3D Printing Is Cool

A rapid prototyping blog featuring the latest & greatest 3D printed items and developments in 3D printing. Twitter / Pinterest / RSS Feed / Make In 3D

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3D printed regenerative trainers

It was only a matter of time before bio tech and 3D printing joined forces and created something revolutionary, and that time is now... A London designer and University of Denmark professor have been beavering away to engineer a revolutionary new running shoe. Using regenerative protocells and 3D printing the new design has the ability to react to the wearer and the ground he or she is running on. The trainers can inflate or deflate depending on the terrain and as they’re made specifically for the user they fit your feet like a second skin.

When you’re done for the day; simply pop them into a jar of live liquid protocells and be amazed as they repair themselves. The liquid can also be dyed any hue the wearer wishes and the shoes will take on that colour.

Unveiled for the first time at the Wearable Futures conference these hi-tech synthetic kicks will put your worn out trainers to shame, but unfortunately they won’t be available until at least 2050 – in the meantime you’ll have to buy a normal pair like everyone else...

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3D printed pizza!

Barcelona based food start up company Natural Machines are taking the 3D printing concept to edible levels. Pictures have recently been doing the rounds with their step-by-step 3D printed pizza.

3D printing food isn’t a new thing but the Spanish brand is making a bid with its Foodini machine to hit the mainstream market and bring this technology into people’s homes. Foods such as pizzas are perfect for the 3D printing process as they’re a layered design which these machines can cope with much better than more complicated eats.

It’s not just pizzas that the company have successfully printed; burgers and ravioli are all suitable for the Foodini machine – and the best part is the contraption is small enough to sit comfortably next to your espresso maker!

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3D printing is officially pants!

UK based company Tamicare is readying itself for the manufacturing of disposable underwear and using 3D printing techniques to do so.

3D printed clothes aren’t anything new; however, the company claims their products feel just like woven fabric thanks to its Cosyflex technology.

Printing a hybrid fabric by mixing natural latex, silicon, polyurethane and Teflon; the resulting textile is stretchy, comfortable and can be manufactured in a variety of different colours. It also takes just three seconds to knock a pair of throw away underwear out!

Tamicare consider their technology suitable for making other pieces of clothing as well – such as sportswear and medical bandages. Having the ability to produce bespoke clothing in minutes is great news and Tamicare are leading the way.

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The World’s first 3D printed metal gun

Texas based Solid Concepts have produced the world’s first 3D printed metal gun which has fired over 50 shots to date. The Austin based firm used a direct metal laser sintering process (DMLS) which allowed them to produce all parts except springs.

The assembly process takes between five and seven minutes and relies totally on metal components to work. Previously, the Liberator – until this point the most sophisticated example of a 3D printed gun available – could only be shot once and is manufactured from plastic.

Designs for the Liberator were shared online earlier this year and sparked controversy with fears of guns being manufactured in people’s homes. Modelled on a WWII pistol it was accurate to just a few metres whereas the Solid Concepts version has been filmed hitting targets dozens of metres away. Ammunition is .45 Winchester white box types which are sold separately.

Printing illegal firearms at home has long been a concern, making it into political debates regularly. Great Manchester police made headlines at the start of October when they supposedly discovered parts for a 3D printed gun. Later this was proved not to be the case with the seizure actually being items for the printer itself.

Metal 3D printing requires very different machines to ones currently available for domestic use. You then need access to powdered metals and the right expertise to make a pistol from scratch. Cost is the main deterrent to criminals with large sums of cash needing to be outlaid.

DMLS manager at Solid concepts said: "We weren't trying to figure out a cheaper, easier, better way to make a gun - that wasn't the point at all. What we were trying to do was dispel the commonly-held notion that DMLS parts are not strong enough or accurate enough for real-world applications."

The company’s head of marketing, Scott McGowan, added: "There are barriers to entry that will keep the public away from this technology for years."

Check out a video of the gun in action here.

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3D printed pinhole camera

Clint O’Connor is a photography nut and hardware developer from Austin, Texas. He particularly enjoys the medium of pinhole photography, stating that the affects you can achieve by allowing light to refract onto film can be amazing. Although Clint uses digital methods he finds himself coming back, time and again, to the pinhole way of capturing images.

In this day and age the digital format appears to have eclipsed all other ways of consuming content and the way in which we live. And yet, the first six months of 2013 saw vinyl music sales increase by 33.5% and pinhole camera is a well searched term on Google. Clint’s company often sits in the number one position.

