3D Hubs Blog Archive

All of the news that’s fit to 3D print

[3dhubs]

Welcoming students with $25,000 worth of 3D print credit

This one's for the students, so listen up! In our ongoing efforts to make 3D printing accessible to the masses, we're offering you a pretty sweet deal: free 3D print credit and the possibility to make use of our service for free, charging only the cost-price needed to getting the 3D prints done.

So if you want to participate, all you have to do is enter the name of your university and your personal education email address at http://www.3dhubs.com/students. The first 1000 students to sign-up will receive $25 worth of 3D print credit, adding up to a total of $25.000 worth of print credit. Referring the program to 3 other colleagues will earn you an extra $10. Once the initial offer runs out students receive a 15% discount on all their 3D prints, effectively making the 3D Hubs service free. 

We believe we can offer you an unique service for getting your prototyping and larger scale projects done. Average delivery time on 3D Hubs is 2 days, allowing you to reiterate and make changes in the designs while deadlines are pressing. Whereas university labs tend to get clogged in exams periods when large groups of students need to get their 3D prints done at the same time, the capacity of the 3D Hubs network is virtually unlimited. 

Creating successful projects through 3D printing for most people is still a highly complex process. Our local approach provides you with the unique opportunity to get in touch with 3D print experts in your area. “We see numerous cases where our Hubs go to great lengths to help customers get their model ready for printing” says Bram de Zwart, CEO of 3D Hubs. This kind of social networking combined with technology might mean the difference between a failed and highly successful project.

Our rapid growing community of 3D print experts, active in over 140 countries, organizes inspirational and educational meetups by sharing ideas and practical tips & tricks related to 3D printing. Using nearby Hubs for 3D printing will benefit the local community at both an academic and economic level. Bram de Zwart: “All the economic value, as well as all knowledge of 3D print experts, everything at 3D Hubs, remains inside the local community. Growing these values locally, instead of extracting and centralizing both wealth and knowledge somewhere else, is what makes the difference in the long run. We think our vision of creating local value aligns perfectly well with those of Universities and schools.”

So what are you waiting for? Click here to 3D print your future.

[3dhubs]

3D Hubs Partnering With Autodesk Spark

When we started 3D Hubs we were avid users of Autodesk design software. Particularly the freely usable 123D Apps, which let you make designs for 3D printing even if you're not an Industrial Design major. So you can imagine how excited we are about the integration we have in place with the 123D Apps, allowing their users to print directly on the 3D Hubs network.

With the recently announced Spark platform, Autodesk is making another leap forward with 3D design and fabrication software.  It is for this reason we are partnering with Spark, as we look to continue connecting the world’s largest 3D print network to the global leader in 3D design software.

The partnership between 3D Hubs and Spark, which is announced today at Pier 9 in San Francisco, will work in two ways:

3D Hubs plans to use certain Spark software elements which will help create an even more seamless experience for our users to get a 3D print made. We’ll work closely with the Spark team to make sure that their software meets the demands of our users.

3D Hubs becomes the first 3D print service provider to announce an integration with the Spark platform, so that Spark users without a 3D printer can have their designs produced in over 140 countries, on nearly 9,000 Hubs

[3dhubs]

Meet Our Superstar Interns: Dan Spooner

Dan Spooner, student in Geography at the University of Manchester, was our Social Media and Community Intern for the past 3 months. With a heart warming humour and 'ace' learning skills, he took on every challenge (even an #icebucketchallege one!) with great commitment, dedication and a smile :) He is also known for his spot-on musical taste and his love of a cup of tea. Here's more of Dan and his time with 3D Hubs, this time in his own words:

Why did you want to intern at 3D Hubs?

I remember watching a video called ‘3D Printing: Make anything you want’ and was instantly sold on the idea that one day we will all have the ability to print what we need instead of relying on mass produced products. I stumbled upon 3D Hubs whilst studying abroad in Amsterdam. As a Geography student, I loved the idea of having impact at a local startup acting on a global scale. Also the opportunity to work in Amsterdam at the heart of the startup scene was definitely a no-brainer!

What does a typical day look like for you?

