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Interview with Lorena James, Who Turns Invasive Species of Quagga Mussels Into 3D Printing Filament

Lorena James is a Sustainability Innovator within the Additive Manufacturing Industry. She is the founder of Z SPools, an award-winning Lake Erie-based startup that provides 3D solutions for invasive species. They manufacture a patent ending 3D printing filament out of zebra and quagga mussel shells – two of the most prominent invasive species in the Great Lakes. We’ve written about her great project before.

Give us a brief summary of your life experience and college experience that has gotten you to this point.

My senior year of high school I enrolled in an Entrepreneurial Studies course during which I was introduced to the world of entrepreneurship. Every month, I worked with a team of students to serve as consultants, solving issues faced by local entrepreneurs in my native Buffalo, NY. From golf ball manufacturing to urban farming, I learned a lot about the diverse experiences of entrepreneurs and the passion that guides them in their work. This inspired me to engage in my own entrepreneurial path for my senior thesis project. I was recommended by my entrepreneurial studies teacher to register for a competition called Erie Hack, a pitch competition with the goal of solving water quality and other environmental issues in cities around Lake Erie. This competition propelled me into my work with Z Spools. Through the ideation process up until the pitch day, I worked closely with mentors at my high school and the University at Buffalo. In the end, I won the high school portion of the competition and continued to work with Z Spools as I began the college career at Davidson College. Now, I continue my entrepreneurial path with the many resources available at Davidson including The Hub Entrepreneurial Center, Davidson’s Makerspace, and the Avinger Scholarship. Such work had inspired me to declare an Environmental Entrepreneurship major.

What makes you passionate about the environment?

My family has always been close to nature. I grew up tending to a lush backyard garden, fishing in the Finger Lakes, and hiking in the Niagara River Gorge. In addition, interest in my Native ancestry inspired my study under a local Iroquois medicine man. He owned a shop in my native Buffalo, NY where he sold various herbal remedies. I learned a lot about methods of natural healing and furthered my respect and appreciation for nature. So, when it came time for me to begin the ideation process for my aforementioned senior thesis project, I used inspiration from the natural world to guide me. The circular economy is a concept that is linked with sustainability as well as 3D printing.

How do you feel about the circular economy as a thought process?

Adopting circular economy as a thought process is crucial when applied to living a sustainable life. Such a way of thinking looks different for everybody. As I travel now through Asia this summer, I see that sustainable living looks different in Shanghai than it would in a city like Buffalo. But people inhabiting both of these cities can make little changes in their everyday lives to adopt a circular economy thought process and – in turn – live more sustainable. For example, think of the life cycle of a plastic bag. Such an item has many uses. While it may be initially used to hold grocery items, subsequent uses may include a shower cap or lunch bag. When applied to my work with Z Spools, I utilize such thought processes often, especially when trouble shooting my extrusion process. When an extrusion does not go as planned – maybe the extruded plastic is too thing or has air bubbles – I save the “wasted” plastic and use it for art pieces/sculptures that I create out of the malformed plastic.

What are important things to keep in mind when it comes to manufacturing and environmental sustainability?

Efficiency and life cycle are two important concepts to keep in mind when it comes to manufacturing and environmental sustainability. In terms of efficiency, I refer to the manufacturing process as a whole, but also the development portion. As this applies to manufacturing 3D printing filament, the process can be quite wasteful if one does not keep a detailed record of accurate extrusion temperatures and speeds – among other variables. If the temperature is too hot, then the filament will be too thin for use. If the extrusion speed is too fast, then the filament will be become malformed. This wastes extrusion materials but worry not. This is where life cycle comes into play. Life cycle applies to the creation, use, and post-use of a product. Even if a product has abnormalities and cannot be used for its intended purpose, the material – in this case malformed 3D printing filament – can be used for other purposes. It can be broken down and fed back through a filament extruder. Or, one could be a bit more creative and use the twisted, cracked material for art installations as I have done in the past.

What motivated you to start your startup while in college?

At Davidson, I receive a lot of mentorship and monetary support for my academic and professional endeavors. This is a time in my life where I have the support system to pursue my ambitions. Even if I fail, I have the flexibility and support to pivot without the worry of debt. In addition, it is a wonderful learning experience that enhances my studies as an Environmental Studies student. I am very humbled and grateful to be in such a position as a student at Davidson.

What does your startup do?

