Infographic: UP Mini Printer Facts
http://3dprintingsystems.com/infographic-up-mini-printer-facts/

pixel skylines

Andulka

JVL
Aqua Utopia|海の底で記憶を紡ぐ

Kiana Khansmith
Three Goblin Art

Kaledo Art
styofa doing anything
PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH
Mike Driver
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her

@theartofmadeline
I'd rather be in outer space 🛸

Product Placement
Cosimo Galluzzi
taylor price

oozey mess
TVSTRANGERTHINGS
DEAR READER
cherry valley forever
seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from Malaysia

seen from Japan
seen from Netherlands
seen from Canada
seen from United States

seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from Malaysia

seen from Canada
seen from United States

seen from Malaysia

seen from United Kingdom
seen from Malaysia
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seen from United States
seen from Trinidad & Tobago
@3dprintingsys
Infographic: UP Mini Printer Facts
http://3dprintingsystems.com/infographic-up-mini-printer-facts/
Converting images into 3D Models
Having been involved in 3D printing on a daily basis for about 5 years now, one of the most common requests we get is, “Can you 3d print my logo?”. By the way, the second most common question we get asked, “Can you take this single 2D photo of my cat and provide me with a full 3d printed (in colour of course) model of my cat”. The answer to the first question is doable and that is what this article is about. The answer to the second question is, well, you’ll need to ask Marty McFly.
Converting a 2D logo into 3D object used to be one of the most frustrating and laborious tasks. Thanks to new software and free services it is now a very easy process. Having an easy conversion relies solely on the 2D image having solid colours. Software for achieving this has come a long way and this used to involve tedious procedures and mentally draining.
There are literally hundreds of thousands of clipart images that would look amazing 3D printed, from logos of your favourite car, sports team or your company logo.
So after 5 years of doing this long and tiring process of importing the clipart into Coreldraw, exporting as a DWG, then importing in 3D CAD software, fixing the design, extruding the shape, then exporting as an STL file, then print. Okay so if I lost you there, then you are starting to feel my pain. Once you learn the tricks of what I am about to show you, you will never want to go back.
With thanks to a bit of Googling I figured out an excellent workflow that makes 3D printing a logo incredibly easy. So easy in fact anybody can convert their favourite logo into a printable 3D keyring or phone cover! It doesn’t have to be a logo, it can be any line type drawn image, but you’ll soon learn the limitations with a bit of trial and error.
This is an overview of the process:
Find your desired logo 2.) Convert the image to an SVG with a free online tool 3.) Import into Tinkercad, another free browser-based tool, and you’re done! You don’t even need to download anything or install any software to achieve it!
Now, let’s get down to business and I’ll show you how you can 3D print your favourite logos painlessly.
First, you want to select an image that just uses solid colours without any gradients or shadows (just like the Ferrari logo on the right). Don’t forget you might need to seek permission of the image owner. Most common desktop 3D printers only print in one colour at a time. So if you only want a single colour logo then this is very easy to do.
Do a Google Image search and find yourself an image to convert, we got this Ferrari logo
Copy the URL link of the image into your clipboard
Visit this website: https://convertio.co/jpg-svg/
Click “Add from URL”, paste your URL that you copied in step 2, click “CONVERT”
Once processed, right click on “Download” and copy the converted URL into your clipboard.
Open https://www.tinkercad.com (You’ll need to login or signup for a free account)
In Tinkercad on the right hand side, select IMPORT, then select URL, then paste your converted URL and click Import.
Notice how the yellow shield has been ignored and how the red bar and black are merged into one object. If you really want to fine tune your logo, fix it up in your photo editing software first.
To complete the simple logo and get it ready for printing, just put a back cover on the design and you are ready to print. In the example, we put a 2mm back block behind the logo, otherwise the horse and initials would come loose after 3D printing.
A friend of mine goes nuts over tigers, so I’m going to customise a phone case for her. Once again I found a cool design thanks to Google Image search, in Paint I selected an appropriate font, wrote her name and save it as a JPG file. Converted both of those to SVG using the online convertor. Found a phone case on Thingiverse and then imported them all into Tinkercad.
Having the ability to bring in any 2D shape and either add or subtract them from a huge range of available 3D models is like the customisers dream.
Leveling up your logo making skills!
