source 3D printing pioneers are now back it again, recently releasing the bigger and better Ultimaker S5 3D printer. It has a generous build volume of 330 x 240 x 300 mm, dual extrusion capabilities, as well as an improved feeder system with a filament flow sensor that automatically pauses prints when filament runs out. Priced at just under $6000, Ultimaker is clearly targeting its new 3D printer at the professional market, hoping to capture the attention of designers, engineers, and businesses both big and small.
All3DP was in attendance at the industrial manufacturing trade show Hannover Messe 2018, which is the setting that Ultimaker chose to unveil the sleek Ultimaker S5 3D printer.
Although the gathering was centered around the Ultimaker S5, the company had a laundry list of other product releases and collaborations. The Ultimaker team also announced Ultimaker Tough PLA, a material that strives to replicate the mechanical properties of ABS, without the toxic fumes. There’s also the new Ultimaker App, a mobile app that allows users to remotely monitor and stay update on their printing progress. Additionally, Ultimaker also revealed a massive collaboration with some of the top chemical producers in the world, which will lead to the development of print profiles for the Cura slicer.
After a brief press conference filled with excitement, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Siert Wijnia, the co-founder of Ultimaker; and Paul Heiden, Senior VP of Product Management; to talk more about Ultimaker S5, the company’s narrowing focus on the professional market, and how the 3D printing industry is changing before our very eyes.
How did the transition from the Ultimaker 3 to the Ultimaker S5 take place?
Paul Heiden: In 2016, we introduced the Ultimaker 3. And it sort of surprised us. In the beginning, we didn’t really see how fast it was being adopted in the professional market. So, once we got that, in several months, our distributors were saying there is something going on. We started to do market research. And, as part of the market research, we found, in early 2017, several annoyances, really irritating things. Things that have to do with material handling. It has to do with better adhesion, and several of these things. Now, we can’t solve everything at once, but we were planning to have a bigger machine anyway.
We wanted to ensure that all of the elements that would contribute to the liability, to zero hassle, could actually be adopted. One of the biggest issues was implementing a touch screen, instead of the wheel. It’s just faster. We also invested quite a lot in better adhesion. You can’t really see it, but the whole bed leveling system has been vigorously improved. We also decided to add, somewhat later in the market, an aluminum build plate for better adhesion with engineering materials. So, step by step, we tried to improve many aspects. And we felt this is the point where we have a machine that’s fundamentally better.
Does the Ultimaker S5 symbolize a larger focus on the professional market?
Heiden: This printer is built for the current professional user, which are predominantly found in small and medium enterprises. But it’s also meant for the larger devices. And what we did, over the last year, we organized the Business Development Department, and we simply sat down with these larger companies. We quickly found out that they like to standardize on one 3D printer, being ours. They like to have at least some services around it like, at least for some continuity, warranty that things are already apparent. And I think the wonderful thing is that we think we’re the only one with a complete ecosystem, and we’re the worldwide with an operating set of distributors, we’re able to deliver anywhere.
One of the things we’ve heard from one of the customers running a Design Department was, “look, I’m not paying my people to tweak. I’m not paying my people to have fill printers. I just want to get this done.” Printing, in itself, is not important. The object is important. And that really made us speed up everything around zero hassle. So, the more professional the user, the less willingness they have to accept additional handling errors and so on. It’s not allowed.
“Printing, in itself, is not important. The object is important,” says Paul Heiden.
Why did you decide to expand the build volume of the X-axis instead of the Z-axis?
Heiden: That is easy. Everybody can put plastic on top of plastic. We started this in 2016 and we said everybody can go up, so we need to go like this. We need to go into the X axis width and start to improve that. And it took an awful lot of time and understanding of technology, even to go the 33 centimeters that we’re currently dealing with.
Is the Ultimaker S5 the first of a new 3D printer product range?
Heiden: Yeah. I think it’s fair to say that we’re number one when it comes to the office environment. And what we’re trying to do with the S, which stands for Studio, is completely focus on that environment. So, what people are asking for is clean hands, zero failure, the ability work from your desk. Things like Cura Connect allow you to just push print jobs into a cue. So, that’s the sort of thing we’re aiming for. At the same time, we’re looking into environments that are far rougher. We like to talk about the concrete floor where you have machines that should be able to perform in a workshop and next to CNC and so on.