We manufacture a patent pending, biodegradable 3D printing filament made of invasive species found in the Great Lakes. We work specifically with zebra and quagga mussel shells, two of the most prominent invasive species in Lake Erie. We start by hand collecting zebra and quagga mussel shells off of beaches mostly in Buffalo, NY. When then process the shells so they can be used to make our filament. I am currently working with two partners (one in Akron, OH and another in Dublin, Ireland) to perfect this manufacturing process. We are also currently working to develop an educational component as to inform our customers about these invasive species and what can be done to lessen their impact on the environment. We are waiting to introduce our product to market until we receive results from our patent application.

What are your thoughts on issues and policies such as the Green New Deal?

It is possible to encourage sustainable living and environmental protection through private movements and enterprises, but their effects will be lessened without the support of public policy and government funding. Such policies are crucial for a more sustainable world. Environmental Sustainability is intrinsically linked with globalization and policy reform,

What do you wish to see in terms of political reform with the US and globally?

Applying my environmental studies to my studies in Shanghai, I believe that more policy should be formed around manufacturing practices in China as it pertains to sustainability. Improvements to manufacturing practices in China would improve many environmental problems in the country including issues of water and air quality. The US and other countries that commonly import goods manufactured or assembled in China also have an important role to play. Enterprises in countries that utilize China’s manufacturing capabilities should push for more sustainable manufacturing practices, because it is these enterprises that are creating the demand for such pollution inducing products.

Lastly, what are your goals for the next 5 years?

In the next five years, I hope to find a co-founder for Z-Spools and expand to become an invasive species consulting service. I wish to develop other methods to utilize invasive species as natural resources not just in the US but in other countries as well, starting in China.

The post Interview with Lorena James, Who Turns Invasive Species of Quagga Mussels Into 3D Printing Filament appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Interview with James Nordstrom of 3DPrintClean

James Nordstrom

James Nordstrom is the founder of 3DPrintClean, which specializes in 3D Printer Filtration and Safety Enclosures. They are looking to solve various issues in terms of safety and public health within the industry of 3D Printing.

What has gotten you to where you are now?

I spent 20 years in software IT, but I always had a fascination in engineering. I did a robotics project in 2010 and that taught me a lot about CAD and various skills. I also worked for various startups in my career.

Can you explain what you do with 3DPrintClean?

My brother’s girlfriend was into comic con. She was building a huge costume with 3D printed parts. Then my brother and I found research on filtration from the Illinois Institute of Technology on various articles on how emissions of 3D printing can be detrimental to one’s health. We then were able to build a prototype quickly. Then we became very involved as one of the first advocates of this. It was interesting as we first were selling a lot to Canada and Europe as they were very health sensitive. Then eventually America started to come around as well. This then allowed us to go more in depth with our solution as well. We started thinking about things like fire safety.

What are your thoughts on sustainability and the circular economy?

This is definitely something we have been thinking about. We have learned a ton about this. The amount of plastic produced with the plastic part and the scaffolding parts is large. PLA is a much better recycling material than typical plastic. If you put it in a landfill, it will not be recyclable. Recycling companies do not know what to do with the material. People use different filament types and that makes them impossible to recycle. There is some great work done in the space from companies like Filabot.

What are some typical areas of concern when a 3D printer is producing a part in terms of sustainability and safety?

Safety is our bread and butter. Filtration and unauthorized access are big areas of concern. I have seen teachers who have had problems as well. I also think it is important to know about the safety behind these materials as well. Resins are a huge problem as well. Metal Sintering powders are also very explosive as well. It is important to keep these things in mind when dealing with 3D Printing and the future of its development.

3D Print Clean

Can you talk about the technology behind 3DPrintClean’s fume and particle filtration system?

We developed proprietary solutions. Most filters do not do well based on the size of the particle. These go straight to your bloodstream when you inhale them. The filter tech addresses various nanoparticles. We also address VOC’s. We pride ourselves on being experts in this field. We constantly look for new ways to filter various products.

The filament side is really interesting. Then are loads of printers that are doing great in terms of safety, but some printers are prone to fire. One thing that shocked us about the filaments is that most printers state that they should be used in a well ventilated area. Everyone also moved to PLA because they thought it was safe.

PLA does produce ultrafine particles as well. This does not mean it is safe. It is especially important in the school when you have growing lungs. A dean from a school we go to used to be a toxicologist and she instantly realized the value of the work we were doing. She then mandated all of their 3D Printers should be using our ventilation systems.

What are some simple things we should all be aware of in terms of 3D printing safety?