I’m now going to show you how to do a four colour logo very easily using your desktop 3D printer and some photo editing software.
To get a better understanding how to achieve a four colour print with a single colour desktop 3D printer, we need to think about the design and break it into layered sections. Because red will be our Ferrari keyring background colour (I wish I had a Ferrari), we’ll start off with printing the red base for 2mm, then we’ll set the printer to pause at 2mm so we can change colour to green and so on. A nice feature of the UP 3D printers is you can just set a measurement in mm height where you want to pause the printer each time you need to change colours.
You are going to need photo editing software, like Photoshop or InkScape (free).
Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4
Open the original image in your photo editing software (Fig. 4).
Using the magic wand tool, select all the red and delete it. We’ll manually add a full red background in Tinkercad later.
Magicwand and select all the black objects and save that as a black.JPG file (Fig. 1).
Magicwand the green and save that as a green.JPG file (Fig. 2).
Magicwand the yellow, but you will need to paint in where you cut the black out to fill in the holes (Fig. 3). If we convert this file, it will most likely not convert as Yellow is a very light colour. So paint the shield black or a dark colour.
So you should now have three files in total.
Upload the three files from “My computer” and click “Convert”.
The three files are ready to import intoTinkercad. Right click on the first download button and click “Copy link address”
In Tinkercad select “Import”. Then paste each of the copied links and click “import”. Repeat until you have all files loaded.
Select all of your parts and then scale them to your preferred size.
I suggest you give each part a different colour so you can distinguish them easily.
Set the base / red background at 2mm high from the ground plane
Set the green bar at 4mm high from the ground plane
Set the yellow shield at 6mm high from the ground plane
Set the black logo at 8mm high from the ground plane
Your design should look something like this
Next select all the objects and group them as one, this will combine all the parts as one object.
After combining them, you’ll loose all the colours, don’t worry this is fine. As long as each element is at a different height, then we’ll pause the 3d printer and change colours.
Save the combined file as an STL
Open your 3d printing software, in this example we are using the UP BOX.
Enter in 2,4,6 for the dimensions at which to pause the printer. Have the following colours of filament ready in this order: red, yellow, green and finally black.
Start by printing with red. Once the printer pauses, change to yellow and so on.
The finished product!
You aren’t limited to just making logos. Why stop at this level of personalisation? How about sprucing up your home with this little project by using the same process as mentioned above.
Ever seen those nice “Love”, “Peace” and “Home” letter blocks at the stores but you wanted something a bit more personal and didn’t have access to woodwork equipment? Luckily you have your hands on a 3D printer!
Even the simple Microsoft Paint can get you started on this project, no need for the fancy stuff.
Type out the text you want to make and choose your desired font. I chose the font “Broadway”. Make sure the font is black for file conversion. Save this as a .JPG file
Upload the file from “My computer” and click “Convert”.
Just like the previous tutorial, the file is now ready to be imported into Tinkercad. Right click on the download button and click “Copy link address”
In Tinkercad select “Import”.Then paste the copied link and click “import”.
Select the part and then scale it to your preferred size.
Rotate the part 90 degrees so that it is standing upright.
Copy the part and place it behind the original part. Highlight the back piece and Mirror the part. Group the two parts together
Draw a base a bit bigger than the words as this will serve as your base.
Set the words just sitting above the base.
Select all the parts and group them together to combine.
Save the combined file as an STL ready for printing.
Now you have your very own letter holder that you look from both sides! Of course, you can skip step 7 if you just want a simple letter block dedicated to your cat, your wishes or your favourite character from your favourite book.
I hope you found this process helpful, please share with me your custom creations!
http://3dprinting.com.au/converting-images-into-3d-models/
3DPrint-AU Launches Managed 3D Print Service for Australia
Australian’s Have a New 3D Print Service. Offering High Quality Selective Laser Sintered (SLS) Nylon Parts, at a Low Fixed Rate.
SYDNEY, New South Wales (PRWEB) 14 November 2014 – 3DPrint-AU announced today the launch of their new 3D printing service for Australia.