Previously Clint has manufactured his pinhole cameras from cardboard boxes and metal cans but up until recently his methods were difficult to reproduce on a mass scale and satisfy large orders.

Clint then purchased the Solidoodle 3D printer which revolutionised his approach to the manufacturing process. In an attempt to grow things further he launched the project on crowd funding website Kickstarter a few days go. 'Pinhole – a 3D printed camera' has already smashed 500% of its goal to date.

Clint has also managed to produce an exposure table for the Flyer 6x6 pinhole camera and there’s a Flickr page where people can post their pics.

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Asda to roll out 3D printing services

A York based branch of Asda (Walmart's subsidiary UK chain for those in the States wondering) will be trialling the UK’s first supermarket 3D printing service. Prices will start at £40, 60% cheaper than other retailers, and you’ll be able to scan anything you wish and get it 3D printed. Once designs have been submitted they’re sent off to a factory where the detailed model will be produced.

A scanner is moved around the person’s body or object so as to cover the whole area. The whole process takes roughly two minutes. Files will then be sent off, printed and returned in time for collection during the customer’s next weekly shop.

October 15th will see the launch of the service before the concept is rolled out across stores nationwide.

"A statement from Asda said: 'Evolving well beyond simply filling frames with photographs of friends and family, 3D printed ‘mini me’ figures will add a whole new dimension to shoppers’ mantelpieces.

"The lifelike models are also expected to be popular as personalised wedding cake toppers, and you could even have a model of your family pet."

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3D Printed Joy Division Artwork

The music industry has been massively targeted by purveyors of 3D printed works. Customisable, fully functioning guitars and records have all had the 3D treatment and now album artwork has had a dose of 3D medication.

Michael Zoellner, a German blogger and DIY 3D print fan has been experimenting with 3D printing for a while. Reportedly, after seeing the Grant Gee directed Joy Division documentary Zoellner was inspired to 3D print the band’s iconic Unknown Pleasures album artwork.

Designed by Peter Saville of Factory Records, the artwork is said to feature a radio wave image from a Pulsar CP 1919. Now instantly recognisable the cover is ingrained into many music fans’ minds.

Zoellner though did come up against a few problems during the process. Due to not being able to find a vector graphic or 3D model, the German experimentalist had to trace the waves by hand, which took some considerable time. He then had to transform his etchings into code to be able to print the 3D model.

3D printing album artwork could signify a resurgence of interest in a genre that’s all but been forgotten – ironic considering that digital is touted as one of the reasons physical album sales have declined. By offering something ultimately very different to what we’ve previously been offered, the art of making inspiring and iconic music album covers could be set for a comeback?

The one obstacle facing the 3D reproduction of this artwork though is copywrite. Open source community based content and illegal torrent sites walk tightropes so thin that a fall to the wrong side could happen at any given time.

Concerns over the easily accessible physibles – 3D print ready digital design files – are already sounding alarm bells in some spheres. 

However, the fact remains that 3D printing could herald the renaissance of timeless album artwork design and that is a big reason for music connoisseurs to shout about.

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3D Printed customisable Storm Trooper Figures

During Disney’s Stars Wars Weekends (new for 2013) Walt Disney World is offering fans the opportunity to become 3D printed Stormtroopers. Under the banner of Disney’s D – Tech Me product line action figures can now be created using the much hyped 3D printing technology. Costing around $120, Stars Wars lovers will be asked to step into a booth where multiple cameras will shoot pictures of their face from different angles allowing a lifelike 3D scan to printed onto Stormtroopr figures. Mulyiple skin tone and hair choices are available and custom figures take up to 8 weeks for delivery. The technology has also been used to create Han Solo trapped in carbonite, with fan faces instead of Harrison Ford, and was reported here last year.

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3D Printed Ear

With an ‘off the shelf’ purchased 3D printer researchers at Princeton University have printed  a functional ear that can ‘hear’ radio frequencies far beyond the capabilities of a humans range.

Combining 3D printed cells and nanoparticles led the group to cell culture and the eventual combining of a small coil antenna and cartilage. The team ended up creating a bionic ear.

This is the group’s first attempt at creating a fully functional organ which not only replicates human ability but also extends these capabilities using embedded electronics.

Using 3D printing to create living organs has been on the radar for a while but it’s only in recent months that several groups have started to report successes. The bionic ear produced by the Princeton team is the very first time scientists have demonstrated an effective interweaving of tissue with electronics.