I think knowing the basics about mechanical properties is important. Knowing about the heated head is important. Material handling is important especially in SLA printers. Really teaching people to wearing respirators is important. General post processing is important, but knowing about acetone as a flammable object is important. A lot of people used to make their own glue for the bed. One would take acetone and some plastic to make a slosh, but this is actually very dangerous. We realize that with all of these safety concerns taken care of it helps to make a higher quality print. When we have our enclosed system, it allows for air to not affect the temperature.

How important is public health within the growing trend of consumers using 3D printers?

Extremely. It is super critical. People are getting toys and they do not understand them. We have to make people aware of the challenges. It is not something you just put in your bedroom. Professional labs are important to be kept safe. How to be around these items is important. ABS is also flammable, so we have to think about all of these ignition spots.

What are the future plans of 3DPrintClean?

We are continuing to evolve our filters. We will also launch new sizes for printers. We will also continue to build new accessories. We will continue to improve and evolve based on what customers want. People have asked us for fire alarms and text communication to help them know about problems as a remote user. We are just making sure we cover our bases in terms of how we can aid our customers and their safety.

Recycled, 3D Knitted Shoe Company Rothy’s Announces New Funding

It’s hard to find a good pair of shoes that looks attractive and will last. And if you’re like me, you may sometimes feel guilt when you make new shoe or clothing purchases, knowing that you’re encouraging the use of more resources and materials, contributing to the massive consumption that is troubling the planet. That’s why, whenever possible, I try to shop at thrift stores, and I keep an eye out for clothing and shoe companies that are using recycled materials in their apparel. There aren’t enough of those companies out there yet, but one of them is Rothy’s, a shoe company that was founded in 2016 and makes its attractive ballet flats, loafers and sneakers from recycled plastic bottles.

Rothy’s also uses a 3D knitting technique to manufacture its shoes. 3D knitting, like 3D printing, wastes far less material than other manufacturing techniques. According to the company, its waste amounts to about six percent, compared to traditional companies that rack up about 37 percent waste. Its seamless knitting technique eliminates cutting and allows each shoe to be manufactured to exact size, resulting not only in less waste but in better fit.

The combination of sustainability, cool technology, and just overall nicely made, good-looking shoes has made Rothy’s a popular brand in its few years of existence. The company projected that its 2018 sales would reach $140 million, and it counts among its customers celebrities including Meghan Markle.

Recently, Rothy’s announced that it just raised $35 million in venture capital from Goldman Sachs Investment Partners. This brings the company’s total funding to $42 million.

“Rothy’s has achieved the rare combination of attributes we look for in a brand: a production process and product offering with differentiated IP, a passionately supportive and loyal customer base and rapid growth achieved through viral means,” said Ian Friedman, Co-head of the Venture Capital and Growth Equity team at Goldman Sachs. “We believe that Rothy’s has the opportunity to eliminate consumers’ historical need to compromise on style, comfort, or sustainability.”

Rothy’s employs 173 people at its factory in Dongguan, China. Lest you jump to any sweatshop conclusions, Rothy’s assures that it provides fair wages, living accommodations and daily meals to its workers in what it says is one of the “cleanest, safest, most state-of-the-art factories in the region.”

Since its founding, Rothy’s has recycled about 20 million plastic bottles. The company also uses carbon credits to fund Project Envira, which converts carbon emissions back into oxygen. Its office is powered entirely by wind, and it uses energy-efficient lights and appliances as well as environmentally friendly cleaning supplies. Rothy’s shoes are made to last, too – they’re even machine washable, and once they do wear out, they can be recycled through a partnership with PLUSfoam. If there’s such a thing as a guilt-free purchase, a pair of Rothy’s shoes may be it. They’re not cheap, with a pair of women’s shoes starting at $125, but if you’re willing to pay a bit more for good quality that lasts – along with all the social and environmental responsibility points – the price actually isn’t too bad.

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Purdue Researchers Form Startup for the 3D Printing of Energetic Materials

Allison Murray and Jeffrey Rhoads in 2017

Energetic materials are a class of material that contains high amounts of stored chemical energy that can be released, and they are used in everything from airbags to explosives. Last year, a team of researchers from Purdue University used 3D printed energetic materials to create a mini shock wave, and have since continued their work with these unique materials.

The researchers can safely 3D print energetic materials, featuring fine geometric features, for less money, at greater speeds. Now, Jeffrey Rhoads, a professor in the university’s School of Mechanical Engineering, has teamed up with several other colleagues, including former Purdue research assistant professor Emre Gunduz, to start a faculty-owned startup focused on making the energetic materials, like propellants, solid rocket fuels, and pyrotechnics, along with the 3D printers that can produce them.

