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In case you missed the basics about 3D printing, Check out this cool video by AsapSCIENCE

They Also mention about GE's 3D printed Gifts for christmas!

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Check out GE's 3D printing promotion for the holidays!

It still works! Place your order and print out your customized gifts!

Check out the website!

http://3dprintmygift.tumblr.com/

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3D printed cars and car parts

  3D printed cars it is not just something that manufacturers could be using in the future to produce vehicles, but it is a reality that can be used to print part or even the whole chassis of the car.  

  Jay Leno, the TV presenter and car collector, has over 100 cars and 30 motorcycles. He uses a scanner to scan the parts of his old cars and a 3D printer to instantaneously print the replacement parts he needs.  Imagine you damage your Ferrari engine, you could scan the engine part by part and re-create the entire motor without having to visit a garage.

In Leno´s words: “Some of these cars are sitting in garages around the country, and they haven't moved in years for lack of some unobtainable part. Now they can hit the road once more, thanks to this technology”.

In the process a NextEngine scanner ($2995) and Dimension uPrint Personal 3D printer is used to scan and print the part, it is not a cheap technology, but this technology used to cost 10 times more, and the price is expected to continue falling.

  Nowadays the price of this technology is one the main arguments against it because not many individuals can have a 3D printer in their house to print spare pieces of their cars.

Cody and Tyler Kor were designing a car (picture 1), but it was taking very long to produce the fiberglass molding they had originally planned to use for their prototype, so the team turned to an unlikely source for a solution: 3-D printing the car. More than 50 percent of the car is 3-D printed. Everything you typically see and touch on the car, as you drive the car, will be 3-D printed.

The business value proposition for 3D printed cars will be the cost saving that printing some of the parts of the cars will bring to the industry, it will cut production cost, the environmental impact of producing a car will be reduced, car prices will decrease making it more accessible for people. Furthermore, time efficiencies in production and repairs will also affect supply and demand for the car market.

In the future you will no longer need to go to the garage to fix your exhaust, brake disc, or steering wheel. You will be able to make your own repairs from your own house.

The hobby of bringing back to life some classic cars and to keep them up and running will be more accessible, because you will be able to print the part you need, it will be cheaper, and cars will be better preserve.

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NASA + 3D Printing = Becoming cool again? Or creative cost cutting?

This (meme's caption) might be true for several nations but not if you're from the States.

While Red Bull did indeed fund a daring program back in October of 2012, Nasa wasn't just a sitting duck. Recently NASA has faced a lot of criticism regarding their laid back attitude towards pushing the frontiers of science, engineering and innovation. Most of the blame has to be allocated to the highly 60's style bureaucratic and compartmentalized organizational structure of NASA's administration.

When Elon Musk's SpaceX agency tested and launched their "reusable launch vehicle," NASA was definitely seen wiping the dews of fear and insecurity off their forehead. I guess someone adjusted their navel-high pants and blurted out:

"All right boys, it's time for a change, what are our options?"

This was at least a step forward on NASA's behalf.

But what is NASA up to these days? The title already gave you guys a hint. Yes they have been busy with 3D printing. Take a look at this image:

Looks weirdly funky right?

That is a robot that prints out parts and tools needed for experimentation and observation in space. In this case, the bot is printing out a massive football field-sized antenna.

The biggest challenge engineers face while packing scientific instruments in launch vehicles is dealing with size and weight. Launching a vehicle is often risky and a very expensive proposition. Especially with fuel costs rising across the board these days, one can't be too careful with numbers regarding weight and optimized fuel consumption during launch.

It's an issue of logistics. So why not build all the stuff in space?

