Make Parts Fast

Using FDM to go from concept to market

After her young daughter spilled Cheerios all over the back seat of the minivan for the (last) time, Melinda Shepard shared the idea of a “spill-proof bowl” with her husband Brad, an engineer. Brad Shepard turned to the engineers at Enventys, a “one-stop shop for inventors,” who used 3D printing technology to turn Shepard’s bowl-in-bowl concept into the Gyro Bowl, a marketable... Read More

Sciaky, Penn State University, and DARPA advance Direct Digital Manufacturing technology

Sciaky, Inc., a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) and leading provider of additive manufacturing (AM)/3D printing solutions, is teaming up with the Applied Research Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University to advance Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM) technology, via funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Under terms of the agreement,... Read More

Using an Easter Egg to play with architectural concepts of structure, light, and shadow

Fourfoursixsix, an acclaimed international architecture practice; EOS, a leading manufacturer of laser-sintering systems; and Ogle Models, makers of exquisite, cutting-edge models; are delighted to support the world’s biggest egg hunt this Easter. These companies have worked together to create a laser-sintered egg that is intricate in structure, yet contemporary and sculptural. The... Read More

The Dimension 3D printer celebrates 10 years

Stratasys (Nasdaq: SSYS) is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Dimension 3D printer line. Introduced in 2002 at $29,900, the Dimension 3D Printer opened new possibilities for designers; it is a reliable, compact, simple-to-use machine. Its introduction enabled designers to not only produce models for design verification, but also to test function because the printer uses... Read More

Purchase the consumer-style 3D printer, the Replicator, from Saelig

Saelig Company, Inc. offers the Replicator™, an affordable, personal 3D printer that prints objects in 1- or 2-colors. The Replicator runs open-source 3D-printing code and is compact enough to fit on a desktop. Ready within minutes to start printing right out of the box, it turns raw feedstock, such ABS or PLA, into prototypes as large as a loaf of bread. The Replicator is a precision-made... Read More

Bigger and Better

We’ve posted tips in the past regarding maximum part size, but since our moldable dimensions have continued to increase, we thought it was time for an update. Some of the figures that follow are simple and absolute; others may vary based on multiple factors. If your design seems to be approaching the limits, the best way to determine whether Proto Labs can mold it is to submit... Read More

Paramount Industries promotes high temperature laser sintering

More government agencies and manufacturers are sourcing laser sintering for direct part production. In contrast to traditional manufacturing methods, laser sintering can deliver plastic parts with highly complex geometries with impressive strength-to-weight ratios. In many cases, hundreds of parts can be directly manufactured from 3D CAD digital models long before tooling is available... Read More

3D printing—an industry in flux

The initial question from the early developers of rapid prototyping (RP) technology (now known as 3D printing) was, “Is there a better way to prototype?” The answer became stereolithography, fused deposition modeling, and other technologies now labeled 3D printing. That question has now shifted to, “Is there a better way to make?” And the answer here will likely be the personal... Read More

First a jaw–medical applications of 3D printing

The news of a 3D printer-created lower jaw made of titanium powder has been populating the twitter-verse.   While this is probably a first time attempt to actually implant something like this in a human body, 3D printer companies like EOS  and others have been working on developing 3D printed implantable medical parts for several years. Layerwise, a specialized metal-parts manufacturer... Read More

3D printed car dashboard on display at SolidWorld World 2012

Objet Ltd. announced that it will showcase a full-size, 3D printed car dashboard from StreetScooter 
at this year’s SolidWorks World in San Diego from February 12-15. Shown for 
the first time in the United States, the five-foot wide fully-assembled dashboard prototype was created with multi-material printing, including Objet’s ABS-like Digital Material, and features a display... Read More