Hasta La Gadget!

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.

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]

The 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.

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

We 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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3D-Printed Trachea Makes Breathing Easier original content from Ubergizmo.

It 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.