I get into the office, grab a cup of coffee then get to work spreading the word about local 3D printing through our social network channels! I also get the chance to have a peak at the orders coming in which is my favourite part of my week!

What was your best experience here?

I have had so many great experiences at 3D Hubs, from enjoying a beach day to having the chance to present what I had learnt at the monthly team meeting. However, the first Amsterdam meetup I attended was easily the best - seeing the community coming together to share their passion for 3D printing was ace!

What did you choose as your first 3D print?

My first print was super simple but is still the favourite thing I printed (successfully)! It was a Gecko earphone holder (make:75239) in some nice Green PLA on an Ultimaker 2.

Where do you want to be in 10 years?

Hopefully working in the 3D printing industry!

Something funny about you?

After getting my front tyre replaced I got a little confused and decided that the front of my bike had been attached the wrong way round. Someone kindly informed me that I was trying to ride it with the handlebars backwards…

If you're interested in interning with us, check out our openings here. 

[3dhubs]

How to get your models out of Minecraft and into your hands

Do you play Minecraft? Then you’ve been spending countless hours designing amazing structures. They look awesome on-screen, but did you know it’s easy and affordable to get them 3D printed so they can sit on your desk?

Here's a quick overview of three free tools and services that will export your design to files that you can 3D print here at 3DHubs.

The easiest option: Printcraft

By far the easiest way to get started is by logging on to of Printcraft’s servers. They give you a plot of land to build on and an in-world control panel that lets you export or print your work. It’s build-click-print, very cool. 

If you already have a design on your own server, then read on:

Exporting your existing work with Mineways

More images

Mineways is a free app for Windows and OS X. It can export any part of your world for 3D printing. Just load your map, drag the area that you want to export and it will save a VRML file with all the required texture maps for 3D printing.

On top of all that, Mineways is clever enough to remove unnecessary geometry to save you money!

Printing in full-color at 3D Hubs

Of course your models will look best if you 3D print them in full color. We currently have over 160 hubs that offer ZCorp or VisiJet printers and they will make your print look amazing.

Of course, you can only upload (monochrome) STL files to 3DHubs. 3D Printing a full color, texture mapped models requires a trick. First upload an STL file of your model and select the right Hub and printer. The Hub will contact you so you can email him the full-color files. We’ll make that easier in the future, promise ;-)

Some cool examples made by our Hubs

Minechess

Source: 3DBox Voudas's Hub 

TNT and Creeper Cake toppers

Source: Armen's Hub

And of course the somewhat obligatory sword ;-)

Source: EC 3D Printing's Hub

[3dhubs]

Meet a successful Hub: Jan Willem Wirtz

How easy it is to start a local 3D printing business and what can such businesses mean for the future of making? We spoke with Jan-Willem Wirtz, one of our early adopters, to find out. “I was in between jobs and was looking for something new,” says Jan-Willem, a visual artist by profession. “Buying a printer to test the possibilities and see what could be achieved seemed like an interesting idea.”

His first printer, a second-hand Thing-o-matic, allowed him to experiment with simple prints. The machine is fairly small (12 cm high) and its printing quality was not good enough to offer it as a service. He quickly realized that he needed to invest in a bigger and better machine if he wanted to go beyond the research stage. In August 2013, he purchased a MakerBot Replicator 2 and listed himself as a hub owner on our platform, joining a growing community of printer owners.

Ready for business

Jan-Willem received his first order through 3D Hubs in a matter of days and was able to earn back his initial printer investment in 4 months. In a good month, he receives between 12 and 16 assignments. He reviews the 3D designs that Makers submit using free tools, carries out complimentary test prints and sometimes helps customers adjust their models or customize open-source designs.

But Jan-Willem’s venture into 3D printing is not fueled only by potential monetary gain. He’s also in it to be a part of something bigger. For him, 3D printing has the potential to revolutionize manufacturing and spark a new era in which personalized products, designed by and for the user, become the norm.

Empowering Makers

Prototypes commissioned by students and businesses are the most common types of orders, but he also sees an increase in the amount of consumers that are interested in ordering customized products. He once helped a customer print several parts for a coffee grinder - a story that we covered last year in our Maker Talk series. 

