3D Printing News Briefs: December 26, 2019

For your holiday edition of 3D Printing News Briefs, we’ll get business out of the way first – Wipro 3D has launched Addwize, a new Additive Technology Adoption and Acceleration Program. Moving on, Prusa interviewed animatronic model senior designer Joshua Lee about their shared interest in 3D printing. Finally, Voodoo Manufacturing helped an artist bring her 2D artistic vision to full-sized 3D life.

Wipro 3D Introduces Addwize Program

Scale vendors: Foundation – blue; Advanced – green; Practitioner – orange

Additive manufacturing solutions provider Wipro 3D, a business of Wipro Infrastructure Engineering, has launched a new Additive Technology Adoption and Acceleration Program called Addwize, which will address all the phases in the AM adoption cycle within academia and industry. The multi-platform, OEM-agnostic adoption program will help interested organizations and institutions fully understand 3D printing, evaluate business cases for the technology, and then scientifically use it to create value. It’s designed to help stakeholders of all levels, and academia, adopt and scale their usage of AM for business benefits.

“Wipro 3D addwize™ is designed and developed to support any organization or institution who is either evaluating metal Additive technology, has AM in their near future technology roadmap or has already invsted in AM, create business value using metal AM,” said Ajay Parikh, Vice President and Business Head, Wipro 3D.

“There is no lower or upper limit to the size of the organization who wants to evaluate AM.”

Prusa Interviews Animatronic Model Designer Joshua Lee

Not too long ago, the Research Content Team at Prusa met award-winning animatronic model senior designer Joshua Lee in Prague, who has over 25 years of experience in the film industry working on such movies as Prometheus, The Fifth Element, and even the Star Wars and Harry Potter series. The team took advantage of the opportunity to speak with Lee about a topic near and dear to all their hearts – 3D printing, which he uses often in his work.

“We use a lot of different techniques of 3D printing in the filming industry,” Lee told Prusa. “We only really adopted it in the last 5 years. I am really using it a lot now.

“The thing I like the most is how 3D printers help when you have really tight deadlines. The film director has a new idea and you just wish there were more hours in a day. We used to do a lot of “all-nighters” to get things made. If you’ve got your own 3D printer, you can design something quickly, press print and you can go home to bed – that’s the best thing! In the morning, you are up and running again and this amazing print awaits you there. I still get a small thrill, every time I come in and see this thing that has magically appeared there overnight.”

To hear more of what Lee had to say about the materials he uses (PLA and PETG), his preferred desktop printer (Original Prusa MK3), and specific Star Wars-related projects he used 3D printing for, check out the rest of the interview in the video below:

Voodoo Manufacturing Assists with 3D Printed Art Installation

Back in 1976, artist Agnes Denes created a 2D art piece called Probability Pyramid – Study for Crystal Pyramid, and has long since dreamed of turning into a life-size installation. In early 2019, her dream seemed like it would become reality when NYC-based art space The Shed began working with her on the project. The team didn’t have much luck with acrylic, glass, or mold injection, and so turned to Brooklyn’s Voodoo Manufacturing for assistance. There were a lot of requirements for the project – the Pyramid required several groups of bricks in unique sizes and shapes, totaling 5,442 translucent bricks that could be stacked to easily transport and form the pyramid; Voodoo 3D printed bricks that were 99% hollow, so they were less breakable and very lightweight.

“A lot of traditional manufacturing happens abroad. Because Voodoo’s factory is in Brooklyn, the team at The Shed would have an easier time accessing the parts as the sculpture was built. By the same token, as part of her commitment to environmental responsibility, it was very important for Agnes Denes to keep the production local,” Voodoo explained.

“The use of 3D printing was much more in line with her vision than traditional sculpture construction methods. This also allowed us to test multiple versions of the Pyramid digitally instead of having to build many physical versions.”

Thanks to Voodoo’s digital factory, the exhibition Agnes Denes: Absolutes and Intermediates opened on time. The retrospective, which features the 3D printed installation, will be displayed at The Shed until March 22, 2020.

Discuss these stories and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below. 

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3DPOD Episode 14: Consumer and Affordable 3D Printers

This 3DPod Episode is filled with opinion. Here we look at our favorite affordable desktop 3D printers. We evaluate what we want to see in a printer and how far these machines have come. There is a new emerging category of printers priced from around $100 to $800 that are increasingly being sold in their thousands. With these machines, there is definitely some “buyer beware” to consider. But, even though some have caught flames these low-cost machines are opening up 3D printing to tens of thousands of new users. Do you agree with our choices of which printers we like? What other ones did we forget? Many of the 3D printers discussed here can be found in the 2019 3D printing buying guide.