And that’s the other environment. We’re not there yet, but that’s the other environment we’d like to go to. But this is a focus on zero hassle, full deniability, clean hands, no poisonous stuff like what SLA or SLS will bring you. We’re pretty sure that this is the right guidance.
What do you mean when you talk about Ultimaker being a future-ready ecosystem?
Heiden: I’d like to focus probably on two things – no, three. One, you will see print force that support other materials. But with the collaboration with chemical companies results in different materials that we need to adopt, I’ll tell a little bit more about that later. But we will see new in force. That was the whole point of having the print core for specific purposes, specific prints. The second is that we will soon come up with drastic improvements in material handling. I wish I could say a little bit more, but I find it a fascinating idea, and we’re working on it to get it released soon.
And thirdly, from the end of 2016, once we understood what was going on with our machine, we started to invest in other products. So, we introduced SDK, software development kits, to simplify the creation of software between Cura and 3D software like CAT or CT scan or that sort of software. And another one, which I like to call the material development kit, is a piece of software that helps these chemical companies to create printing profiles for their materials.
And I was discussing it, once we understood that there are about 70,000 different plastics in the world, A) a clogged material system doesn’t work, and B) somehow, we cannot make all of these print profiles. So, the whole idea of creating software that will actually help material suppliers create printing profiles has really been a breakthrough. And it’s an elephant. We’re talking about a difference between six months of print profile creation versus one or two weeks. So, that really matters.
How did the recently announced collaboration with large chemical companies come about?
Heiden: I’ll tell you a little story. When I started at Ultimaker, we had about 80 people, and we were building a nice machine. That was it. Somewhere, in the end of 2016, suddenly, chemical companies came knocking on our door. At the beginning, I was honored that these people would come to us from the large companies. And then, at a moment in time, I thought this is not normal. What’s going on?
And then, it appeared that all of these companies have basically been forced by their customers to bring filament to the market made from the same material that they would use in pellet form for mass production. So, what these companies are saying is that you can only deliver for mass production, your materials for mass production, if you ensure that it’s also available for our development tooling being 3D printers. And that’s how it all started. To be honest, these chemical companies weren’t happy, but making filament is something they need to do now.
They need to do that in order to ensure their involvement in the complete development towards mass production. That’s why they want to. And then, we came up, and that was coincidental. We were already thinking about this material development kit. And, suddenly, it changes for them. Suddenly they thought ‘so, if we make filament, we create our own printing profile, and it takes us a few weeks instead of a month.’ Now, it becomes viable. And that’s how everything starts. Since 2017, we’ve worked very hard to get everything done well.
And you probably could see the relief in my face that it is now done. Of course, new material suppliers will continue to access this ecosystem. But this is where we want to start.
How will the new Ultimaker App enhance the company’s 3D printing ecosystem?
Heiden: When we introduced Cura Connect, that was the first step for us in machine management. So, it would automatically create a network and allow you to start the cue. The cue is marked meaning that the print job determines what printer needs to go with the right print core and the right materials and so on. And then, what we realized that we essentially had a mobile website as an app. So we decided no, that’s not what we’re going to do. The new app must completely support Cura Connect. That way, you can see in the cue what’s going on from anywhere.
And, finally, we’re now able – we’re always working in a high security environment. BMW does not allow you to do all sorts of things on the web. So, what we’re trying to do is add some value that will not destroy security. And so, one of the things that we added in the app is notifications. So, when you’re in the training, and the filament flow decides to stop, you will know right away. It’s not nice that you get it, but at least you know. You know that you need to go back in order to have your object ready by the next morning.
What is the current mission of Ultimaker?
Siert Wijnia: Our goal is really to make it look simple because that makes it for people not to be scared to use it. So, if you had to program your phone before you could actually start it up, if you were running that phone as a system as it is without the official interface, you would be scared of the phone and not use it. The happy few that were not scared would probably like it that way, but it’s not me. So, take away that level of making it accessible. It sounds very simple but making it as easy as possible is what makes it a success or not.
Our goal is really to make it look simple because that makes it for people not to be scared to use it, says Wijnia.
Have you enhanced the dual-extrusion process from the Ultimaker 3 for the S5?
Wijnia: That was implemented directly, but it’s a continuous effort for all of the printers to make them even more reliable. So, there is a continuous effort on the algorithms that are in the slicing software that make it a better result, that make it more reliable. And, on the outside, maybe you don’t see it. But it could influence the layer quality or adhesion, or tons of other things. But the dual extrusion runs on the same hardware, the same technology. So, any improvement that we make for Ultimaker 3 is also implemented for the S5.
