What is it Like at a 3D Printed Fashion Show?

Many of you may have never attended a proper fashion show and we thought it might be interesting to give you a little bit of the flavor of such an event with video from the London 2013 3D Printed Fashion Show. 

 

 

First we have a video of one model showing "Half Entity" by Steven Ascensao. The music and movement was typical of the event, which included numerous designs shown by multiple professional models. 

 

 

You couldn't attend the event, so we took a number of still images which we've tied together into a video of the entire show - in 24 seconds. 

The Strength of 3D Printed Nylon

One material not often used by personal 3D printers is Nylon. It's a well-known plastic that can be 3D printed by commercial 3D printers and some personal devices, too. What makes nylon so interesting? It's the strength of the material. Nylon can take quite a bit of stress before breaking. 

 

In a fascinating video by Shapeways creator Magic2002 Nylon material is tested to the breaking point. Magic2002 markets a RC car frame on Shapeways and it's critical to determine whether the frame is able to withstand the stresses of actual RC use. 

 

The test showed that the breaking point of the model was likely far above anything a driver would reasonably experience. Shapeways points out that such testing is essential for anyone attempting to market stress-attracting objects. They'd better not break! 

 

https://www.shapeways.com/model/835641/wild-willy-chassis-for-losi-mrc.html

 

Via Shapeways

An Interview with Shapeways Bart Veldhuizen

Andrew Mazotta of 3D Hacker posted a video interview with Shapeways' Bart Veldhuizen, recorded at Shapeways' European headquarters in Eindhoven. 

 

In the interview Mazotta goes through the basics, starting by examining the history of Shapeways. Veldhuizen, European Community Manager for Shapeways, has been with the company for five years and has witnessed the tremendous growth of Shapeways. 

 

Today Shapeways' operations span the globe, having production centers on both sides of the Atlantic. Veldhuizen explains that the company has been doubling every six months since it opened in 2007. 

 

That USD$30M investment round makes sense, doesn't it? 

 

Via YouTube (Hat tip to Malcolm)

3D Printing The Enterprise

There's more 3D printed Star Trek with a view of this video by PC Magazine, who took on the task of 3D printing the Starship Enterprise on their 3D Systems Cube personal 3D printer. 

 

It's a time lapse video, obviously, as 3D printers simply are not fast. This shows one of the main challenges that consumer 3D printing must overcome: wait time. It can take many hours to print anything substantial, particularly if printing in a higher resolution. For now, early adopters will accept such delays, but a larger mass of consumers won't.  

 

Which company will invent a speedier way of 3D printing? 

 

Via PCMAG

Stratasys's Finishing Secrets

Stratasys has released a video detailing some of their secret (well, maybe not so secret) finishing processes. The video shows various tumbling media machines that operate similar to rock polishing tumblers - an object is tossed around within a bath of rough media. Gradually the objects become smooth after a relatively short period in the tumbler. 

 

What's interesting for home 3D printer operators is the explanation of the different types of tumbling media used at Stratasys. Through extensive experimentation Stratasys has determined the best type of media for different 3D printed plastics. 

 

This approach could easily be replicated by hobbyists using much smaller tumblers, if similar tumbling media could be obtained. We took a quick look and found sources for said media, but the minimum order was 800 pounds. Anyone need any? 

 

Via YouTube

New Stratasys Video

The new Stratasys, formed by the merging of the original Stratasys and Objet continues to blend their brands into a cohesive slate of products. They've released a video illustrating their several product lines complete with startling examples of the possibilities, like the 3D printed car and others. 

 

This is a very slick presentation, which seems to be a new approach for Stratasys. Perhaps their new management team is taking them in new directions? 

 

Via Stratasys

Point. Click. Gun.

A fascinating video detailing Cody Wilson's Defense Distributed initiative has been published by Motherboard: "Point. Click. Gun."

 

In the 24 minute video Wilson takes you on a tour of his operations and deep into his philosophy on gun making. You'll see his own workshop containing the very Objet Connex 3D printer used to print prototypes of the lower receiver and extended capacity magazines - the same workshop identified in his federal firearms license. You'll meet his partner, Benjamin Denio, who with Wilson, came up with the idea of open sourcing printable 3D gun models. 

 

Wilson prefers to print gun parts in clear plastic so he can see likes clear to see everything inside - a sensible approach as his team is still refining the design. He says there are still issues with recoil forces, but says, "I think we can fix that."

 

Regarding a visit from Canada's Global News that we featured earlier, he says: "They're so terrified of it." 

 

Thingiverse unilaterally banned weapons from it's vast repository of 3D models, but Wilson says that "is an act of censorship". It was this event that caused their team to launch DEFCAD.org, a site dedicated to uncensored publication of controversial 3D models. 

 

Wilson says only 2-3 people are on his team in Austin Texas, but there are four people working in SolidWorks to design high-capacity magazines models. 

 

Among the many striking quotes provided by Wilson is this one, which closes the video:

 

I think the real utopia is the idea that we can go back to the 1990's and everything will be perfect forever. All we're saying is, no,  you can't. Now there's the Internet.

 

To some he's the ultimate 21st century villain. To others, he's a hero. Regardless, he's poking very hard at a spot now sensitive due to 3D printing technology. 

 

Via Motherboard

Global TV Features 3D Printing

Chief Correspondent Carolyn Jarvis of Canada's Global TV presented a very comprehensive look at today's state of 3D printing on their current affairs show, "16x9". We bring this to your attention as this is perhaps the most mature examination of the technology we've recently seen by the media, which recently has tended towards the spectacular, outrageous and outright incorrectness. Not so in this video. 

 

In the 13 minute video, Jarvis not only explains how the technology works, but visits several key figures in today's 3D printing industry. 