In August 2012, Tethers was awarded $100,000 in initial funding from NASA that went into research and development. The latest injection of capital will be doled out over the next two years. During that period, the company will also develop what it calls a "Trusselator" — a machine that will use similar technology to build the support structure for solar arrays in space. "Once we've demonstrated that it works, we will be well on our way towards creating football field-sized antennas and telescopes to help search for Earth-like exoplanets and evidence of extraterrestrial life," says Rob Hoyt, Tethers CEO and chief scientist.

source- Verge

(A spider like bot building a boom ridge with solar panel arrays used to intercept Electromagnetic Waves)

NASA has previously toyed around with the idea of 3d printing by funding other start-ups such as Made In Space, that have built stuff in space, but only within the shuttle or space station. The main task to accomplish here would be to manufacture all the equipment needed while in orbit and take our understanding of space to a new level by minimizing our operational costs!

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Giant. Nike. Trek. New Balance. Speedo. 

What do all of these companies have in common?

Well, for starters, they are all involved in the sports industry, creating and manufacturing equipment, clothes, and accessories for athletes, professional and otherwise. Recently, the 3D printing craze has caught the attention of these sporting goods tycoons, and they are taking full advantage of this new technology.

Trek bicycles created 3D printed bikes for athletes competing in the Summer 2012 Olympics, so that the bikes could stand up against tough terrain and perform better. Additionally, 3D printing is making it easier for bike manufacturers to play around with new mediums and see if they can create an even lighter bike. That is a big deal for cyclists, who shell out upwards of $3,000 for a carbon bike frame (the lightest on the market) today.

Giant bicycles is working on 3D printing bike seats, molding the seat to the individual cyclist's tush. Think about it, no more bibs with uncomfortable butt padding. No more shifting every 10 minutes to relieve the pressure or dancing on the pedals to give your backside a break. And most importantly, no more saddle sores!! Trust me, they are very real and very painful (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddle_sore). 3D printed bike seats will save the buns of many-a-rider, and possibly increase performance levels of the cyclists.

Giant bicycles is also developing custom made helmets, of course manufactured through 3D printing. Helmets are necessary for cyclists, as there are often more crashes than anything else exciting in a road race or criterium. The crashes usually happen in a spit-second, with little time to think about protecting your brain bucket, let alone the rest of your body. Just like fingerprints, everyone's head is different. Some are shaped like jars, others have bumps and irregularities, no two are the same (except maybe for identical twins). Giant has started scanning the cyclist's head and printing a perfectly-fitting helmet. Everything these days is about the individual, so why should 3D printing not take advantage of this growing phenomenon?

Nike has always been a forerunner in catching on to new trends and making them huge. They are also big on individuality, letting customers and athletes alike configure their perfect running shoe or hoodie. Now, Nike is beginning to use 3D printers for creating custom-fit shoes. Again, relying on a 3D scanning system to match the arches and hammertoes of athletes perfectly, Nike and New Balance are making the perfect shoe for you. 

Shoes, surfboards, helmets, hockey pucks, skis, fencing swords... the possibilities are endless with 3D printing technology!

Check out this Pinterest board with tons of different applications of 3D printing and sports. Click on each photo to view an article! 

http://www.pinterest.com/objet3dprinters/sports-3d-printing/

If you want to hear a more in-depth discussion of 3D printing and the sports industry, watch this video! The research was done through MIT-Sloan, how cool!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9o0-hcmc78#t=258

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"#fashion #design #jewelry #inspiration #3Dprint #3Dcreation #desigfor3D #3Dcreationsystems #3Dprinting #art #fashiondesign #inspire #create Azzahra was successful in what she set out to do, which was to “[change] the visual aspect of the [wayang] performance into a more fashionable and contemporary [one]” as a possible “solution to bringing [in a ] new audience.”" by @3dcreation http://ift.tt/1hd5wcN http://bit.ly/XMCdll

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Dinner is Printed

    We have previously seen the use of 3D printers in different industries such as fashion, medicine, and weaponry… Now what about the food industry?

  Printing food might seam surreal, but recent advances in 3D printing are driving the concept closer to reality.

  Recently, printing chocolate, cheese and cookies is possible. The process consists of using simple, processed, single-ingredient pastes, powders or purees. However no one is yet capable of manufacturing diverse food such as pizza. The main limitation is the mixing of different ingredients and structures, given varying temperature requirements and sterility needs.

