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3D Printing News Briefs: May 30, 2019

In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, euspen plans to hold a Special Interest Group meeting in September centered around additive manufacturing, and an adjunct professor completed a comparison between a small SLS 3D printer and a large one. Moving on to interesting 3D printing projects, an artist teamed up with Mimaki to use full-color 3D printing to make a stage prop, a reddit user created an anti-cat button for an Xbox system, and an imgur user created a modular 3D printed fashion system.

euspen to Hold Special Interest Group Meeting on AM

The European Society for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology (euspen) will be addressing the factors which are influencing an uptake of the use of additive manufacturing as a production technology at a Special Interest Group (SIG) meeting in September. The meeting, which will be co-hosted by the American Society of Precision Engineering (ASPE), will analyze the barriers to, and the opportunities for, the adoption of AM in production. It will be held from September 16-18 at the École Centrale de Nantes in France.

At the AM SIG meeting, issues that are, as euspen put it, “critical to the viability of AM as a production technology,” will be addressed. The co-chairs of the meeting are Professor Richard Leach from the University of Nottingham and Dr. John Taylor from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Local hosts and the organizing committee include Professor Alain Bernard from Centrale Nantes, Dr. David Bue Pedersen from the Technical University of Denmark, Professor Leach, and Dr. Taylor.

Comparison of Small and Large SLS 3D Printers

3D printers are often used in educational settings these days. Piotr Dudek, an adjunct professor at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Poland, runs a 3D printing lab at the school that both students and researchers frequent. While many technologies are used in the lab, SLS is the one that most interests Dudek, who decided to compare a big SLS system from EOS with the smaller Sinterit Lisa.

“We are using the big EOS SLS 3D printer for a long time and we wanted to compare it with Sinterit Lisa, check the possibilities of it. In SLS technology every detail matters. The temperature of the printing chamber, powder distribution system, heating or laser moving mechanism are very precise and important features. We wanted to test if Sinterit’s device is the valuable solution,” Dudek stated.

Larger 3D printers obviously have higher print volumes, but the down sides include difficult calibration, specialized training, and higher costs. In addition, it’s easy to mess up the calibration of a large 3D printer during transport. The Lisa 3D printer uses a gantry system, which comes pre-calibrated to save time, and it also uses less material, which means less money. The desktop printer is also much more student-friendly, making it the better choice for 3D printing labs like the one Professor Dudek runs.

Full-Color 3D Printed Stage Prop

A few months ago, 3DPrint.com heard from 3D printing specialist and Post Digital Artist Taketo Kobayashi, from the Ultra Modelers community, about an art exhibit in Japan that he helped organize which featured colorful, 3D printed works created on the Mimaki 3DUJ-553 full-color 3D printer. Recently, he reached out to us again with news of his latest Mimaki Engineering collaboration – a stage prop for the Japanese artist Saori Kanda, who performed with techno/trance band Shpongle at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado.

“It is a artwork,” Kobayashi told 3DPrint.com, “but also a utilization of full color 3D printing to entertainment field.”

The “Shpongle Mask,” which took 28 hours to print and mixed in Asian details, was worn onstage by Kanda as she performed her painting live with the band.

3D Printed Anti-Cat Xbox Button

reddit user Mbiggz was getting sick of their cat turning off the touch-sensitive button on the Xbox console while it was in use, which I can understand, having two cats of my own. So Mbiggz came up with the perfect solution – a 3D printed cover for the button. The design can be found on the maker’s Tinkercad account, as Mbiggz originally made the design for a Digital 3D class.

“Adhesive goes on the back part (it is labeled in the print). I’m a newcomer in terms of this so it’s not perfect,” Mbiggz wrote on Tinkercad. “Also, the door doesn’t open all the way, so you can fix it so that it does if you want to (even though it doesn’t really matter, there’s not really a need for it to open it all the way).”

3D Printed Modular Fashion System

hunter62610, a young imgur user, designed and 3D printed a Lego-like modular fabric system, which was featured in his school’s fashion show. He made two dresses that are made with a 3D printed prototype fabric pattern called Escher, which was designed to be “put together and taken apart” hundreds of times. It took him just two weeks to make the material, which the two young ladies who modeled the dresses said was fairly comfortable.

“The idea of the system is that theoretically, one could buy a fashion catalog filled with designs, and say 5000 links. Once could make every clothing item in the catalog, based on there needs. Perhaps that’s a pipe dream, but it’s a fun idea,” hunters62610 wrote.

“The Escher system is quite versatile. Each link acts like a free flowing Equilateral triangle, and has a male and female ball joint on each side. Every individual link is theoretically compatible with every other link. Special links are stored in the middle of this pouch that are really 3 merged links with a screw hole. If needed, these links can be used as elastic tie down points or buttons, if you screw in the buttons i made.”

A Makerbot Replicator Plus was used to print the fabric links in unique, small panels.

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3D Printing in Africa: Kenya & 3D Printing

3D printed Kenya Flag beach shorts by SESY

Kenya has been considered to be a hub for innovation in Africa. Personally, I started working with Kenya in 3D printing technology with a Makerbot Reseller, Amit Shah who runs Objet Kenya which is a 3D printing service provider based in Nairobi. Similar to the feelings of a first love, this is how I feel about Kenya in terms of 3D printing.