Further work and research is needed but it’s not outside of the realms of possibility to believe this technology could be used to restore or enhance a humans hearing. Electrical signals produced by the ear could be connected to patient’s nerve endings – similar to with a conventional hearing aid.

Assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton University Michael McAlpine commented: ‘In general, there are mechanical and thermal challenges with interfacing electronic materials with biological materials

Previously, researchers have suggested some strategies to tailor the electronics so that this merger is less awkward. That typically happens between a 2D sheet of electronics and a surface of the tissue. However, our work suggests a new approach—to build and grow the biology up with the electronics synergistically and in a 3D interwoven format.’

Whichever way you look at it, 3D printing technology is making significant headway in the medical world and is perhaps the ideal application for 3D print technology? With further research and development on the cards, the world at large waits with baited breath for the results.

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3D Printed Windsurfing!?

It seems that you can’t move for 3D printing companies cropping up all over the place. Pick a market and you can guarantee that someone has worked out (or is at least planning) how 3D printing can be adapted for that particular application.

The latest area to feature 3D print technology is watersports – more specifically windsurfing. A trio of windy fanatics have set up a company specialising in 3D printing windsurf boards. If they can make a success of it then surfboards are next on the agenda.

Shanon Marks, Erik Johnson and Mark Laughlin started Made LLC with the idea of taking on the mainstream windsurfing brands that, in their opinion, produce overcomplicated, over lapping (performance characteristics) and over priced products.

Shanon Marks was interviewed by 3D Printing Australia, stating that the windsurfing industry is currently bogged down with issues causing confusion during a customers’ purchasing process.

Made LLC’s way, although on the surface is extremely technical, will in the end give a simplified experience to the rider.

To date, the company has produced a number of prototype boards to prove the concept works. During the interview, Chris Peters – a Melbourne based designer, kitesurfer and 3D print fanatic – was given one of these early designs to try out for himself.

The board was designed around Chris’ personal dynamics, as all of the company’s products are.

Riders use a performance tracking application (currently being developed as a mobile app) linked to near– field communication chips. This technology will study riders' on water behaviour including bodyweight, height, course, speed, GPS, altitude (during jumps), time in motion, stationary time, average conditions, wave height and numbers of nearby sailors –amongst other headers.

With the ability to tweak and refine board designs based on this information, each product can be tailored to an individual’s wants and needs giving a uniquely personal experience.

At present it is only the board’s core which is 3D printed. A Fortus 900 3D Printer is used to manufacture the internal lattice stringers – more akin to techniques used in boat building than board design.

These ‘struts’ are then layered with bamboo and fibreglass. The plan, however, is for the company to move towards a 100% additive process (fully printed). This will cut down on waste and damage caused to the environment.

Made LLC are in the process of crowd funding their business and will be featuring it on Kickstarter soon.

Could this be the future of windsurfing design and production? Only time will tell.

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Play Doh 3D Printer

3D printing is big news at the moment, with many believing that we're right on the cusp of a revolution with this technology spearheading another industrial manufacturing boom.

Playing on this, US gadget retailer Think Geek decided to spoof everyone yesterday with its Play-Doh 3D printer for April Fool's.

Whether you fell for it or not, you cannot fault the effort that went into pulling this stunt off. Good work.

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3D Printed Snowboard

Here’s one for the extreme sports enthusiasts out there.

The forward thinking snowboard manufacturer Signal (the company that also produced an inflatable snowboard) have manufactured the world’s first 3D printed snowboard.

Created in multiple parts, before being assembled, and reinforced with steel strips to stop the board snapping, this is a one of a kind design.

The board has been put through its paces, tested in some tough snow conditions, and thanks to its specialist wide nose, managed to cope well with deep powder as well as on piste conditions.

Riders have mentioned that it is a little slow when being carved on its edge but other than this, it handled what was thrown at it with ease.

3D printed snowboards are certainly not about to go mainstream anytime soon, but this type of application does highlight the diverse nature of 3D printing technology.

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3D Print Yourself as a Gummy Sweet to your Loved One!

When the Japanese celebrate Valentine’s Day it’s only men who are recipients of gifts from secret admirers. Four weeks later Japanese women get their presents on what they call White Day.

During 2013’s White Day, Tokyo based 3D printing company, FabCafe, came up with the novel idea of getting men’s bodies scanned and printed as gummy sweets which they could then give as gifts to the lady in their lives.