I will tell you the biggest one, and it’s not the machine itself, but how we handle that as an organization. We know what we do, and we know how we can do it, and know how to get there. And that is, if you compare that to seven years ago when we just opened the box again because someone said this part is no good, that is different. That is something I can tell from the last seven years, huge improvement. But it is not visible on the outside.
Being the open source pioneer that Ultimaker is, how has the role of the open source community changed since the company first started?
Heiden: In reality, the contribution to hardware is virtually gone. The reality is it’s too difficult now. The same goes for firmware. But on the Cura side, it’s still very strong. And people contribute, think, help, and slowly, we will see more contributions in the field of materials. I’m pretty sure about that. But at this point, I feel that you must be a very good engineer and very well aligned with the whole team of builders of a machine to really contribute something to hardware.
With an increasing focus on the professional market, do you ever see Ultimaker expanding beyond desktop FDM 3D printing?
Heiden: FDM is what we understand and what we’re best at. That means that what we now see is customers asking for standardization. What they’re looking for is that not just support in the early development but also with producing functional prototypes. That’s something we’re certainly aiming for. The other thing we aim for, once you are able to deal with functional prototyping, is that you’re able to handle spare part production in a distributor fashion, where you simply make it wherever it is needed.
If we’re able, within say five years, to deliver those parts in the product life cycle and, on the other hand, deal reliably with this material variety, I’d say we did an awfully good job.
As someone who has sort of been in the scene since the early days, how have you seen it evolve for better and for worse? How do you think the 3D printing industry has changed?
Wijnia: I have seen the hype as actually being true. And I think it was my biggest insight with all phases of the hype going down, then picking back up. And we are now really on the way up. In the last seven years, it’s like we grew the company. When I first started, I had plenty of time to fiddle around and play around. Now, I have three kids. I don’t have 15 minutes per week for myself. So, I’ve realized that the whole promise of making everything at home is not true.
And it will not be true until 3D printing will be good enough to actually produce products instead of parts. And the whole industry is not there yet. So, I’ve been driving up and down to the office and wondering why the printer at home is not running. And that was just because the printer was the problem, but also making designs for a part that I needed in the house was a problem too.
And I see with the Volkswagen business case, the price point of the materials, price point of the machine and the speed in which a part is printed right now, it brings added value. But a business case does not exist, if the price of the machine is 10 times as high like the industry levels are there with a price point of materials 5 times as high. Then, the business case is not there anymore. But having that business case out there, it actually works. And that is going to be the fly wheel for making it more professional. We can’t walk this path without a business case. That’s what I also learned. So, I’m very glad this actually is happening, it’s flying off, it’s taking off.
I really think that there is a lot of added value in 3D printing. But we also have to do a lot of further research and development in all of these technologies to make that real.
Now, Mark One, an Italian company that creates professional 3D printers, collaborates with motorsports team GRT Yamaha Official Team WorldSSP to launch a 3D printer inside the pit box.
By installing a 3D printer inside the pit box, GRT Yamaha will be able to print components on demand. Racing bikes often require part replacements at the last minute. The Mark One 3D printer is there help to considerably speed up that process. In addition, the printer is able to customize the parts due to its geometries that allow it to easily match innovative materials, which are directly tested on the race track.
However, the company is not the first to utilize 3D printing for motorsports. Indeed, the McLaren Honda Formula 1 team has previously installed a Stratasys 3D printer to customize parts.
The team has also been taking its 3D printer along to the track on race weekends to be able to quickly fit new parts. This has made it considerably cheaper to fix parts as opposed to having them couriered.
The Mark One printer in action. (Image: Mark One)
The GRT Yamaha Official Team
The GRT Yamaha Official Team competed in Italian and European championships before it joined the WorldSSP Championship. It achieved three titles in a competitive racing class during the 2017 season.
Mirko Giansanti is a former 125 and 250 racer of the GRT Yahama Official Team. He now leads the team in terms of technical and sports direction.
Mark One, on the other hand, prides itself as an innovative company for professional 3D printers. It further provides solutions, support, and materials for additive manufacturing.
The company has made it its mission to support the production and R&D of unique technical materials. In addition, Mark One believes that 3D printing can be used both for prototyping as well as production of parts.
The company has already established industrial collaborations with automotive brands, product designers as well as partners in the medial and aerospace industries.
