Digital Manufacturing and 3D Printers Today

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

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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, a 6,000 square foot Center for Innovative Metal Processing through Direct Digital Deposition... Read More


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

replicator725 for 3d printing

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 parts fabricator, built with linear ball bearings and precision-ground 8 mm shafts. The... Read More


Bigger and Better

Injection molding dimensions

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 a 3D CAD model for a free online ProtoQuote®. Knowing the guidelines in advance, however, can help... Read More


Paramount Industries promotes high temperature laser sintering

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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 and in certain applications eliminate tooling costs altogether. To meet this growing need for... Read More


Stratasys Reports Record Fourth Quarter and Full Year Financial Results

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Stratasys, Inc. (NASDAQ:SSYS) announced fourth quarter and full year financial results. The company reported record revenue of $43.6 million for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2011, a 28% increase from the $34.0 million for the same period last year. System shipments totaled 700 units for the fourth quarter of 2011, compared to 632 units for the same period last year. The company reported net income of $5.8 million for fourth quarter, or $0.27 per share, representing a... Read More


3D Systems begins next-day shipment service

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3D Systems Corporation (NYSE:DDD) announced that it will begin next-day shipment service for its popular 3DTouch™ printers in response to growing customer demand. The 3DTouch™ printer is a personal 3D printer equipped with up to three print heads and a wide choice of print materials and colors. It can mix up to three different print materials and colors during its print cycle for multi-color printing. Other features include a standard touch control screen, USB storage and... Read More


Have we reached an agreement on what to call this industry?

Leslie, web size

Did you miss it? Todd Grimm, long time follower and analyst of the Additive Manufacturing/3D printing industry recently declared that the term 3D printing, by popular usage, is the official name of this industry. Two years ago, ASTM attempted to establish an official name and sort of settled on Additive Manufacturing. But, due to the popular hobby/maker style of 3D printers and the personal 3D printers coming out, most users simply refer to this industry as 3D printing. In an... Read More


3D printed car dashboard on display at SolidWorld World 2012

Objet 3D printed car dashboard

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 screen and other fine details that simulate a dashboard’s look, feel and function. Objet worked... Read More


3D scanner helps develop the iPad Grablet

Scanner helps in the development of the 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 needed was a safe way to secure it on the go. After all, what could be worse than accidentally dropping... Read More


A simple scanning tool for personal 3D printers

Geomagic's Kinet-to-3D software 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 with basic design. Scanning and modifying an object are way to obtain the needed CAD data... Read More


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

3D systems zprinter helps water heater manufacturer reduce design time

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 out to busy contractors for plastic models, we can produce our own high-resolution color prototypes... Read More


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

Stratasys and 3D printing

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 at-risk youth. Stratasys says one-half of the 3D printers have shipped to DoD STARBASE, and it expects... Read More


The ATOS Compact Scan – A New Breed of 3D Scanner

3D scanner from Capture 3D inc.

The ATOS Compact Scan accurately scans with detailed resolution at high speeds. This modern 3D scanner combines the latest ATOS Blue Light Technology and software into a compact design with an affordable price. Quickly measure and inspect castings, design models, forms, injection molded parts, interiors, prototypes, vehicles, and much more. Capture 3D, Inc. www.capture3d.com    Read More


Konica Minolta 3D Scanning Labs Expands its Services to Include 3D Printing

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Konica Minolta 3D Scanning Labs announced its new rapid prototyping service. The company is now offering 3D printing services with the addition of 3D Systems’ Projet™ HD 3000 3D Production System. The Projet™ suits a range of applications including concept development, design validation, form and fit analysis, molding and casting patterns, investment casting of jewelry and other fine feature applications. In addition to the new rapid prototyping service, 3D Scanning Labs... Read More


Submit entries to the Stratasys 2012 Extreme Redesign 3D Printing Challenge

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Students and educators, you have just three weeks left to submit a design for the Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS) Dimension brand’s eighth annual Extreme Redesign 3D Printing Challenge. Submissions are due Feb 2, 2012. This global contest encourages students to submit an innovative new product design, a redesign of an existing product, or an original work of art or architecture. Educators worldwide have recognized the annual design and 3D printing contest for its positive impact on... Read More


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Reverse Engineering

3D scanner helps develop the iPad Grablet

Scanner helps in the development of the 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 [...]

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Machining / Milling

Additive “printing” of metal

Electron-Beam-Welding v1

Sciaky, Inc. is a provider of an innovative form of additive manufacturing. Its Direct Manufacturing (DM) technology achieves near net-shape parts using state-of-the art electron beam welding. Its equipment produces production parts and functional prototypes at a fraction of the cost of traditional manufacturing methods. Starting with a 3D model from a CAD program, the [...]

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3D Printers

Using FDM to go from concept to market

FDM printed prototypes of product, Dimension Printing, 3D printing

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 [...]

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Software

Rent CAD Software?

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In addition to renting a 3D printer system, would you also consider renting CAD software? Recently, Ashlar-Vellum offered their line of CAD programs under a number of licenses, including permanent, one-year, and monthly rental. Though Ashlar’s software is highly respected (especially by industrial designers), the company isn’t one of the big players in the CAD [...]