3D printing technology, [...]]]> Three-dimensional printing may sound like stuff from a sci-fi movie, but so did airplanes and cars when they were first mentioned in history. Today, 3D printers are as widespread as those cars (with bicycle wheels) of old, but they are, in fact, real and are not mere specks from a Harry Potter world.

3D printing technology, in general, works like traditional printers. A typical 3D printer spits out thin lines of plastic or other material, one layer on top of another, and in the process, creating a physical, three-dimensional object.

Most of today’s 3D printers are found in commercial settings, which is quite logical. After all, they cost thousands of dollars. Not for long, though. As some major printer vendors are increasingly showing interest in the technology.

Hewlett-Packard, for one, is partnering with smaller company Stratasys to sell commercial 3D printers. Soon, other manufacturers are expected to follow suit.

Via: ph.news.yahoo.com

Recently, more than 100 researchers from around the world have been working on a project called RepRap (Replicating Rapid-prototyper), which started in 2004. At the Cheltenham Science Festival in the UK, the [...]]]> As biologists are busy working on cloning living organisms, engineers are working on a mechanical counterpart – creating non-living things that can replicate themselves.

Recently, more than 100 researchers from around the world have been working on a project called RepRap (Replicating Rapid-prototyper), which started in 2004. At the Cheltenham Science Festival in the UK, the team displayed their creation: the world’s first 3D printer than can print pieces which can be assembled by hand to make an exact copy of the original printer.

The replica is no mule, either – it can also print another copy of itself.

So far, RepRap can only reproduce its plastic parts, and not its metal or electronics. It takes a human a few hours to assemble the copied pieces into another printer.

Nevertheless, RepRap is the first 3D printer that can reproduce its own components. And, with its pieces costing around $600, the printer is much less expensive than other 3D printers (which cost around $50,000). Besides replicating itself, it can also print plastic 3D objects including coat hooks, water-filter insects, children’s sandals, and much more.

The RepRap collaborators hope that the printer can be useful for reproducing plastic objects of just about any shape, especially for hobbyists and communities in the developing world.

People already “run their own CD burners, printing presses and photographic laboratories”, said Adrian Bowyer, the University of Bath mechanical engineer who launched the RepRap project. “There’s no reason they shouldn’t run their own factories as well.”

At RepRap.org , you can find more information, including instructions for building your own replicating RepRap printer.

Source: inventorspot.com

2. Initial Consumables Kit — Some companies rely on consumables as a major revenue source. Be sure to understand what initial supply you’ll get and what it will cost to supplement it.

3. On-going Consumables — [...]]]> 1. Machine Cost — Be sure to find out what you get in the basic price and what
more you’ll need to spend to get full functionality.

2. Initial Consumables Kit — Some companies rely on consumables as a major
revenue source. Be sure to understand what initial supply you’ll get and what it
will cost to supplement it.

3. On-going Consumables — This is really where total cost of ownership over a
period of time can make a huge difference and the right machine can save you
thousands of dollars.

4. Post Processing / Optional Equipment — If the 3d printer you are considering
requires additional equipment to function fully, be sure to identify the added costs for
purchase, operation and service.

5. Installation and Training — Systems vary widely in ease of use. Some 3d printers are more
or less plug and play — and can be easily operated by almost anyone. Others
require costly setup and extensive user training.

6. First Year Service — Some new 3d printers need little maintenance while others can
require a steady flow of break & fix activities.

7. Second Year Maintenance — Longer term maintenance can be much more costly. Be sure to determine this and check printer warranty provisions for coverage.

Source: www.zcorp.com

Lets be clear; 3D Printing is Rapid Prototyping, but not all Rapid Prototyping systems are 3D Printers.  A printer type rapid prototype system “jets” liquid material [...]]]> Simple, a 3D Printer grows layer after layer in very small slices of 6 ten thousands of an inch .0006″ and has the ability to deposit material with excellent precision.

Lets be clear; 3D Printing is Rapid Prototyping, but not all Rapid Prototyping systems are 3D Printers.  A printer type rapid prototype system “jets” liquid material out of spray nozzles located in a block, laying down a 2-Dimensional bitmap, one on top of another at specified mechanical heights, or jets liquid out of the block into a material like a powder that absorbs the liquid and solidfies the powder into a hard bitmap image.

Source:  www.kaiser3d.com