Hasta La Gadget!

A $2,300 3D printer isn’t really anything special anymore. We’ve seen them as cheap as $350 in fact. But all those affordable units are of the extrusion variety — meaning they lay out molten plastic in layers. The FORM 1 opts for a method called stereolithography that blasts liquid plastic with a laser, causing the resin to cure. This is one of the most accurate methods of additive manufacturing, but also one of the most expensive thanks to the need for high-end optics, with units typically costing tens-of-thousands of dollars. A group of recent grads from the MIT Media Lab have managed to replicate the process for a fraction of the cost and founded a company called Formlabs to deliver their innovations to the public. Like many other startups, the group turned to Kickstarter to get off the ground and easily passed its $100,000 within its first day. As of this writing over $250,000 had been pledged and the first 25 printers have already been claimed.

The FORM 1 is capable of creating objects with layers as thin as 25 microns — that’s 75 percent thinner than even the new Replicator 2. The company didn’t scrimp on design and polish to meet its affordability goals either. The base is a stylish brushed metal with the small build platform protected by an orange plastic shell. There’s even a companion software tool for simple model creation. You can still get one, though the price of entry is now $2,500, at the Kickstarter page. Or you can simply get a sneak peek in the gallery and video below.

Continue reading FORM 1 delivers high-end 3D printing for an affordable price, meets Kickstarter goal in 1 day

Filed under: Misc

FORM 1 delivers high-end 3D printing for an affordable price, meets Kickstarter goal in 1 day originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 18:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Kickstarter  | Email this | Comments

In the realm of awesome computer peripherals, I think the new MakerBot Replicator 2 desktop 3D printer is probably the most epic of all. After all, it’s a peripheral for your computer that you can actually use to make 3D objects you can hold in your hands. It’s like an action figure creation station.

The MakerBot Replicator 2 features a 100-micron layer resolution – about as thin as a sheet of paper. That means it’s able to produce true-to-life replicas, without those ridges you’re accustomed to seeing on cheap desktop 3D printers. Plus, you can build large objects of up to 410 cubic inches in volume, so you can print something measuring 11.2-inches by 6.0-inches by 6.1-inches.

The 3D printer is optimized to use MakerBot PLA Element, which is a renewable bio plastic, available in numerous colors. That material is popular for 3-D printing thanks to its strength and its ability to make large objects without cracking or warping.

The device also comes with new and updated software to make printing easier and faster, and it works with Windows, Linux or Mac OS X. The biggest downside to the Replicator 2 is the cost, at $2199(USD) it’s not exactly something we can all have at home.

After the news-filled event MakerBot held, just down the street from the Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, we found a fleet of cars ready to ferry us back to Manhattan. The cars weren’t there to return the press to their various offices, instead they shuttled us en-masse to the brand new MakerBot Store that opened today in NOHO. The small shop sits on Mulberry St., just half a block north of Houston — number 298 to be specific. Out front is a small discreet sign that reads “MakerBot.” What will really draw people inside is the six-foot tall 3D-printed track that guides giant ball bearings through a maze of curves and spirals in the window. Step inside and the sculpture becomes interactive. You spin a large wheel (also printed) and a magnet slowly moves the orbs up the wall before depositing them at the starting point and sending them hurtling through the multi-track course (video after the break). Almost everything in the shop, down to the posts and locks on the display cases, is also printed out on the company’s flagship product, the Replicator 2. In addition to buying the printers and compatible spools of plastic, you can also pick up trinkets created with them, such as the MixTape. If you want a less expensive example of the Replicator’s wares, there’s a gumball-style vending machine that dispenses toys when you insert a $5 token and give the knob a satisfying twist. For more, check out the gallery below.

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

Continue reading MakerBot Store tour (video)

Filed under: Misc

MakerBot Store tour (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 17:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

It is probably safe to assume that there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of designs out there to choose from when it comes to iPhone cases. However there is also a good chance that the case you choose could be one that someone else is using. While some users don’t care, others might especially given the apparent fashion faux pas of showing up at the same venue wearing identical clothing. In any case if you wanted a unique iPhone case, the folks at Polychemy might have something for you.

If the name Polychemy is one that isn’t familiar to you, they are an online designer boutique from Singapore that specializes in 3D technology. What they do is that they print 3D cases for the iPhone and Blackberry device using a 3D printer, and this allows for cases with a unique look and intricate designs to be created. If you’d like to learn more about their cases or perhaps order one for yourself, pop on over to their website to check out their designs.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: PopFab is a 3D printer in a briefcase, 3D printed assault rifle – is it time to be afraid?,

If you’re a member of that mildly crazy tribe who want to build and actually fly their own airplane, MakerPlane has a new way of enabling your obsession. The open source aviation organization will allow you to download its plans and schematics for free, then build your plane’s parts using CNC (computer numerically controlled) mills and 3D printers. If you don’t have one of those lying around, you’ll be able to go to a “makerspace” replete with all the necessary tools to get your wings whipped up, instead. As for keeping the blue side up, open source avionics software will also be included, allowing bold dabblers to create digital flight instruments and displays. For now, the group is working on its first set of plans, led by an aeronautical engineer volunteer, and hopes to have that design (shown above) flying in time for the Oshkosh airshow in 2014. While you’re waiting, start looking for trusting souls brave enough to fly in a small plane you built yourself.

Filed under: Transportation

MakerPlane lets you build an experimental aircraft with digital printers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink BoingBoing  |  MakerPlane  | Email this | Comments