      Researchers are trying to implement printers with toner-type cartridges that hold premixed food in the form of pulverized freeze dried foods and hydrate it as it is being extruded through nozzles to create a meal.

This will need ultra-high-pressure homogenizers, freeze-dryers, centrifuges, rotary evaporators and ultrasonic baths to determine how food reacts at the molecular level to cooking.

Interestingly, NASA is funding 125,000 grant for development of a 3D printer food for space. The main advantage they are interested in is the use of dehydrated ingredients instead of bulkier prepared foods. In addition, long-distance space travel requires food with 15-plus years of shelf life and the printer ingredients could last up to 30 years.

      Custom Nutrition

  One very useful aspect of food printing is to set your own diet depending on your body needs. Because you can directly control what you put into your food, you can also control the nutritional properties of the food.  In addition to protein, carbohydrates, and fats, one can also add custom amounts of vitamins and minerals into the mix.  

For example an athlete who needs a high protein and high carb diet only has to do specify to their printer the needed ratios, and the output fits their desired macronutrient ratio. 

Senior citizens, who need a low carb and high calcium diet, can get these specifications with the click of a button.

This will effectively cut down on obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

  Food Design

  With a variety of different printing methods, new shapes and textures can be created that could never have been made before.  Creating food into shapes will become a whole new specialized art, changing the experience of eating.

Special Dietary Needs

Those who are gluten intolerant will have easier access to a greater amount of food options by simply not adding any gluten on the printer. Vegetarians, vegans, and others as well will also benefit from food printing.  

    Even though the future food revolution seems promising some challenges might be found.

  There is so much information needed on how to make different types of foods from their building blocks.

For example, it sounds impossible to have a “fat cartridge” since there are hundreds of kinds of fats. Therefore the machine should have limited input such as three types of proteins, three types of carbs, etc.

  Researchers have suggested that 3D printing could make it possible to turn food-like starting material, such as algae, insects and grass, into edible meals. Will we be willing to eat food extracted from insects?

Click on this image below to view the Video 

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Print Your Kink!

Believe it or not, the Sex industry, a multibillion dollar industry, has been at the heart of promoting the use of some of the most important technological innovations in the world.

Remember Betamax or VHS? Initial sales, although at par with the manufacturer's expectations, were trumped by later figures when the sex industry decided to distribute porn films over tape. Then came DVD's and now online streaming.

We are not here to talk about porn. We are definitely here to talk about sex and it's endless joyous wonders. I remember when a friend of mine just blurted out her sexual frustration to me:

"He is not creative at all. I give him the tools but he's too naive to use any!"

Those "tools" or sex toys are what spice things up for many couples. It also provides an escape to orgasm-land for many unsatisfied partners.

Circling back to the use of innovative technology in the adult entertainment industry, how could 3D printing find it's place in this ever growing business?

The sex toy industry, continues to evolve every year with companies and designers trying to push out evermore innovative and kinky toys to meet the expectations and wishes of many individuals and couples. But there are certain inherent limitations to this business.

(The Apple of sex toys)

Sex toys are not usually customizable and customers are usually stuck with a static catalog of fixed designs offered by manufacturers. Not everyone prefers the same designs, nor does one design work for everyone, be it application or general aesthetics.

3D printing with it's infinite offerings on design customization comes to the rescue for such individuals seeking a unique look or feel.

Take the two sites for example

Dongiverse

MakerLove

These online businesses have capitalized on the idea of 3D printing and have targeted the sweet spot of either offering 3D designs (so that enthusiasts can print the toys themselves), or selling the printed toys themselves. This unique approach towards manufacturing sex toys not only brings down the cost significantly, but also opens up the possibility for customers to request their toys in any shape or design they desire, including their own personalized bierber-brator.