The Mark One 3D printer (not to be confused with Markforged’s Mark One printer). (Image: Mark One)
Are you a fishing lure collector who doesn’t want to risk losing their collectibles – why not create replicas of your prized possessions using a 3D printer? That’s exactly what fisherman/blogger Hunter Irving did.
Hunter Irving is an avid fishing enthusiast who started a collection of Heddon River Runt fishing lures when he was just six years old. Over the decades he has acquired a dozen of the collectibles, and though he regularly goes fishing, the lures remain safely locked away.
Due to their artistic nature Heddon River Runts lures are prized possessions, so it comes as no surprise that these collectibles are for display purposes only. However, the lures are also extremely useful when fishing, so Irving decided to come up with his own version of the Heddon River Runt lure.
When Irving presented his parents with a 3D printer for Christmas, Irving’s father responded with: “Can you make fishing lures with that thing..?“.
It took a couple of prototypes before the father-son team perfectly replicated a Heddon River Runt of their own. While testing the lure out and recording it’s performance for Irving’s blog, the duo soon learned the effectiveness of their replica, catching “big bass” at an unexpectedly high rate.
Create Your Own Fishing Lure Using Irving’s Method
Irving explains that they wanted to make an accurate 3D replica. The process began with creating a 3D model in Blender. They set up a scene with all angle reference images and traced them to-scale in 3D. Next, they added screw holes and a hollow cavity to add buoyancy.
They printed this version of the fishing lure only to find out they’d forgotten to add tolerances to the screw holes. So, they went back to the drawing board. Thankfully the second prototype was a “winner”.
Irving used a Monoprice Select Mini, printing the lure in approximately an hour. He explains in a blog post that he used hook hangers from a “junker” lure. He also made a brass lip from a 270 WSM bullet casing using a Dremel tool and hand files.
Of course, the replica fishing lure lacks the impressive paint job of the original Heddon River Runt, but Irving’s model boasts one thing the original does not: luminescence. He 3D printed the replica in Hatchbox’s Green Glow in the Dark PLA filament.
Irving adds in his blog post: “To say the thing catches fish is an understatement. After about 30 minutes of fishing, we caught so many that we got tired of taking pictures.”
Irving and his father are so taken by 3D printing that they’re now working on other projects using the technology. However, they’re also planning to design and print their own lures. Check out Irving’s blog to find out more.
3DPrinterOS is working with Microsoft to scale its “factory of the future” 3D printing cloud platform. The idea is to use Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing service to make its own cloud platform more powerful and scalable.
3DPrinterOS, the cloud 3D printer management, and infrastructure company have now been around for five years. From its start, the company was set up to provide a cloud-based service for desktop 3D printers.
Its cloud-based service provides a way of managing fleets of 3D printers. For example, it can manage gcode, analytics, user and file management, and printer queues from a single interface. In recent times, the company has been more focused on the education and institutional market.
Now, 3DPrinterOS has announced a partnership with Microsoft. The idea is to provide a joint service for those using Azure, Microsoft’s global cloud application system, and wanting to manage groups of 3D printers securely.
Microsoft chose to work with 3DPrinterOS as its service can connect with a multitude of 3D printers. This is unlike many other solutions which are only focused around a certain product.
“We are extremely excited to collaborate with Microsoft Azure to serve our Enterprise Clients with its highly secure, hyper-scale global cloud… It was a challenge to find the right company that had the cloud infrastructure, compliance, security, and reliability around the world including countries like China and Europe,” said 3DPrinterOS CEO John Dogru.
What’s Provided in the New Bundle?
3DPrinterOS adds that they offer a single, centralized workflow. They’re targeting their joint service with Microsoft at enterprises and schools. They add: “This makes it incredibly easy for IT managers to give access to 3D printing directly through any web browser.”
The new bundle will include: a pre-approved I/T solution making it possible to manage users and 3D printers. They’ll be using the Azure cloud’ SO 27001, HIPAA, FedRAMP, SOC 1 and SOC compliance.
It’ll also enable users to share machine and files with any collaborator via an intranet connection. The idea here is that it’ll be easy to maintain and deploy 3D printers with current technology stacks.
Finally, printing, managing users and seeing production in real time will be possible. It’s also easy to print on demand from any location in the company worldwide. This option will be secure and enables many engineers access via the corporate intranet.