Manufacturing in Australia has experienced many changes since the 3D Printing revolution began in 2011. Many Australians have started to use desktop 3D printing to prototype and manufacture products in their sheds and workplaces. Limited access to industrial capable machines have resulted in Australians having to purchase parts from overseas, with long lead times. Creators in Europe and the USA have had easy access to this technology, now it is Australia’s turn. Having a local 3D Print service means that customers in Australia are no longer at a disadvantage. Main centres, Melbourne and Sydney will be able to receive their models within 48 hours of the printer finishing the job.
3DPrint-AU’s biggest point of difference is that they charge a fixed price of 15 cents per cm3 based on the bounding box of the part, rather than using complex formulas. This makes it extremely easy for customers to know what they are being charged even without having to upload the part for an online quote. It takes the mystery out of production pricing.
Founder, Bruce Jackson stated that “I wanted to provide all Australians access to industrial quality and strength 3D print services. Something that they wouldn’t be able to fit in their shed. This alone, will help bring our rapid manufacturing capabilities to the same level of that in Japan and America.”
3DPrint-AU use industrial Elite Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) additive manufacturing 3D printers to create functional parts that are not only durable but heat and chemical resistant too. Nylon 12 is the standard material production, due to being versatile and affordable. An introduction to the printing process can be viewed here.
The company aims to provide an exceptional level of service and part quality to all corners of Australia.
About 3DPrint-AU 3DPrint-AU is an offshoot of 3D Printing Systems, Australia’s leading distributor of 3D Printers. Leveraging upon 3D Printing Systems network of unique partnerships across Australia and the Tasman, 3DPrint-AU will soon become the local 3D print service of choice for Australian businesses and consumers.
About 3D Printing Systems 3D Printing Systems distributes and sells 3D Printers, software and material for the consumer, education and business markets. Current exclusive agencies of the award winning UP 3D Printer, Kevvox jewellery 3D printer, Inspire production FFF 3D printers, 3Doodler printer pens and the TPM Elite SLS Additive Manufacturing systems, which 3DPrint-AU utilise for their production bureau.
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Contact Information: Dale Nicholls, Media Contact 3DPrint-AU +61 3 9099 0225 [email protected] 3dprint-au.com
http://3dprintingsystems.com/3dprint-au-launches-managed-3d-print-service-for-australia/
Using Acetone to Strengthen 3D Printed
Using Acetone to Strengthen 3D Printed
Using Acetone to Strengthen 3D Printed Parts 3D printers are tools for solving problems. Hayden from Clone3D was tasked with creating a live bait tank system for fishing boats. The biggest challenge was creating away to get fresh water from the ocean into the tank. While there are many different water pumps available, there aren’t many mounting options for pumps inside a boat, never mind on the outside!
He had the idea of designing a custom mount for a pump that could be attached on the back of the boat. This would be constantly submerged, allowing fresh water to be pumped in even if the boat was standing. Using his UP Plus, Hayden prototyped the mount and checked that all the dimensions were correct. In order to test if it worked, the printed bracket was attached to the back of the boat. Success! While this was suitable for proving the proof of the concept, it wasn’t suitable for an end use product. The printed bracket was only able to hold ± 12 kg before it showed signs of stress.
He began investigating ways to manufacture the part for sale. Injection moulding was too expensive to set up. In order for it o be economically viable, an order of over 10,00 units would be required and there just wasn’t hat amount of demand for the product. The 3D printer was able to produce an accurate part in small quantities. There had to be a stronger material or a way to increase the strength of the ABS-PC part. After some research, acetone vapour “Caution this is dangerous on so many levels” was reported to increase the strength of the part with another added benefit being that it helps to smooth the print surface, giving it a high gloss sheen and high strength.
After some experimentation to find the ideal length of time to suspend the part in acetone vapour, the part when tested could now hold upwards of 85 kg! This resulted in the acetone part being 7x stronger than the printed part right of the printer.
http://3dprintingsystems.com/using-acetone-to-strengthen-3d-printed/
Using Acetone to Strengthen 3D Printed Parts
Using Acetone to Strengthen 3D Printed Parts
Using Acetone to Strengthen 3D Printed Parts 3D printers are tools for solving problems. Hayden from Clone3D was tasked with creating a live bait tank system for fishing boats. The biggest challenge was creating away to get fresh water from the ocean into the tank. While there are many different water pumps available, there aren’t many mounting options for pumps inside a boat, never mind on the outside!
