3dprinters
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GE is working on a massive 3D printer for jet engine parts
3D printing is coming of age in numerous ways. On a large scale, MIT researchers built a 50-foot-wide, 12-foot tall igloo in just 13 hours. They've also debuted the first completely 3D-printed rocket engine. On a much smaller level, our own Sean Buckley printed a little d-pad for his Nintendo Switch, while medical researchers have produced a 3D-printed patch that can heal scarred heart tissue. Now we're seeing this technology coming to the industrial world with a new laser-powered metal 3D printer from GE.
MakerBot lays off a third of staff as 3D printers remain niche
For the fourth time in less than two years, 3D printer manufacturer MakerBot is laying off workers, this time cutting 30 percent of its staff. It also announced plans to shift its focus to professional and educational 3D printing, presumably leaving consumer markets behind. "We have to make additional changes to lower costs and to support our long-term goals," CEO Nadav Goshen wrote. "We must reduce the pressure and distraction of chasing short-term market trends."
Kanye West is afraid 3D printers will ruin the fashion industry
Kanye West has a way with words. He's not known for often, if ever, holding back on whatever thoughts cross his mind. In a recent episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, the musician-turned-self-proclaimed-designer had an interesting thing to say about 3D printers: He believes they will ruin the fashion industry. During a visit to the Tumo Centre for Creative Technologies in Yerevan, Armenia, Kanye was shown a 3D printer and said, "This is what I'm afraid of here, 3D printing, because the internet destroyed the music industry and now this is what we're afraid of right now with the textile industry." The school guide tried to defend the machine by telling him it doesn't print designs on its own, pointing out that you need someone to bring those to life in the first place. "Yeah. What I'm saying [is] there will come a time where it's, like, people are making the shoes at home," he replied.
Despite recent challenges, Makerbot opens new factory in NYC
The past few months haven't been easy for Makerbot. But it doesn't seem like the restructuring and sizable layoffs are affecting the company's progress. Today it announced the opening of a new, 170,000-square-foot manufacturing center in New York City. For Makerbot, it means being able to double the production capacity of 3D printers, as well as offer better quality assurance for these machines -- and, considering a recent lawsuit, the timing couldn't be better. This doesn't only signal a commitment from Makerbot to keep growing its own operations, but also shows it doesn't plan to give up on a 3D-printing industry that's been struggling. The huge, upgraded space is located in Brooklyn's Industrial City, so you can expect Makerbot's 3D printers to keep the "Designed & Built in Brooklyn" branding for at least the next ten years.
Inside Intel's insanely futuristic CES booth
While Intel's biggest news at CES this year wasn't a processor or any of the futuristic products it powers, its booth is still packed with eye-pleasing, Edison-packing gadgets. You could take our word for it, or you could check out the 3D-printed prosthetics, robot spider dresses and digitally rendered sand people in the photo and video tours below. For more from Intel and beyond, check out our 2015 CES Field Guide.
MakerBot wants you to start 3D-printing in metal and wood (sort of)
The future of 3D printing may depend on the ability print things with properties beyond cheap plastic. We've seen composite materials appear for 3D printers before, but the arrival of MakerBot to the scene should make progress a bit quicker. Announced at this week's CES, MakerBot will be rolling out new composite filaments that have been chemically bonded with new materials. You'll have to wait until late 2015, but it's probably going to be worth it: Maplewood, limestone, iron and bronze PLA composites are coming. And in real life, they look and feel far more impressive than you might think.
You can trick a 3D printer into playing 'The Imperial March' from 'Star Wars'
When we first went hands-on with Makerbot's Replicator in our office, we said that it sounded like a washing machine with a handful of rocks thrown in. But now thanks to the internet, your 3D printer can churn out teacups or chess pieces to something a little more refined -- like "The Imperial March" by John Williams. As 3DPrint notes, just about any model can do this, you just need to hack a MIDI file and convert it to the language 3D printers read (Gcode) to get the stepper motors and other moving parts into musical sync. If you aren't up for doing that yourself, a few programs exist to help automate the process. There are a handful of other nerdy tunes available, too, including the classic Super Mario Bros. theme. But, if you'd rather stick to sci-fi, you can grab the Star Wars Gcode directly from Thingiverse or watch the video after the jump.
How 3D printing brings 'Skylanders' to life
Toys for Bob's Skylanders franchise isn't the only "toys to life" game in town anymore and Paul Reiche, co-founder and studio head, is well aware of the deep-pocketed competition. "We recognize that we've got Disney with Infinity and Nintendo with Amiibo and, you know, they have entered into this world with their own products. And it's really our job to make sure that, through innovation, we're leaders," he says. The franchise, which lets players control virtual versions of their RFID-equipped figurines in-game, was the first to successfully merge physical toys and video gaming as part of a new crossover entertainment category. Given that penchant for innovation, it's no surprise that the studio has now fully embraced 3D printing as a means of streamlining its in-house creative process.