Jeffrey Rhoads

Rhoads is now the COO of Next Offset Solutions, with Gunduz, now a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, as its CTO. The startup makes its energetic materials with a process – patented with help from the Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization – that allows the 3D printer to produce viscous materials, which have a clay-like consistency and can be difficult to extrude. The method makes it possible for the team to precisely, and safely, deposit the energetic materials.

Rhoads said, “It’s like the Play-Doh press of the 21st century.

“We have shown that we can print these energetic materials without voids, which is key. Voids are bad in energetic materials because they typically lead to inconsistent, sometimes catastrophic, burns.”

According to Rhoads, the startup’s 3D printer doesn’t use any solvents to lower the viscosity, which makes the process faster, more environmentally friendly, and less expensive. Additionally, the 3D printer is also much safer due to a remote control feature.

“You don’t have to have a person there interfacing with the system,” Rhoads explained. “That’s a big advantage from the safety standpoint.”

Monique McClain, a doctoral candidate in Purdue’s School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, demonstrates how it’s possible to 3D print extremely viscous materials.

The 3D printer functions a lot like more conventional 3D printers, with the exception of how it extrudes the highly viscous materials. High-amplitude ultrasonic vibrations are applied to the 3D printer’s nozzle, which lowers the friction on the nozzle walls and allows for more precise flow control of the material.

While Next Offset Solutions is mainly focused on producing energetic materials, it’s not adverse to further applications, other Purdue researchers have already used the startup’s novel method to 3D print things like personalized drugs and biomedical implants. For instance, because its 3D printing material has already been qualified by the departments of Defense and Energy, the startup hopes to provide its technology and products to the departments and their contractors.

The startup is also focusing on additional advanced evaluation, research, development, and testing in the 3D printing and energetic materials space. But its original research definitely aligns with the university’s Giant Leaps celebration as part of its 150th anniversary, which celebrates Purdue’s “global advancements in health.”

Purdue researchers have published several papers focusing on 3D printing energetic and viscous materials in the Additive Manufacturing journal, including:

Take a look at the video below to see the viscous material 3D printing process for yourself:

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[Source/Images: Purdue University]

3D Printed Kayaks and Augmented Reality are Part of Saving the Environment with Sweden’s Paper Province

By now, it’s clear that our environment needs a lot of help, or the consequences will be dire. While few seem to agree on what exactly is the best way to combat our environmental issues, plenty of governmental and other organizations across the world are taking important steps, using the resources that are available to them. In Sweden, one of those resources is the heavy forest growth across the country. Paper Province is an industrial cluster that aims to turn away from plastic and toward wood and paper-based products, taking advantage of Sweden’s abundant forest.

But won’t that lead to deforestation problems? Not at all – Paper Province, which is supported by the EU Cohesion Fund, plants three new trees for every one that is harvested, making sure that the forests remain healthy. European Union forests have actually been expanding over the past 60 years, in contrast with the world’s forests which have been shrinking.

One company working in the Paper Province industrial cluster is Melker Kayaks, owned by Pelle Stafshede. Stafshede uses a 3D printer that runs on corn and wood pellets to create his sustainable kayaks.

“I decided that I wanted to do the absolutely best-looking kayaks in the world combined with sustainability, thinking that I would change the industry completely,” he said. “That’s why it all happens when business understands that we also need to see the business value of going into the change from plastic into a fossil free future.”

Stafshede’s wood 3D printer is the largest in the world for that type of material, and it can print an entire kayak in only a few hours. Failed prints are no big deal, as they can easily be shredded and recycled. The kayaks are printed with a honeycomb structure that makes them both stiff and lightweight. 3D printing has shown itself to be an effective method of fabricating kayaks and canoes, and Melker kayaks have the added benefit of being completely sustainable.

Paper Province is heavy on the use of advanced technology, beyond just 3D printing. 21-year-old Sophie is a driver of a gripper crane, which she uses augmented reality glasses to control. She enjoys her work, and points to Paper Province’s emphasis on gender equality in the workplace. The cluster encourages its businesses to hire women in traditionally “male” jobs.

“There are starting to be more and more women in this sector of activity, I think,” Sophie commented. “You see a lot of women driving big trucks like this one, and also other types of trucks.”

