3d Printing & Model Making

Additive Vs. Subractive 3d Printers

2019-01-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

I have been reviewing several of the different 3d printers on the market. There seems to be 2 different and competing styles. One one side you have the additive which basically builds a model out of an expensive plastic material. One the other hand you have the subtractive design which carves 3d models out of any material that you can fit in the machine and it will quickly carve out the design that you upload. The additive models take up to 10x longer to create the model and the materials are quite expensive. The subtractive is not only faster but there is a wide range of materials that you can use that are very inexpensive like wood or foam. The additive models are less expensive to buy but like an inkjet printer you end up paying the high cost of the consumable which in this case would be the plastic additive material.

Due to the speed and wide range of materials, I am much more excited about the subtractive design.

CSI Miami's Magic 3d Printer

2018-10-24T16:22:00.000-07:00

Last nights episode of CSI Miami featured the crime solving lab taking a picture of a woman's hand which had been burned by a silencer on a gun. Scanning the picture to create a 3d picture of the silencer and then using a 3d printer to create a replica which helped to solve the case.

CSI shows are known for their future tech. Though they didn't specify a length of time for the operation, it appeared to take a couple seconds to print out a full size model. Obviously in real life this would probably take 24 hours to complete. If they used a 2bot Model Maker they could complete the model in about an hour but by a different process.

Nevertheless it was fun to watch them create a model and use it to solve a crime. No doubt this will become standard practice in the future. CSI Miami is a great crime drama with lots of future tech and creative writing that displays crime solving, if not how it will be, certainly how it should be.

2BOT ModelMaker - Interview - Ero Architects - Eli Ochoa

2018-04-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

2Bot's Classroom Model Maker

2013-03-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

Watch the amazing 2Bot work in the classroom.

CNN Money's 15 Companies That Will Change The World

2011-05-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

Back In 2007 This Article Hit CNNMoney

Here are the 10 game-changing startups most likely to upend existing industries - and spawn new entrepreneurial opportunities.

# 13 Desktop Factory

The cost of rapid prototyping machines is already plummeting. Now San Francisco startup Desktop Factory is set to bring out a $5,000 3-D printer, undercutting competitors by 75 percent.

Many competitors have come along since these early days but they are changing the world.

Star Trek Replicator Roots?

2011-04-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

Captain Log 2011; There is no doubt that many great inventions have roots in science fiction, particularly Star Trek seems to inspire many a young inventor.

3d Printing and Model Making reminds users of that great 23rd century invention, the Replicator. You may not be able to produce Romulan Ale, in fact Ironically, 3d printing may not end up being used to make dinner but there are certainly applications in medicine, mechanics, engineering and even space shuttles. Certainly desktop manufacturing is a huge leap forward into the future. Perhaps one day it will help us design our first Warp engine.

Printing in 3D Gets Practical

2011-04-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

Military surgeons, architects, and others are creating models with 3D printers, and prices are falling: Sub-$10,000 printers are on the way

by Rachael King

Walter Reed Army Medical Center surgeons who treat soldiers wounded in the war in Iraq have grown accustomed to difficult operations. But some are more delicate than others. Take the patient who needed a bony tumor removed from the back of the knee. The growth was situated precariously near a nerve and an artery junction, leaving doctors no room for error. The orthopedic surgeon was able to try the procedure first using a model of the knee, helping him avoid hitting the nerve or artery during the actual surgery.

But here's the kicker: The model was made not from a plaster cast but with a printer. Technicians first use software to transform a CT scan into a computerized 3D model, which is then sent to the printer. From there, the machine deposits ultra-thin layers of powder onto a surface, one on top of another, until it produces a 3D model. The powder is held together using a binding liquid that's deposited during printing. "With 2D images, it may be hard to visualize the full extent of the injury or the condition of the patient," says Peter Liacouras, senior medical engineer at Walter Reed. "We've had doctors say that with these 3D models, they get the feeling that they've been there before,"

Although 3D printing has been around since the early 1990s, the quality has increased dramatically in recent years and the prices are just beginning to drop. Walter Reed uses the ZPrinter 450, made by Z Corp., which retails for about $39,900. But less expensive models are making their way to the market. Z Corp. sells an entry-level model, the ZPrinter 310, for less than $20,000. 3D Systems (TDSC) is developing a sub-$10,000 printer that the company hopes will be released by yearend. And, within the next six months, a company called Desktop Factory hopes to launch a 3D printer for $4,995.