Velo3D’s Zach Murphy talks about Velo’s technology and development.

We interview Formalloy’s Melanie Lang on directed energy deposition.

Greg Paulsen of Xometry talks to us about 3D printing applications.

Here we discuss 3D Printing in space.

We interview pioneering designer Scott Summit as he crosses Amsterdam on a bicycle.

Janne is another pioneering designer in 3D Printing.

3D Printing in Medicine.

3D Printed Guns.

Interview with 3D Scanning pioneer Michael Raphael.

3D Printers in the classroom, panacea or not?

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, what is happening now?

We’re all going to live forever with bioprinting.

The first episode: Beyond PLA.

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3D Printing Buying Guide 2019

What a difference a year makes. Once again we’ve seen some monumental shifts and changes in the 3D printing landscape for desktop 3D printers. At the low-end competition has been murderous with many players forced from the market. In the midrange and higher-end systems, we see more sophistication and refinement. Many vendors are improving their systems to cater to users in reliability and usability here. Compared to only a few years ago, 3D printing is becoming much more accessible and cost-effective to do. In higher-end systems, we are getting easy to use systems that are accurate and reliable. 3D printing is still not simple, but it is getting much better for you, the user.

We created this guide to be a resource for you. We hope that we can help you find some systems that are worth considering at every price point.

The desktop 3D printing market consists of low-cost desktop 3D printers for around $500, midrange systems for approximately $1,000 and Pro systems for above $2,500.

Low-Cost Desktop 3D Printers
In low-cost systems, printers barely work or function intermittently. There is often some assembly required and a lot of tweaking to be done. With Tender Loving Care, these printers can work. They’re for those who are budget constrained or want to impulse buy a printer. I’d recommend them to someone who likes to hardware hack and modifies things but not if you’re going to print a lot of stuff. It would be perfect for the mechanical engineering student who has time to invest in improving it.

It’s worth noting that specifically in this segment, paid reviews, and affiliate links are the norm. Due to this, many may have gotten have an overly optimistic view of these printers. Many reviews online contain falsehoods and over claim. Simultaneously some marketing tactics employed by players in this market segment are deplorable. They include behavior such as negatively reviewing each other’s printers. In some cases, companies are claiming that a competitor’s printer has had disastrous failures or fires (additionally, sometimes these things actually catch fire as well). Even for our market, this is very cowboy territory, so buyer beware.

XYZ Printing Da Vinci Nano $221

The Da Vinci Nano has a tiny build volume, but this compact printer has an enclosed printer that comes with software and anything you need to get started for $249. Print quality is not stellar, but the ease of use, especially out of the box is good.

Monoprice MP Select Mini Pro (V3) $199

In aluminium, I also think this looks fantastic.

Monoprice is good at improving and rebadging existing printers and selling them at extremely low price points. The previous versions of the Select Mini V3 built up quite a following. This printer engendered a lively Facebook group that helped you support and improve the machine. In some cases, it seems to have gotten out of hand with people spending much more on upgrades than on the base machine. Although there is a lot to be said for sticking to the old V2 version, given how much information is out there on how to hack it, the new V3 irons out a lot of kinks for a low price. Build volumes are small, but this still is a competent printer that’s relatively easy to use.

Creality Ender 3 $229

The Ender is a value-engineered printer with a large build volume that needs tweaking, love, and care. By no means a high-quality experience or part. But, if you do give it that care this can turn out to be a real workhorse for you.

Anet A8 Plus $249 

I’ll probably get a lot of flack for this since the previous version had issues with catching fire. Reviewers that I know and trust however have managed to run this one without any hitch for months now. Simple and a lot of bang for your buck, now with an aluminum frame.

JG Aurora A5S $399

There seem to be some QC issues with the JG Aurora printers but there is a community to help you with that. Some people are ecstatic with them while others complain of assembly and wiring issues. At any other price point, I’d find this difficult to recommend, but the results that selected people have been getting from this machine are stellar.

Flashforge Adventurer 3 $449

I love this thing. It’s enclosed, relatively well built and for around $400 to $500 is a great buy. Flashforge has been plugging away at making better and better printers for years now, and this one seems a real winner. There is no real community around this printer yet, but it’s worth the extra money to have more ease of use. Heated bed, wifi, filament end detection, cloud printing, simple nozzle removal, it packs a lot of features. The only super annoying thing is that it limits you to using 0.5 Kg rolls of filament which means that you have to spool on a smaller spool interesting filaments.