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Many Entrepreneurs such as Chelsea Downs Are pushing the limits of 3D printing and modeling further. Her target audience is sexually expressive and engaging couples. Her business theme is centered around intimacy and emotions thereby connecting couples and bringing them closer on a different level especially those who have been in long term relationships.

So what does she do?

She uses a complicated cool camera that captures three dimensional images of a partner's fun organ and uses it to create a 3D print design. This design can then be altered and configured (texture, composite material, color etc.) and then fed into the 3D printer and out comes the following result:

Looks weird right? Yes indeed, because these are not novelty size sex toys, this is reality, it is a physical  3D rendering of most men's junk. The whole point of this is to gift your partner, something intimate, something she will "carry with her" and something that will remind her of you.

Still creeped out or doubting the validity of this business model? Well, it works, there are couples into this kind of stuff and it seems to be working for them.

For entrepreneurs who want to play it safe and large, 3D printing elements like software, design and hardware will play a very crucial role in the development of this industry.

Commercial 3D printing is still in its infancy and the sex toy business is maturing. The race has begun and there are plenty of fresh ideas out there that can be exploited to bring the two domains in a productive and profitable state of equilibrium.

If you're still interested in learning more abut the 3D printing sex toys business, be it casual reading or conjuring up ideas for gifting her something unique for any occasion, check out the websites listed above (Dongiverse and MakerLove) and the following Links as well

Will Sex Toys Promote 3D Printing?

The 3D-Printed Sex Toys Industry Is "Growing Bigger"

It is a new concept and will take some time to sink in with people not so familiar with the tech landscape.

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The dark side of 3D printing

The dark side of 3D Printing

We have seen some really awesome applications of 3D-printing in the areas of consumer products, medicine and arts. However, there is also an application of 3D-printing out there, which could make the world a messier place. The issue I am talking about is the free distribution of 3D-printed weapons.

The blueprint for the first fully functional 3D printed gun, called the liberator, was downloaded 100,000 times in just two days. The liberator has been developed by students of the University of Texas through their non-profit company called “Defence Distributed”, and the blueprints were available for free download until the US State Department demanded to take down the files two days after their release.

So, what does this mean? Guns like the liberator are accessible to everyone with an internet connection and a 3D printer around (which are getting significantly cheaper by the year). Therefore, they are very cheap, untraceable, can both be made overnight and easily destroyed, and cannot be detected by metal detectors. So children, mentally ill and felons could easily set up their own weapons factory in their garage without permits or background checks. Scary stuff, right? It helps a little though to know that regulators around the world are working on preventing the distribution of such blueprints (probably the NSA is on the task already..).

3D printing makes pretty much any physical object more accessible to us; the good, the bad and the ugly. Obviously, most of the 3D printed items create value of some sort and improve our lives, but we shouldn’t forget that most new technology will also have their dark sides that need to be dealt with.

If you want to read more about this topic and see a video of the 3D-printed gun in action, check out the following links:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22421185

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/05/05/meet-the-liberator-test-firing-the-worlds-first-fully-3d-printed-gun/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/05/08/3d-printed-guns-blueprints-downloaded-100000-times-in-two-days-with-some-help-from-kim-dotcom/.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/3d-printer-guns-to-be-studied-by-federal-officials-1.2129408

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22464360

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Exclusive interview with world renowned artist Joshua Harker

Joshua Harker is a world famous American artist. He is widely considered to be the eminent artist when it comes to 3D printing technology as a medium for art.  His creations have been received with critical acclaim and have been featured in TIME Magazine, WIRED magazine, The Wall Street Journal, TED Talks, Los Angeles Times, The Economist, MSNBC, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, Forbes, 3D Artist Magazine, PC World, National Geographic, Mashable, Cool Hunting, Archaeology Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Core77, Popular Science, and countless others. He is up for the "artist of the year" award at the 2013 3D PRINTSHOW in London, one of the most anticipated tech events of the year.

Q)    What motivated you to become a 3D printing artist?