“The cloud is transforming entire industries and creating new opportunities for even the most innovative new businesses… The market-leading scale and speed of Microsoft Azure helps spur global growth opportunities for companies like 3DPrinterOS who are utilizing cloud computing and IoT connected devices in a completely new model of decentralized manufacturing,” said Senior Director of Microsoft Azure, Nicole Herskowitz.
Hopefully for 3DPrinterOS with this change they should encourage new clients and more application development. Check out the website to find out more.
In celebration of the upcoming nuptials between Britain’s Prince Harry and American Actor Meghan Markle, SodaStream has turned to 3D printing to create a limited set of bottle hats for a special auction.
Few things elicit quite as much international euphoria and bewilderment as a Royal wedding. And in little over three days, giddy romanticists will get exactly what they’ve been waiting for as Britain’s Prince Harry marries American actor Meghan Markle.
Such high profile celebrations are few and far between, so any company worth its marketing salt is getting in on the action. SodaStream is one such company.
Launched in the 1950s, the company offers home products that lets you carbonate your own beverages. One of the company’s driving messages of late is the reduction of plastic waste, and its promotional activity for the Royal wedding reinforces this with a charitable edge.
SodaStream has unveiled a limited edition run of Royal Edition bottles topped with elaborate 3D printed caps in the style of distinctive hats, worn by Royals past and present. More than just fizzy water bottle toppers though, the company is holding an auction for the pieces. All proceeds from the sale will go to Surfers Against Sewage, a UK-based charity dedicated to stopping the pollution of the world’s oceans with plastic waste.
Royal Bottle Caps
In total 50 3D printed hats (10 examples of five designs) have been produced. Though no specifics are given about the production of these bottle toppers, we suspect either resin- or powder-based 3D printing tech is responsible.
Besides being a quirky callout to the wedding, the bottles will serve a further purpose as they go to auction. All proceeds raised by the sale will go to Surfers Against Sewage, a UK-based charity dedicated to stopping the pollution of the world’s oceans with plastic waste.
Enacting real change, the Surfers Against Sewage recently orchestrated the successful petitioning of the UK government to commit to drastically reduce its use of single use plastics by 2019.
Those wanting to get a slice of this Royal wedding action can take to SodaStream’s Royal auction website. Bidding is currently underway and will close to new bids on Thursday May 10th, 2018 at 10pm CET. The top 10 bidders on each of the five bottle hat designs will take the toque home.
The Relay is a safer alternative to smartphones created for parents worried about keeping in touch with their kids when they’re out and about. Republic Wireless used 3D printing technology to speed up the prototyping process and develop new iterations of the walkie-talkie styled device.
Being a parent is no easy feat, especially when you have an adventurous child that loves to explore their surroundings. In the age of smartphones, it’s not too difficult to stay in touch with your kids, but the phone itself isn’t the most secure device for youngsters to use.
Republic Wireless, the US-based mobile virtual network operator, recently launched a product that will enable parents wishing to keep tabs on their children.
The Republic Wireless Relay is a device that strictly resembles neither a phone nor a walkie-talkie, instead it combines the functionality of both. This device is a sizable colored square equipped with a big button in the middle, which sends walkie-talkie messages to other Relay devices and a parent’s phone. Moreover, 3D printing technology was exclusively used in the prototyping process of this product.
The Relay has been specifically created for kids aged 6 to 11. According to Chris Chuang, CEO of the company, the idea came to him when his own kids got lost in the woods and he couldn’t find them. It turns out they were playing hide and seek.
3D Printing Helps Speed Up Trial-and-Error Process
Based on a classic walkie-talkie design, the Relay took two years from concept to creation. Using a MakerBot 3D printer and Raspberry Pi boards allowed the company to quickly make changes to the prototype. The 3D printed device took some trial and error to arrive at its final version. While smaller iterations took just two to three months, larger-scale enhancements took four to five months.
Republic Wireless made numerous changes during the prototyping process, dealing with issues like wear and tear, low-volume speakers, adding a lanyard loop, and so on. The final version of the Relay offers parents a secure way to communicate and check-in on their children.
Messages sent to the device disappear after being received and phone calls cannot be made. In return, this protects the system from nefarious acts from hackers. Since there is no personal data is stored on the device, it cannot be used by third-parties. On top of that, all of the messages are sent through a secure TLS.
To ensure that the tool was kid-friendly, Republic Wireless also engaged kids to pitch in their own ideas, which lead to the development of an echo that repeats the owner’s words in a humorous voice.
