Dassault Systèmes, producers of the popular SOLIDWORKS 3D modeling system, announced an educational partnership that may suggest something interesting. The company struck a deal with UMass Lowell to jointly open a “digital learning center” on campus to “let engineering students get hands-on experience in designing and creating products for the Experience Economy”. They explain further:…

The 4th Dimension is a new series where we go behind the scenes with leaders in 3D printing to add a new dimension. Our Dan Slaski interviews Ryan Turk, Business Development Lead at Formlabs, and nerds-out on 3D printing.  And nerd-out they did. Dan Slaski: Can you provide a brief intro to Formlabs and your…

The company launched their product not too long ago but is receiving a great deal of attention and one might say their venture is entirely successful. In today’s ultra-competitive professional 3D partner market it is often difficult for companies to stand out among the dozens of alternative machines. AON3D decided to focus on 3D printers…

Just look at that desk. Where are you going to put all of those dismantled 1990’s sit-com action figure parts? Jennifer Aniston would be ashamed. I know what you’re thinking though–No ordinary storage box will do. You need a special type of storage box worthy of iconic plastic leg and arm parts. Why you took…

I’m looking at a very interesting concept 3D printer from engineer Swaleh Owais. The “WorkHorse 3D” is a 3D printer able to do some functions few other machines can accomplish. First, it is one of several “continuous” 3D printers in that it can, by itself, automatically unload prints and commence 3D printing a subsequent object.…

There are a lot of reasons you might want to mouth-grapple bark lumps to climb up a tree–jowl toning, neck muscle fortitude, the look of horror and genuine concern on your gardener’s face–but there’s little doubt you could save some lip skin and dentist visits by using climbing holds instead. I know, you’ve been climbing…

The New Story charity organization may have beaten them to the first punch, but that sure won’t stop the Eindhoven University of Technology, contractor Van Wijnen, real estate company Vesteda, materials company Saint Gobain-Weber Beamix, and engineering firm Witteveen+Bos from setting up five 3D printed concrete houses in Bosrijk, a relatively new residential district in…

Researchers from MIT have developed a new technique to enable highly detailed, multi-material 3D prints from 3D scanners. “By using voxel-printing methods, superfluous preparation overhead and loss in detail can be prevented. This approach enables one to directly translate volumetric property gradients to 3D printable material gradients. Hence, if preservation of the given data representation…

Sufferers of corneal blindness due to burns, diseases, and other misfortunes can see the light once again; for Newcastle University researchers have found a way to 3D print human corneas in just 10 minutes. Using ‘bio-ink’ as the additive material – a solution made from human stem cells, collagen, and alginate – Professor of Tissue…

Fans of inflatable bouncy castles and comfy car seats have reason to rejoice because 3D-printed inflatables are now a thing! Created by the minds at the Self-Assemble Lab of MIT and BMW, these inflatables adapt and transform by themselves to suit your comfy needs. Dubbed “Liquid Printed Pneumatics,” these silicone materials take on different shapes…

I’m reading a brief analysis by Gartner’s Pete Basiliere on how 3D printing could affect business models. Business models, of course, are critical devices for the successful operation of a business. They define how money is spent and collected based on the creation and distribution of value to clients. Companies without business models are not…

Ever since we saw Matt Denton’s LEGO Technic Go-kart, we’ve been keeping an eye on his YouTube channel for what’s next. He’s gone through phases of small hexapods, large hexapods, animatronics, Arduino controlled hydraulics and, most recently, massive 3D printed LEGO kits. After completing two other giant LEGO builds, we were pretty sure it was…

They may look like sacks of latex over an overpaid actor, but superhero masks are the real star of any superhero movie. They hide any facial blemishes and scars, plus they’re what kids recognize on the front of all the movie merchandise. And yet, making these voice-muffling head covers isn’t as easy as it seems.…

Researchers at CMU’s Morphing Matter Lab have developed a technique for 4D printing that could prove popular. 4D printing, if you are not familiar, is a variation of 3D printing in which the printed object is not static but somehow changes shape after normal 3D printing completes. There are a number of research projects underway…

Tires are amazing. Until, you know, they run out of air or altogether pop in the middle of a trip. Seeking to make your daily commute less of a hassle, 3D printer manufacturer BigRep just made a bicycle tire which doesn’t go flat or runs out of air. The wheel uses the company’s PRO FLEX…

Nike announced a new “3-D Printed” running shoe, but it seems a bit strange to me. The new shoe, released in time for the famous London Marathon, is made using their new “Flyprint” method. This is quite a competitive move, as their major nemesis, Adidas, has been 3D printing amazing midsoles using Carbon’s technology in recent…