Robots, guns and pizza: A field guide to the 3D-printed world
Sure, 3D printing is such a tech industry buzzword that you'd have to turn a blind eye and deaf ear to escape news of its impending onslaught. But there's good reason for all the fanfare: 3D printing is poised to upend current manufacturing standards by making industrial fabrication methods democratic. Imagine: Any object you want or need can be (somewhat) instantly "printed" at home. Let that sink in for a bit. The kicker is -- that future is already here, albeit in a minor form, and it's rapidly evolving to be not only affordable, but also practical for everyone and every industry. Need proof? Then check out the gallery below. [Image credit: Associated Press]
3D printer headed to the International Space Station this August
Astronauts on the International Space Station will need to make room for one more gadget: a NASA-certified 3D printer. The device, designed by Made in Space at NASA's Ames Research Park in Mountain View, will launch on SpaceX CRS-4 in August, a few months ahead of schedule. Initially, astronauts will test the printer in the ISS' microgravity environment, but eventually it could be used to build tools and other hardware needed for on-board repairs or cubesat deployments. Down the road, Made in Space's clients could also have access to the printer for their own experiments. "This is unprecedented access to space," CEO Aaron Kemmer said in a press release. "If you want to 3D print in space, contact us now." [Image credit: NASA]
Not just for figurines: 3D printing saves companies big
While we're monkeying with our MakerBots, large corporations have much better toys to play with. They insist on calling them "additive manufacturing" machines but, truth be told, they're just Replicators with a superiority complex. They sinter or melt powdered or solid metals using lasers or electron beams, then deposit them in layers to form objects. Companies were previously leaning on such (incredibly expensive) devices for rapidly building prototypes like the Audi concept car shown above. Though that's still a huge part of the industrial 3D printer business, the machines are now churning out finished products as well.
Hershey and 3D Systems join forces to create printable confections
You may no longer have to settle for getting your chocolate in teardrop, bar or seasonal-bunny form. The Hershey Company has signed an agreement to develop printable treats with 3D Systems, which announced its own chocolate-equipped printer at CES last week. That yet-to-be-released machine will fall under the ChefJet line, and also supports printing 3D objects with sugar. With ChefJet's release still months away, it's unlikely that thousands of the machines are already plugging away at a secret factory in Hershey, Penn., but you better believe we'll be first in line when the custom-printed delights hit stores.
This homemade '3D printer' spikes jello shots with infused designs (video)
Barista Bots, one of the most popular attractions at this year's South by Southwest festival in Austin, printed scanned logos, smileys and other shapes atop comped lattes. Thirsty attendees with 20 minutes to spare for the queue walked away with a free coffee and a robot-extruded froth. The novelty will have surely worn off by next year's SXSW, and we think we've stumbled upon the perfect replacement. It was born from a desire to turn otherwise ordinary gelatin shots into an original alcoholic treat -- meet the 3D Jello Printer. SpritesMods managed to accomplish this feat with a lot of creativity and a few recycled parts. They repurposed the stepper motors from discarded CD-ROM drives to move a syringe along the necessary axes, and used an old ejector mechanism to push down the plunger. An AVR microcontroller stores several different designs, which materialize in tiny jello shots using a cocktail of banana liquor, food coloring and a bit of corn starch to turn the liquid into a gel. SpritesMods is kind enough to help you get started with creating your own. Just dig up some choice e-waste and follow the tutorial -- you'll be mass producing the perfect New Year's Eve consumable in no time.
MakerBot Academy aims to bring 'industrial revolution' to classrooms
The President calling for a revolution during a State of the Union should be enough to make anyone's ears perk up. The launch of MakerBot Academy is said to be a response to just that, an attempt to realize President Obama's plea to "ensure that the Next Industrial Revolution in manufacturing will happen in America." The plan for such a revolution is pretty simple from where 3D printer maker stands. The company is launching a classroom curriculum and a partnership with DonorsChoose.org and Autodesk aimed at bringing 3D printing to the classroom. And if it happens to come in the form of the Replicator, well, all the better for Bre Pettis and co, right? Starting today, interested parties can donate to the aforementioned crowdfunding non-profit to give students and teachers access to MakerBot's devices. The pack includes a Replicator 2, three spools of filament and MakerCare support.
