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

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

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

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

3D scanner helps develop the iPad Grablet

An IT pro, a talent management exec and a freelance designer walk into a room late at night. It sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it’s actually the very real scenario that a couple and their longtime friend encountered over and over again as they brainstormed the concept for a new accessory to their iPad 2. During those sessions, someone realized that what the iPad really... Read More

A simple scanning tool for personal 3D printers

In the personal 3D printer field, one concern is whether the average user not trained in CAD will get any benefit from these devices sufficient to sustain the growth of this nascent  industry. If you’ve never designed anything in your life, how do you go about doing it? And, despite their simplicity, the current group of personal 3D printers does assume that users have some familiarity... Read More

3D printing shaves time-to-market for water heater manufacturer

Using a ZPrinter® to create prototypes in-house, A. O. Smith, a leading global manufacturer of water heating equipment, is shaving weeks off product development, saving substantial cost as well as time. Through the use of this 3D printer, they iterate more productively and thoroughly refine designs, according to the R&D team. “Instead of commissioning aluminum molds or sending... Read More

DoD, Stratasys, and 3D printers–continuing to invest in students

The Department of Defense’ (DoD) STARBASE youth program has placed a $1 million order for Stratasys uPrint SE 3D printers. This latest equipment order brings the total to more than 100 Stratasys 3D printers used as classroom technology by the nationwide program. The 3D printers help the program raise interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers for... Read More