Another Maker was able to put his own set of lamps together with some recycled bowls and 3D printed mounting parts.

Jan-Willem has also helped Makers print bike lamps, GoPro accessories and a variety of replacement parts. “I once had a customer who asked me to print a replacement for his Wacom pen button. Replacement parts for these pens are not easy to come by, and a new pen will cost you around $70. 3D printing offers an interesting alternative.”

“These are perfect examples of how consumers will be able to produce, repurpose and customize their own products in the future,” says Jan-Willem. “It feels great to help people create stuff. You really get a sense that you’re part of something bigger than yourself. It’s also rewarding to see people bring their own ideas to life.”

A vision going forward

According to Jan-Willem, a lot needs to change before 3D printing becomes a viable, if not standard, manufacturing technology for everyday objects. “Despite the hype, it’s not easy for large audiences to grasp the full potential of 3D print technology yet,” he says. “We need more choice of material, better resolution, and the error margin needs to be considerably reduced. You shouldn’t be able to tell if an object was 3D printed or produced in a traditional factory. Speed also needs to improve.”

But it’s getting easier to envision a time when people will be able to get their own personalized goods printed around the corner - instead of mass-produced in a factory that is thousands of miles away. “People will start to catch on as printing becomes cheaper, faster and more accessible. I for one make it my task to spread the word and show people what’s possible, and it’s working quite nicely so far.”

[3dhubs]

Our New York Office

Since New York City has become our #1 community in the world, we decided to open an office here.  Well, to be fair, we were planning on opening the New York office anyways in order take part in America’s 3D printing revolution. Marvin was also getting a little claustrophobic in Amsterdam and expressed interest in the Big Apple.  

We landed in the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s New Lab.  A former US Naval shipyard with a history as long as the battleships that were once produced here, the Navy Yard is owned by New York City and is currently undergoing its largest expansion since World War II to make way for the companies which will shape the future.  With views from our office of the entire Manhattan skyline and a city beneath us that may be the center of 3d printing for decades to come, we are stoked to be up and running in New York.

Our trusty co-founder, Bram de Zwart, will be in NYC for meetings over the next few months, so if you have any jet lag advice, he would love to hear it. We’ve expanded the team by bringing on Zach, the company’s first business development member and Alex, for community support in the US. We are looking for our US Marketing and Community Manager as we speak (or write), so if you know anybody great, we would love to hear from them.

We’re kicking things off right by hosting an event at the office this Friday with one of New York’s brightest companies, Quirky, and are heading off to the Maker Faire this weekend to showcase everything 3D Hubs has to offer.

Stop by and say hello anytime.

“I want to be a part of it...New York, New York” - Frank Sinatra

[3dhubs]

Maker Tales: 3D Tattoo Printer

Students of the ENSCI, L’Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle in France, have been developing a 3D printer. Not your average FDM printer, but one that can make you a tattoo!

The brains behind this ingenious project are Pierre Emm, Piotr Widelka and Johan Da Silveira. Their hope is that one day it will become the standard for tattoo salons. We caught up with the gang to discuss the future of their concept.

How did you get the idea for such a machine?

We were just cycling when it came to us! Of course, the idea didn’t come out of thin air, we all have a close relationship with the tattoo community.

How has the tattoo community reacted to the printer?

We are thrilled each time we receive a mail from a tattooist: they seem to really enjoy the idea of having a new tool to bring their ideas into physical reality. The funny thing is that the machine can inspire people to get tattooed. Because our printer helps bringing two different worlds together, tattooing and 3D printing, art and making, more people are attracted to it.

How does your printer work?

We use a Makerbot as a ‘base’ for our creation!

Instead of the extruder, we place a dermograph.

The movements of the dermograph are determined by a 2D drawing that is converted into a 3D surface, as vectors.

We haven’t built a ‘one time finished printer’. The machine always evolves, even if we use the same elements to build it.

What is the main difficulty?

Keeping things simple. Tattooing is a real science, there are a lot of different techniques, skin textures, and ink types available. All those factors are obstacles for making our machine usable by anyone. The road to launch might still be long, but it’s exciting to keep evolving. In a sense it's actually quite similar to the RepRap project.