An alternative solution to the smartphone
The Relay is a great alternative to a phone for children. Although around 25% and 15% of 9-year-olds already have a smartphone in the UK and US, respectively, parents are rightfully worried that their children may spend too much time in front of the screens.
“Parents are looking for ways to get their kids to take a break from using phones, if they have them, and trying to minimize screen time,” explained Jennifer Hanley, Vice President of Legal and Policy for the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI).
Apart from time spent, phones for children aren’t without risk. Indeed, parents worry about privacy issues, hackers and fraudulent activity. At least one third of parents now believe the risks of phones outweigh their benefits for kids, according to FOSI.
That’s where Wireless Republic comes in. The company sought to find an alternative to allow parents to stay in touch with their children. In fact, early testing suggests that kids have been enjoying their time with the Relay.
For instance, PC Mag’s Sascha Segan gave a Relay to his 12-year-old daughter who enjoyed using the device with her friends. At the same time, it doesn’t quite work as a standalone since kids still use computers and phones to organize the time to talk on the Relay. Therefore, it’s more of a toy than it can be smartphone replacement. And, with a price of $149 for two Relay devices, it’s not exactly the cheapest toy either.
While the Relay doesn’t offer the versatility and functionality of a smartphone, it does provide more protection for adventurous kids, as well as a peace of mind for concerned parents. And, thanks to the prototyping capabilities of 3D printing, Wireless Republic has been able to develop and release this communication device to the market as quickly as possible.
Training company Building Momentum are using LulzBot 3D printers to train the US Marines in creative problem solving and innovation.
Building Momentum is a company based in Alexandria, Virginia which provides consulting on science, engineering, and technology development to defense, education, corporate, and entrepreneurial organizations.
Since 2015, Building Momentum has been helping innovators around the world, providing intensive instruction in such fields as mobile lab design, 3D printing in combat, and CAD software.
“We’re the people who go to strange places and do MacGyver-like things, and we do a lot of training for that with the US Marine Corps,” said CEO and Founder Brad Halsey.
Having mastered 3D printing during his own deployment in Iraq, solving problems in high pressure conditions, Halsey was inspired to share his expertise and enthusiasm.
About his client base, Halsey says, “Anyone from teachers to Seal Team guys, you name it. The client who has gotten most of our training is the U.S. Marine Corps, and all of our training is extremely immersive.”
Building Momentum’s training includes team-oriented challenges requiring a combination of emerging technology and creativity in order to achieve a technical objective within a designated time constraint. They present multi-faceted creative challenges under pressure, every day for a week or more.
When asked about specific applications US Marines may use 3D printers for, Halsey was quick to dismiss the notion of weapons: “A lot of the things we focus on are some other types of solutions and development technologies, things that can help in other ways that aren’t just some weapon accoutrement.”
Buckles, handles, camera mounts, and other things that have a tendency to break can be designed and printed in a matter of hours, instead of waiting days or even months for a replacement.
US Marines Learn Problem Solving Through Technology
Halsey recently returned to the United States from Kuwait, where his team supplied Marines with LulzBot TAZ 6 3D Printers and provided training on deconstruction and reassembly.
“The TAZ 6s that we have in Kuwait, we teach them how to tear them down and build them back up,” Halsey said. “Having the ability to remake the parts is actually pretty useful, and that’s one of the reasons we like the TAZ over other printers.”
The fact that LulzBot 3D Printers are certified Open Source Hardware is a important to Halsey, who believes in the advantages of Free and Open Source technology.
“I have a very strong and adamant philosophy that whatever I teach a Marine, they have to be able to do at home, after hours, overseas, anywhere they can,” Halsey said “So we train everyone explicitly, as much as humanly possible, to use Open Source stuff.”
For Halsey and his team, training is only the beginning. Building Momentum will soon be opening their own community-driven, co-working makerspace in Washington D.C. where small businesses, artists, and educators can gain full-time access to machines and training courses for rapid prototyping as well as artistic innovation.
“If you use a TAZ 6 to make a product and it’s going well, you’re going to buy more TAZ 6s as you expand your business,” Halsey says.
Inspired by the Deep Space Tourbillon of Vianney Halter, the Hawk Eye is a fully functioning, 3D printed triple-axis tourbillon. This complex horological mechanism with 70 moving parts will soon be available to download from Thingiverse.
The tourbillon is a fascinating horological marvel which ranks among the highest achievements in watchmaking. Patented in 1801 by French-Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet, a tourbillon aims to counter the effects of gravity by mounting the escapement and balance wheel inside a rotating cage.
