When the print bed covers serious acreage

Cazza is a Silicon Valley 3D printing construction startup with plans that might not be out of this world, like those of NASA’s 3D Printed Habitat Challenge, but they do nearly reach the stratosphere. As GineersNow reported, the United Arab Emirates has set an ambitious goal of 3D printing 25% of new buildings in Dubai by 2030. There’s informed speculation that this could mean a 3D printed skyscraper from our friends at Cazza. CEO Chris Kelsey doesn’t deny it, but he does say that the 3D printers needed will be developed “within the next five years.” That should give the Cazza team plenty of time to put together the magic combination of tools that will deliver unheard-of efficiencies and bespoke engineering solutions. We’ll keep our eyes on the sky.

Nintendo did not see this one coming

It turns out that cheap 3D ultrasounds were not as far away as we thought. That’s all thanks to physician Josh Broder, who, inspired by a Nintendo Wii gaming experience, took the microchip that tracks Wii controllers in space and put it to a new use. With researchers from Duke and Stanford, he developed a cheap 3D printed casing for the microchip — one that connects easily to all commercially available ultrasound probes. With the casing and chip attached, a normal ultrasound machine gains imaging capabilities closer to exponentially more expensive methods: MRI and CT scans. Plus, it can now take lots of very cute 3D fetus pics.

Read the whole story at New Atlas, and see it in action below:

Steel yourself, old steel

It’s hard-to-impossible to traditionally manufacture steel that is both incredible strong and ductile (that’s flexible and resilient, in laypeople speak). But, as phys.org reported this week, a supergroup of researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Library, Ames National Laboratory, Georgia Tech, and Oregon State University have used 3D printing to do just that. Their new marine-grade stainless steel, called 316L, is 3D printed from models that make use of steel’s underlying microstructure to break the strength-ductility tradeoff barrier. And, the discovery was kind of an accident. As Lawrence Livermore scientist Alex Hamza put it, “We didn’t set out to make something better than traditional manufacturing; it just worked out that way.”

If the gas fits…

There are a lot of reasons to find new ways to get rid of methane (ahem, global warming, ahem), but one of the most exciting we’ve heard about, for obvious reasons, is turning it into a thermoplastic that can be used in 3D printing. You can read the (science-rich) full story at 3Ders.org, but in short: Funded by a grant from the NSF, Montana State University researchers are exploring using the methane-producing microbes in Yellowstone National Park to produce plastics. While we dream of scaling up to a world-impacting solution, the scientists are at the early stages of exploring how to make these methane microbes make organic compounds that could become plastics. But we see which way the wind is blowing.

The post The Week in 3D Printing: Mile-High Prints, Wii-Inspired Innovation, a Material Stronger Than Steel, and Methane Plastic appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

You may have seen Alvaro Uribe Studio’s products in stores, films, and basically every design magazine in existence. But until 2015, their 3D printing usage was limited to prototyping. The Onda Stylus represents this new era of offering fully finished, primarily 3D printed objects. We talked with Alvaro about how additive manufacturing is transforming creativity, the changing perceptions of 3D printing, and simple genius of his latest creation.

“Utilizing this technology has given us the ability to realize designs which otherwise would have been a production nightmare.”

Tell us a bit about your studio, what you do, and what interests you about 3d printing.

Alvaro Uribe Design is a Brooklyn-based studio dedicated to create expressive statements for everyday products.

3D printing was once a tool to test products before they were tooled and produced. However, today it is empowering creatives to make their own products. Not only are designers able to receive quick feedback while changing and updating designs without any additional costs, but they are also creating a new market where the designer is in direct communication with the end user. Our studio believes this dialogue with our users is the future of brands and new design icons. Utilizing this technology has given us the ability to realize designs which otherwise would have been a production nightmare.

Alvaro Uribe Studio’s Onda Stylus pen

What inspired you to design a 3D printed Onda Stylus?

We wanted to create a product that elevated the user’s perception of 3D Printing, reflecting the nature of the material and the production process with the form, and that is how the Onda design was born. A typical stylus, functionally, is an evolution of a pen that retains a solid tube-like form as it were to hold an ink refill. When designing Onda, we wanted to revolutionize the product, reducing the structure to the crucial elements of a stylus, while maintaining its image of a writing tool and keeping it light and comfortable for the hand.

“3D printing was once a tool to test products before they were tooled and produced. However, today it is empowering creatives to make their own products.”

