The “Factory of the Future” is Here Today
Shapeways announces the opening of a Factory of the Future in Long Island City, Queens. And Mayor Bloomberg announces the launch of New York’s Next Top Makers competition.
3D Printing & Imaging
If you’re a maker, 3d printing is an incredibly useful tool to have in your arsenal. Not only can it help bring your projects to life faster, but it can also offer unique results that would be difficult (or impossible!) to achieve with traditional methods. In these blog posts, we’ll provide you with some essential information and tips regarding 3D printing for makers—including the basics of how to get started, plus creative tutorials for spicing up your projects. Whether you’re already familiar with 3d printing or are just starting out, these resources will help take your game-making skills even further!
3D-Printed Acoustic Guitar
Check out this beautiful 3D-printed guitar by Scott Summit of Bespoke/3D Systems. The body is plastic with minor pieces printed in silver and stainless steel. It’s unique in that it may be the first 3D-printed acoustic guitar.
Casting Sugru in 3D Printed Molds
3D printed, two-part mold designed from original part specifications allows “factory-new” repair.
Teague Labs 13:30 Printable Headphones
Over at Teague Labs maker John Mabry has been having a bit of fun creating printable consumer electronics. Named after its elapsed print time, the 13:30 is a pair of working stereo headphones. The idea for these stylish ear goggles centered around the notion of printed prototypes as actual products.
3D-Printed Optics Using Clear Resin
The folks at Disney Research, in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon, are doing interesting work with 3D printing clear resin, light-guiding “light pipes.” The details are documented in their newly released research paper, “Printed Optics: 3D Printing of Embedded Optical Elements for Interactive Devices” (PDF). From their site: Printed Optics is a new approach to creating […]
3D Printing Goes Mainstream Panel Discussion on Make: Live Stage at World Maker Faire 2012
Present and Future Applications at Work, Home and School Featuring Marc de Vinck, Liz Arum, Brian Jepson, Duann Scott, Chris Connors
Learn what educators, designers, engineers, and entrepreneurs are creating with 3D printing technology. This once high-end piece of equipment has now become commonplace in the maker-labs around the world. We have seen this technology transform from a hobby of those early adopters, to a serious tool for innovation and prototyping, and now something marketed as household appliance. Moderated by Lehigh University professor Marc de Vinck, this panel will discuss the current state of affairs within the 3D printing community, as well as what the future may hold.
3D Printing a Rocket Engine
3D printers are cool for printing miniature Yoda heads, tiny owls, and little tea cups. But what about printing something really useful, like, say, a stainless steel rocket engine? Check out this project from Rocket Moonlighting. Says Hack-a-Day: Most any rocket engine you’d find on a spacecraft – save for solid or hybrid rockets – […]