“I’m sorry, I have no hands to hold your Echo.” Alexa, you’re five kinds of useless. “Ordering a 5 foot USB cable via Prime.” Gahhhhh! There are all sorts of Amazon Echo holders and stands and such, but you know what doesn’t exist? A skull-shaped Echo holder. Well, it didn’t exist… UNTIL NOW. Douwe Miedema felt the…

M3D is well known for their inexpensive desktop 3D printers, but now they’ve added a very different machine to their product line. The new “Crane Quad” system is a full-color desktop 3D printer with a price said to be less than USD$500. Previously the company marketed single or dual extrusion machines that proved very popular,…

What’s better than one full penny skateboard? TWO half penny skateboards. Add a bag of chips and Paul’s Boutique on loop and you’ve got yourself the makings of a rambunctious night out on the town. But first, you need the half-penny skateboards. Leave it to Devin Montes, aka MakeAnything, to create a skateboard slightly larger…

You may think creating cosplay (the practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, book, or video game) costumes involves locking yourself up in a garage and making do with whatever spare hardware supplies are lying around—and you wouldn’t be far from correct! A lot of good cosplayers do precisely this; but with…

How many boats does one need? WRONG QUESTION. How many boats can you 3D print, stick in your mouth, and say ‘Bathtub Boat’. Me? 27. But they were small boats and I choked when I realize one could come shooting out my nose at any moment – can you imagine the pain a PLA print squeezed…

FoldStar provides a very unusual 3D model generation system. The New Jersey-based company’s product, by the same name, is a generative system to dynamically create 3D models of folded geometry. Here’s how it works, in their words: Doubly-Periodic Folding Tessellations are a versatile family of deployable materials that repeat a pattern in “row” and “column”…

I know you’ve all see Predator. What? You’ve not seen the 1987 sci-fi horror flick starring Arnold Schwarzenegger? Push your computer off the desk and go and watch it NOW. You’re welcome for learning how to survive an alien with a tri-laser, arm nuke and jowls that will make curl up in a ball and call…

Oh , look at you! You are just A DARLING. Your glistening, acidic alien skin… Ohh! You’re yawning. CUTE. A yet you just burst from the belly of my dog. Gonna have to clean the carpet… a few times. Bad baby alien. Kidding! Don’t tongue mouth my face! We may not have actual baby xenomorphs, but…

From simple song requests to complicated trivia questions (not to mention painlessly ordering new bubble gum), the Amazon Echo Dot is undoubtedly a fun little gadget to have around. But for some, the minimalist Roomba-like puck design could use a little work in the TLC department. Baard Fleistad has always wanted a gramophone of his…

A French company, Bombyx Prod, has devised a different way to provide 3D print services to manufacturers. The problem being attacked here is the low-volume production market. This market exists because there are those who require smaller volumes of products than would otherwise justify the expense of setting up a traditional manufacturing line. Several 3D print…

Modeling a 3D object and prepping it for 3D printing on a 2D screen sounds counterintuitive… because it is. You’re stabbing your mouse at a 2D plane in 3D space to make something which can be interacted with in the real world. I thought we were in the future? So, what if you could design the…

My kiddos are all about the Nerf Guns–there are so many Nerf guns the Nerf guns have Nerf guns. Well, now I have an example of why we don’t need any more Nerf guns–we can just MAKE THEM. Oh, I know. “Why didn’t you do that in the first place?” Two answers to that -…

This could be a very big idea: 3D Hybrid Solutions announced a system to convert everyday CNC machines into powerful 3D metal printers. The startup company, based in Los Angeles, offers add-on hardware that could become a tool in a multi-tool metal CNC machine. Typical competent metal CNC machines today offer the ability to mill…

If you’re involved in the engineering of products manufactured globally, chances are you’ve been personally affected by SNAFU’s on an epic scale. Despite your best efforts, you probably had to sacrifice some weekends, or late nights, or quality time with your kiddos, or at the very least, your blood pressure. Hey, it happens to the…

SolidWorks unveiled two new certification exams at SolidWorks World 2018, which celebrated 20 years since their certification program began back in 1998. At the 16-year mark, the program only certified 100,000 users, but since the demand for programmers, engineers, and CAD professionals has risen over the last few years, that number has doubled to over…

#896 on the list of things you’ve never thought about? What type of planter you plant your toe roots in if you were a chubby little succulent. Let me answer that question for you. Because they’re the same planter, but different, but THE SAME. How? They all use the same shape made from the same, super…

Call me surprised, but Ultimaker is moving ahead rapidly. The company embarked on a tricky strategic change a couple of years ago and now it seems to be paying off with a blockbuster announcement from Bosch. The giant manufacturer has agreed to equip their worldwide offices with Ultimaker 3D printers. This could amount to thousands…

