Boy Receives 3D Printed Prosthetic Hand

Bless our hearts with this heart warming story – Mason Wilde, who has always had a passion when it comes to seeing how things work, is only 16 years old, but he has put his skills to good use by making use of the Johnson County Library’s 3D printer in order to craft out a prosthetic hand for 9-year-old Matthew. Matthew was born with just a thumb on his right hand, and the 16-year-old Louisburg High School junior churned out this 3D printed prosthetic hand two months ago in order to help change the life of his family friend’s 9-year-old son. Wilde’s creation of this 3D printed prosthetic hand is capable of opening and closing, not to mention hold a pencil. Isn’t that neat?

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  • Boy Receives 3D Printed Prosthetic Hand original content from Ubergizmo.

        



    Mark One 3D Printer Can Print with Carbon Fiber: Pencil 2.0

    We know that 3D printers can print objects out of plastic, food, animal tissue and metal. Now a company called Mark Forged claims that its upcoming Mark One 3D printer can print using carbon fiber, the wonder material known for its high strength-to-weight ratio and cool looks. Something tells me this printer will hit a high money-to-ink ratio as well.

    mark one carbon fiber 3d printer by mark forged 620x352magnify

    The Mark One can print objects with carbon fiber at up to 200 microns thick. It can also print using PLA, fiberglass and nylon at up to 100 microns, so you can make objects mainly out of those cheaper materials then reinforce or decorate them a bit with carbon fiber. You can check out the printer’s other specifications on Mark Forged’s website.

    The Mark One will be available this March for $5,000 (USD). Some of Gizmag’s commenters have two major criticisms about the Mark One though. First is that you can already buy carbon fiber-reinforced PLA filament. Which means you can start printing carbon fiber objects now and with your existing 3D printer.

    The second criticism is that although carbon fiber is strong in itself, in high-end applications the material is molded – i.e. the fibers are aligned and woven – in ways that maximize certain properties, one of which is strength. In other words, a 3D printed carbon fiber object may not turn out to be as strong or durable as other carbon fiber products.

    For my part, I’m worried that future customers will be able to buy the Mark One’s carbon fiber filament only from Mark Forged. And also that folks are more excited about this than the one that prints pizza. Folks. THIS ONE PRINTS PIZZA. Why is that not receiving funding from all living organisms in the universe?

    [via Gizmag]

    Your Unborn Baby, Immortalized in a 3D Printed Figure

    Technology has made it easier for prospective parents to see what their child looks like, even before he or she is born. There’s ultrasound (to get a rough outline), 3D imaging, and even 4D ultrasound so you can clearly see your unborn baby’s face and physical features in real time.

    Now there are 3D printed figures of your unborn baby.

    3D Fetus 620x621A company called 3D Babies is offering parents-to-be a chance to see and touch a replica of their unborn child by using data from 3D and 4D ultrasounds. The result is an accurate albeit somewhat creepy 3D model of the developing child.

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    Three sizes are available: lifesize, which is priced at $600(USD), half-size, which is priced at $400, and mini, which is priced at $200. Clearly, it’s not cheap, and probably only the most excited of parents will choose to spend money on this (although it would probably be smarter if they spent that money on baby supplies instead.)

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    3D Babies may even offer people a chance to 3D print babies that aren’t their own. For a time, they were even offering 3D prints of North West (Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s baby). Now that’s wrong on so many levels.

    [FastCo Design via Buzzfeed via Incredible Things]

    3D Printing Part Of 2014 Chevy Malibu Manufacturing Process

    gm-rapid-prototypingThe wonders of 3D printing will not cease anytime soon, and with it, it would also help boost the rapid prototype technology scene. Imagine the ability to create a custom part on the computer screen, hit the print button and voila! That exact part is produced to the exact design specifications as listed. In fact, GM Design has been making use of 3D rapid prototype technology for over a couple of decades, where an elite team of 15 technicians works at the Rapid Prototype Laboratory at GM Design, churning out more than 20,000 parts which will support GM’s global footprint annually. It is said that the 2014 Chevy Malibu’s manufacturing process also includes 3D printing, and we are not surprised at all by this revelation.

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  • 3D Printing Part Of 2014 Chevy Malibu Manufacturing Process original content from Ubergizmo.

        



    MarkForged Mark One 3D printer prints carbon fiber objects

    When it comes to making parts for high-end racecars, many of them are made from carbon fiber. Making parts with carbon fiber is a labor-intensive process that requires lots of … Continue reading

    Cheap Laser-Sintering Printers Are Coming Thanks To The Expiration Of A Key Patent

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    Today is a big day for 3D printing: Patent #US5597589 is set to expire and will open up the possibility for makers to use laser sintering — shooting a laser at a layer of nylon powder — in cheaper devices, essentially opening the technology to the small maker.

    The patent is fairly clear on what sintering is. It describes an “apparatus for selectively sintering a layer of powder to produce a part made from a plurality of sintered layers and the apparatus includes a computer controlling a laser to direct the laser energy onto the powder to produce a sintered mass.” This means anything that shoots a laser at powder could run afoul of this patent much as Form Labs bumped up against 3D Systems’ stereolithography patent.

    Most larger “professional-quality” printers use laser sintering and you can create homogenous, solid-looking objects with stable structures using the technique.

    Does this mean we’ll have sintering printers in our homes next year? Possibly, but given the materials needed and the components involved I could see prices going down but not dropping until there is mass acceptance of 3D printing. FDM printers that deposit layers of plastic is still the cheapest method, but sintered parts are almost seamless, creating a cohesive whole that is very useful in prototyping and engineering. In short, however, it’s a great day for makers.

    via 3Dprint

    Photoshop CC gets the ability to print directly to Mcor IRIS 3D printer

    Earlier this month we talked a bit about Photoshop CC getting the ability to print directly to a 3D printer. That early 3D printing capability was compatible with popular 3D … Continue reading

    3D-Printed Trachea Makes Breathing Easier

    3d-printed-tracheaWe have read about how 3D printers might change the way we do things, and it could also prove to be a modern day medical miracle. Case in point, this 3D printed windpipe (or trachea if you want to get all technical about it) could eventually allow patients to breathe a whole lot easier. Dr. Faiz Bhora of St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals alongside his research team has high hopes of being the first in the world to be able to implant 3D-printed tracheas in people successfully. The tracheas have been printed using biologic materials on a 3D printer, where they have also been primed with stem cells for growth.

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    Roswell police dept. scores 3D printer for recreating crime scenes

    The quickly-growing world of 3D printing technology has found itself utilized in a variety of fields, serving all sorts of purposes in each of them to improve or create things … Continue reading

    Stratasys Launches First 3D Color Printer In The World

    stratasysIt is always encouraging to read about world’s firsts, and today, we are privy to the very real possibility of the first 3D color printer in the world, thanks to the efforts of a company known as Stratasys who showcased their 3D printed dresses at Paris Fashion Week early last year. Stratasys has called their Objet500 Connex3 Color multi-material 3D printer as “a game-changer for product design, engineering and manufacturing processes.”

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  • Stratasys Launches First 3D Color Printer In The World original content from Ubergizmo.