"Now that the price of these 3D printers has dropped dramatically, almost any enterprise can afford to buy one, so the net result is that companies are using them more and more," says Pete Basiliere, research director at consulting firm Gartner (IT). Because of these price reductions, Basiliere estimates that there will be 300,000 3D printers on the market by 2011. There were 3,651 3D printers sold in 2007, according to Wohlers Associates, a Fort Collins (Colo.)-based consulting firm.
More Affordable

Falling prices are bringing 3D printing to smaller business, such as Sweet Onion Creations, a four-person company based in Bozeman, Mont., which builds scale architectural models. Co-founders Lee and Jake Cook purchased the ZPrinter 310, which cost $26,000 at the time because it was more affordable and produced less waste than other printers. With a ZPrinter, the Cooks could create a model in one-sixth the time and at one-third the cost of a handcrafted 3D model. Jake Cook acknowledges that it's a new technology and not perfect. "There are challenges with it," he says. "The precision could be better."

Now, Cook has his eye on Desktop Factory's sub-$5,000 printers. The idea behind the low-price machine came from Bill Gross, the founder of tech incubator Idealab. After the tech bubble burst, Gross was working with startups that relied on 3D printing to create prototypes for such items as components for robots and solar mirrors. "He paid $50,000 for the printer and each time he printed a [robotic part] it cost several hundred dollars," says Desktop Factory Chief Executive Cathy Lewis. Astounded by the expense, Gross asked an engineer to see if it might be possible to make less costly 3D printers. By 2004, the company was formed.

Lewis hopes a lower-priced 3D printer will expand the market further into such places as design firms, architecture firms, high schools, and colleges—even homes. "Right now 3D printers are behind locked doors in a big department," she says. In some cases, designers could use Desktop Factory's printers for early iterations, and then the more expensive machines for the finished model.
Prosthetic Surgery

Indeed, Walter Reed Army Medical Center uses its 3D printer to help other medical facilities, including the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., which specializes in reconstructive surgeries involving facial prosthetics, such as new noses or ears. The previous procedure involved putting a plaster on the patient's face to make a mask. Now, doctors can use an imaging device, essentially a 3D camera, along with software that creates a map of the person's face with the corresponding prosthetic. The 3D printer can then print out a mask that surgeons can use as a guide for reconstructive surgery.

It's unlikely that a lower-end printer such as Desktop Factory's will be able to handle that kind of work any time soon. Still, in the coming years, 3D printing may become so advanced—and mainstream—that virtually any home would have a use for it. "One day you might be able to print out biomaterial at home, like a specially engineered bandage for your son or daughter's cut," Lewis says.

King is a writer for BusinessWeek.com in San Francisco.
https://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2008/tc2008103_077223.htm

What's A 2bot?

2011-04-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

The 2BOT ModelMaker is an entirely new class of subtractive model making system specifically designed by the engineers at 2BOT to meet the needs of architects, GIS, civil engineering and educational professionals. Modelmaker is bundled with 2BOT Studio software to deliver unparalelled ease of use and utilizing very inexpensive non-proprietary materials.

The hardware is based on a proprietary high strength aluminum structure completely enclosed for safety and to contain debris. The 24" square footprint is nearly as small as a desktop printer.

Six high speed DSP processors drive the motors contained in ModelMaker delivering very high motion performance with instant feedback to the PC based user interface.

What is a 3d Printer?

2011-04-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

3d printers turn digital pictures or CAD drawings into 3d models. 3d printers are typically a little larger than a printer or light box but small enough to sit in your office. Several popular brands are 2BOT, Desktop Factory and ZCorp.

For More Info See:

www.desktopfactory.com

www.zcorp.com

www.printin3d.com

3d Printing For The Classroom?

2011-03-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

From Model Maker Nation:
The modern classroom is filled with digital natives conditioned to receive information in ways the traditional classroom never expected. Advances in classroom technology have allowed interactive instruction including sound, video, and instantaneous student responses. classroom ModelMaker is proud to introduce the next dimension in interactive learning, allowing students to create physical models from virtual data. From airplane wings to ancient pyramids, from a hands-on lesson in comparative anatomy to the creation of lithophanes, all curricula can be enhanced through physical modeling.

3D printing enabled Aston Martin Racing to develop LMP1 race car in under six months

2011-03-20T21:20:00.000-07:00

Stratasys FDM Technology supported the design and build of the new AMR-One race car

FRANKFURT - 28th March 2011 - (NASDAQ: SSYS) Stratasys Inc. says Aston Martin Racing (AMR) was able to meet an aggressive development schedule for its AMR-One race car by using 3D printing.