What is your best memory with your printer?

Definitely the first time someone got tattooed. It was amazing to see the printer mark a perfect circle on someone’s arm! And there are more to come: we’ll soon be at Saint Petersbourg to present our project! 

[3dhubs]

London 3D Printshow 2014

After 9 hours, 8 hands building and a few finger-nails left, the 3D Hubs stand is up and looking great and ready for the event day.

We had a great time at the print show, so we thought it would be good to fill everyone on journey from the canals of Amsterdam to the hussle and bussle of Old Billingsgate, London. The chance to meet so many of our Hubs from all around the world and showcasing the amazingly talented London Hubs on our stand was wonderful to see. There was the Google Campus Meet-up with inspiring talks from both Colorfabb and UltimakerGB and introducing the new well informed public as to what our vision for the future is not to be forgetting one award nomination and one award win. Overall, a jam-packed weekend full of fun!

When designing the stand we were trying to come up with ways of showing the true core of 3D Hubs, so we decided what better way than giving the opportunity to our Hubs based in London the chance to be on the stand with us? Not only did this mean the Hubs got exposure,  but if someone had questions in regards to what being a Hub was like who better to hear it from than a Hub themselves. We had some truly skilled Hubs with us on the stand with a variety of prints from a wide breadth of printers, talking to them allowed us to gain insightful feedback about the platform to takeaway after the show. So thank you Joe's Hub, MakersAffair, Trupti (it is 3D), Z-axis Printing, Jameshsx, Cinter, 2052, Marc's Hub and Philip's Hub. 

The first section we instantly were attracted to was the food printing area, we saw Choc Edge’s amazing new printer which not only prints chocolate amazingly well, but actually tastes better than most on the market. Further down the line we encountered something even more space age that we now call the reverse blender - the Dovetail Food 3D Printer takes fruit-juice-like material and converts it into berry structures, so you can put strawberries and cream in and produce a raspberry shaped fruit with that flavour.

The Manufacturers section really opened our eyes even further at the innovative ways manufacturers are now mixing it up technically. Z-morph had a revolutionary interchangeable printer head idea working extremely well that combines the ability to print ceramic, plastic, cake mixture, milling/laser engraving options; truly showing the possibilities are endless. BigRep had brought in their hulk of a machine that prints on a print bed of over 1 meter with uses in engineering to interior design. Meeting Printrbot CEO and 3D Printing guru Brook Drumm was a delight, as we talked over 3D Printing and his journey from his first Printrbot to what we have today.

Awards night allowed some down time from all the craziness (good craziness) we got to talk to lots of different people from the industry who all had interesting ideas for the future. We were nominated for Best Online Service and graciously lost out to TinkerCad, but we love their software so could not complain. Then suddenly to our surprise we were announced as the Best In Show thanks to our stand design and Hub involvement. So we would like to dedicate our award to all those that helped design, build and man the stand for making it what it was at the show. After we received the award we were taken to a scanning booth and scanned with the award which then would be printed and would be our real award which we are excited about receiving.

In conclusion we had a great time and enjoyed engaging with the 3D Printing community on another level, but more than that the ability to appreciate all the activities of our users all around the world really touched us. To see the look of surprise on a New Zealanders face when he saw a Hub on a farm in a remote network of islands off the coast of New Zealand he recognised or seeing the Hubs being able to showcase their talents was worth the trip alone.

[3dhubs]

Maker Tales: Creating tactile storybooks for children with visual impairment

Images are one of the most memorable parts of our favorite childhood fairy tales. Imagine if you couldn’t see them? The Tactile Picture Books Project is a community of students and researchers that is developing 3D printed storybooks for blind children. The project is based at the University of Colorado Boulder and is currently using our platform to produce its second round of prototypes. This week, we had a chance to talk to Jeeeun Kim, one of the students leading the project.

Making tactile storybooks accessible to all

The goal of the Tactile Picture Books Project is to make the books accessible to visually impaired children and their parents, all over the world. The team is currently creating a digital library with a collection or free STL files. For now, parents can find Goodnight Moon STL files on Thingiverse or submit a request to receive a copy on the project’s website.

