Big 3D Printing Needs To Stop The Bullying

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Stratasys, one of the two giants in the 3D printing market (the other is 3DSystems), is on a roll. This summer it bought one of the biggest and beloved home 3D-printer makers, MakerBot, and watched its printers churn out the first 3D-printed gun. Now it’s back in the news for suing printer reseller Afinia for infringing on its patents.

These patents cover some of the most basic aspects of 3D printing, from the process of creating “infill,” the cross-hatched pattern that printers use to support the inside, to the heated plate that keeps objects stuck during printing. MakerBot, in fact, has long infringed on these very same patents and, for most of its existence, has skirted lawsuits, albeit with positive results. Many smaller manufactures haven’t been so lucky.

Even Formlabs, makers of the Form One stereolithographic machine, weren’t immune. They went to market last December while facing down 3D Systems lawyers for daring to use a similar printing technique.

Why is Big 3D finally paying attention to little guys like Formlabs and Afinia aka Microboards Technology, LLC? It’s because they’re finally getting traction in the home market. While it’s usually fine for B2B companies to snipe each other – nobody cares when big CRM smashes some puny competitor – this sniping is actually hurting the industry. By slowing down the adopting of home 3D printing, Stratasys and 3D Systems are cutting into their own bottom line. IBM, in the 1980s, never actively attacked the “clones” that sprung up on the market and we now have a variegated ecosystem of hardware that ranges from mobile devices to mainframes. No one stopped Linux from copying techniques and tricks used by Unix and, eventually, Windows, and the result is a deep and rich vein of open source computing prowess.

Patents served Stratasys and 3D Systems well when 3D printing was hard. To compete with them, competitors had to have deep pockets and be ready to pay licensing fees. Now that literally anyone can build an MakerBot-like FDM machine out of a few simple parts – this guy made one for $100 – the impetus for protection is far more mercenary. They are, in short, threatened.

The EFF has been trying to swat down fake patents, for better or worse, but the problem will continue to plague small makers until the patents expire. It does not benefit Stratasys to troll the small guy (unless it’s to protect its MakerBot investment, which would be a delightful bit of irony) and, in the end, it hurts the industry as a whole. The more people who know how to do home 3D printing, the more people who will be interested in professional products. That said, perhaps Stratasys is concerned that the home 3D printers will supplant its professional business. If this is the case, it’s a baseless fear akin to Ford being afraid of go-kart hobbyists.

Patents are fine when they truly protect the filers from predators. When the filers themselves, become the predators, however, the issue clouds the market, destroys innovation, and makes the big guys look mean. That’s not good for anyone.

Stratasys/MakerBot Deal Closes, Giving Stratasys A High-Profile Consumer Brand

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Toward the end of June, 3D printing companies Stratasys and MakerBot confirmed what TechCrunch had already uncovered, the former would be acquiring the latter for $403 million (or 4.7 million shares) in exchange for 100 percent of MakerBot’s outstanding capital stock.

Stratasys has long been a dominant force in 3D printing, long before we were buying 3D printers for our homes. The company specializes in factory-level printing and prototype printing for designers and manufacturers.

But as is made crystal clear with the entry of companies like MakerBot, FormLabs, and other consumer-facing 3D printing companies, there is most certainly a demand for at-home 3D printing.

MakerBot was one of the first companies to offer an affordable 3D printer for your home, selling more than 22,000 MakerBots since 2009. That said, the merger truly signifies one of the first time a 3D printing firm will be offering both enterprise and consumer-facing products simultaneously.

“We are excited for the future,” said MakerBot founder Bre Pettus in the press release. “Full steam ahead!”

On the one hand, Stratasys is obviously aggressively entering the consumer space, but this acquisition is also a huge resource to MakerBot. Since 2009, the company was working in its own factory in Brooklyn off of $10 million in venture funding.

Having Stratasys’ 25+ years of experience and resources will surely accelerate innovation and growth at MakerBot.

MakerBot and Stratasys merger now official, promises ‘full speed ahead’ on 3D printing

Just a couple of months after Stratasys announced it would be acquiring 3D printing firm MakerBot, their marriage is now officially complete. Following the terms of the merger, the Israeli 3D printer and manufacturer will exchange up to 4.7 million of its shares for 100 percent of MakerBot’s outstanding capital stock. Stratasys is widely known for factory-level printing and prototyping for designers and engineers, while MakerBot signifies its entry into the consumer space. Indeed, MakerBot is almost synonymous with the desktop 3D printing movement, having sold more than 22,000 3D printers since 2009. MakerBot founder and CEO Bre Pettis said in a statement that they’re “excited for the future” and ended with a declaration of “full speed ahead!” Let’s hope this “speed” refers to future iterations that will print out that miniature dalek in minutes rather than hours.

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The UPS Store to offer 3D printing service in select San Diego locations (video)

DNP UPS to offer 3D printing in select San Diego stores video

Today, The UPS Store announced its plan to bring 3D printing services to the masses. The shipping company will soon roll out Stratasys Uprint SE Plus printers to 6 locations in San Diego to test out the new service; it’ll be aimed at small businesses, start-ups and retail customers in need of a professional grade model to produce things like prototypes and artistic renderings. At $20,900 a pop, Stratasys printers aren’t exactly the kind of gadget you’d purchase for home use, so their availability at UPS stores is a pretty major step towards making high quality 3D printing an accessible option for the common man. Though the company is starting small, it hopes to expand the service nationwide, provided that the San Diego experiment proves successful. For more info, check out the video after the break.