 

Dr. Anthony Atala of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Technology explains the current state of bio-printing, with a focus on printing human organs. 

 

Cornell's Dr. Hod Lipson explains some of the more unusual uses of 3D printing that have developed since the advent of industrial prototypes some twenty years ago. 

 

Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot, explains the process of public education his company has undertaken by opening a retail store in New York City for the public to view 3D printers and 3D printed objects. 

 

Cody Wilson, spokesman for Defense Distributed, and also named one of the most dangerous people in 3D printing, explains his view on 3D printed weaponry. Wilson also demonstrates printing the critical lower receiver piece of the AR-15 rifle and even fires it on camera. It lasts for eleven rounds before failing. 

 

The video also includes clips of many amazing 3D printed feats, such as the Urbee 3D printed car, chocolate printing and printing unborn children. 

 

Via GlobalNews

Incredible 3D Fashion Video

There's an increasing interest in 3D printed fashions, perhaps because of the novelty of 3D printing, but we suspect also because you're able to create fashions that could otherwise not be manufactured. As wonderful as such fashion may be, it has been difficult for the public to understand it as 3D printed fashion shows are few and often behind the admission-only confines of manufacturing conventions.   

 

this$h!+was3dprinted from n9 on Vimeo.

But now the folks at n9 Productions have produced a terrific video exhibiting several notable 3D printed fashions. "this$h!+was3dprinted" is only 90 seconds long, but it portrays the fashions in the exciting manner they deserve. 

 

It seems that a casual visit to the 3DEA popup exhibit in New York City provoked the idea of producing this video. n9 gathered up friends, artists and models and produced the piece in short order. Works by 3D print designers Aaron Trocola, Heidi Lee, Mary Huang, Pauline van Dongen, and Dirk van der Kooij are all featured. 

 

Note to 3D print companies: if you wish to feature 3D printed fashions, we recommend you give n9 a call. 

 

Via n9

Inside Shapeways

Forbes' Andy Greenberg was able to get inside Shapeways' New York City production facility to interview Duann Scott. In the video, Scott explains to the layman the process used by Shapeways, which is different from the typical plastic extrusion used by personal 3D printers: powder sintering. 

 

Scott explains that Shapeways includes a wide variety of 3D printers capable of producing objects in many different materials. Scott explains that Shapeways is able to manufacture in the USA because the location of the machine doesn't matter much for a 3D print service; objects are printed and shipped to the designer, where ever they may be. 

 

For many Shapeways clients, the service is like a "black box": you press a button and stuff shows up at your door. But what happens inside the box? The Forbes video (at the link below) shows a brief glimpse of the machines and persons behind Shapeways. 

  

Via Forbes

BBC Newsnight Examines 3D Printing

This video from the BBC provides an introduction to 3D printing, including the process of being scanned and 3D printed. The video also considers the challenges that will inevitably arise when 3D printing becomes common, including object piracy and the transformation of manufacturing. There's even a quick interview with designer Sir James Dyson, but the highlight for us was presenter Jeremy Paxman's sequence at the end where he seems to know absolutely nothing about 3D printing. Enjoy!

 

Via YouTube

Objet's Flexy Materials

An interesting video from Objet shows off many of their latest materials. While many Fabbaloo readers have 3D printers capable of printing in hard plastic, the items in this video demonstrate what can be achieved when you are able to print in flexible material. 

 

Oh, did we say that Objet has an almost perfectly clear material, too? You'll see that in the video. 

 

Someday such materials may be available to personal 3D printer owners, but for now you'll have to use Objet's technology. 

 

Via Objet

Form 1 Spotted!

The folks at Engadget spotted the elusive Form 1 resin-based personal 3D printer in the wild at London's 3D Printshow and managed to capture a short video of it in action. 

 

In the video you can see the machine's laser fusing each layer of an exquisite 3D print, slowly emerging from the photo-curable resin. There's also a brief tour and explanation around the finishing process for Form 1 prints: you must first bath the object in isopropyl alcohol, and then rinse that off in a second bath of water before your print is considered complete. 

 

Via Engadget

Microscopic Metal 3D Printing

 

Scientists have invented a way to form 3D metallic objects at nanoscale. While it's not 3D printing, per se, it is quite interesting. 

 

The approach was to mimic traditional methods of forming metal: bending, shearing, etc. They've found a way to deform portions of a microscopic metal object in a controlled manner. Using this approach (which you can observe happening in the video above) metal strips accurately bend according to plan. 

 

The resulting metal objects not only retain their shape but are also sufficiently robust for use in micro machines. By combining this technique with nanoscale 3D printing, we'd soon have the ability to make many kinds of invisible machines. 

 

Via Kurzweil

Slic3r Author Interviewed

RepRap's Josef Prusa recently interviewed Slic3r author Alessandro Ranellucci in Prague.

 

Ranellucci initially used Skeinforge to prepare his 3D models for printing, as did most small scale 3D printers of the day. Like everyone else, Ranellucci was baffled by the monstrously complex parameterization of Skeinforge when trying to print small architectural models on a ShaperCube. He says: 

 

Even if the kit was very good, I had to learn a lot before I got good prints. Of course, my first problems were with the software tool chain: Everybody knows Skeinforge, which is a very complicated piece of software and I got my first print with a totally random combination of settings. So I just froze them and just decided 'I Won't Change Them Ever Again'.

 

Ongoing Skeinforge difficulties motivated Ranellucci to develop Slic3r, which now seems to be the most popular software used for preparing 3D models to print on RepRap machines. Ranellucci indicates he's had approximately 25,000 downloads of the binary version of Slic3r for each release. That's a lot of RepRaps!

 

View the whole 20 minute interview at the link below. 

 

Via RepRap