Subsequent developments in watchmaking have rendered the tourbillon obsolete. A modern mechanical watch can keep more accurate time; a cheap quartz watch even more so. But tourbillons still exist today as a novel demonstration of technical virtuosity, and they are usually hideously expensive.
So it might seem unusual to find such a complex mechanism scaled up from wrist-size and recreated with 3D printed parts. But that’s exactly what’s happened, courtesy of Thingiverse member Adrien de Jauréguiberry.
Triple-Axis Tourbillon Made from 70 3D Printed Parts.
The Hawk Eye project is a triple-axis tourbillon modeled on the Vianney Halter Deep Space Tourbillon. The model has seventy 3D printed components and the unit is electrically powered, so there is no mainspring or full gear train. Instead, the Hawk Eye concentrates on the workings of the tourbillon itself.
Excited? Ready to go ahead and print one of your own? Patience, dear friends. While a video has been shared to YouTube and a page on Thingiverse has been parked, the full set of STL files are not yet available. de Jauréguiberry is still working on the final iteration, but promises to share the Hawk Eye soon.
However, the Hawk Eye has provenance as a remix of another horological project on Thingiverse, called Clockwerk. This is also a triple-axis tourbillon inspired by the Deep Space Tourbillon, but made from more parts and fully kinetic. If you’re looking to flex those watchmaking skills with a practice run, then the Clockwerk is a great place to start.
As the hype machine cranks into gear ahead of this month’s release of Solo: A Star Wars Story, Lucasfilm and Nissan have partnered to create a Millennium Falcon-themed Nissan Rogue.
Missing the obvious May 4th marketing opportunity by some weeks, Solo: A Star Wars Story will hit the silver screen later this month. Which of course means a tidal wave of promotional crossovers is on the horizon and approaching fast.
Falling early is this intentionally grimy-looking piece of automotive art from Nissan. Produced in collaboration with Lucasfilm, Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) and Vehicle Effects, the Nissan Rogue Millennium Falcon is an homage to its fictional namesake.
With the look of a space worn junker, the car takes several design cues from the new (but old — chronologically Solo takes place before the original Star Wars trilogy) version of Han Solo’s iconic ship. Most notably the windscreen shroud, which evokes the Falcon’s offset cockpit. The blue flash of color is fresh, reflecting the new (old) Calrissian era-Millennium Falcon, too.
Speakers, Roof-Mounted Radar and 3D Printed Inserts
The angular body panels lining the Rogue Millennium Falcon are handcrafted from aluminum, with the back of the car lit up with “subspace-hyperdrive” units. Above these glowing “engines” sits a 1,500-watt sound system (presumably to deafen you into thinking you’re actually flying).
Peppered across the Rogue Millennium Falcon are 3D printed inserts, giving quick and distinctive detailing to the pretty immersive project.
This particular one-off car is the third such collaboration between Nissan and Lucasfilm, but the first to go as far as to bring detail into the interior space. From the outside, the car looks the business. Inside is no different.
Here banks of twitches and toggles all light up and react with audio clips of the famous ship. A lathed gear-shifter gives some extra tactility to driving, though we imagine that’s the last thing on your mind looking through that windshield.
A promotional one-off, we’re probably all a little safer off without these things on the road. Would you drive one?
Have an ancient DVD or CD drive collecting dust in your garage? You can use your 3D printer and a recycled lens to create an e-waste pocket microscope.
For those of us living in the modern world, it’s hard to imagine surviving without the electronics that have become such an integral part of our lives. However, as new and innovative devices replace the electronics of yesteryear, e-waste is quickly piling up across the world.
This is why so many environmentally-conscious makers prefer to salvage useful components from old computers, CD/DVD players, and so on.
One maker, who is aptly named “The-PC-Bloke”, recently shared an incredibly project on Instructables that shows how to make a pocket-sized microscope with your 3D printer and e-waste. The maker had a few goals he wanted to satisfy with this project, including sourcing parts from e-waste, creating something useful, portable, and child-friendly, while also keeping things simple.
His solution was to take the lens from an old CD drive and use 3D printing to transform it into a microscope.
3D Printed Pocket Microscope: What do you Need?
Believe it or not, you don’t need much to construct a functional pocket-sized microscope. Alongside your 3D printer and some PLA filament, you’ll also require an old CD drive that you can disassemble and source the primary lens from.