Wanhao Duplicator 7 $430

We are seeing a huge expansion in low-cost DLP and SLA systems. Partially due to consumer interest and partly because these systems have few moving parts, these are becoming more available. Better optics and lower cost light sources from LCD, DLP and other sources are also feeding this trend. There is a massive amount of systems out there now. The one with a track record at $500 is the Duplicator. Please be careful with all SLA and DLP resins, but the fine detail will amaze at this price point.

Midrange Desktop 3D Printers
Midrange systems are best for people who want to print parts. They are more reliable than entry-level systems and have components that last longer. With a lot of tweaking, some of these systems provide high-quality parts. Official Prusa i3s, for example, can with correct tweaking make great parts even for manufacturing. We’re seeing better prints in this category and more things such as touchscreens while automated bed leveling is becoming commonplace. In this category, more people are paying attention to the ecosystem, so looking at filaments, settings, and software to enable better prints and better user experience.

Prusa i3 MK3S $999

The best just got better. The Original is an amazing assembled 3D printer for $999. If you want a first printer, buy this one. If you want a printer to hack, modify, and improve, buy this one. If you want a motion stage for your bioprinting lab, buy this. Well calibrated Prusa’s make some of the highest quality FDM 3D prints out there. Yes, there is a steep learning curve for a beginner, but this could be your first printer and your last one as well.

Craftbot Plus $999 

A Craftbot Plus is an excellent printer to buy for around $999 while the Craftbot XL is a large build volume workhorse for $1900. I love what Hungarian firm Craftbot is doing on software, support and most of all on building these reliable fire and forget 3D printers that are a dream to use.

Pro 3D Printers
Pro 3D printers are meant to be used for businesses. Generally, more effort has been put into ease of use, component quality of the hardware, user-friendliness of screens and software as well as print quality. Build volumes and speeds should be higher as should overall performance. These printers now are approaching “printing with a few clicks and some user knowledge,” and hopefully we’ll see more “fire and forget” and less “guess your way to a part” in the future.

Formlabs Form 3 $3500

Uniquely, Formlabs has a wholly integrated vision for the desktop from materials to manuals and software. Formlabs top-down ecosystem means that you are constrained to a certain degree. But, in place of this comes an ease of use that other systems simply do not have at all. The Form 3 comes with more refinement in software, sensors, and better screen removal, which should enable more accurate parts with both more extensive and more delicate cross-sections. The Form 3 is new, so it has a limited track record as of today. If you want to opt for more of a track record, get a Form 2. This is still the best desktop SLA and one of the best printers out there.

Ultimaker S5 $6000

The S5 is a reliable printer that can repeatably make FDM parts with a lot of accuracy. $6000 is a lot of change when compared to a lot of other printers out there. If you want ease of use and are using this as a central printer for your office or just want the least total headaches, then the S5 is a great tool. I’m still in love with the print cores feature of these machines and their overall simplicity for me as a user.

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Prusa Publishes Hardware and Firmware Updates for 3D Printers, Ships over 130,000 Printers

Josef Prusa

It’s time for another one of Prusa‘s popular updates on its various hardware and firmware! The company makes sure its customers always know about the latest new products and improvements to its many products. The winter 2019 update is, in founder Josef Prusa’s words, “a pretty massive one,” as the company has continued to grow and reached a milestone 100,000 3D printers shipped.

“We are actually working on a short documentary how we got (literally) from a basement to this level, I am beyond excited to show you parts of the story you never saw and I’m pretty sure you will love it, too,” Prusa wrote.

Prusa conducted a product survey, and the results helped the company shape the updates for its Original Prusa MK3S and MMU2 printers. One helpful piece of constructive criticism the survey provided was that the filament sensor on the MK3S didn’t work well with some filaments, so it now features a reworked extruder with a new sensor.

“The new sensor is using the optical sensor which is triggered by a simple mechanical lever,” Prusa explained. “This sensor doesn’t care about the optical properties of the filament (it can be completely invisible) and cannot die because of mechanical wear.”

The mechanism of the re-worked filament sensor (part is black on production printers, orange is for demonstration)

Users also wanted easier servicing of the extruder assembly, so now the extruder motor and nozzle are closer to the X-axis for better prints, and you no longer have to take it apart to change the PTFE or nozzle. Additionally, the cumulative updates from the MK3’s whole life cycle are included.