He had the idea of designing a custom mount for a pump that could be attached on the back of the boat. This would be constantly submerged, allowing fresh water to be pumped in even if the boat was standing. Using his UP Plus, Hayden prototyped the mount and checked that all the dimensions were correct. In order to test if it worked, the printed bracket was attached to the back of the boat. Success! While this was suitable for proving the proof of the concept, it wasn’t suitable for an end use product. The printed bracket was only able to hold ± 12 kg before it showed signs of stress.
He began investigating ways to manufacture the part for sale. Injection moulding was too expensive to set up. In order for it o be economically viable, an order of over 10,00 units would be required and there just wasn’t hat amount of demand for the product. The 3D printer was able to produce an accurate part in small quantities. There had to be a stronger material or a way to increase the strength of the ABS-PC part. After some research, acetone vapour “Caution this is dangerous on so many levels” was reported to increase the strength of the part with another added benefit being that it helps to smooth the print surface, giving it a high gloss sheen and high strength.
After some experimentation to find the ideal length of time to suspend the part in acetone vapour, the part when tested could now hold upwards of 85 kg! This resulted in the acetone part being 7x stronger than the printed part right of the printer.
http://3dprintingsystems.com/using-acetone-to-strengthen-3d-printed-parts/
A beginners 3D printing adventure (prop making / cos play)
Prop making is an art, something that the creator will pour hours of their time and energy into, constructing a masterpiece. How could a 3D printer be of use? Australian based prop makers Nerfenstein and Combustible Props have used the UP Plus 2 for creating one of a kind props for their customers. Typically props are crafted by hand, over many many hours. Starting with an idea or drawing and transforming into a physical object. That sounds familiar, taking an idea and making it real …
Don’t you do that with a 3D printer? Take your digital creation and watch as it comes into the world, layer by layer? Yes, you do.
So why would a prop maker, someone who works with their hands, want anything to do with this machine that takes their work away? The answer is, it doesn’t.
Objects that just come from the printer are great, but sometimes they need something more. In the case of a prop maker, they are the base on which to build on. The basic shape often is tricky to create by hand. Using the UP Plus 2, producing this dead easy. Once you have the 3D model, just load it in the print software and hit print. (Did you know that the UP Plus 2 is the easiest to use 3D printer?)
You know when companies make things look dead simple to set up and then you get it home and it’s like putting together an IKEA cabinet whilst wearing a space suit? Annoying, but that’s the opposite of setting up the Up Plus 2 3D printer. Everything went exactly as stated, a few EASY steps and it wasn’t only set up, it was printing a file. I cannot overstate how simple this was to set up, for the beginner just getting into 3D printing, the Up Plus 2 3D printer is a godsend. - Nerfenstein
Photo: Nerfenstein
The badge looks pretty cool. This is just one example of having the 3D printer give the creator a base to work from. It is okay, but with some elbow grease and effort it can look like the one below.
Photo: Nerfenstein
Or like this Mechwarrior. Notice now after adding colour, the details just pop out at you.
Photo: Combustible Props
If you are interested in prop making, you can find out more about Nerfenstein and Combustible Props experience with their UP Plus 2′s here (Nerfenstein) and here (Combustible Props). If you are a Sci Fi or gaming fan (or even if you aren’t), be sure to check out their work as well! What they can create is breathtaking.
http://3dprintingsystems.com/a-beginners-3d-printing-adventure-prop-making-cos-play/
3D Printing Showcase 2014
3D Printing Showcase 2014 will see crowds gathering, eager to learn about the many capabilities of 3D Printing. Day one will focus on Research & Education (How can 3D Printing integrate with your research/curriculum? What are the latest innovations?). Day two will open doors to the wider community (How does it work? Who’s using it now? What will the future look like?).
This year’s showcase will be at the Eastern Resource Centre (ERC), The University of Melbourne. The event is completely free, so drop by with your family, friends, work mates or other 3D Printing enthusiasts! You still need a ticket, so get yours today.
Where: Eastern Resource Centre (ERC) at The University of Melbourne When: September 12 & 13 8:30am-4pm Cost: Free (must pre-book tickets) Who: Everybody
Free tickets
http://3dprintingsystems.com/3d-printing-showcase-2014/