“We have received dozens of inquiries from Australia, Russia, Poland...even the Kingdom of Tonga,” says Jeeeun. “I never imaged how enthusiastic the community would be. Some parents have even sent us video recordings of their children reacting to the book. Our hope is to launch the digital library and eventually enroll a few publishers to help us meet the demand for more book variants.” 

Re-imagining visual storytelling  

Goodnight Moon was the first prototype created by the UC-Boulder team. A favorite among American families, the story follows a young rabbit as he says goodnight to all of his surroundings. To create a 3D model of the story, Jeeeun’s team selected a number of images and rendered them using SketchUp. Afterwards, the team contacted PHYSI3D's Hub in Denver to print the images in dense PLA sheets. Using these sheets as examples, the project members have started offering workshops for local parents and teachers. The workshops revolve around the following 3D modeling methods:

1. Designing models in SketchUp or Maya - for parents with little to no experience with 3D design software, the team is offering SketchUp and Maya workshops. If you want to try this at home, Jeeeun recommends that you start by creating grouped polygons. You’re also welcome to use some of the team’s designs by downloading them from 3D warehouse.

2. Designing models in OpenSCAD - parents with programming experience can try OpenSCAD to modify or design their own book models.

3. 3D scanning LEGO blocks - this approach is currently in a testing phase. The idea is to let parents 3D scan 2D visuals made with lego blocks, allowing for a bit of playfulness and flexibility in their books’ design. The team uses 3D digitizer from MakerBot to scan the blocks. For parents, they recommend 123D Catch, a mobile app powered by AutoDesk.

So far, the preferred material for printing is PLA, since it is less toxic, but the team is also considering food-safe materials to make sure there are no safety hazards for young toddlers.

Want to get involved? Contact Jeeeun and subscribe to the project newsletter to learn more.

[3dhubs]

VisiJet Crystal: Printing, finishing and gawping

VisiJet Crystal vs ‘Frosted Ultra Detail’

VisiJet Crystal is becoming a firm favourite amongst the maker community. Its ability to print particularly fine detail makes VisiJet perfect for miniatures, jewellery and anything with delicate embossing. Known as 'Frosted Ultra Detail Crystal' by Shapeways fans, VisiJet Crystal can be found at many hubs worldwide. We asked the community to send in snaps of their VisiJet prints. Our inbox was bursting with examples; here are a few of our favourites in this magic material...

Prism-like Prints

MakeReal’s hub in Riyadh generously sent it over this awesome Beethoven bust to our Amsterdam HQ. Printed on a ProJet 3500HD Max, the print is angelic with light illuminating intricate features. Beethoven’s looking as good as he sounds in crystal!

Multi-Jet-Moulding (MJM)

VisiJet enables designers to print awesome ideas such as these ‘futuristic poppy’ earrings by Moscow Hub 3DPrintus, designed by artist Sonia Vaganova. Designs like these are possible in MJM printing which uses wax supports, easily melted and cleaned, to allow for seemingly impossible prints.

VisiJet’s superiority allows for highly detailed, durable and watertight prints such as this by Toronto’s Rapid Fab - definitely some of the most delicate prints we've seen.

Finishing

Amsterdam Hub Vlad has had success printing complex prototype parts like this. This part had its wax supports melted in a custom oven before swimming in an ultrasonic oil bath and later meeting a dehydrator.

Design Tips

Here are some top design tips from our ‘VisiJet Hubs’ to ensure stunning results:

Smallest layer height is 0.032mm (HD) and 0.016mm (HD Max). Its worth bearing this in mind when designing!

Wall height should be no lower that 0.5mm to ensure strong prints.

Unsupported wall thickness should be greater than 0.6mm.

Clearance between parts of at least 0.1mm will avoid fusing.

You can create awesome interlocking parts as the prints are UV cured!

If your print will need to withstand pressure, increase the thickness of your walls.

Position of the print is vital. Any area touching the max support material will have a translucent texture.

Print in VisiJet Crystal

If you fancy printing in VisiJet Crystal follow this link, upload your STL and pick a hub near you! (Tip: You can increase the search distance to improve results!)