There are several other companies offering 3D printing services in Kenya and the country has a great entrepreneurial and innovative spirit. This has made 3D printing a very sensible and lovable technology and if there is something that fires it all: it is the Kenyan will to provide homegrown solutions. Kenya loves to provide their own solutions to their own problems and 3D printing suits very well in this line of thought. To add on to that, Kenyans appreciate and promote local productivity so this promotes a creative and innovative landscape where 3D printing technology makes a huge impact.

In terms of growing and developing with 3D printing technology, Kenya has been doing extremely well on this end. A 20year old electrical engineering student from Nairobi University Kenya, Alois Mbutura developed a minuscule vein finder for use with kids in the hope to address infant mortality and improve vaccination service. The minuscule vein was 3D printed using a MakerBot 3D printer.

Alenna Beroza, Kijenzi engineer, shows off some Kijenzi parts designed with and for nurse

Another great development is by the medical start-up company Kijenzi Medtech who are using 3D printing technology to provide medical solutions to Kenya’s rural clinics including very remote clinics. This is an inspiring endeavour as they assist in providing basic medical components remotely. They are also looking at training nursing staff to print components on site by simply downloading files and sending them to the printer.

Ultra Red technologies is one company in Kenya upping the 3D printing game and they have printed very interesting products like customized canopies for wildlife exploration vehicles. That’s some untapped territory in the wildlife sector in Africa and Kenya is setting the pace. On top of this, Ultra Red technologies are busy printing parts of a solar powered desalination device for providing reliable and clean water for the Kenyan populace. This will surely help to address water challenges faced in Kenya and enlighten the continent to think and pursue such solutions.

Ultra Red Outdoors 3D Printed Canopy

Kenya Connect which is an American-Kenyan not for profit organisation is offering STEM and arts classes in 3D printing to schools in partnership with US-based social enterprise Level Up Village. The drive is to promote and develop the technology at the grassroots level and create a generation that will fully harness the technology.

Micrive Infinite is integrating engineering, 3D printing technology and medical research to transform surgery, treatment and rehabilitation of patients. It is hoped that more homegrown medical solutions will help and improve healthcare in Kenya.

President Uhuru Kenyatta 3D model portrait for 3D printing

The manufacturing sector has also benefited from 3D printing. This has been enhanced with the development of Kenya’s Fab lab through the University of Nairobi Science and technology park. Kenya Fab lab was the first to bring a 3D printer into Kenya and since then they have revolutionized the technology as it has grown to the various sectors of Kenya economy. Not only that, but people in Kenya are also buying personal 3D printers for personal use and an indication of growing interest in the technology.

The innovation hub of Africa continues to develop with 3D printing. There is still great potential for 3D printing in Kenya and the good thing is that resources have been easily found to spread the technology. The future is bright for Kenya and also for Africa as a whole.

Let Kids Design With Toybox’s 3D Printer

Image via Toybox Labs

Toybox is a 3D printer that allows you and your kids to print toys. It’s an easy-to-use printer with a user-friendly interface that has a wide variety of toys to choose from. Toybox Labs was created by Ben Baltes and Jenn Chin from Oakland, California. Both founders raised more than $155,000 on Indiegogo, which has helped them to turn their 3D printer prototype into a mass-produced product. Reportedly the Toybox is a Creatbot Super Mini that was altered and made more kid-friendly.

To make Toybox do its magic, you simply have to download the app on AppStore or Google Play, depending on whether you have iOS or Android, and connect your phone and Toybox’s 3D printer to WiFi. Models can also be selected and printed from any computer connected to internet as well from Toybox’s official website.

Although there are many other ways to 3D print toys for your kids, such as Toy Maker or Moose Toys, on Toybox’s website, parents and kids can browse a great selection of toys, as well as importing, creating a Block Buddy, or drawing their own. The catalog of toys they offer has different types of swords, cars, animals, character, buildings, creatures, and more. I wanted to test all they offered out so I made my own Block Buddy, a feature developed by Toybox to create your own character, and I was able to select different types of hairstyles, eye shapes, nose shapes, outfits, colors, and more.

I also created my own design. On the Draw option, I tried the text feature out but you can also draw anything you want and add a background to it. There are a few shapes to choose from and to play around with that helps you create the design you are looking for.

Once you’ve finished creating your Block Buddy, drawing or importing a design, you will see the time it will take to print each piece. You can select which piece to print first, and the website or app will ask you to connect with the 3D printer via Wi-Fi.

Toybox’s 3D printer is kid-friendly. It’s easy to teach your kids on how it works and how to use it without worrying about their safety. It’s also an alternate and affordable way of creating toys without leaving creativity behind. Kids can design and modify their creations at any time, and use their imagination fully. The 3D printer is environmentally friendly and produces little to no waste. At only nine inches tall and 6 lbs, the 3D printer doesn’t require too much space, which means it can be easily stored or can fit on your home desk perfectly.

Joel tested the Toybox and you can see that video below. An earlier review from last year by 3D Maker Noob is below that.