AMR One
The company’s Dimension® 3D Printer was used to mock up the chassis, driver controls and engine of the race-car. The 3D printer produced prototypes for concept and testing of Aston Martin’s new AMR-One, (LMP1 class). Developed in under six months, the car will be driven by the Aston Martin Racing works team drivers in the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC).

AMR selected the Dimension machine for its rapid prototyping capabilities after seeing the speed and quality of the parts produced for the Prodrive run rally team in a previous project. Having the machine on site helped the race team to design, test and build a complete car to meet the tight deadline for entry into this year’s ILMC.

Built from the ground up, AMR-One features a new bespoke carbon fibre chassis, an open cockpit and a significantly down-sized engine, all of which required testing during the building process. The Dimension machine was used primarily for designing and testing the engine parts as well as mocking up the chassis and driver controls. This ensured ultimate efficiency and that the new design met the 2011 regulations from the Le Mans governing body – the ACO. The car was developed from start to finish between autumn 2010 and the end of February 2011.

Aston Martin Racing is also exploring the idea of using the 3D printer to make finished parts to bolt onto the car. One item being considered is the front wing splitters used for aerodynamic flow.

“When we received final sign-off to build the car for this year’s ILMC, using rapid prototyping was a no-brainer for us, as we had a tight deadline to meet. Most of the engine was prototyped on the Dimension machine, which also proved very useful for the early stages of determining the driver fit for the car,” says George Howard-Chappell, Technical Director at Aston Martin Racing. “Without the 3D printer, we would not be testing the car today. Following the success with the AMR-One, we hope to utilise the capabilities of another Stratasys machine to help build and deliver end-use parts for future cars.”

“The AMR-One has achieved a balance of aesthetics and aerodynamics, and FDM technology has

helped make this possible,” says Tim Heller, European MD for Stratasys. “We wish the Aston Martin Racing team the best of luck with the upcoming season.”

The FDM 3D Printing process is patented by Stratasys, Inc.

#ENDS#

Notes for Editors
Stratasys, Inc., Minneapolis, is a maker of additive manufacturing machines for prototyping and producing plastic parts. The company markets under the brands Fortus 3D Production Systems and Dimension 3D Printers. The company also operates RedEye On Demand, a digital manufacturing service for prototypes and production parts. According to Wohlers Report 2010, Stratasys supplied more additive manufacturing systems in 2009 than any other manufacturer, making it the unit market leader for the eighth consecutive year. Stratasys patented and owns the process known as FDM.® The process creates functional prototypes and manufactured goods directly from any 3D CAD program, using high-performance industrial thermoplastics. The company holds more than 285 granted or pending additive manufacturing patents globally. Stratasys products are used in the aerospace, defense, automotive, medical, business & industrial equipment, education, architecture, and consumer-product industries. Online at: www.stratasys.com

FDM Technology is a trademark, and Fortus, FDM, Stratasys, Redeye On Demand, and Dimension are registered trademarks of Stratasys, Inc.

Aston Martin was founded in 1914. Aston Martin sports cars were intended from the outset to have a distinctive and individual character. The brand has stayed true to these values, creating some of the world’s most iconic sports cars, such as the DB5 famously associated with James Bond to modern classics such as the Vantage, DB9, DBS, Rapide and One-77 and in 2011, joined by the new Virage, and Vantage S.

Aston Martin Racing is a joint venture between Aston Martin and Prodrive. The team was created in 2004 specifically to design, build and race production-based sports cars in events and championships around the world. The team's first race was the opening round of the American Le Mans Series at Sebring in 2005, where it scored a spectacular GT1 class victory.

Attention Editors: If you wish to publish reader-contact information, please use: europe@stratasys.com; Telephone: +49 (0)69 420 9943 0, Fax: +49 (0)69 420 9943 33, www.stratasys.com.

For more information or high res images please contact:
Liam Collis or Lisa Henshaw
Fourth Day PR
+44 (0)20 7403 4411
liam@fourthday.co.uk; lisa@fourthday.co.uk

Images can be viewed here.

3d Model Making - Exciting Technology!

2011-02-17T16:04:00.000-08:00

Think back to when you were a kid watching Star Trek and Capitan Kirk would say "computer, coffee black" and coffee would appear from thin air. Imagine having the ability to carve out or build from nothing, anything you can pull up on your computer screen.

What would this mean to the classroom? Instead of just studying pictures, you can create 3d models. Carpenters could create fantastic pieces of art for decorating. Artists can create in 3d. Architects no longer need to hire someone to spend days carving out 3d landscapes and buildings.

The future is now with 3d printing!