[3dhubs]

Bringing the 3D Geometry of Nature to your Desk

Its not often that the worlds of nature and 3D Printing are unified, but for artist and author Isaac Budmen nature was indeed the perfect inspiration to teleport the outside onto the printer bed. Isaac's collection started by studying the geometry’s of Redwood, Pine and Oak tree’s and their magical seeds. Mesmerising spiral patterns and intricate detail stirred Isaac to recreate these designs for 3D printers. After working with Cults on perfecting the designs for FDM printers the final ‘Pine Cone Collection’ was released into the wild and can be downloaded here. Check out our rundown of the prints below! 

Illusionary Acorn

The Illusionary Acorn is a big favourite at HQ! After printing the stunning design on our Makerbot Replicator 5 we couldnt believe the detail! Not only is it a joy to look at you can also squirrel away precious items from your colleagues! As Cults explain ‘Let your imagination soar higher than the forest canopy.’

Sequoia Organizer

Why not let nature organise your life? The Sequoia Organizer is inspired by the seed pods of the mighty Sequoia Redwoods and is a welcome addition to any dreary desk. Its especially useful if organisation doesn't come naturally and you like to hoard our 2D cousin, paper.    

Desktop Conifer 

This piece, designed from Isaac's first pinecone studies the Desktop Conifer is the only way you can store your stationery in style. Get this on your desk and wait for the comments to roll in!

All of these designs can be downloaded exclusively at Cults.

[3dhubs]

Maker Tales: Hack your own greenhouse with 3DPonics & 3D Hubs

For the first time in history the majority of the world's population live in cities. With the hustle and bustle of city life comes a lack of space for gardens and agriculture. We've teamed up with friends 3DPrintler, an Ottawa based startup, to distribute a 3D Printed solution!

3Delicious Food

3DPonics, recently successfully funded on Kickstarter, is a hydroponics system composed of 3D-printed components, waste plastic bottles and few cable ties here and there! The project aims to eliminate the need for a garden and will let you grow food even if you don’t have a backyard - you can set it up pretty much anywhere, on your balcony or even in your living room! Grow your own tomatoes, herbs… let nature do the hard work for you. Best of all, 3Dponics is completely free and open source.

Make your own

1. Print your parts 

Download the 3DPonics STL files here. You can either print these on your 3D printer or directly at 3D Hubs below! 

Print Full Set

4 Drip Nozzles

Conduit

Silencer

Sprinkler

Sprinkler Head

Pump Connector

Height Adjuster 

Outer Clip

Inner Clip

2. Collect your materials  

You will also need...

4 plants (tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, herbs, etc.)

4 empty plastic bottles

Hydroponics growth medium (grow stones or equivalent) (pre-soaked for a couple of days)

Aeration kit for aquariums

Vertical support column for tubing (bamboo works well!)

Air pump

Rubber tubing for an aquarium air pump or similar

Zip ties

Support structure (coat rack or a ceiling hook recommended)

Scissors

A water jug (4 L, 8 L or 9 L recommended)

Hole puncher

Utility knife

3. Full instructions of how to assemble you hydroponics system can be found here. 

4. Eat your greens...

The future is hydroponics

Some users have already created clever hooks, supports and bottle covers for the system. Founder Michael Golubev is already looking to the future ‘we foresee a hydroponics system that’s Internet-enabled with sensors, timers, pH meters and cameras that optimise yield, reduce operation costs and allow you to operate the system remotely.’ This is just the beginning for 3DPonics.

[3dhubs]

Maker Tales: Characters born from a Post-Apocalyptic Print Bed

Post-apocalyptic Toys

The future looks bright for TroBok Toys which recently launched a new website enabling 3D enthusiasts to print unique futuristic characters at home. Rick, a Hub owner, is also giving his ‘Snork’ design away for free to celebrate the launch! We chatted with Rick, the designer of these majestic creatures to discover the inspiration behind his toy paradise.   

Hasbro is not the future

Rick’s vision was that people should be able to ‘make it their own’ instead of buying from large toy stores. Therefore he went about creating a collection of toys that people could 3D print at home and customise to their liking. ‘I like the idea of being able to download a toy, print in the colour you like then finish it how you want, sand it, paint it,whatever. It’s more about making the toy yours than buying something out a box.’

