I can’t imagine going for a run without a water bottle in hand–a gallon of milk is just too heavy and goes everywhere when you try to take a sip. Am I right? There’s no limit to the number of stainless steel insulated water bottles available, so when we heard of the Malko Bottle we…

Despite that old expression of “you don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” Michelin has proved this week that there’s still plenty of ground to play with the future of wheel design…and tires, too. Introduced at the company’s annual Movin’On conference in Montreal, the new Vision concept tire is a one-piece 3D printed wheel-and-tire design that…

Sponsored by Xometry is a one stop shop for manufacturing on demand and produces custom parts through a nationwide manufacturing partner network. Xometry capabilities include CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, 3D printing and urethane casting. The Xometry online quoting experience is available as a free Add-In within SOLIDWORKS! “The Add-In is all about efficiency,” said…

“I got two words for you brochacho, CARBON FIBER.” Some 3D printers can print in carbon fiber, but this 3D printer is made from carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is an increasingly popular material in the 3D print world, due to its low weight and high strength. Multiple 3D printers now have the capability of 3D…

A recent Kickstarter project from OPENCREATORS has shown a 3D printer with features we haven’t seen previously. The cryptically-named BS210 is a desktop 3D printer using the standard filament extrusion process, and the machine is mostly typical among many in the market, with the exception of a couple of rather unusual features. Certainly it appears…

Don your favorite bathrobe, cream that coffee, and get comfortable with this week’s SolidSmack Weekend Reader. The Weekend Reader features a handful of the most interesting articles featured on the ‘Smack over the past week ranging from tips and tricks to inspirational designs, processes, and more. So lay back, relax and take a load off…

Mosaic Manufacturing announced a new cloud-based multi-material software tool for 3D printing, CANVAS. The Canadian company has been busy building and marketing the Palette, which we’ve covered previously. This device is an ingenious 3D printer accessory which dynamically splices differently colored input filaments together in just the right sequence and lengths to enable printing of…

While not feasible for every product out there, ceramic materials are one of the few natural materials available to us that can be formed into just about anything. Best of all, it’s a sustainable and cheap material to work with. But ceramic furniture? Inspired by German machinery manufacturer Carl Schlickeysen, inventor of the first machine…

It looks like Bridgestone is flexing its biceps at Nexo by creating airless bicycle tires that won’t go flat, even when punctured. Unlike conventional tires with an inner tube filled with air to maintain rigidity, Bridgestone’s “Air-Free Concept” wheels feature thermoplastic resin spokes to maintain shape and support the weight. The tires are stretched around the inner…

Hot off the trail of their One DLP 3D printer debuted last year, Taiwan-based Phrozen is back, this time with Make, “the world’s most compact, reliable, and precise LCD light-cured resin 3D printer.” If that sounds like a mouthful, you’re right, but over 240 backers have already put Phrozen over their Kickstarter campaign target goal…

Don your favorite bathrobe, cream that coffee, and get comfortable with this week’s SolidSmack Weekend Reader. The Weekend Reader features a handful of the most interesting articles featured on the ‘Smack over the past week ranging from tips and tricks to inspirational designs, processes, and more. So lay back, relax and take a load off…

Stand-alone, desktop 3D printers seem to be going the way of the Dodo bird with the introduction of all-in-one machines, which offer more than simple printing. There are an increasing of companies who have eschewed traditional 3D printing to incorporate additional functionality. I used to think it was all a gimmick, but after seeing a…

Few materials are as cheap and versatile as cardboard, which makes it a perfect building material for everything from rough prototypes to even finished products. Put in the hands of a true artist, however, and the material elevates to a new dimension entirely. At least, this is the case with Japanese artist Monomi Ohno. While…

Desktop Metal has finally shown their 3D metal printing technology, and from a first look, it does appear to be game changing in several respects. The mysterious east coast startup has been a bit of a puzzle for some time now. We’ve seen only glimpses of their equipment and hints of powerful capabilities. But now…

Last week Carbon and Adidas announced a deal to produce 3D printed midsoles. But how big is this deal, exactly? It’s hard to gauge the magnitude of a business deal from popular reports, but I believe it can be estimated based on the statistics shown to the public. Carbon has developed a custom resin specifically…

When it comes to summertime activities, few things beat a lazy ride around a lake or down a creek in a canoe. And while today you can fetch a decent newer model for anywhere from $500-$2000, nothing beats the beauty and craftsmanship of a traditional dugout canoe. And if you’ve ever wanted to make your…

When it comes to some of the more exciting developments in product design, oftentimes it comes down to simply looking at new ways of manipulating old materials rather than seeking out new ones. Such is the case with ‘Tenderwood’, an experimental new bench design from Taiwanese industrial designer YenHao Chu. Using a combination of Japanese…