Much of the world believes that fossil fuels and plastics are indispensable to industry, but Paper Province is working to prove that that isn’t the case. It’s unlikely that fossil fuels will ever be done away with completely, but environmental initiatives like this one show that our reliance on them doesn’t have to be nearly so heavy – there are, in fact, alternatives. Paper Province is no fringe group, either – currently the cluster has 103 member companies with a total annual turnover of about €2.2 billion.

Concerns have been expressed, justifiably, about 3D printing’s effects on the environment – after all, it does use a lot of plastic. But companies like Melker Kayaks demonstrate that even 3D printing doesn’t have to rely on tons of plastic, but can instead take advantage of more sustainable and recyclable materials.

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.

[Source: EuroNews]

3D Printing News Briefs: July 10, 2018

We’re starting things off with a little business in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, then moving on to news from the medical and construction industries, and finishing up with a few fun stories to make you smile. First up, Jeff Immelt, the former CEO of General Electric, has joined the board at Desktop Metal, and an industrial 3D printer distributor is offering a new cleaning unit by Omegasonics to its customers. Moving on, Insight Medical and Onkos Surgical are exploring the use of augmented reality in musculoskeletal oncology together, while Australian researchers introduced a new model for large-scale 3D facial recognition and a family has officially moved into the Nantes 3D printed house. Finally, a vegan confection startup is selling its popsicles, made with 3D printed molds, at select Starbucks locations in Los Angeles, and an EnvisionTEC 3D printer is being used to create characters for a stop motion series about superheroes.

Desktop Metal Board Welcomes Jeff Immelt

Jeffrey Immelt

Leading metal 3D printing company Desktop Metal, located near Boston, was founded three years ago with the goal of making metal 3D printing an essential tool for engineers and manufacturers. The company announced today that it has elected a new member to its Board of Directors – Jeffrey Immelt, the Chairman and CEO of GE until he retired from the company last year after 16 years. Immelt, who began his tenure only days before 9/11 and skillfully led GE through the crisis, has decades of experience, and is regarded as one of the most accomplished, innovative business technology leaders in the world. This makes him a valuable asset as Desktop Metal continues to grow.

“I am excited and honored to join the Desktop Metal board and work with this exceptional team of visionary entrepreneurs. Since it was founded nearly three years ago, Desktop Metal has become a trailblazer across the additive manufacturing landscape and I have a tremendous respect for the company’s ability to innovate,” said Immelt. “I look forward to sharing my experiences and contributing to the future direction and growth of this emerging metal 3D printing pioneer.”

Dr. Ken Washington, CTO and Vice President of Research and Advanced Engineering at the Ford Motor Company, was also recently appointed to the Desktop Metal board.

Industrial 3D Printer Distributor Offering Customers New Omegasonics Cleaning Unit

815BTX

Plural Additive Manufacturing, which is the exclusive North American distributor for industrial 3D printers by 3ntr, is offering the new 815BTX cleaning unit from ultrasonic cleaning systems leader Omegasonics to customers who purchase its 3D printers. The versatile and cost-effective unit is the 3D printing market’s first dual tank/dual action bench top ultrasonic cleaning machine, and can help easily remove water soluble support material.

The left tank of the 815BTX uses a biodegradable cleaning detergent developed by Plural, called BioSolv, while the right tank uses hot water; the model’s dual action then ensures the safe and efficient cleaning of 3D printed parts. The 815BTX also has programmable alternating cycles for hands-off cleaning.

“3ntr manufacturers’ of 3D printers utilize a variety of support materials, some require chemicals for support removal, while others need only hot water. The 815BTX eliminates the need to have two separate cleaning machines or deal with the cost of frequent cleaning detergent changes to get the job done,” explained Frank Pedeflous, the President of Omegasonics. “It’s an all-in-one solution.”

Onkos Surgical and Insight Medical Exploring Augmented Reality in Musculoskeletal Oncology

California medical device company Insight Medical Systems has partnered with Onkos Surgical, Inc. on a pilot project to explore different applications and opportunities for using Insight Medical’s ARVIS (Augmented Reality Visualization and Information System) headset in musculoskeletal oncology, and possibly tumor surgery. Still under development, ARVIS uses its tracking and visualization capabilities to deliver efficient and precise surgical plan execution. The headset can project virtual models of a specific patient’s anatomy and implants into a surgeon’s field of view during a procedure, in order to show hidden anatomical structures and important measurements.