A)     I wouldn’t call myself a 3D printing artist.  I’m an artist 1st & the medium is secondary.  It’s just a new set of resources & tools.  However, my particular sculptural vision cannot be realized with any other medium so I’m fairly committed to it.  That’s ultimately what brought me to 3d printing, finding a way to make the unmakeable.

 Q)    What materials do you use for your 3D printer?

A)     Currently using polyamide via SLS (selective laser sintering) mostly.  I've also done a fair amount with Voxeljet, printing patterns for lost was bronze casting.

 Q)    What is the most complex piece you have ever made?

A)     My tangles series are indicative of the complexity I work in.  I recently completed a tangle piece that is nearly 3 feet square.  Besides the intricacy of the tangle features it also has multiple chains strung throughout.  The entire thing is built as a single piece.  Also just designed & built a kinetic piece that is comprised of nearly 2000 hand assembled 3d printed parts. 

 Q)    What short-term challenges are you facing now? What about long-term?

A)      Short-term challenge is just keeping up with the volume of interest & trying to remain productive with all the distractions.  Long-term I would imagine to be similar but I also expect there to be an adjustments in the level of hype over the medium.

 Q)    What do you think 3D printing will be used for in the future?

A)      It will move more firmly into the manufacturing sector from the design realm that it’s in now. I expect further developments in medicine & weaponization as well.  It will be adopted by an increasing number of industries as well (fashion, construction, food, pharmaceuticals, etc) 

 Q)    Do you foresee any governmental intervention with regards to 3D printing?

A)     I’m sure they’d like to but I’m not quite sure how other than through intimidation & propaganda similar to what’s happened with piracy in software, music, & movies.  There will definitely need to be some revision to patent, copyright & trademark laws as well as how to handle taxes, customs, VAT, etc.  As objects become increasingly digital & more people have the capacity to convert them into physical things, the dotted lines that separate our countries will begin to diminish.  We certainly need to adapt to an economy that supports this. 

If you would like to learn more about Joshua Harker you can access his website at http://www.joshharker.com/

STAY TUNED FOR NEXT WEEK WHEN WE WILL EXPLORE THE LINK BETWEEN 3D PRINTING AND WEAPONS!

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3D printing in Start Ups:

How many times have you pictured something in your head but could never find it online or in the store? Or how many times have you found something you like, but it was missing something, or the color you desired was different, or wanted to add something else to it?

Well these are the same questions businesses are asking themselves these days. It is not about having the best or latest product only, it's about customization. Every person is different and has unique needs.  

The arrival of affordable 3D printers has changed the consumer products business model for the companies. This fantastic technology allows you to minimize production costs. This means that you neither need workers nor huge machines or big factories to create a product. Owning a 3D printer is like having a factory in your living room.

This new production technology way allows start-ups to reduce their costs and at the same time personalize the products to the needs of the costumers and "print" them in a matter of a few hours. Remember that in order to print something in 3D we first have to introduce the designs into the printer.

Some companies like “Shapeways” are taking advantage of this feature (the online designs) and have come up with an ingenious way of approaching the costumer.

Shapeways actually have their designs on their website and customers can modify, add or eliminate any feature they want with great ease. This way you can print the design for an iPhone case. You can modify the size, the color, the digital print and even engraving. 

Try and be a little extra creative. Take that extra effort and make that some special happy. Take Howard's example from 'The Big Bang Theory'. Print a little scale model of yourself for your wife ;)

There are endless possibilities with a 3D printer. We are living in an age where you can "print" your ideas and imagination. Many people are looking for venturing into the 3D printing universe looking for opportunities since it is not only profitable, but also fun.

We believe this is the way future products are going to be made, Skimming down the production chain gives the fascinating possibility of merging marketing, finances and production departments all together in order to create exciting and innovative products.

If you want more information about how 3D printing can help and improve your business, please check out our video!

In our next week new exiting post we will talk about 3D printed GUNS & WEAPONS!

