Much has been made of the relative ease of 3D printing. For ~$2,000 and some lightweight software, one can dive headfirst into the world of printing iPhone covers, Star Trek figures and a massive bust of your grandmother. But this assumes a lot, particularly the belief that 3D printing provides utility, not just “wow” factor. For now, most consumers view it as just that, printing novelty items that satiate their thirst for personalization but are more of a one-off than an embedded behavior. All of this points to 3D printing shops, either as add-on services in the case of UPS or Staples or as standalone specialty shops like the one Oakland shop featured in Make.
Tag: 3D Printing
Occipital’s New Sensor Turns iPads Into 3D Scanners
3D Printing is a technology that promises to revolutionize the way manufacturing and personal purchasing habits function, and Occipital is taking the technology a step further with its new hardware piece: the Structure. It’s a portable 3D sensor that straps to the back of an iPad that will utilize a PrimeSense Carmine sensor to quickly capture visual information and send it off to be printed. It’s powered by the device itself, so it does eat into some battery life, but by the same token it’s a small, sleek-looking device that quickly, accurately, and effectively captures the information set out before it. Occipital wants to turn it into the go-to platform for real-life 3D scanning and printing, and if early indicators are anything to go by, they might have just succeeded.
FABtotum Is The Next Gen 3D Printer/Scanner/Mill
FABtotum is breaking the mold when it comes to 3D printing. By incorporating a milling head, the device supports both additive and subtractive manufacturing, and can be used for far more than the average home or office 3D printer. The device also supports third-party tool attachments, allowing expandable capability. Possibly the greatest addition to the FABtotum is its built-in 3D scanner which uses laser scanning and Z probing to create scans with a precision down to 0.47 microns. The project is currently raising funds on IndieGoGo, but with a final expected retail price of $1,099, it can be expected to be a hot commodity for those who have been waiting to pull the trigger on a Makerbot or similar 3D printer. The device’s expandable capability set and scanning functions only serve to make it an even more valuable asset.
UPS Now Offers 3D Printing
If you work for a startup, own a small business, or an entrepreneur, the UPS store will now offer you 3D printing on site. UPS is offering the service for companies that want to quickly and cheaply roll out models and prototypes of devices they want to produce. The store is testing the uPrint SE Plus, which according to the manufacturer is better equipped to handle detailed, industrial-type projects than the Makerbot – albeit at ten times the cost. Staples attempted to capitalize on 3D printing last fall, but the offerings are only available online in select locations. For the time being, UPS’s service is rolling out in San Diego, with the intent to reach across the nation.TA
Stratasys Acquires MakerBot
Stratasys announced that it has acquired MakerBot in a deal that is reportedly worth $403 million, based on the current share value of Stratasys. This brings together a 3D printing leader and an emerging competitor in desktop 3D printing, and should drive adoption of the medium across the board. It also signals an immediate 3D printing juggernaut that could dominate the industry for years to come, before it has even truly taken off. MakerBot will continue to operate as separate from Stratasys as part of the deal, but it will be a subsidiary of Stratasys and will serve the consumer and desktop market while Stratasys continues to focus on its industrial placements.
3D Printing And Advertising
If you think 3D printing is far from mainstream, you may want to check out a number of companies from Cubify to Makerbot who are making affordable hardware and plug-in-play modeling programs that accelerate adoption. This growth stands to shape the ad space as well as brands will enable physical creations from reskinning Star Trek characters to printing branded phone covers. But as Fast Company points out, this will force advertisers to re-evaluate their output as 3D printed objects are a bit more…tangible. Done correctly however, it could create as great an impact as the rise of user-generated content, perhaps greater.
3D Printed Gun Sparks Debate
This week’s 3D printing headlines illustrate that the revolutionary technology can be both a blessing and a curse. The world’s first fully 3D-printed gun “The Liberator” was successfully test-fired, setting off alarm bells with congressman like Steve Israel who vowed to ban such firearms. Just days later Makerbot posted a video of 3D printed hands being built for kids with missing appendages. It’s Wild Wild West days for the technology, but with endless possibilities looming there’s also likely likely to be new legislation, copyright issues, and serious public debate. Hold on to your hats.
Staples Now Sells 3D Printers
In a true sign of the times, 3D printing is now more than ever rapidly becoming a regular consumer product. The office product supply chain announced today that it will begin selling 3D printers through its website, and that the printers will hit stores by the end of next month. Staples also claims that it is the first major U.S. retailer to sell the product. Potential consumers will be able to purchase the Cube 3D Printer from 3D Systems for $1,299. It comes with built-in WiFi and more than two dozen 3D design templates, with infinitely more available for download online, of course. Staples will also sell plastic cartridge refills. Though this means that 3D printers might lose some of their ‘cool factor,’ it heralds their continued acceptance as a genuine consumer product in the marketplace that the average person might purchase. The day when everybody will have a 3D printer in their homes is rapidly arriving.
MakerBot Keynote Opens SXSW
MakerBot got things started in Austin, delivering a keynote from CEO Bre Pettis. With 3D printing on the rise, it’s not surprising MakerBot was the one to kick things off at this year’s SXSW festival. During the keynote, Pettis reiterated the dramatic changes in terms of access as printer prices have dropped from $100,000 to around $2,000. Also interesting is the release of MakerBot Digitizer, the latest printer that can complete high quality scans in a matter of minutes. The user won’t need any experience with the software to use the scanner, and MakerBot hopes to see it in schools, businesses, and the home alike. All of these developments bring 3D printing into the consumer space, allowing people print just about anything from spare car parts to Happy Meal toys
Stay tuned throughout the 14th for live coverage from SXSW including original interviews from some of the most compelling tech and media companies from this year’s festival.
3D Printing For Valentines Day?
Looking for a last minute tech minded valentine’s day gift? By the looks of the crowd at the 3D Printing pop up shop down the block, the store is making a killing today in their adult section which has already gotten significant press in recent months. Just head into the booth and 3D scan anything your significant other might want to have memorialized in plastic form. Conversely, if you’re looking to have your significant other to break up with you this could also be the perfect gift.