The website also includes a Shop section where you can acquire the 3D printer and the “Printer Food”, which is the name Toybox uses to call their filament as to make it more fun for kids. There are fifteen colors to choose from. The shop also includes bed surfaces for the 3D printer, stickers, a pin, and a gift card.

Toybox’s 3D printer costs $349 plus $9.95 shipping, resulting in a total price of $358.95. The 3D printer made it to Shark Tank on March 10, a show where entrepreneurs make their business presentations to a panel of five investors (or “Sharks) who choose whether to invest in their company as business partners. As a final negotiation, one of the Sharks offered to invest $150k for 13% equity and 2% in advisory shares. This is not the first time the idea of 3D printing toys made it to Shark Tank. In 2015, You Kick Ass (now called Hero Builders) presented their 3D printed action figures to the Sharks.

Sources: [2 Paragraphs, Know Techie, All Shark Tank Products, Forbes]

Spain’s National Archaeological Museum and Acciona Presented The First Romanesque Arch Printed in 3D

Collections of objects are normally exhibited behind enclosed glass displays to prevent people from touching them. Considering these objects are fragile and have a great historical value, museums have to undertake the necessary requirements to protect them. With 3D printing, this is changing. Replicas are being 3D printed, allowing visitors to touch them.

Image via Factum Foundation

Replicas might spark discussions about the originality of the art pieces, since their reproductions may be considered as “fake”, or even about the right to capture and to distribute online models that anyone can later print them. However, 3D printed replicas let visitors enjoy and appreciate artworks better, and learn more about cultural heritage. For example, in 2017, Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was recreated by Factum Arte which allowed visitors to experience the inside of the tomb, without harming the original burial site.

This month, Spain’s National Archaeological Museum and Acciona (a global renewable energy, infrastructure, water, and services company) marked a milestone by 3D printing the Romanesque Arch of San Pedro de las Dueñas. The arch is already a part of the museum’s collection, but the 3D printed replica is now located in the museum’s garden. The arch was created to contribute to technological advances in conservation techniques, and also for the preservation of Spain’s historical heritage.

Image via Acciona

The Arch of San Pedro de las Dueñas is a lasting example of Romanesque architecture. The arch was formerly part of the San Pedro de las Dueñas Monastery, which was built in the late 10th century and the beginning of the 11th century. It stands in the Castile and León region of Northwestern Spain.

San Pedro de las Dueñas Monastery via Arquivoltas

At the presentation ceremony, the director of the National Archaeological Museum, Andrés Carretero, stated that the development “puts the Museum to the forefront worldwide in the application of new technologies to the disseminating and preservation of cultural heritage.”

Original Arch – Photo by Martius on Flickr

Acciona’s executive vice chairman, Juan Ignacio Entrecanales, expressed the importance of this joint project between Acciona and the National Archaeological Museum, which has demonstrated the “immense potential that new technologies, such as 3D printing, have for the preservation, dissemination, restoration, and accessibility of cultural heritage”.

The arch stands in the garden at 2.2m tall by 3.3m wide. It was reproduced using the D-Shape technology, which is a 3D printing technique that uses concrete binder jetting. According to Acciona, the material’s durability makes it possible to achieve the architectural reproduction they were looking for, which is suitable for outdoor locations thanks to its resistance to weather conditions.

The 3D Printed Arch via Revista de Arte

“The possibility of obtaining exact replicas means that the public can approach the reproduction while the original is preserved. This technology also makes it possible to reproduce pieces in their original locations while the original is preserved in appropriate facilities”, says Acciona.

Acciona has also digitalized 30 medieval items of Spain’s National Archaeological Museum to allow visitors to manipulate them through an interactive screen. Ranging from the 4th to the 15th century, some of these digitalized items include: the Crucifix of Ferdinand and Sancha (León), the Aquiliform fibula Alovera (Guadalajara), and the brass Astrolabe of Ibrāhim ibn Sa’īd al-Shalī (León). Acciona believes that the digital models will assist perfectly in future restorations, for technology makes it possible to replicate artwork through 3D printers.

Sources: [Acciona, Spotting History]

3D Printing News Briefs: April 6, 2019

We’re starting off today’s 3D Printing News Briefs with a product launch announcement – 3YOURMIND launched the full version of its Agile MES software software this week at AMUG 2019. Moving on, Sintratec will present its latest SLS 3D printer at RAPID + TCT next month in Detroit, Tiamet3D has joined Ultimaker’s material alliance program, and Sciaky entered into an agreement with KTM Consultants. Xometry just announced some important certifications, and nScrypt is 3D printing titanium parts. Moving on to the world of art and theatre, the Zurich Opera House is 3D printing props, and artist Andrea Salvatori worked with WASP to create a 3D printed art collection.

3YOURMIND Launched Agile Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Software

After spending five years providing order management systems to scale for some of the industry’s AM leaders, 3YOURMIND has finally moved its software solutions to a production environment with the launch of its Agile Manufacturing Execution System (MES) earlier this week at AMUG 2019. The software uses smart part prioritization, rapid scheduling, order tracking, and custom AM workflow creation to improve machine utilization and make production more efficient, and an Early Access Program (EAP) allowed the company to receive direct feedback on its Agile MES software from representatives at companies like EOS and Voestalpine. The next step will be working to finalize machine connectivity.