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One of the worst days of my life was when Chris, my boyfriend's father, was diagnosed with Wegener's granulomatosis.  We had been dating for 6 months, and little did I know, over the next 5 years we would still be waiting for an answer. An incredibly rare and debilitating disease, Wegener's caused an enormous disruption in the family's life. The dialysis treatments, thousands of dollars in prescription medications, inability to work full-time, constant fatigue, and waiting for a new kidney put an unbelievable amount of stress and sadness on everyone involved. Chris and my boyfriend are cyclists, it is in their blood and any amount of time off the bike is akin to a mother being separated from her baby. With this diagnosis, Chris wasn't able to ride anymore, and the emotional toll on him and my boyfriend was hard to witness. After years of waiting on the transplant list, a friend from church offered to get tested, and thankfully, was a match.  Chris received his new kidney in January of 2012, and immediately began the recovery process. Almost two years later, I look back at this memory and just think, why aren't their more options for those in need of organ transplants?

Unfortunately in 2007 we didn't have any technology available to cut out the waiting game that Chris' and countless others across the globe suffer through.  Now, there's a definite chance that in the next couple of years, we will see a new biotechnology become commonplace in the medical industry.

Bioprinting. This is probably my favorite application of 3D printing, because I just think of all the potential happiness that is could cause.  

Bioprinting is basically the printing of biological material (with human cells) for many uses: prosthetics, replacement organs, skin tissue, veins, etc. The company Organovo is leading the way in bioprinting research, and estimates that the delivery of actual bioprinted material to surgeons is still years away.  

Some recent applications of bioprinting show promise though for helping those in need of facial reconstruction (see top photo). Doctors used 3D printing to create a fleshy prosthetic 3D face.  Watch the video below for the awesome story and some pretty interesting animation...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SWw_qM6_8I

The science and technology fusion that is bioprinting will radically affect the medical industry, and we cannot wait to see who else will benefit from this application.

For further reading, check out these pages:

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-07/how-3-d-printing-body-parts-will-revolutionize-medicine

http://www.organovo.com/science-technology/bioprinting-process

http://www.ibtimes.com/3d-printing-11-fascinating-frightening-ways-3d-bioprinting-next-big-thing-medicine-science-photos

Stay tuned for next week, when we will be discussing 3D printing in the fashion industry!

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Imagine being able to design and manufacture a lot of your personal possessions. No running to Target at 11:30pm for a new toothbrush, or schlepping to IKEA to buy furniture that every one of your friends already owns.  How?

  The answer is simple. 3D Printing.

  So what is this amazing new technology that transforms an everyday Joe into an artist?

  3D printing, known as additive manufacturing to techy folks, is the process by which you can ‘print’ a solid object. A 3D printer lays down successive layers of material (plastic, glass, ceramic, etc.) to create an object that you personally design on any modeling software.

  You still have that great idea for a phone cover? Don’t wait, just print it.  Don’t have a jacket to wear tonight? Print it. Want to design a special pair of earrings for your girlfriend’s birthday? Print them.  Like the idea of starting your own business? Print your ideas and start making money right away.

  Back to IKEA, the mecca for cheap and fashionable furniture.  Let’s say your apartment has awful overhead lighting, and you need to invest in a lamp. The lamps you see at IKEA have been transformed from various raw materials (metal, glass, etc.) and has been cut, polished, milled or even sawed.  A lot of work goes into making this $29.95 lamp, and you can’t even buy it in purple to match the drapes. 

  The traditional production process described above is also known as subtractive manufacturing, and it is the cornerstone of modern-day manufacturing.

Fast forward now to 3D printing. Instead of transforming a large amount of resources (hello waste?!) into a finished product, you now create a lamp that yes, is purple, and also is the right size and shape to fit perfectly into your space.  Subtract the drive to IKEA, the home-assembly, and the general waster of time.  Add the fact that you can do all of this while sitting on the couch drinking a beer.  Sounds pretty awesome, right?

  Stay tuned for next week, when we will explore 3D printing in the field of medicine!