The RepRap team are working on a “head changer” that would enable two or [...]]]> There are many differences between commercial 3D printers and hobbyist equivalents, including build quality, size, ability to print in color, etc., but now there’s one item that might be crossed off the list: the ability to print in more than one material.

The RepRap team are working on a “head changer” that would enable two or more materials to be used during a single print operation. Imagine printing tweezers with a silicone grip – which was actually accomplished in the image above. The approach is to use a “bowden” extruder and build a carriage for several of them.

In their post, they describe a model that supports up to three such extruders, but the build quality is somewhat degraded. Needless to say, it’s very early in development, but when successful, it will bring many more options to low-cost 3D printing operators.

Via: blog.reprap.org

He describes a special moment in the evolution of technology where the previously “impossible”, suddenly becomes possible. This is the “sweet [...]]]> Tom Wujec, Fellow at AutoDesk, spoke at the Thinking Digital event earlier this year. In a video of his fascinating talk, Tom speaks of the nature of emerging technologies, specifically tech evolution and tech possibilities.

He describes a special moment in the evolution of technology where the previously “impossible”, suddenly becomes possible. This is the “sweet spot” where investment recognizes the opportunity and companies actually bring the concept to life. However, he says, timing is always critical. A product too early may fail, even if it’s a great idea (Newton? Google Wave?)

He reviews several key technology concepts, including Computation, Analog to Digital, Digital to Analog, User Interaction/Augmented Reality, Mobile and Bioinformatics, most of which focus on the notion of a digital representation of actual objects. The one most interesting to us is Digital to Analog, where digital models are transformed into physical objects.

He describes a class of objects that are not producible by any other means, including an “insane” model made by one of his clients: a running shoe made from four different materials, including rubber, cloth, etc. The really interesting part was derived from a spiderweb inspiration: an intricate series of thin strands wove over the shoe. Evidently this was printed by a complex six-axis device that extruded the strands and then carefully tied the strings together in 3D!

Tom believes this type of technology could transform the shoe (and other) industries into a manufacturing-by-one model. For example, scan your feet, then select a design and await the printout. However, the shoe lasts “only about ten minutes” as it’s made of very fragile stuff.

He also describes a concrete printer able to print buildings and bioprinters, capable of printing various replacement body parts. We’ve written of these concepts before many times, but it’s still quite amazing to think about.

Is 3D printing ahead of its time? What happens next?

Via : eos.info

The Pentagon’s Defense Advance Projects Research Agency (DARPA) is in need of micro-aircraft to explore caves and other hiding places and transmit information back to base. And tiny robotic insects would make the perfect fly-on-the-wall snooping devices.

Although miniature helicopters [...]]]> London: 3D printers could soon create the perfect insect wing, a feat perfected by nature over millennia.

The Pentagon’s Defense Advance Projects Research Agency (DARPA) is in need of micro-aircraft to explore caves and other hiding places and transmit information back to base. And tiny robotic insects would make the perfect fly-on-the-wall snooping devices.

Although miniature helicopters already exist, a flapping mechanism is necessary for making aircraft as small as insects, according to Hod Lipson at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

The same is true for fixed winged flight.

Even as several researchers around the world have demonstrated flapping machines, wing design can be hit or miss because its physics is difficult to understand and realise, said Lipson. Here’s where the role of 3D printers becomes important – by providing insights on flight dynamics they could be an important step towards the development of smaller and more efficient wings, believe Lipson and his colleague Charlie Richter.

3D printers allow the creation of complex structures, such as wings that are warped to improve performance, like the manually curved wings of a paper aeroplane, said Richter. Their printer can produce features just 16 micrometres wide, and thin films just 40 micrometres thick.

Speed is another advantage of printing, said Lipson. Once they have arrived at a new wing design, printing a set takes less than an hour.

Barring its motor and battery, their latest four-winged creation is almost entirely printed from polyester films stretched over carbon fibre rods. Weighing 3.89 grams, it is capable of hovering untethered for up to 85 seconds.

Lipson and Richter feel their approach could help to take some of the guesswork out of the physics of wing design.

Lipson said: “People understand fixed winged flight very well. But when it comes to flapping – especially untethered, hovering flight, there is very little theory.”

Lipson and Richter plan to use their 3D printing approach to cycle through and analyse the performance of a broad range of different wing designs and plug the information into a computer model, which has a genetic algorithm that can then use the data to evolve the perfect set of wings.

Lipson and Richter will present their work at the Conference on Artificial Life (Alife XII) in Odense, Denmark, in August.

Via: zeenews.com

Z Corp., located in Burlington, Mass., develops and manufactures printers [...]]]> As Jay Leno once said, 3D printing technology is “pretty amazing.” Now, more and more people are becoming fascinated and interested in learning more about it. But what exactly is involved in 3D modeling, and moreover, how can printers get in on this latest technology craze?