“For Agile Manufacturing, the Agile MES will need to both GET and PUSH data from all major AM machines and post-processing systems. We are already integrating the data from several vendors into our software and expect to support all major machines,” explained 3YOURMIND’s CEO Stephan Kühr. “Receiving and processing machine data allows us to provide the documentation that is needed for quality assurance and to increase the repeatability of additive manufacturing. Pushing data directly to machines will be the key to automating production.”

Sintratec Showcasing New SLS 3D Printer at RAPID + TCT

A few months ago, Swiss SLS 3D printer manufacturer Sintratec introduced its scalable, modular Sintratec S2. Now, the company will be presenting the printer in the US for the first time next month at RAPID + TCT in Detroit, which will also be Sintratec’s first time attending the massive event. What makes the Sintratec S2 stand out is its closed-loop workflow, as the complete system covers every process with its three modules: the Laser Sintering Station (LSS), the Material Core Unit (MCU), and the Material Handling Station (MHS). The 3D printer offers quick material changes, a 4K camera for print monitoring, improved ergonomics, and effective heat distribution through its cylindrical printing area and ring lamps.

“The Sintratec S2 will boost the design of applications and gives the user the opportunity to set foot in small series production as well. And that for an unusually attractive price-performance ratio,” said Sintratec CEO Dominik Solenicki.

“With the Sintratec S2 solution we will be opening new opportunities for companies of any size.”

The price for the Sintratec S2 starts at $39,900, and you can see it for yourself at Sintratec’s booth 1753 at RAPID + TCT from May 20-23.

Tiamet 3D Joins Ultimaker’s Material Alliance Program

Last year, Dutch 3D printing specialist Tiamet 3D, founded in late 2014, worked with Finland-based Carbodeon to develop the first nanodiamond-enhanced 3D printing filaments, which went on the market in September. Now the company has joined Ultimaker as a partner in its Material Alliance Program. Together, the two will offer end-users simple one click downloads of Tiamet’s ULTRA Diamond material profile, which is now available on Ultimaker’s Cura software. This collaboration is formally backed by Tiamet’s manufacturing partner Mitsubishi Chemical Performance Polymers (MCPP Netherlands).

Reid Larson, the Director and Co-Founder of Tiamet 3D, told us about some of the highlighted specs of its ULTRA Diamond material, including no additional nozzle wear, 6300 mpa stiffness, low moisture absorption and friction, improved thermal conductivity, and twice “the temperature resistance of normal PLA, Annealed goes to 125C HDT.” You can purchase one kg of ULTRA Diamond filament for €59.

Sciaky Increasing Sales Efforts Through New Agreement

In an effort to increase the sales efforts of its Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) solutions in Australia, the Middle East, and New Zealand, Sciaky, Inc. has entered into an agreement with KTM Consultants, founded by metallurgist Trent Mackenzie in 2015. In terms of sheer work envelope, Sciaky’s massive EBAM systems are the industry’s most widely scalable metal 3D printing solution, able to produce parts ranging from 8 inches to 19 feet at gross deposition rates of up to 25 lbs of metal an hour. Additionally, its Interlayer Real-time Imaging and Sensing System (IRISS) is the metal 3D printing market’s only real-time adaptive control system capable of sensing and digitally self-adjusting its deposition.

“I was immediately drawn to Sciaky’s EBAM technology because of its unique and robust capabilities. Industrial manufacturers of large metal parts need to explore the significant advantages that technologies like EBAM offer. It is truly a game-changer,” said Mackenzie.

Xometry Announces New Industry Certifications

Digital manufacturing marketplace Xometry announced that it has just received ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certifications – some of the most rigorous, widely-recognized quality management designations in the industry. ISO 9001 helps organizations meet the needs and expectations of their customers in terms of quality management, while AS9100 meets customer demands in the exacting aerospace and defense industries. The company went through a major audit as part of the process, and its achievement definitely reflects how committed Xometry is to providing quality.

“We are thrilled to receive this designation. Our team members have a passion for providing great customer service while following the disciplines that give our customers peace of mind regarding on-time delivery, quality, and continuous improvement. It is yet another step towards achieving industry “best in class” status and being able to meet the expanded needs of our customers,” stated Xometry COO Peter Goguen.

nScrypt Develops Proprietary Method for 3D Printing Titanium

nScrypt 3D printed titanium gear, dogbone, and block

Florida manufacturer nScrypt, which develops high-precision Micro-Dispensing and Direct Digital Manufacturing equipment and solutions, is now focusing on repeatable 3D printing of metals for the medical, defense, and aerospace industries. The company has created a proprietary method for 3D printing titanium parts, which tests have shown display densities comparable to wrought parts. This method could easily work with other metals as well, such as copper, Inconel, and stainless steel, and nScrypt’s Factory in a Tool (FiT) systems can finish or polish areas with high tolerance features using its integrated precision nMill milling head. nScrypt’s Brandon Dickerson told us that the company expects to release more details on this later in 2019.