‘Creatures of the Fog’

Rick’s resent collection ‘Creatures of the Fog’ was inspired by extreme smog in Singapore created by intense fires in Indonesia which left him unable to venture outside:  ‘…gas masks throughout the island were sold out, it was terrible to breathe and we did not see the sun for days.’ This doomsday like period was the catalyst behind the characters, ‘I dreamt how creatures may have to adapt to survive in similar post apocalyptic worlds’.  

From CAD to ABS

The design process is intuitive for Rick, starting by sketching his characters in CAD software and seeing where it takes him: ‘I will have a general idea of what I want but most often I feel the character comes out on its own accord.’ The characters are designed to avoid the need for support material with the home printer in mind. Rick developed these skills after buying a 3D printer, ‘Naturally since I am into characters, toys and creatures started coming out of the print bed.’ 

If your feeling social check out Rick's Instagram!

[3dhubs]

Filabot Run 2 - Clogs and Colorants

Last time we had our first encounter with the green recycling machine. It was exciting to say the least. After receiving some vital tips from the masters themselves on how to tune the Filabot, we further explored the possibilities.

We began with feeding the machine some rough shavings of failed 3D prints. That was a huge mistake. It did produce some ‘filament’, but the quality was far from printable. This wouldn't have been a big deal if it wasn’t for all the hours we had to put in to clean out the Filabot. Lesson learned. We will now wait with recycling failed prints until we receive the Filabot Reclaimer. This nifty device helps you grind your failed prints into consumable shavings.

Another experiment we we’re excited about was to mix the raw ABS pellets with socalled colorants. So whilst getting rid of the last residue from our recycling experiment, we began running some tests. We read about a mixture of 1/10, so that’s what we went for. The result was quite astonishing. At first it was a combination of stringy PLA blubber and ABS, but soon the red color showed up. At first the diameter of the extruded filament was way off, but eventually we managed to find the right temperature for ‘spot-on’ 3mm filament extrusion (or so we thought).

Next stop was the printer. Since we extruded ABS we didn't build up our hopes too high for getting a good result on the Ultimaker Original. Printing regular ABS filament is a challenge already, let alone your own recycled ABS filament. As you can see on the picture, the ‘Cute Octopus Saying Hi’ doesn't raise just one tentacle... heavy warping occurred while printing.

We came to the conclusion that a heated bed was a necessity, so there was no other option than to run the filament through our beloved and well taken care of Ultimaker 2. We were a bit hesitant, because maintenance on the Ultimaker 2 is harder than on a Ultimaker Original. Our nightmare became reality. The nozzle clogged mid-print, although the temperature was set on 240 Cº. We think it had to do with the variation in diameter. What followed were countless hours of poking needles and thin metal threads in the nozzle, and even molesting it with a creme brulée torch. It’s no fun having to hurt your baby like that.

For now we leave it at this; diameter consistency is very important in being able to print with your own filament. We tried variations in temperature of the Filabot, the angle of the Filabot and also the height of the Filabot from the floor. None of these attempts resulted in evenly wide 3mm strings. We'll definitely run more tests, but in the mean time we’d love to get some tips from you guys on how to reach the perfect constant diameter and how to spool the freshly extruded material.

[3dhubs]

Maker Tales: Meet AirButlr, your personal housekeeping drone

Let’s face it, nobody likes housekeeping. Wouldn’t it be great if we all had our own robotic assistant to handle the dirty work for us? With AirButlr, this may become a reality. AirButlr is a small, yet powerful device that is designed to transport and operate cleaning appliances in and around your house. We discovered the ingenious concept a few weeks back when the company’s founder, Wouter Nuytten, started ordering prototypes through our platform.

How does it work?

AirButlr is made up of 3 components that work together to help you automate your housekeeping tasks:

The AirButlr device itself, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that flies in and around your house looking for dirt.

A set of removable cleaning applications which the UAV transports and operates to perform tasks like window cleaning and lawn mowing.