What materials are the pens made from and how did you choose those materials?

Stainless steel and steel-bronze alloy gave the design the strength we needed. Its conductive capacity allowed the functionality of the product by passing the user’s capacitance to the tip and subsequently onto the screen. 3D printed steel gives the stylus a unique textured finish; we are inviting the user to interact with this new material that offers tactility and durability.

see your design in 60+ materials

How did you come up with the form of the pen?

The design came to life from multiple inspirations, but most directly by MC Escher’s “Bond of Union” series. We were fascinated by the idea of unfolding objects three-dimensionally, to reveals its interior, make them lighter and give them a sense of endlessness.

MC Escher’s Bond of Union was an inspiration for the design.

Has your studio created other 3D printed designs in the past?

In 2015 we created a set of lamps utilizing additive 3D Printing in PLA. Just like the Onda, the Mushroom Lights studied how to use printing technology to create new patterns and experiences in products. As you light up each lamp, a magical and elemental pattern appears through the surface. These patterns commonly used to give structure to 3D prints are celebrated in this collection as part of the design.

How have you worked with Shapeways?

Shapeways has been a great tool for both prototyping and creating our first branded products. For our clients’ projects we use Shapeways to test the proportions, strength and other aspects of the products we design before sending them out for production. For our studio, it has allowed us to start selling our own designs without having to worry about the investment in tooling or inventory. The Onda Stylus is our first product on the store, and we have had great response from all users.

“Shapeways has been a great tool for both prototyping and creating our first branded products.”

What else is your studio working on?

We are currently growing our 3D Printed line to include a bottle opener, a corkscrew, and two lines of jewelry that we are super excited about. In all of these we are always looking at new ways to use the technology in such a way that users can proudly use it or wear it as a symbol of avant-garde design.

3D print your design

You can buy the 3D printed Onda Stylus pen on Shapeways, and browse Alvara Uribe Studio’s past projects here.

The post Alvaro Uribe Reinvents the Stylus for a Smarter Era appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

print in metal

Here’s a rundown of some recent developments in metal 3D printing:

Most state-of-the-art racing bikes are crafted almost entirely from carbon fiber, which is light and strong. However, Chris Froome’s Tour de France-winning bicycle features 3D printed titanium handlebars. The Engineer reports that 3D printing reduced production time for the handlebars by up to 75% compared with a carbon fiber process. No molds were needed, and the custom fit eliminated any need for adjustability, saving up to 17% of the weight of a traditional handlebar assembly while reducing drag.

Ship Technology reports that the Port of Rotterdam’s Additive Manufacturing Fieldlab (RAMLAB) teamed with Autodesk to develop a 3D printed nautical propeller. Their hybrid manufacturing process combined wire and arc additive manufacturing with industrial robot arms, subtractive machining (CNC), and grinding. The new process will help the port provide quick replacement propellers for ships.

[Credit: Michael A. Parker]

Spaceships are also increasingly relying on metal 3D printing. NASA has 3D printed entire rocket engines. Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) created a 3D printed metal fabric to protect both astronauts and spacecraft from micrometeors. As 3DPrint.com reports, the chainmail-like textile, which is printed in one piece, reflects sunlight, provides thermal insulation, is foldable, and has high tensile strength.

Facial reconstructive surgery has benefitted from 3D metal printing. According to Additive Manufacturing, 3D printed titanium can be customized to the individual patient and aid in bone regrowth and stability. 3D Printing Industry reports that British manufacturing company Renishaw partnered with Western University to create a $5 million Additive Design in Surgical Solutions (ADEISS) center in Ontario, Canada, to produce metal additive manufactured medical tools and implants.

[Credit: NASA]

The Vader Systems MK1 Experimental desktop metal 3D printer, meanwhile, uses their MagnetoJet technology to propel liquified aluminum from an electromagnetic-field-encased 1,200° C chamber through inkjet-like print nozzles. Using wire feedstock instead of powders, it reduces costs and dramatically speeds up printing. The production model launches in 2018.

Shapeways’ interlocking precious metals are perfect for creating unique jewelry. Lead times for 3D printed steel were reduced by two days so you can create functional parts quickly. With the benefits of strength, durability, beautiful finishes, and a myriad of material choices, isn’t it time you took a dip into the white-hot 3D printed metal space?

try it yourself

The post From Aerospace to Jewelry, Metal 3D Printing Is Hot appeared first on Shapeways Blog.