“The parts were printed with our SmartPump Micro-Dispensing tool head, which runs on any of our systems,” Dickerson told 3DPrint.com. “The parts shown in the photos were printed on our DDM (Direct Digital Manufacturing) system, also known as our Factory in a Tool (FiT) system, which can run 5 tool heads at the same time, including our Micro-Dispensing, Material Extrusion, micro-milling, and pick-and-place tool heads. The parts were sintered after the build and the current densities are in the high 90% range. We expect our system to appeal to customers who want to do Direct Digital Manufacturing and need strong metal parts, but cannot build them with a powder bed system (for example, if the geometry would trap powder inside) or prefer not to use a powder bed system (for example, if they want a cleaner system).”

Zurich Opera House 3D Printing Props with German RepRap

Finished tutu for “The Nutcracker”, which was produced with the help of the x400 3D printer

Switzerland’s largest cultural institution, the Zurich Opera House, puts on over 300 performances a year, but the behind-the-scenes magic happens in the studios and workshops, where the props and costumes are made. The opera house uses the x400 3D printer from German RepRap, with assistance from Swiss reseller KVT- Fastening, to support its creative work by fabricating props and molds. This affords the institution more creativity and flexibility, as they can design objects to their exacting needs in 3D modeling programs, which also helps save on time and money. The opera house currently uses PLA, which is easy to handle, offers a variety of colors, and is flame retardant – very important in a theatrical setting.

“Often, the wishes and ideas of costume and stage designers are very diverse and sometimes extraordinary. It often happens that props are not available in the way designers have it in their minds. This is where the 3D printer is perfect for,” said Andreas Gatzka, director of theater sculpture at the Zurich Opera House.

“There are a lot of great benefits. Special wishes of stage and costume designers can be realized quickly as well as a short-term change of the objects, for example larger, smaller, longer, shorter, or whatever is needed.”

3D Printed Art Collection

Artist Andrea Salvatori 3D printed the eye-catching pieces for his new collection, titled Ikebana Rock’n’Roll, using the Delta WASP 40100 Clay 3D printer – designed by WASP to be used by ceramic and clay artists. The collection just opened on stage at THE POOL NYC in Milan last week, and will be available to view until May 31st. With these 3D printed vases, Salvatori wanted to use “a miscellany of ceramic insertions” to mess with the high quality shapes 3D printing can achieve by adding asymmetry.

“The process of depositing the material and setting the spheres is a central theme in the Ikebana Rock’n’Roll collection, to the point of convincing Salvatori to name the works “Composition 40100”, as if they originated from a musical dialogue of the most varied tones. The artist upsets the algorithm reiterated slavishly by the machine with imperfect musical accents, the result from time to time of spontaneous actions and reasoned processes,” WASP wrote in a blog post.

“The ikebanes, proposed by Andrea Salvatori in the exhibition, transcend the experimental limits of an abstract investigation, representing a concrete territory in which 3D printing and ceramic art co-exist synergistically. The Master challenges the confrontation with the public, becoming also in this sector, precursor of a new genre in which WASP feels itself fully represented.”

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What Would Michelangelo Say? David is Re-Created on the Microscale with Metal 3D Printing

Michelangelo’s David is one of the most well-known renaissance sculptures, created in the very early 1500s from a choice piece of marble. The original, currently on display at the Accademia Gallery in Florence, stands just a little over 14 feet high and is a masterpiece of a representation from the fable of David and Goliath. The piece was considered so ‘perfect’ upon completion that city council members (including other artists like da Vinci and Botticelli) met for a strategic discussion regarding the best location for such a work, finally settling on the Piazza della Signoria in the center of Florence, Italy.

Now, David has been re-created in miniature via 3D printing, and while one can imagine Michelangelo may have turned his nose up at many an imitator throughout the decades, we are pretty sure he would be fascinated with what a 3D printer can do for artists today, allowing them to use a wide array of materials and create on whim, enjoying completely self-sustained production in the studio. And while artistic expression offers great value to the world, the team at Cytosurge took time out from more scientific and complex endeavors to walk on the creative side, imagining how such a truly epic piece of work came about in comparison to their own efforts:

“During the creative period of Michelangelo (lived 1475-1564) it must have been a huge effort to craft the David sculpture from a solid marble block. The creation and handling of the heavy and bulky work of art must have required some well thought-through handling processes,” states the Cytosurge team in their press release.

“The work presented here required much less effort in terms of handling because the new ‘David’ is tiny in size. However, the engineering behind might have required a similar amount of effort as 500 years ago for the original full-scale David.”

This micro-scale sculpture, created in copper, demonstrates the metal 3D printing capabilities of the FluidFM µ3Dprinter, and allows us to envision how helpful such technology will be in other applications requiring objects manufactured at the nano- or micro-meter. At 700 µm (0.0007 m), the Cytosurge version of the statue of David is the largest item created on the FluidFM µ3Dprinter so far.

“Our deep understanding of the printing process has led to a new way of processing the 3D computer model of the statue and then converting it into machine code. That’s what makes the new David statue so extraordinary,” says Dr. Giorgio Ercolano, R&D Process Engineer 3D printing at Cytosurge AG. “This object has been sliced from an open-source CAD file and afterwards was sent directly to the printer. This slicing method enables an entirely new way to print designs with the FluidFM µ3Dprinter.”

