Personal 3D printers Archives - Page 3 of 13

How do you really use 3D printing systems?

December 14, 2015 By Leslie Langnau 1 Comment

The assumption is that engineers already use 3D printing machines for prototyping and will soon use additive manufacturing machines for production. But is that an accurate assumption? Results from a recent survey give intriguing data. Leslie … [Read more...]

The price of overhype and desktop 3D printers

December 8, 2015 By Leslie Langnau Leave a Comment

Avi Reichental has left his position as CEO of 3D Systems. To please stockholders, the company is now reshaping itself, which means cost cutting measures. What does this say about desktop 3D printing, if anything? After all, Reichental was one … [Read more...]

Build multilayer PCBs on 3D printer

December 2, 2015 By Leslie Langnau Leave a Comment

Several companies have introduced desktop-sized 3D printers that build printed circuit boards (PCBs). Some are just for creating the board, some let you pause and print electronics into the board. Nano Dimension Ltd. is one of the newer companies … [Read more...]

Which 3D printer should you own?

November 24, 2015 By Leslie Langnau Leave a Comment

For consumer and professional users, this is a common question. 3D Hubs recently created a guide on the best low-cost, desktop, more consumer style printers. Some of these printers, though, may suit professional design engineer needs for initial … [Read more...]

3D printing trend–desktop 3D printers get better

November 16, 2015 By Leslie Langnau Leave a Comment

Desktop 3D printing manufacturers continue to upgrade their systems, improving precision and accuracy. German RepRap, for example, recently introduced the X350pro. This printer has a rectangular 350 x 250 millimeter (13.8 x 7.9 x 8.3 in.) build … [Read more...]

MakerBot improves print speed on its 3D printers

November 5, 2015 By Leslie Langnau Leave a Comment

MakerBot claims its Desktop 3.8 prints designs 30% faster and with stronger structural support. 3D printing speed is affected by several factors, including how you arrange a build on the build tray, how you slice the STL code, and what fill … [Read more...]

MakerBot Thingiverse reaches landmark 1 million uploads

October 30, 2015 By Leslie Langnau Leave a Comment

MakerBot Thingiverse, one of the largest 3D design communities, announced that it has reached a landmark one million uploads and 200 million downloads on its platform. What began in 2008 as a website exclusively for the burgeoning maker community has … [Read more...]

When will 3D printing meet expectations?

October 20, 2015 By Leslie Langnau Leave a Comment

When will 3D printing really take off and be an integral part of manufacturing? Impatient pundits demand instant results. Even stock investors are deliberately short selling 3D printing stock for not “performing” fast enough. But the problem is … [Read more...]

A new source for flexible 3D printing materials

October 15, 2015 By Leslie Langnau Leave a Comment

Last year, Fenner Drives introduced a novel 3D printing material that has considerable elasticity. It is useful for printing seals, gaskets, custom plugs and flexible hinges. Apparently Fenner is having enough success that it has launched the … [Read more...]

Form 2 desktop SL 3D printer offers bigger build volume

September 24, 2015 By Leslie Langnau Leave a Comment

Desktop 3d printers are an excellent and affordable way to prototype parts during the initial design iteration stages. For those engineers who do use desktop 3D printers, a popular choice is to use stereolithography (SL) technology. One of the … [Read more...]