Z Corp., located in Burlington, Mass., develops and manufactures printers and scanners that produce 3D models from computer-aided design (CAD), building information modeling (BIM), and other digital data. Companies use Z Corp.’s 3D printers to make prototypes ranging from toys for market feedback to fan blades for functional testing. Similar to how conventional desktop printers provide a paper output of documents, 3D printers provide 3D CAD and BIM users a physical prototype of objects such as a mobile phone, a camera, or a scale model building.

Companies including MTV, Nike, Converse, and Electronic Arts Inc.—creators of the video game Spore—use Z Corp.’s 3D technology for product design and prototypes.

How Is it Done?

“What’s involved in the 3D process itself is the software that’s used to generate the file. The software is broken down into three categories: mechanical and design such as Autodesk, architectural software such as Bentley Component and Form Z, and animation-oriented software such as 3DS Max,” explained Scott Harmon, vice president of business development for Z Corp.

“The 3D printers then take the design and generate a replica of it, but in order for it to be printed, the model has to have volume: It needs to be a sphere, not a circle,” he said.

“Z Corp.’s 3D printers suit applications from high school education through demanding commercial environments. Our 3D printers are the fastest on the market, have the lowest operating costs, and are affordable. The entry-level ZPrinter 310 Plus is a monochrome machine that builds volume of 8x10x8 inches. The mid-range ZPrinter 450 is a full color machine mixes color on the fly. It prints the same volume as the 310 Plus and makes it easy to create creature features,” Harmon noted.

The ZPrinter 650 is considered Z Corp.’s “high end” machine and prints in high definition full color by adding a black channel. The volume output is 10x15x8 inches. Z Corp. machines feature four-color printing through a layer-based system rather than one line at a time. Z Corp. also offers material systems for each printer to satisfy varying modeling needs. The material options allow for customization of model properties for each application.

Many 3D printers do not require an industrial environment to operate. Roughly 18,000 machines in the 3D printing industry are priced below $100,000, but even if you obtain the printers to perform capabilities, “if you don’t have the 3D software, you won’t have a use for the printer,” stated Harmon.

Via: printindustryinfo.com

WaveWash was developed to make the 3D printing process nearly effortless and provide a turnkey solution to customers. The cleaning system is as easy to use as a household dishwasher. The system [...]]]> The cleaning system requires no gloves, goggles or other protective-wear. And the pH level of the cleaning solution generally meets drain water requirements worldwide.

WaveWash was developed to make the 3D printing process nearly effortless and provide a turnkey solution to customers. The cleaning system is as easy to use as a household dishwasher. The system automatically fills with water and automatically drains at the end of the cycle.

The WaveWorks system includes a reservoir to contain solution, an agitation method, and a new cleaning agent called Ecoworks(TM) that combines with water to create a solution that dissolves the temporary support structure. The Ecoworks cleaning agent comes in individual packets that dissolve and release contents when submersed in water.

The WaveWash system weighs 36 lbs (16.40 kg), has a footprint of only 18.24 x 17 in (48.33 x 43.18 cm) and requires less than 20 minutes of setup time prior to operation. Additional features include:

– hands-free process

– an 8 x 8 x 6 in (203 x 203 x 152 mm) part capacity

– selectable 2 or 4 gallon water level

– selectable cycle lengths

“WaveWash provides a turnkey solution for Dimension 3D Printer users,” said Stratasys 3D Printing Product Manager Mary Stanley. “All that’s needed is a small space, water source and drain, and standard power.”

The introduction of Wave Wash is the latest chapter in Stratasys’ drive to develop increasingly eco-friendly 3D printing systems. The company has quietly made strides in the greening of 3D printing in recent years. Its dedication is demonstrated several ways. All packaging is now 100% recyclable. Model material and support material are both recyclable, and they are contained in recyclable cartridges or spools. Plastic modeling bases are recyclable. And Dimension uses the FDM process, which has the inherent eco-friendly benefit of using only the material necessary to build a part, with virtually no waste.

Via: marketwatch.com

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

No wonder some industry executives are often pictured with some unprintable [...]]]> Hammered by the economic crisis that began in 2008, the printer and printer ink cartridge industries suffered a first-ever year-on-year drop in profits in 2009. Market research firms have released data showing the sectors’ profits fell by at least 2% from the previous year’s figures.

No wonder some industry executives are often pictured with some unprintable faces and are often heard with unquotable, not exactly filled with optimism quotes. But do not throw in that towel yet. The worst may yet be over, the bad news done and on their way out.

Some industry analysts are saying they have seen signs of recovery for the market. And who are we to contradict them. After all, we are all hungry for some good news.

Research firm Lyra Research, for example, has argued that “print volumes for desktop inkjet printers are expected to begin growing rapidly in 2012 as the technology enters more and more small office environments.” Beyond those technological gobbledygook and jargon, what those market data purveyors are telling us that the bad times are about to end, and the good times (together with their prone-to-overexpansion risks) are upon us once again.

And not a moment too soon.

Via: mb.com.ph