Be in to win with your very own UP Mini 3D printer on The 4:30 Show
3D Printing Systems in conjugation with The 4:30 Show announce the Minecraft Competition. There are two UP Mini 3D printers to be won!
Check out the 3D scan of Massad below:
You can download and print your own 3DMe Massad:
Download Massad
http://3dprintingsystems.com/be-in-to-win-with-your-very-own-up-mini-3d-printer-on-the-430-show/
Student Creates 3D Printed Clock
Using an old clock motor and a some determination, a 3D printed clock was created. Apart from the flat panels which were laser cut, all the gears and hands were created on an UP 3D printer.
“It is all driven off the second hand, so if we can get the second hand spinning at the correct rate, the whole clock will be correct, and theoretically will stay correct.” - Stephen Elford
The student creator was completely self motivated and created the entire design independently. An incredible piece of engineering! Although clocks are everywhere today, it wasn’t always the case. The earliest recorded geared clock is in the 11th century. These were manly used in religious establishments as time management was crucial. Clocks and time keeping devices have always been complicated machines with many factors to be considered in their design. When every phone, TV and microwave has the time, one might have thought the days of mechanical clocks were over. I for one, am happy this is not the case!
See original post here. Stephen runs MinecraftEdu Elfie, a teaching and education blog.
http://3dprintingsystems.com/student-creates-3d-printed-clock/
Dirty Dishes
Four years ago, a week after purchasing my first 3D Printer, a part on our 10 year old dishwasher broke. By the way I’m a self confessed gadgeteer. I contacted the manufacturer, but the dishwasher was end of line and no longer supported. My wife was happy as she was finally going to get a new dishwasher and showed me the brochure on a shiny new model, and price! At that exact moment the lights came on and I said to her I’ll 3D print the replacement part! Well, the look on her face was a picture. Score check, 3D Printer: 0, Husband -1
The wife wasn’t too impressed because she wasn’t getting a her new dishwasher and I was stuck on dish duties until the dish washer was fixed. I attempted to CAD up the part using Sketchup. This was a bit harder than what I thought it would be as I’m not a 3D designer. It took me three print attempts to get it right, but I was determined to prove that this new family member ”the 3D Printer” was here to stay. Finally the part clicked into place, the dishwasher whirled into action and out came the shiny dishes. No more was I tasked to hand wash the dishes. Score update, 3D Printer: 1 Husband -1.
Four years on today, every time our now fourteen year old dishwasher has a broken part , I simply measure the part, print it and then it’s back into action. These days CAD’ing is made much easier, due to great software like www.tinkercad.com.
This dishwasher story is a symbolic reminder to me, it changed my career and my life, the one thing it didn’t change was the state of our dishwasher. The current score stands at 3D Printer: 2, Husband -2
My wife said to me now that you’re so clever, maybe you should print your own dog box.
http://3dprintingsystems.com/dirty-dishes/
EduTECH 2014
Education is changing faster than ever. As technology marches forward, Australian educators are keeping ahead of the game. Edutech 2014 had lots of conversation around education with some of Australia’s best teachers calling for the end to exams.
3D Printed Hand with Google Glasses
As technology has become a major part of our lives, it stands to reason that methods used to gauge students level understanding. Will there be an end to exams, which have remained unchanged for over 100 years? In the future, students may have full internet access during their exams or maybe even a 3D printer? Solving problems is the biggest task in the modern work force and 3D printing is the ideal tool to help students. It allows them to tackle problems with real solutions and manufacturer the parts needed. It is not a hypothetical situation where students are unable to test their solutions for the problem. Students as young as five years old are starting to use 3D CAD applications to create and innovate.
“They go from not having used the app at all to be designing a thing that can be printed in 15 minutes,” Roland Perry from Makers Empire said.
Many schools are already using UP Plus 2 and UP Mini 3D printers in the class room. Technology classes have had the greatest up take allowing students to design and produce real products. Surprisingly 3D printers have also entered new unexpected areas in the curriculum, including food technology, maths and even physics! Food tech classes are designing their own custom cookie cutters and nozzles for icing their creations.
Dancing Robot in front of 3D Printing Systems stand