Cytosurge AG, founded in 2009, is headquartered in Switzerland. Their FluidFM μ3Dprinter, in development over the last two years, is a standalone 3D metal printing system relying on a miniature pipette with a narrow opening to perform local electrodeposition of metals. The FluidFM joins the Cytosurge lineup of products including their portfolio of FluidFM probes, the FluidFM Bot and its add-on technology, along with solutions provided through other partners too.

While all some artists need is a pencil or a paintbrush, others employ many different tools and mediums to express themselves. 3D printing presents the opportunity for full-on production, whether users are working with 3D printing pens and alternative materials, designing fashion, or creating massive art installations to impress international eventgoers. Find out more about the intersection of art and 3D printing in metal here. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images: Cytosurge AD]

Turn Your Kid’s 2D Drawing Into A 3D Printed Sculpture

Although children drawings can be weird and hard to understand, there’s no doubt they are true masterpieces. Every parent has displayed their kid’s creations up on the fridge, at their desk at work, and some has even gotten a tattoo of them. But, have you ever considered turning those 2D masterpieces into 3D to display and preserve them? If not, you should take a look at Crayon Creatures’ creative idea.

Image via Cunicode

Crayon Creatures was created by Bernat Cuni, as one of his projects for Cunicode, his design studio. Crayon Creatures is a 3D printing service that provides you and your children with a 3D printed model of their drawings. The idea of this project is to bring kids’ hand drawn sketches to life by converting them into a digital sculpture using 3D printing technology that allows parents and children to exhibit them as a memento or souvenir anywhere.

Cuni got the idea when his daughter asked him to turn one of her hand drawn crayon sketches into a toy on his 3D printer. Even though Cuni’s daughter was satisfied with a monochrome plastic version of her drawing, he felt that there was something missing. We all know that kids’ drawings are very colorful, and for Cuni, “colors made children drawings so unique and expressive”. Cuni had to re-design the sketch as to 3D print it in color. Once satisfied with the results, he made sure to share his idea with his family and friends, and the rest of the world as well.

Image via Cunicode

To bring kids’ wildest imaginations to life, you simply have to upload an image of your kid’s sketch or drawing on the Crayon Creatures’ website. Once uploaded, Cuni takes the image in 2D and “inflates” them like a balloon. To understand the concept of “inflating” the 2D drawing, Cuni explains that he “defines the contour lines, creates a plane where the drawing is projected as a texture, then it is extruded, and finally some pressure physics is applied to soften the shape.”

Once the digital model is ready, Cuni uploads it to Shapeways because it uses a Z-Corp 3D printer that allows him to create the final physical model. The resulting sculpture is a symmetrical version of the drawing, which is two-sided. This means that you will be seeing the same drawing from both sides, even if the kid creates a character, it will have a face both in the front and in the back.

Image via Cunicode

The service is easy to use as long as you can scan the drawing. Once you upload the file, you have to pay the cost of the 3D printed sculpture and the shipping. The price is €199 plus €15 for international shipping. If you would like to include an additional drawing that appears on the same sketch, the price for the addition is €99.

The sculptures’ material is referred to as “sandstone”, a colored gypsum-based powder which is mixed with an adhesive. Then, it is coated with a cyanoacrylate clear coat to protect it. The size of each 3D printed drawing is around 10cm (4 inches), being the longest measure. Since the sculptures are hard and rigid (and fragile), Cuni recommends that kids do not play with them. It is not a toy, as Cuni expresses on his site, “it is a keepsake, memento, souvenir, reminder, remembrance, token.”

Image via Cunicode

Any drawing can get tattered after a while, and these 3D sculptures are a great idea for those parents who want to preserve their kid’s wildest imagination. Although Crayon Creatures is not completely kid-friendly, MOYUPI is the best option to turn your kid’s 2D drawing into a 3D toy they can actually play with. Another great option for those children who love to draw, instead of drawing on paper, they can simply try out 3Doodler Start and draw in the air! Or, if you have access to a 3D printer, why not 3D print the toys your children would like with Toy Maker?

Crayon Creatures | the making of The Elephant from cunicode on Vimeo.

[Sources: Cunicode, CrayonCreatures]

Artists Exhibiting 3D Printed Works Fabricated on Mimaki’s Full Color 3DUJ-553 System

In 2015, Japanese company Mimaki Engineering announced its venture into the 3D printing world and began developing its own full-color system, which entered the commercialization phase in 2017. A little over a year ago, Mimaki USA, an operating entity that manufactures digital printing and cutting products around the world, installed its first full-color 3DUJ-553 3D printer in the Americas.

The UV-cure inkjet Mimaki 3DUJ-553 3D printer, based on patented technology with a maximum build size of 508 x 508 x 305 mm, is a fully ICC-compliant, color-managed device that offers high-quality, precise 3D printing, and has numerous enhancements so it can produce full color, realistic objects up to 20″ x 12″ with fine detail and high definition. The system offers over 10 million color combinations for photorealistic output, and can also achieve 90% of SWOP colors.

The 3DUJ-553 is able to produce color-accurate prototypes and objects without using manual coloring by hand, which allows users to majorly decrease finishing times. Because it offers so many colors, Mimaki’s 600 kg 3D printer is perfect for applications such as sign-making, prototyping, architectural elevations, modeling, short run fulfillment, and stunning, detailed artwork.