Don your favorite bathrobe, cream that coffee, and get comfortable with this week’s SolidSmack Weekend Reader. The Weekend Reader features a handful of the most interesting articles featured on the ‘Smack over the past week ranging from tips and tricks to inspirational designs, processes, and more. So lay back, relax and take a load off…

Corn. It’s not just for soaking in butter or rotating on a drill at 2500 RPM. While Nike has made huge strides to minimize their environmental footprint, and Adidas has been introducing shoes made from plastic sourced from ocean waste, Reebok is the latest footwear company to get in on the sustainability action with the…

There is something zen-like about products that require no hardware to assemble (we’re looking at you, IKEA). It’s as if those materials and parts were created for the sole purpose of existing as the components of a seamless assembly. The Lo1 lamp from Chilean industrial designer Emmanuel Gonzalez is one of those products. With a…

Tough, durable, long-lasting toys were almost nonexistent in my household when I was growing up. Transformers often lost their limbs after a month or so, G.I. Joes normally went to war without their weapons and “Have you seen the pieces to my new Lego set?” was a question routinely heard by my parents and siblings.…

Performing surgery isn’t a perfect science, and even doctors need to practice their skills, especially when it comes to children. To hone those skills, doctors practice various techniques using anatomical models or mannequins. However, these are typically limiting regarding complexity and feel, which limits the training. To overcome those limitations, Ph.D. grad student Mark Thielen…

With the continual introduction of new 3D printer filament materials, it’s become hard to keep track of them all. Until you see this terrific chart. The chart was produced by UK-based ThreeDotZero Studios, who provide “support service to fast-growing technology-based businesses.” Currently, they offer services in VR/AR, Home Automation, UAVs/Drones, Maker Market, Gaming Hardware, MVNO/MVNE…

The centerpiece of Mathew Borrett’s Hypnogogic City peers into a hazy and shifted existence of Toronto’s city hall. From our view, we see a hybrid destruction of Toronto’s city hall both by man and by nature. Each building seems to hold its own function and host its own colony. Everything else is grown over with…

It’s been years in the making and one of the last dreams of Steve Jobs before his passing in 2011, but the new Apple heaquarters—Apple Park—is finally set to open next month. As one of the most future-forward buildings in existence, the ring-shaped headquarters is a modern marvel in sustainable architecture and operations, with solar…

They fought off the abundance of nibbles. From left and right they came, wearing their customized little hats. Should you try to grab one and put it on your head, your fate was sealed. You would be punished unless, by chance, you were able to make your way through them to what they swore to…

Unlike desktop 3D printers, which have only grown more connected and technologically advanced over the past few years, vacuum forming has remained somewhat Lo-Fi—oftentimes consisting of a homemade jig hooked up to a shop vac. But what if desktop vacuum forming finally got smart? It would probably look a whole lot like the Vaquform, which…

3-in-1 is the name of the game for Febtop Tech with the introduction of their Optimus Transformable 3D printer, which boasts a multiple configuration design that includes a 3D printer, laser cutter and CNC mill. Considering this is the Swedish-based company’s first foray into the world of 3D printing it’s certainly impressive, but not the…

Three dudes from Caltech just designed the first robotic bat. Alireza Ramezani, Soon-Jo Chung, and Seth Hutchinson scored the cover article with their research published in the latest issue of Journal of Science Robotics, detailing the successful construction and flight of the multi-articulating, adaptive flapping of our favorite flying mammal. Modeled after the species, Rousettus…

Our last post on MakerBot’s new print software spurred on some conversation, internally and via email. One consistent concern we get from MakerBot Replicator owners, and questions we ask as Replicator owners considering their new products, are, “Has Stratasys put effort into making MakerBot’s work more reliably and consistently?” and, “Do the new products work…

Everyone’s getting into the resin 3D printer business. Now Flashforge, a long-time manufacturer of inexpensive and popular desktop 3D printers using plastic extrusion, has shown a resin-based unit they call the “Hunter”. The Hunter follows the style of many comparable units, with a UV-protective translucent cover on the top, so you may observe the 3D…

Efficiency. Glorious efficiency. The streamlined and punctual Japanese train system. The meticulous movement of precision components in a Swiss made watch. The time saving zzzchick of Velcro shoes. I don’t know about you, but I am getting goosebumps. Certain cultures, like the Germans and their engineers in particular, are known for prizing the concept of…

Graphene. That awesome meta-material that was identified in 1916, imaged in 1948, grown on substrates in the 70’s, and finally manufactured in 2014, has yet to be incorporated into any consumer market applications. Now, graphene has been developed into a structure stronger than steel and lighter in weight. A team of researchers at MIT found…