Maths classes are using OpenScad and similar software to not only visualize complex equations, but actually produce real objects. Creating physical objects from equations allow students to hold something that isn’t, or we should say, wasn’t real. It adds another way for students to understand what is happening with the numbers and how by changing the formula, even slightly can result in a dramatic change in the end product.
Physics classes are designing prototypes for their experiments. One stunning example is by using an UP Plus 2, 3D printer to create a range of different wing designs and then testing them in a wind tunnel to see which is the most effective design. This discovery based learning is what helps students learn to solve problems.
3Doodler Glasses
On the stand we had some 3Doodler 3D pens for teachers to test drive with some amazing results! The hipster glasses were the most popular template at the conference.
http://3dprintingsystems.com/edutech-2014/
What Makes Support Structure Important?
Looking at purchasing a 3D Printer can be a daunting task as there are so many options to choose from these days. Do you buy one with a large build size or one with 5 print heads. The most critical component to any 3D Printer is the ability to calculate and create support structures.
Layer By Layer
First we need to remember that 3D printing works in an additive manner. Creating an object is a process of adding layer by layer of material. Much in the same way a sea shells grows over time by adding layers, 3D printers ‘grow’ the model. The process involved in creating a simple cube is easy, as all layers align one on top of the other as the model increases in size. Models that have a wide base and get smaller at the top are also simple to make, e.g. vases, pen holders, name badges etc.
So what happens if the model is not simple? What if we have an object like a sphere? That is the challenge. The top half of the sphere is easy to print as each layer is narrower than the layer underneath, like a vase. Our challenge is the lower half, as each layer is wider than the one beneath it. So how can you create something like a sphere, which has parts that will essentially be constructed on thin air? How can you make a model that has multiple faces and surfaces all at different angles with overhangs and undercuts? Is it even possible? Yes, it is possible but only if there is a way to support it somehow…
Introducing Support Structure
Create scaffolding! Scaffolding aka support structure is material created to support the object during printing. Building a bridge over water requires the use of scaffolding and engineers have been using support structures for hundreds of years. There are different methods required for printing models depending on the material or technology used. All 3D printers work on the same principle of adding layer on layer but some techniques are more efficient than others. SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) uses powder material and a high powered laser in which the powder actually supports the part during printing without the need for dedicated support structures. The best part is that the unused power can be recycled for the next print. FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) uses thermoplastic (like ABS) and heat to create the model. FFF, however, requires support structure to be created with the model to support any overhangs or undercuts.
If your printer isn’t able to create support structure for you automatically, you will be required to design the structures yourself. This is a time consuming process with results that might be ineffective, hard to remove,and result in an unsatisfactory experience.
The UP software automatically calculates and creates any required support structure that will not only ensure a high quality model but is also quick and easy to breakaway from your model. This results in a legendary quality of your printed models.
http://3dprintingsystems.com/what-makes-support-structure-important/
OZ Digital Classroom
There is the perception that CAD design is difficult. This is grossly untrue. It may have been the case 3 years ago but not any more. There are a wide variety of different CAD applications ranging from iPad apps to full blown engineering suites that cost thousands of dollars (I’m looking at you SolidWorks) and everything in between. Today there are hundreds of different applications and many option are free! Tools such as Blender (free) are powerful but can be complicated to master with steep learning curves. This isn’t always the case, TinkerCAD is a free online design suite which is perfect for first time 3D design. It has easy to follow tutorials and the interface is easy to work in and start designing your own models!
Sacred Heart College have been using TinkerCAD with their UP Plus 2 to create a maths based board game. They were tasked with designing the dice and playing pieces to work with a set of rules that they had to create. The game was required to be suitable for students in Years 3-4. Students had a great time exploring the digital design space along with the challenge of designing their own games. It provided a valuable learning experience that not only challenged the problem solving skills of the students, it also required the students to understand the maths behind the game.