3DPrint.com recently heard from 3D printing specialist and Post Digital Artist Taketo Kobayashi, from the Ultra Modelers community, about an art exhibit he’s helping to organize that will soon be held in Japan and features colorful, 3D printed works created on Mimaki’s 3DUJ-553 by other members of the Ultra Modelers community.

“This is not just a art exhibit but also showing the future of entertainment field such as figure merchandise with using 3D printer,” Kobayashi told us.

“It is a great opportunity to actually experience the possibilities of full color 3D printing…”

According to Kobayashi, Ultra Modelers is made up of people who are actively participating “in CG art, design, entertainment and additive manufacturing.” The creative community’s purpose, in addition to exhibiting their collective pieces of art, is to be a “communication hub of artists, students who are learning CG, schools and corporations.”

“Ultra Modelers will create “connections” between those CG artist,” Kobayashi told 3DPrint.com. “Connecting dots will create synergy which energize CG and additive manufacturing industries, and will create opportunity of learning from each other.”

Ultra Modelers held its first exhibit in Osaka in November of 2018, and due to its “favorable reception,” the community, which currently consists of a dozen members, will be hosting a second exhibition. Tomorrow, March 15th, Ultra Modelers is holding a one day limited exhibit of its members’ colorful, 3D printed pieces at Mimaki Engineering’s showroom in Gotanda, Tokyo.

“There’s so many diverse way to output digital artworks now. Art, digital molding, animation,” Kobayashi told us. “11 top creators from different field of CG gathered for this exhibit and they will create original brand new artworks. 12 artworks schedule to be exhibited.”

All of the 3D printed pieces of art in this week’s exhibit were fabricated on Mimaki’s 3DUJ-553 3D printer. In addition to the exhibition, three seminars will also be taking place at Mimaki’s showroom, two of which will be focused on 3D modeling using ZBrush.

What do you think? Discuss this story and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

[Images provided by Taketo Kobayashi]

Paris: La Fabrique du vivant Exhibit Uses 3D Printed Forms to Portray Human & Artificial Elements

Digital technology and the human form have come together in Paris, putting the wonders of 3D printing on full display too in “La Fabrique du vivant.’ The exhibit, translating to ‘The Fabric of the living,’ runs at the Centre Pompidou from February 20 to April 15, 2019. Claudia Pasquero and Marco Poletto, ecoLogicStudio founders are participating—along with research partners from the Urban Morphogenesis Lab at The Bartlett UCL, the Synthetic Landscape Lab at Innsbruck University, and the CREATE Group/WASPHub Denmark at the University of Southern Denmark.

The exhibit is part of the Mutations-Créations series and is curated by both Marie-Ange Brayer and Olivier Zeitoun. The concept of this unique show melds both living and artificial life, causing exhibitgoers to consider the interaction between ‘creation, and fields of life science, neuroscience, and synthetic biology.’ The juxtaposition of life and artifice is meant to jar the viewer, as they examine modern, urban forms in art and show the ‘miniaturization, distribution and intelligence of manmade urban networks’ in humans, while displaying the evolution of artificial life too. We have viewed many different creative works via 3D printing over the years to include large scale animal forms, darker fantasy pieces, and interactive exhibitions, but ‘La Fabrique du vivant’ is definitely not your average 3D printed art, offering a unique, highly intellectualized path to understanding the connection between people and the digital age.

The 3D printed ‘in-human gardens,’ are contributed by architects Pasquero and Poletto. The fabricated forms are meant to portray for the human and the inhuman, while addressing both ‘human rationality’ and futuristic artificial intelligence; in fact, they are supposed to viewed as having been developed in partnership with (now keep an open mind here!) ‘colonies of photosynthetic cyanobacteria, H.O.R.T.U.S. XL Astaxanthin.g, and a collective of Asian Fawn Tarantulas, XenoDerma.’

A recent press release explaining more about the exhibit defines H.O.R.T.U.S. XL Astaxanthin.g as an algorithm mimicking coral substratum through 3D printing. The architects used 400-micron layers in their fabrication efforts. Detailing further, they explain that these layers were supported by 46 mm triangular units and divided into 18.5 cm hexagonal blocks.

“Photosynthetic cyanobacteria are inoculated on a biogel medium into the individual triangular cells, or bio-pixel, forming the units of biological intelligence of the system. Their metabolisms, powered by photosynthesis, convert radiation into actual oxygen and biomass. The density-value of each bio-pixel is digitally computed in order to optimally arrange the photosynthetic organisms along iso-surfaces of increased incoming radiation. Among the oldest organisms on Earth, cyanobacteria’s unique biological intelligence is gathered as part of a new form of bio-digital architecture,” states the press release.

XenoDerma is defined as a spider web morphogenesis created with 3D printed scaffolding:

“Spiders’ minds, in this case Asian Fawn Tarantulas, do not entirely reside in their bodies, as their webs constitute a form of spatial thinking. Information from their webs become an integral part of their cognitive systems. The behavior of the spiders and the production of silk is re-programmed in XenoDerma through the design of the 3D printed substructure and of its geometrical features. The result consciously seeks productive ambiguity, revealing in the alien beauty of its silky morphologies, an intelligence that resides somewhere at the intersection of the biological, technological and digital realms.”