“Onkos Surgical is investing heavily in capabilities and technology to bring innovation to musculoskeletal oncology surgeons,” said Onkos CEO and Co-Founder Patrick Treacy. “Augmented reality technology has the potential of simplifying the complex and providing surgeons with input and feedback that may improve the precision of surgical planning and interoperative workflow. This technology fits well with our portfolio of Precision Oncology solutions.”

University of Western Australia Introduces New Model for Large-Scale 3D Facial Recognition

2D facial recognition is used often for applications in the IT, security, and surveillance industries, and relies on a computer model to know whether a person is legitimate or not. But this method has several issues, such as data being easily accessible online, which aren’t the case with more advanced 3D models. 3D models can address changes in facial expression, poses, scale, and texture, but the data can be hard to gather. Now, researchers from the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at the University of Western Australia (UWA) have developed a first of its kind system that can complete large-scale 3D facial recognition. The researchers, who published a paper on their work in Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, analyzed 3.1 million 3D scans of over 100,000 people, and trained the innovative new 3D Facial Recognition model (FR3DNet) to learn the identities of a large dataset of ‘known’ persons, then match a test face to one.

Dr. Syed Zulqarnain Gilani, who created the 3D model, said, “With off-the-shelf 3D cameras becoming cheap and affordable, the future for pure 3D face recognition does not seem far away.

“Our research shows that recognition performance on 3D scans is better and more robust. Your 3D scan could be in any pose, wearing glasses or a face mask, and laughing or just smiling and the deep model can recognise you in an instant.

“We hope that this research will help improve security on devices that use facial recognition to grant access to networks and systems.”

Nantes 3D Printed House Welcomes First Tenants

In 2017, a collaborative team of researchers in France began an ambitious project where an industrial 3D printer and a patented concrete construction process called BatiPrint3D were used to build a five-room house in just days. This spring, after 54 hours of 3D printing and four months of contractors adding the roof, windows, and doors, the team finished the 95-square-meter, environmentally-friendly YHNOVA house in the district of Nantes Bottière. The house features wheelchair access and digital controls, and its curved walls are said to reduce the effects of humidity. But it still only cost around £176,000 to build – 20% cheaper than an identical house manufactured with traditional methods. Now, the NMH Housing Award Committee has allocated the house to a French family, and Nordine and Nouria Ramdani, along with their three children, are being hailed as the world’s first family to live in a 3D printed house.

Nordine said, “It’s a big honour to be a part of this project.

“We lived in a block of council flats from the 60s, so it’s a big change for us.

“It’s really something amazing to be able to live in a place where there is a garden, and to have a detached house.”

The THNOVA team now believes they can 3D print the same house in just 33 hours.

Dream Pops Selling 3D Printed Popsicles at LA Starbucks

Vegan confection startup Dream Pops, headquartered in Los Angeles, creates organic, gluten- and soy-free, and vegan popsicles that are tasty, healthy, and made using 3D printed molds. These premier dairy-free popsicles consist of fruit and superfoods pureed together and cooled inside the molds at an accelerated rate with liquid nitrogen. Now, the startup has announced that its sweet treats are now available at five select Starbucks locations in the city – Third Street Promenade, La Brea and 4th, San Vincente and Barrington, Melrose and Stanley, and Wilshire and Santa Monica. The vegan ice cream pops, each of which contain fewer than 100 calories and seven grams of sugar, comes in five distinct flavors: Berry Dreams, Coconut Latte, Mango Rosemary, Vanilla Matcha, and a Dream Flight, which includes all four flavors.

“Our aim is to become the Willy Wonka of plant-based confections starting with our first product the Dream Pop and extending into adjacent better-for-you desserts,” said Dream Pops Co-Founder and CEO David Greenfield.

Dream Pops’ popsicles will be available at these Starbucks locations until October 5th.

3D Printed Stop Motion Characters

3D printing has been used many times to help create characters and backdrops for ads and commercials, music videos, and even movies that use popular stop motion animation. If you’re a fan of the stop motion show Robot Chicken, then you might also recognize the name of the full-service production company that creates it. California-based Stoopid Buddy Stoodios specializes in developing and producing stop-motion, CG, and 2D animated content, and also creates an animated stop motion comedy series called SuperMansion. The studio fabricates most of the show’s characters with a Perfactory 3D printer from EnvisionTEC.

“By utilizing 3D printing, we’re able to tell a story about superheroes and love and conflict and action and adventure,” said Kei Chong, Digital Design Supervisor at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios.

To learn more, check out the video below.

3D Printing for Animation | Stoopid Buddy Stoodios from EnvisionTEC on Vimeo.

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