Almost 60 years ago the first CAD tool was a type of stylus created by Ivan Sutherland at MIT. In Sutherland’s “Sketchpad” you could draw virtual shapes in a virtual space. Even though it was revolutionary, I’m sure early x-y point plotter users were considered eccentric for talking up the novelty of the virtual world.…

Markforged is known for their outstanding carbon fiber printers ─ the Mark One, Mark X and Onyx series. Now the manufacturing heavyweights are expanding beyond plastic. The’ve gone ‘full metal’ with the introduction of their Metal X 3D printer, which was recently unveiled at this year’s CES in Las Vegas. Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing For all intents…

Last week 3D print service Sculpteo announced a series of AI-based tools to simplify use of their system. But what’s driving them to this? We spoke with Sculpteo CEO Clément Moreau at CES to find out. Moreau explained that their firm really wanted to get into 3D metal printing, because that is the best market…

Right out of the gate for 2017, Adobe is offering a pair of applications featured at the Adobe MAX 2016 conference–a Windows version of Adobe Experience Design CC (XD) featuring real-time collaboration, and a new 3D product shot composer for graphic designers named Project Felix. They’re focused on accessibility (which we’re strong proponents of here…

Sponsored by Quoting and ordering custom parts from within SOLIDWORKS just became easier and faster than ever. The Xometry Add-In for SOLIDWORKS allows designers and engineers to get seamless instant quotes and a manufacturability feedback within a single integrated CAD workspace. “The Add-In is all about efficiency,” said Xometry’s Director of Project Engineering, Greg Paulsen.…

Monoprice has become very well known for their low-cost 3D printer options, but things are about to change significantly. We managed to get a peek at their new set of equipment to be released soon. Currently the company offers a small selection of basic filament-powered desktop 3D printers, one of which, the Select Mini Desktop…

Welding is a useful skill to have, especially if you want to repair your vehicle, which was the goal of Instructable user Mr-Mash who figured it was cheaper to repair his own rather than taking it to the shop. For him, the easiest way to learn welding was to build one big, freakin’ bicycle outfitted…

From ridiculously complicated product lifecycle management scenarios to some of the most futuristic manufacturing tech ever seen, few industries are quite like the aerospace industry. While we may be a few years off from some really, really futuristic stuff trickling down to Coach—and even, First—Class, it’s safe to say that we’ve come a long way…

Since screaming onto the American manufacturing scene in 2013, lifestyle brand Shinola Detroit has expanded their product line from high-end watches to leather goods to even bicycles — all with a majority of the parts and materials sourced from local or national suppliers and assembled in Detroit, Michigan. For their latest project, the company pulled out…

You’ve likely been hearing a lot about something called “Machine Learning” lately, but could this affect 3D printing? Most definitely so! The concept of machine learning is simply the application of advanced algorithms against previously collected data to develop predications, classifications and decisions about future events. From the outside view it more or less mimics…

I quit riding my bicycle, but I may take it up again. Not for health purposes, mind you. The reason I quit was it seemed, no matter where I rode, my tires would go flat. It didn’t matter whether I was riding on pavement, grass, sand or gravel, I would always get a flat tire.…

The wraggle bunch of mufflins peeled back the fur from their eyes, peering squint-eyed and tippy toe to see just what strange concoction was in the wooden bucket. The rays had hardly burst over the horizon when they heard a squelch that turned their eye slits wide. For out of the bucket, rose the tentacles…

Formlabs, who is now responsible for making a generation of designers and engineers giggle gleefully when they hear the word ‘resin’, has recently released a whole array of new engineering resins aimed at professionals for use in prototyping, molding and more. Formlabs is widely known for their consumer and commercial grade resin… and their 3D printers too, I…

You might be familiar with 3D Platform, a company dedicated to making large-format 3D printers. Now it seems they’re working on ways to make large prints much faster. Many of the currently available large format 3D printers are simply scaled up versions of RepRap-style extrusion machines. This style of machine works perfectly well at the…

As anybody who sits in front of the computer for at least eight hours a day knows, a great office chair is an absolute necessity if you plan on walking upright without pain any time in the next 20 years (or good heavens, the next 20 minutes). And unsurprisingly, behind every great office chair is…

In this video tutorial, I offer up a brief modeling tutorial on how to use the engineering draft feature inside PTC Creo Parametric modeling software.

I’m looking at a secretive Israeli company called Fleximatter that seems to be developing an unusual 3D printing technology. The company has a website, but shows very little if any information on their technology. However, based on some brief research, it appears that: They are developing a new 3D printer suitable for industrial use The…