The maker uses a relatively ancient IDE interface CD drive, but you should be able to find the proper lens in any spare CD, DVD, or BLU-RAY player. In addition, make sure you have a pair of wire cutters and a cross-head screwdriver handy to help take your e-waste apart.
3D Printed Pocket Microscope: Putting it Together
First and foremost, you’ll have to source the lens from an old CD/DVD/BLU-RAY player, which are quite abundant and easy to obtain nowadays. Using the screwdriver, the maker behind this project carefully took apart his old CD drive, saving other parts along the way that could possibly be used for other creations in the future.
For this project, you’ll need to safely retrieve the main focus lens, which is generally held inside the centre of a carriage by fine wires and magnets. You should be able to remove the lens with a pair of wire cutters. Unsure of how well this lens would work for magnification, The-PC-Bloke was pleasantly surprised by the outcome, able to clearly see the pixels on the display of his older smartphone devices.
Once the main lens was unearthed, the maker moved onto the CAD design process, keeping in mind that he wanted something simple with pocket-sized portability. The-PC-Bloke goes into longwinded detail about his design process on his Instructables post, but we’ll go ahead and skip ahead to the fun part: 3D printing.
The model itself is split into four different pieces, each of which was 3D printed with 100 percent infill at 0.1mm layer height. Once the printing process is complete, it’s time to assemble the microscope. You’ll probably want to do a bit of post-processing with high-grit sandpaper, which will help remove stringiness and blobs, as well as sharp corners, from the microscope enclosure.
Lastly, insert the primary lens into the carriage and use some oil to ease the sliding motion and acquire a snug fit. In the project’s instructional guide, The-PC-Bloke concludes with a few test shows using the microscope (one of which you can see below), and the results are quite impressive to say the least!
Virtual Reality is making it to cinemas in South Korea with film tech labs and visual effects houses rapidly creating popular content. Cinema-goers are fully immersed with both VR and 4DX which brings feel, touch and smell to the experience.
From the beginning of the 1900s until now, people have been enjoying cinema in a fairly similar way. Of course, image quality, sound systems and the number of films have improved, but it’s the story which really pulls people into the world on screen.
However, this is set to change with the development of virtual reality (VR). So far, the technology is a popular medium for creating games and even enhancing theme park rides. Meanwhile, its prevalence in cinema is only just beginning.
Now, film festivals are launching competition sections purely for VR films. Interestingly, one country taking to this trend is South Korea. In fact, cinemas in the country are bringing in VR headsets so you are completely surrounded by the movie.
As the world accepts VR as a viable film technology, film tech labs and visual effects houses are rapidly producing content and the budgets for such movies will only get bigger.
One such VR film is Stay With Me which was directed by Bryan Ku. It focuses on a relationship between a girl who dreams of being an actress and a boy who wants to be a musician but is too afraid to go on stage. Ku said at a press event for the film:
“When you think about VR, most of the time it would be either adventure, action or horror films… I believe the greatest quality of VR lies in its capacity to let the audiences relate to the film emotionally, and romance drama is the genre that corresponds the most to this quality.”
4DX Cinema before VR
Get Completely Lost in a VR Story
Of course, with the rapid development of content comes the need to find ways to screening the pictures. By adding VR headsets to cinemas, South Korea is able to show many of the notable VR film projects is developed in 2017.
Stay With Me also opened in “4DX” format at cinema chain, CJ-CGV. 4DX is a technology which adds elements of feel, smell, and touch. However, Yoo Young-gun of CGV adds:
“4DX effects for VR should be different from those for other movies… Visual elements are not enough to accomplish what VR is up to, which is to expand to a form of storytelling with its immersive characteristics maximized. With 4DX technology, the audiences can touch, smell and feel the films, meaning that virtual reality in its literal sense can be achieved.”
Stay With Me claims to be the world’s first film production which was shot in 360-degree VR and screened in 4DX. To do this, CGV’s 4DX effect team had to join the project at the development stage.
However, everything must have to plan as the cinema chain is now aiming to globally introduce 4DX VR. It intends on bringing VR tech to its 500 4DX theatres worldwide.
“We are planning a VR add-on package, which allows exhibitors to show VR films, and are offering it to the 500 4DX theaters across the globe,” says Yoo.
Support funds for such films have so far come from The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism, Korea Creative Content Agency and National IT Industry Promotion Industry. Only time will tell whether this is money well spent and whether VR films are just a fad or if they will really take off.
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