3D printer duplicates paintings down to the last brush stroke (video)
We've seen 3D printers produce some pretty amazing things, but nothing quite like this. Tim Zaman, a Dutch researcher, has reportedly developed a 3D duplication technique capable of capturing incredible detail, such as brush strokes and other textures on a painting. With a captured image on hand, it's then possible to print a reproduction matching every detail, including raised brush strokes. Reproductions are created using an Oce printer that can reproduce large-format paintings at 600 ppi; the process resembles that of a dye-sub printer, with the printing head moving back and forth many times, adding a new textured layer with each pass. It's a very cool idea, but don't expect to fill your home with flawless duplicates -- you'll first need to get your hands on a priceless piece of art.
Zeus copy machine hits Kickstarter with all-in-one 3D printer, scanner and fax
For all the wonders we've seen 3D printers extrude, traditional copy machines still have something to lord over products like the MakerBot Replicator: convenience. Users hoping to duplicate real world objects need multiple devices and specialized software expertise to scan in items, tweak their parameters and print up a copy -- and sharing objects remotely isn't much easier. That's where AIO Robotics comes in. The company's Zeus 3D copy machine promises to scan, print fax and copy 3D objects with a touch of a button. The all-in-one device was announced late last month, but just launched on Kickstarter today, pricing the complete kit at $2,500 for US backers. The setup is designed to make 3D printing, scanning and sharing easy, automatically calibrating the scanning elements with the printing elements and allowing all functions to be easily performed from a single touch sensitive control panel. The device is supposed to be so easy to use, a child could use it -- and sure enough, the project's demo video contains an adorable clip of a child faxing is Play-Doh creations to his Dad. We're still a long way off from picking up user friendly replicators at Office Depot, but Zeus could be a step in the right direction. Check out the Kickstarter page for yourself at the attached source link.
Kickstarter-bound Zeus copy machine prints, scans and faxes 3D objects
As the god of gods, Zeus has a tremendous list of assets at his disposal. A 3D printer that can also scan and transmit objects, however, has until now been out of reach. AIO Robotics is gearing up to introduce the Zeus of the modern world, an all-in-one machine that duplicates 3D objects, even when they're not nearby. The device, which will make its Kickstarter debut on September 4th, will function in much the same way as a traditional all-in-one printer, with the obvious advantage of being able to create three-dimensional objects. Pricing has yet to be announced, but the creators expect Zeus to cost less than a Makerbot Replicator and Digitizer combo. It's also forecasted to be "the most reliable and usable 3D printer so far," according to a RepRap forum post. Time will tell.
The Daily Roundup for 01.29.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
The shape of things to come: A consumer's guide to 3D printers
CES 2013 proved to be something of a coming out party for consumer-facing 3D printers. Sure MakerBot earned a fair amount of attention at last year's show with the announcement of the Replicator, which snagged its share of awards from various press outlets. This year, however, saw a relative deluge in 3D-printing representation, with strong showings from 3D Systems, FormLabs, MakerBot and the cloud-based 3D printer, Sculpteo. Even with so many companies rising to prominence, the dream of truly mainstream 3D printing still feels a ways off -- if that is indeed where we're inevitably heading. These nascent days are an exciting time, with a diverse array of companies and organizations vying to be the first to bring the technology to our homes. In a sense, many roads lead back to RepRap, the open-source, community-fueled project aimed at creating a self-replicating machine. As such, the same basic technology underlies many of these devices. At their core, these 3D printers are not unlike their 2D counterparts, offering a way to translate images on computer screens into real-world analogs -- only in this case they're objects you can hold in your hand. Most of these work by melting plastic (largely Lego-like ABS or biodegradable PLA) and squirting it out through extruder heads. The heads operate along the X and Y axes, while the build platform (generally heated in the case of ABS and unheated for PLA) moves downward, allowing the glue gun-like extruders to build up the thin layers of plastic. Some printers rely on other technologies, many of which are rooted in the world of rapid prototyping, a category of fabrication that has been around for decades and used by companies like Boeing and Ford to created scale models of concepts. There are a surprising number of companies and organizations currently invested in the space, be it through pre-fabricated models, kits or open-source, downloadable plans. We pulled together a list of some of the most prominent, which you can check out after the break.
WSU can print 3D parts from moon rock to help astronauts in a jam (video)
It was only a matter of time before 3D printers went to other worlds, really. Following a NASA line of questioning, Washington State University has determined that it's possible to print 3D objects from moon rock. Researchers learned that simulated moon material behaves like silica and can be shaped into 3D objects by melting it with a laser, whether it's to form new objects (like the ugly cylinders above) or to patch objects together. Would-be assemblers could also introduce additive materials to vary the composition on demand. No, the results aren't as pretty as certain 3D creations, but they could be vital for future missions to Mars or the Moon: astronauts could fix equipment, or build new parts, without either an elaborate process or waiting for supplies from Earth. Now all we need are the extraterrestrial missions to take advantage of WSU's ideas.