FabCafe chose nine males to turn into edible delights but at $62 a pop these 3D printed sweet bodily delights definitely don’t come cheap.

It could be argued though that this type of gift is indeed thoughtful as what could be more personalised that a 3D printed body that you can eat?  The flipside, of course, is that the act of devouring your loved ones arms, legs and head could also be seen as bizarre.

From the same company that 3D printed faces onto chocolates, normal just isn’t something that FabCafe does.

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Patient receives 3D printed skull implant

Oxford Performance Material of Connecticut (OPM) recently manufactured a 3D printed skull implant that has been successfully used in reconstructive surgery. An un-named patient now has a skull that’s made up of 75% synthetic material.

The revolutionary new product, named OsteoFab, made history after being approved by the FDA and is the first of its kind. With porous characteristics, the implant will attract bone and red blood cells that will attach themselves and eventually mould into a perfectly formed skull.

Once the green light was given by the Food and Drug Administration the manufacturing process was started which saw it completed and ready for surgery on March 4th. OPM have been busy selling other implants to hospitals but permission from the FDA had to be granted before any could be used on patients.

President of OPM, Scott DeFelice, believes that not a single part of orthopaedics will be untouched by 3D printing. OPM sees the usage of their reconstructive implants going far beyond just that of the Patient Specific Cranial Device.

During an interview with TechNewDaily DeFelice hailed the new technology as highly profitable and commented: "If you can replace a bony void in someone's head next to the brain, you have a pretty good platform for filling bony voids elsewhere."

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3D Printed Nike Trainers

Possibly one of the biggest commercial endorsements of 3D printing to date is that sports giant Nike are set to incorporate the technology into its Vapour Laser Talon.

Nike has actually used 3D printing for prototyping for years but the brand now feels the results are good enough for mainstream consumption.

Working closely with Olympic gold medal sprinter Michael Johnson Nike wanted to understand how he and his team train American Football players – especially during the 40-yard dash which tests the speed of each player.

Nike measured the performance of the cleats (known as studs in the UK) which help athletes to maintain their drive stance for longer on football turf.

The result is the Nike Vapour Laser Talon which is set to increase an athlete’s performance considerably.

Lance Walker, MJP Performance Director, explained that an athlete’s "zero step" is the pivotal point of a stride that can make or break an persons 40-yard time.

The few seconds before the first step hits the turf is when acceleration speed and propulsion are determined. During this phase, it’s all about geometry.

Nike’s brand new 3D printed plate allows players to maintain their drive position for longer and more efficiently.

Johnson commented: "Translated to the game of football, mastering the zero step can mean the difference between a defensive lineman sacking the quarterback or getting blocked."

Nike engineers used SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) to create the shoe, a method that uses a high powered laser to bond molecules of material to build up high definition shapes.

Nike say; "The SLS process allows for the engineering and creation of shapes not possible with traditional manufacturing processes, as well as the ability to make design updates within hours instead of months to truly accelerate the innovation process to never seen speeds." 

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3D Print Recycling Shredder

German designer Marcus Thymark, who has won previous awards for his work, has developed a 3D print shredder which means you can recycle and reuse your unwanted 3D prints rather than just chucking them in the bin.

Grinding down and melting the plastic allows the user to extrude usable filament for 3D printing which is great for the environment and kinder on your wallet.

Marcus is also in the process of developing a new CNC milling machine due for completion any time soon.

In the meantime if you want to find out more about Marcus and his designs then check out his blog: www.thymark.com

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3D Printed Lifesize Robot

Do you fancy a little side project to pass the time at weekends or ever contemplated having your own C3PO?

If this applies to you why not take a leaf out of French sculptor Gael Langevin’s book and 3D print your own robot?

InMoov

Affectionately referred to as InMoov, the 41 year old’s life size, open source 3D creation can be made by anyone who has access to 3D printing technology, some cheap circuit boards and a few motors.

InMoov was an idea that took shape at the start of 2012 during Langevin’s spare time.

Once each part of the robot is completed, Langeving shares printer files and assembly guides on his blog. You can also programme InMoov to respond to vocal commands – of which you can also find instructions for on his site.

Prosthetics

The technology used for InMoov is a something that could benefit the prosthetic limb market.

In fact the idea for the robot stems from the fact that Langevin was commissioned to make such a limb. The rest of the project flowed freely from that initial development.

The InMoov robot is just another way in which 3D printing technology can be used for the masses. With a little imagination and forward thinking the possibilities could be endless.