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Via: GigaOM

Source: UPS

One of the World’s Largest 3D Printing Companies Just Bought MakerBot

One of the World's Largest 3D Printing Companies Just Bought MakerBot

This afternoon, 3D printing giant Stratasys announced the $403 million acquisition of MakerBot. And while it won’t change anything about MakerBot’s brand, Stratasys could supply the know-how to scale up business in a big way. That could mean more stores, more factories, and even more offices.

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Stratasys to acquire 3D printing company MakerBot for $403 million in stock

Stratasys, an Israeli-based 3D printer and additive manufacturer has just agreed to acquire 3D printing company MakerBot for a proposed amount of $403 million in stock. They’ve announced a “definitive merger agreement” where MakerBot would converge with a subsdiary of Stratasys in a stock-for-stock transaction. After selling more than 22,000 3D printers since its inception in 2009, MakerBot is seen as a leader and pioneer in the 3D printing space, and about 11,000 of those sales were due to the Replicator 2 alone. MakerBot will operate as a separate entity with its own branding and marketing as part of the deal, and will provide an affordable 3D printing market for Stratasys. If all goes well with the regulators, it should be done by the third quarter of 2013.

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Take A Peek At The Inner Workings Of MakerBot’s New Brooklyn Factory

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Brooklyn-based MakerBot is a darling of the 3D printing community, and it recently moved into its new digs in Sunset Park, so the crew can more efficiently build and ship their shiny new Replicator 2 and 2X printers. Call it a classic case of growing pains — once demand for 3D printers started picking up, the MakerBot team soon found themselves aching for even more space to work in, and we got the chance to tour the new 50,000-square-foot facility when it opened last week.

All things considered, it’s a nifty operation, and the move should help MakerBot cope with growing prominence as the 3D printing movement slowly moves into the mainstream… especially as it attempts to make the printing process easier with its forthcoming desktop scanner. Of course, MakerBot’s position as a high-profile purveyor of 3D printing wares has reportedly made it an attractive target for a potential acquisition, with Minnesota/Israel-based Stratasys and even Amazon (which just recently opened a 3D printer section) being pegged as potential purchasers.

MakerBot’s ebullient founder Bre Pettis was keen to downplay that acquisition chatter, as he cut the ceremonial ribbon at the factory’s grand opening (using a partially 3D printed pair of scissors, naturally), but he did later note that they weren’t going anywhere. But while those conversations continue behind closed doors, the roughly 100 employees at MakerBot’s new Brooklyn outpost will continue assembling those printers by hand for a while to come — why not take a look and see what they’re up to?

The future of higher education: reshaping universities through 3D printing

The Future of Higher Education Reshaping Universities through 3D Printing

Featuring four towering limestone columns and classic Flemish-bond brickwork, the century-old Mackay School of Mines Building at the University of Nevada, Reno, has long served as a bastion of Silver State history. Named after Irish immigrant and “Comstock Lode King” John Mackay, notable touches such as a cast bronze statue designed by Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum just outside the building helped it earn a spot in the National Register of Historic Places. Within its oak doors, however, are the makings of an intriguing experiment that’s decidedly more new school. Like a mini museum, a collection of 3D-printed models are displayed within the building’s sunlit, three-story atrium — attracting a mix of students and teachers. Even more popular than the displays of plastic gears and molecule models, however, are the two 3D printers that made them: a professional-grade Stratasys uPrint SE Plus and a hobbyist 3DTouch machine.

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The future of higher education: reshaping universities through 3D printing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3D printed ‘Magic Arms’ give a little girl use of her limbs

3D printed 'Magic Arms' give a little girl use of her limbs

Don’t get us wrong, we adore 3D printers and the whole additive manufacturing movement. But, if all you’re going to get out of the ABS-jets are some companion cubes and a raptor claw, well then, we don’t think there’s much hope for the technology. Thankfully there are people out there (much better people than us, we might add), who have turned to 3D printers to actually improve peoples lives. Take, for example, the tale of two-year-old Emma, born with the congenital disorder arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC). The disease causes a person’s joints to become locked in a single position, in Emma’s case, it was her arms. There are prosthetics that can help, but most are made of metal — including the anchor vest — which would make them too heavy for a 25-pound girl.

Instead of going off the shelf, doctors turned to a 3D printer from Stratasys to create custom molded parts and a lightweight vest for Emma. The result: the two-year-old who once could not lift her arms is now able to play, color and feed herself. Printing the parts also solves another major issue — Emma is growing… quickly. The adorable tot has already outgrown her first vest, but her mother just calls the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children and has a new one made. The same goes for replacement parts. Should a hinge or brace break, it need only be a matter of hours (not days or weeks) before a new one is delivered. For more details check out the heartwarming video after the break.

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3D printed ‘Magic Arms’ give a little girl use of her limbs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 11:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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