Shapeways is Your Own Personal Factory

If you’re new to the whole 3D printing experience, it can seem kind of daunting. There are several free 3D modeling programs out there, but actually creating your own three-dimensional products is a different story. If you want to make an investment, desktop 3D printers can be an affordable option for early prototypes; however, mastering them can require a lot of trial and error. Plus, the actual materials you have access to are rather limited. Shapeways employs a huge fleet of cutting-edge industrial 3D printers with capabilities light years beyond desktop 3D printers. We print in everything from value focused plastics to industrial strength and precious metals and are continuously evolving our offering, meaning we can always find a solution for your needs.

Get Design Help from Industry Experts

Even if you have a solid idea and some 3D modeling experience, it doesn’t mean that you will be an expert at creating an optimal 3D printable file. Shapeways now offers Design with Shapeways, a service that pairs you with a professional designer based on your plan and budget. Offering everything from end-file fixing to modeling an idea from scratch, Design with Shapeways will help you kick off your project with ease.

The Spring & Wonder brand showcases the potential of what Shapeways’ services can do for businesses and creators.

Services for Growing Businesses

Along with the ability to design and product 3D printed projects, we have a dedicated team of account managers who can help find the right solutions for your business. We’ve built Spring & Wonder, our own customizable jewelry brand from scratch, and have expertise to help your small business with selling and growing. From sourcing the right materials to creating a customized storefront, Shapeways can help you optimize your go-to-market process.

GET IN TOUCH

*updated by Shapeways July 2017

The post 3 Reasons to Print Your Next Creation on Shapeways appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

In this post, I’ll go over my first simple stone-setting project (the Third Eye Mood Ring) and show you how easy it can be to incorporate some bling into your next ring. As it turns out, designing a simple stone setting isn’t so different from designing any functional parts that fit together.

Getting Started

Once you choose a type of stone, research some setting techniques associated with that type of stone. Will there be a bezel for the stone to grip onto, or elaborate bearings? Are the prongs small and tailored, or dramatic and claw-like? Choose techniques that suit the needs of your project and match your skill level.

For my first foray into stone-setting, I selected a 12-mm thermochromic cabochon, which is just a fancy name for a mood ring stone. I decided to set my cabochon in a simple bezel, with long prongs that bend over the stone for extra security. I chose a stone with a regular shape, which made it easier to take accurate measurements.

READY TO PROTOTYPE?
PRINT IT NOW

Into the 3D Design Space

Next I had to find a digital placeholder for the real cabochon in my 3D workspace, so I could build around it at a scale proportional to the piece. I used Rhino3D to create a digital replica of my cabochon.

If you’re using a stone that’s more complex than a cabochon, you may want to look into some free CAD lapidary resources. Make sure that your stone’s shape matches the lapidary model exactly, and that you scale the model to accurately reflect the real thing.

From there, I constructed a shallow bezel with a depth of 2.5 mm for the stone to nest in. Getting the clearance tolerance right when you have two parts made of different materials can be tricky — and something you should always be ready to prototype and test. I found that offsetting the bezel .5 mm from the edge of my cabochon provided the perfect amount of space between the two.

Then I modeled the prongs. How long should they be to accommodate the dome of the cabochon? How thick should they be, given that they will be bent into place while assembling the ring but hold the stone in place once it’s done?

Your answers will vary, but I decided to make my prongs 1mm thick and 7mm long from the base of the bezel to secure my cabochon.

The only thing left to do was anchor the stone setting in an interesting design, so I created a rustic eye shape by adding mass to a simple 2D drawing of an eye, and then ordered the model in Raw Brass.

next step: print your 3d model

Setting the Stone

When I received the Raw Brass print of my ring, the first thing I did was check the fit of the cabochon within the bezel — and it turned out that the fit was perfect. I then got some E6000 epoxy and squeezed three tiny beads of glue onto the center of the bezel. Epoxy dries quickly, so I made sure to place the cabochon in the bezel swiftly and accurately.

Then I gently bent the prongs over the cabochon with pliers. I expected that this would be simple, but it proved to be tricky without an arsenal of bench tools at my disposal. My pliers got the prongs as flush to the cabochon as they could. Then I gently rolled the ring face-down on a wooden work bench to make an even closer connection.

My stone setting may not be flawless, technically or aesthetically, but I like to think that the addition of a few handmade imperfections gives my 3D printed work an unexpected flare. And my Third Eye Mood Ring has held up through months of nonstop wear-testing.

Have you tried making a stone setting? How did it go? Let us know in the comments.

PRINT YOUR DESIGN

The post Put Some Bling in Your Ring: Adventures in DIY Stone-Setting appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Arrow Ring Size 6 by Courtney, etc. in 14k rose gold, 14k white gold, and 18k gold

Cast metals at Shapeways combine the cutting-edge technology of 3D printing with the lost-wax casting process developed by humans thousands of years ago. Most cast-metal products from Shapeways are jewelry, given size constraints and the cost of materials.

When it comes to cast metals, 3D printing has the advantage of being able to make complex shapes with interlocking parts that would be impossible using traditional processes. That said, engraving will not be as fine what as a laser can do. Also, precious metals are softer than steel, so they might not be ideal for, say, a bottle opener.

Origami Elephant by Necora in Premium Silver

Here’s how metals are cast: A wax rendering of the 3D model comes out of the 3D printer, then plaster flows around the wax to make a mold. Once the plaster sets, the wax gets melted out of the mold and molten metal gets poured in. Once the metal cools, the plaster is broken away. The metal is will be polished and, if applicable, plated. This video featuring Lucas Goossens of the LucasPlus Shapeways shop, will give you a glimpse:

Shapeways casts 3D models in platinum and several types of gold plus silver, bronze, and brass in a variety of surface finishes. Brass can also be plated in gold or rhodium.

Happiness – Lady Signet Ring by Latte.A.L in Polished Bronze

Evelyn Leung, a jewelry designer who runs the Latte.A.L Shapeways shop, says that cast metals suit her design aesthetic better than steel or plastic. “I generally design with the plated metals’ printing guidelines in mind,” she says. ”In my experience, if the design passed the validation checks for plated metals, they will very likely pass for precious metals.“

Evelyn gives a few other reasons why she focuses first on plated precious metals:

• gold-plated options are significantly less expensive than gold, “so you don’t have to spend a fortune to get some prototypes in hand”
• plated metals come polished to a sheen, “so right out of the box it is picture ready, which saves a lot of time”
• once you successfully order your product, it will be out of First to Try, which will help some customers decide to make a purchase

Evelyn likes how her designs look in solid metals, too. And some customers prefer the texture of raw brass or bronze.

What have you made in cast metals? Share your projects in the comments below for a chance to be featured on Shapeways Magazine.

The post Materials Explainer: 3D Printing in Cast Metal 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.