A base station which holds the different cleaning applications and mounts the right application on the AirButlr once a cleaning command is received. The base station also doubles up as the AirButlr’s charger.

These components use advanced sensors, batteries and motors, in combination with amazing detection and mapping algorithms. Once purchased, you simply need to install an app on your smartphone to operate AirButlr. Then its time to command your Butlr to complete that pesky housework, giving us more time to spend with our 3D printer (or spouse)!

From prototype to Kickstarter-ready

AirButlr is still in a prototyping phase, but Wouter and his team are getting closer to a working product. Their plan is to develop an MVP and raise funds through Kickstarter to bring it to market. “We started building our proof-of-concept with duct tape and cardboard to get a clear idea of the proper shape and size for the poducts,” says Wouter. “We barely used software, not even sensors at that time. For the AirButlr, we bought a 3D Robotics quadcopter. So our first proof-of-concept was a flying robot taking off from a box and transporting a smaller box around. This box would later become a cleaning application.”

After this, the team moved on to create an MVP. Besides designing and building their own UAV and purchasing a bulk-load of hardware components (gear, sensors, batteries, motors, etc.), the team started working with Cervo-Go leper’s Hub in Bruges to 3D print frames and cases.

Wouter added: “Thanks to 3D printing, we managed to transition from our duct tape phase to a working prototype. We used Autodesk 123D Design to generate 3D models and 3D Hubs for printing.”

AirButlr will launch on Kickstarter this month. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter to stay tuned!

[3dhubs]

Da Vinci 1.0 Top Trending Printer

A new month, a new Trend Report! With this time the Da Vinci 1.0 as our no. 1 Trending Printer. The Robo 3D, Mendel 90, Afinia H480 and Makerbot Replicator 5th gen have also done their best and shown very respectable growth. But they simply could not keep up with the massive 56.3% growth displayed by the Da Vinci 1.0.

Want to find out where other printers are on this month's ranking and catch up on the latest insights? Head on over to our Trend Report to check it out.

[3dhubs]

Maker Tales: 3D printing with potato filament

Earlier this month, we blogged about an exciting lithophane project printed through our platform. Today, we have the pleasure of bringing you another great art project, this time from a Netherlands-based sculptor called Jos Hamann.

Meet Jos

Jos is a trained computer programmer with a passion for sculpture. His work has been showcased in parks and other public places across the Netherlands. After suffering from a stroke in December 2012, he was no longer able to operate heavy material and machines to build his creations. This led him to explore 3D printing as a means to stay active in the field.

Recently, Jos contacted Fab Lab Breda’s Hub to 3D print a Solanyl-based copy of a sculpture he had previously built from natural stone. “Drawing, writing and painting have never been my thing,” says Jos. “That’s why I’ve always preferred to work in 3D. The available software for 3D design offers endless possibilities, not only for sculptures, but also for animations - something I’ve previously explored in my kinetic artwork. These days, I’m focusing on scanning a selection of my ceramics pieces to experiment with 3D printing.”

Printing in Solanyl

Jos' print "The Secundant"

For Jos, the look and feel of the material was very important and so was achieving a natural color. Therefore, he decided to order his print in Solanyl, a biopolymer based on potato skins. Since this is a relatively unexplored material, we got in touch with Fab Lab Breda’s Charlotte Jansen to get some insights on the print process.

On the whole, we learned that successful solanyl printing is mostly a matter of keeping the right speed and temperature. The material works with FDM printers but is highly sensitive to humidity and may be prone to sizzling depending on how old your filament sample is. Charlotte: “Solanyl takes longer to cool down because it takes the polymer chains more time to connect. Therefore, it is important to print at a lower speed. A speed of 30-50 mm will do, depending on the model size. Another setting that needs some attention is the temperature, this should be around 185 degrees Celsius. Finally, you shouldn't be surprised if your workplace starts smelling like baked potatoes - that’s all part of the fun!”

The filament used by Fab Lab Breda is the result of a student project and is technically not available for sale. However, if you’re interested in experimenting with it, you can contact Charlotte to put in a request. Tried printing in solanyl before? Share your best practices with us on Facebook.

Print with bronze powder finishing and solanyl print