The pieces were created by a multidisciplinary team led by the two architect/designers, using a large-scale 3D printer capable of high resolution to achieve ‘non-human agency mediated by spatial substructures.’ The artwork is created on a 1:1 scale prototype as the artists see it, on par with other living architectures and an emerging generation of ‘thick biophilic architectural skins receptive to urban life.’ Find out more about the exhibit here.

Discuss this article and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.

[Source / Images: ecoLogicStudio]

Google, Stratasys and CyArk Use 3D Scanning and 3D Printing to Preserve Cultural Heritage

Google Arts and Culture is collaborating with Stratasys and non-profit CyArk to preserve 3D scans and 3D prints of some of the world’s most cherished heritage sites. Google’s Open Heritage Project lets you virtually explore sites from all over the world through a fun and immersive experience. Myanmar’s Bagan, the Brandenburger Tor in Berlin, Chichén Itzá you can be an armchair explorer in each of them. Test it out by flying through some of the sites here.

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon Temple Thailand.

What’s more, the files are available for download so that teachers in classrooms or museums worldwide can show them off. Kinesthetic learners, the curious and the idle can use them to play with and touch some of the world’s most notable sites. The parts have been crafted for the J750 3D printer which can do multi-color and multi-materials.

The company says that,

“Google Arts and Culture is the restoration of rare plaster casts initially discovered by A.P. Maudslay during the late 1800s in Guatemala. For more than 100 years, these relics were housed across storage facilities in the British Museum. By leveraging 3D laser scanners to virtually re-assemble each, designers successfully reconstructed these items in physical form with Stratasys 3D printing – later allowing representations to be easily viewed by a wider audience online.”

An impression of Stela E of the Mayan Quirigua site in Guatemala taken by Alfred Maudslay

Alfred Maudslay went to Quirigua in 1881 and was enthralled by the Mayan civilization and the remote Quirigua site. In total, he would undertake six Mayan expeditions. Above in the image, we can see an impression of Stela E of the Quirigua site. Over ten meters tall it was erected on the 22nd of January in 771 AD. From then on it let all passers-by know that the ruler K’ak’ Tiliw Chan Yopaat ruled here.

“From the beginning, Maudslay understood that a three-dimensional record would be needed if the surviving Maya remains were to be fully analysed by future generations of archaeologists and epigraphers. To this end, he set about producing a complete set of moulds of the monoliths. Once shipped back to London, the moulds and resulting plaster casts were used to produce exact drawings of the glyphs, which were published with the photographs in his Archaeology (1889–1902), later bound to form a comprehensive record of the Maya ruins of Central America. The result was a magnificent work of documentation which, in the words of Maudslay’s biographer, is ‘valued as highly by modern scholars as it was by their predecessors a century ago’.

In the 1880s archeology, especially of a remote foreign site was far more Grand Theft Auto than it is today. At the time Mayan culture was little understood in the West and Mandalay’s exploration of the site, excavation and impressions were instrumental in our understanding Mayan language and culture. Mayan stelae can be found throughout Mayan lands sometimes standing ten meters or more these objects are thought to tell histories and reinforce Mayan rule. Celebrating kings and commemorating events these stelae gave real insight into the politics of Mayan life. The important Quirigua site also held squat zoomorphs or animal inspired shapes that show gods in the Mayan world. By taking their impressions and cataloging them in his tome; an impression of the site was transported around the world to be studied. Stratasys, Google, and CyArk are now doing a very similar much more high tech thing with 3D scanning and 3D printing. In Maudlays footprints they are finding a way to let us all study impressions of an unfathomable past.

Alfred Maudslay at Chichên Itzá.

Bryan Allen, a Design Technologist at Google, said:

“The project was to explore physically making these artifacts in an effort to get people hooked and excited about seeing pieces in a museum or research context. That’s when we turned to 3D Printing.” “With the new wave of 3D Printed materials now available, we’re able to deliver better colors, higher finish, and more robust mechanical properties; getting much closer to realistic prototypes and final products right off the machines. When we talk to arts and culture preservationists, historians, and museum curators, they’re all absolutely amazed by the ability to fabricate these things with such high fidelity via 3D printing technology,”

Rafie Grinvald, Enterprise Product Director of Rapid Prototyping, Stratasys, said:

“Combining rich colors and translucency in a single print, designers and engineers can build models with heightened levels of accuracy and realism – mirroring opaque or transparent structures, and even complex materials like rubber.”

CyArk has already done some amazing work worldwide in 3D scanning many of the world’s most well-known objects. Will more 3D scans mean that one could at one point download a museum? In the past, we’ve written about 3D Printing being used to let the visually impaired feel exhibits, and how exhibits could be touched by everyone, seen how Berlin’s museums have used 3D printing and 3D scanning and seen how you can restore things through 3D scanning and printing, We’ve also delved much deeper, looking into the ethics of 3D scanning exhibits. Could we open up a 100 3D printed British Museums worldwide? Could every classroom have access to many of the world’s most important objects? What do you think?