For more information, check out the Oz Digital Classroom here.
http://3dprintingsystems.com/oz-digital-classroom-2/
OZ Digital Classroom
There is the perception that CAD design is difficult. This is grossly untrue. It may have been the case 3 years ago but not any more. There are a wide variety of different CAD applications ranging from iPad apps to full blown engineering suites that cost thousands of dollars (I’m looking at you SolidWorks) and everything in between. Today there are hundreds of different applications and many option are free! Tools such as Blender (free) are powerful but can be complicated to master with steep learning curves. This isn’t always the case, TinkerCAD is a free online design suite which is perfect for first time 3D design. It has easy to follow tutorials and the interface is easy to work in and start designing your own models!
Sacred Heart College have been using TinkerCAD with their UP Plus 2 to create a maths based board game. They were tasked with designing the dice and playing pieces to work with a set of rules that they had to create. The game was required to be suitable for students in Years 3-4. Students had a great time exploring the digital design space along with the challenge of designing their own games. It provided a valuable learning experience that not only challenged the problem solving skills of the students, it also required the students to understand the maths behind the game.
For more information, check out the Oz Digital Classroom here.
http://3dprintingsystems.com/oz-digital-classroom/
How Tough Is Your 3D Printer?
The UP Plus 2 is a tough little printer. Its all steel construction and excellent build quality have proven to be a wise investment for long term 3D printing. The guys from Maker Machine travel around Australia going from school to school and exposing students to the latest technologies that they would otherwise might never get the chance to see. It is all about encouraging students to explore science, maths and technology career paths in Australia. Here is what Jethro had to say about the 3D printers.
“Here at Maker Machine we are currently using both an UP Plus and an UP 2 and have been taking them to schools to show some of the applications of 3D printing alongside other emerging technologies. We wanted to drop you a quick message to give testament to how hardy and reliable the printers are. We have just finished driving around Australia taking the printers to rural schools around the country. We took the UP to some of the most remote parts of the country (we tried printing in the middle of the Nullabor but our inverter wasn’t working) The printers were in the back of our van which saw some absolutely terrible dirt roads yet every time we got them out to print they started up and were printing straight away without need for calibration regardless of what we put them through.” - Jethro Pugh, Maker Machine
If you would like to see a bit more about our what they do, their blog (http://makermachine.com.au/maker-machine-australian-tour-recap/). You can also keep track of them on Twitter here.
http://3dprintingsystems.com/how-tough-is-your-3d-printer/
University of Auckland Opens Up 3D Printing Lab
University of Auckland Mechatronics department have recently opened up a dedicated 3D printing lab for their students. Recognizing that manufacturing of custom components, is not only important in industry but in the learning process as well.
The lab is designed to prepare students for working with additive manufacturing techniques in the workforce and best practices surrounding it. Many engineering companies already use our 3D printers in the prototyping and design phases of product development, which makes the UP Plus 2 the perfect printer for the students to train with.
As part of the course work, students will be tasked with using their design skills and the 3D printers to solve problems proposed by the teaching staff. Students are expected to have real world solutions to these challenges.
http://3dprintingsystems.com/university-of-auckland-opens-up-3d-printing-lab/
National Manufacturing Week 2014
National Manufacturing Week in Sydney was a busy one. It was great to see everyone who visited our stand over the 4 day event. If you missed seeing us in Sydney, check out our events page here to find out where we will be in your neck of the woods.
On display we had our upside down UP Plus 2. This printed flawlessly through out the event and showed that the UP Printers not only defy belief, they also defy gravity! Along with the UP Plus 2, we had the UP Mini going with a new low price, it was extremely popular and the initial units sold out. More units are on their way with a lead time of 3 weeks.
A short time lapse showing the traffic through the stand on Wednesday with some accompanying pictures.
3D Printing Systems also announced the new Elite SLS range of 3D printers. You can find out more on our product page here.
http://3dprintingsystems.com/national-manufacturing-week-2014/