3D printing in color can be costly. Given how much time and resources spent upfront, having a failed print isn’t exactly as easy to deal with as printing a 2D color picture incorrectly. MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)’s new ColorFab method (not to be confused with printing filament company ColorFabb) doesn’t aim…

While the term “3D Printing” has become synonymous with creating physical objects, the underlying method of manufacture—additive manufacturing—is a diverse and complex concept spanning multiple materials and design constraints. From ABS to SLS, there are a number of different pros and cons when picking the best methods or materials to get the job done. For…

We’re walking the floor at Solidworks World 2018. One must see is Easton LaChappelle’s Unlimited Tommorrow (UT) exhibit. He is cranking out some amazing prosthetic devices! Easton at 14-years-old took an interest in robotics where he submitted a robotic artificial limb in a science fair. His epiphany with regard to his future role in the world…

We’ve heard a lot about “personal” 3D printing in the past, but perhaps it’s time for “personalized” 3D printing. By “personal” 3D printing, I mean the ownership of a 3D printer and production of objects for personal use. This was, and probably still is, the vision for consumer-based 3D printing. While there was a great…

Since screaming on to the rapid prototyping scene in 2013, 3D Hubs has been relentless in making sure their message is heard. Billed as the “AirBnB of 3D Printing”, the company’s business model is based on experienced 3D printer technicians renting out their equipment to other users on a per-project-basis. Not surprisingly, the 3D Hubs…

I’m reading more about the concept of “metamaterials”, and believe this is a lot more important than I imagined. What Are Metamaterials? But first, what are metamaterials? They are simply 3D objects that gain their properties from an ingenious internal structures. In other words, an object made of metamaterials may adopt different engineering properties compared…

Usually, when I’m talking to someone about vegetables, it’s about making a room size bed of leafy greens, methods for stitching carrot and snap pea riot gear or practical locations for beet juice dispensers. But you have to GROW your veggies first before doing any such interesting endeavors. Morgan Morey, a historied jeweller from the Isle…

At CES last week, I noticed something interesting at the T3D booth. If you recall from our previous stories, T3D is a 3D printing startup that produces a clever desktop 3D printer that re-uses your own smartphone as the printing engine. The T3D mobile desktop 3D printer uses a resin process to create solid objects. Photopolymer resin is…

So, you’re going to lunch with your boss again. You get out to your car when you say, “I wish there were a small chipmunk creature that stores my keys in its chest cavity and greets me with a friendly chirp and a key for any lock I arrive upon.” Your boss says, “You’re FIRED,”…

Measuring CUBES?! Yes. Measuring cubes because, really, who has times for measuring CUPS. This just beat out the carabiner and desk organizer for best 3D printed tool of 2017 (and lines up with our goal to stop printing crap). You know that drawer somewhere in the kitchen that needs dumped out every time you need a…

Since screaming on to the rapid prototyping scene in 2013, 3D Hubs has been relentless in making sure their message is heard. Billed as the “AirBnB of 3D Printing”, the company’s business model is based on experienced 3D printer technicians renting out their equipment to other users on a per-project-basis. Not surprisingly, the 3D Hubs…

Count this one under one of the coolest engineering class projects, ever. JetX, an aerospace student team founded by University of Glasgow President Chris Triantafyllou, is currently working with Rolls Royce (yes, THAT Rolls Royce) to make the world’s first COMPLETE 3D printed scale jet engine model. Aptly named the X-Plorer 1, the engine measures…

A 3D printer manufacturer has a new application target: foam! Foam, you ask? Everyone is familiar with foam, as it’s been around for decades. Foam has been traditionally produced with a chemical reaction process: resins are mixed that produce countless small bubbles. These bubbles become fixed when the resin solidifies shortly thereafter. Foam is incredibly…

As if printing your own desk toys and battle armor wasn’t enough, researchers up at the University of Washington have recently developed a method for transmitting data via Wi-Fi using 3D objects without the need for electricity. The objects in question use a series of 3D springs, switches, and gears to translate motion into data…

When 3D printing arrived, the public waited to see how it would change the world. While no major changes can be noted yet, as the cost of 3D printing drops and it slowly enters the mainstream market, businesses revolving around the technology are beginning to appear. By blurring the line between producers and consumers, and…

First mask I ever made was a paper plate with a piece of yarn to strap it to my head. Never mind that it was done last night – I just upgraded and am currently wearing a paper bag with eye holes burned out with a lighter someone threw at me last week. Anyway, it…

Something quite interesting was observed at the recent FormNext exhibition. This year’s FormNext was indeed the largest dedicated exhibition of 3D printing equipment, materials, and services ever held in human history, with 420 exhibitors and over 20,000 attendees. However, I noticed something very interesting when compared to the same show last year. This year there…