The new MK3S is available from the Prusa e-shop for $749 – the same price as the MK3. You can also purchase an upgrade kit for the MK3 to the MK3S, and for the MK2.5 to the MK2.5S. The company is no longer accepting orders for the Original Prusa i3 MK2S kit and assembled printer, but does have all replacements in stock for long-term support.

The MK3 and MK3S also have new print profiles, which users can get through the Slic3r PE 1.41.3 or newer, found in Prusa’s updated drivers. There’s now a 70μm profile – perfect for printing miniatures – and both the 150μm Optimal and 200μm profiles were split into Quality and Speed versions.

“While the MK3 results in the survey were literally amazing, customer’s feedback to MMU2 wasn’t what we imagined. Although many of you print with five filaments without any hassle, there are users facing several issues with multi-material printing – usually related to reloading the filament and secondly from the filament getting tangled as the MMU2 is unloading filament from the five spools,” Prusa wrote.

“Before I even start about MMU2S, I have to tell you, that every current owner of MMU2 will be getting the upgrade to the MMU2S (self-printed parts for the extruder upgrade) for free no matter where in the world you are.”

While Prusa was redesigning the extruder for the MK3S, the company wanted to also solve the MMU2 reloading problems. So with the new mod, the filament sensor actually detects when the filament pushes Bondtech gears apart and the idler doors open a little. Prusa spent two months testing the MMU2S, printing nearly 480 test blocks to test the frequent switching of five filaments, and over 93% were completed successfully.

Prusa printed two types of blocks – one took 19 hours to print (607 filament changes), the other 70 hours (3,520 filament changes)

“To summarize everything, with MMU2S you will get the new MK3S/MK2.5S extruder parts (with new filament sensor) and the new filament buffer,” Prusa wrote.

Prusa also released new firmware builds with support for MK3 / MK2.5( 3.5.2) and MK3S / MK2.5S (3.5.3), including a new way to control the power of the heatbed so the PSU clicking noise is decreased.

The company has shipped over 10,000 textured sheets, which are notoriously hard to manufacture. So Prusa built its own testing lab to inspect the entire process, and after making some improvements, the sheets are now specially treated to prevent rust even in extreme humidity.

Internal and external beta testing of the company’s Original Prusa SL1 resin 3D printer provided great results, and the system was officially released in September. After fixing some hardware issues, Prusa turned its focus to improving the calibration process, user experience, and automatic supports in Slic3r PE. Additionally, over 100 types of resin have their own profiles in Slic3r PE, and as it’s an open source printer, people can “use pretty much any 405nm resin.”

Speaking of Slic3r PE, the team continues to grow, and Prusa has a goal of developing the best slicer for every 3D printer, and not just its Original Prusas. So far, the company is doing pretty well, as Slic3r PE is free, receives regular new features and bug fixes, and is improved based on user feedback.

Finally, in terms of Prusament, the company continues to work on increasing its production capacity for the popular filament, and Prusa explained that “our goal is to achieve a non-stop production with fully robotic operators.”

Interview with Ganit Goldstein on Craft, Technology, Fashion & 3D Printing

Ganit Goldstein

Ganit Goldstein is a Designer whose interest lies in the intersection between Craft and Technology. Ganit studied Jewelry and Fashion. She received the Excellence Award from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem, Israel. Her work is focusing on new methods of incorporating 3D Printing into the world of Textiles, Shoes and Fashion. In her Collection ‘Between The Layers’, she created garments and shoes, inspired by her study of ‘IKAT’ weaving in Tokyo, Japan. Her collection received great interest and immediate press recognition, and was presented at Exhibitions and Museums around the world including Milan Design week, New York Textile Month, Asian Art Musuem – San Francisco, Holon Design Museum, ‘TALENTE’ exhibition in Munich and more. Ganit Goldstein believes in an interdisciplinary approach to design- mixing Tradition with Futuristic techniques – 3D printing & 3D body scanning.

Give us some background on your experiences so far.

I studied at Bezalel Academy of Arts in Design and majored in the department of Fashion and Jewelry. Since my first year of study, I was fascinated by using 3D design software, especially because of the design-freedom it allowed me. During my studies, I have often incorporated tools from other disciplines into my work, whether it is CNC, laser cutting, 3D scanning and 3D printing. The use of different tools and mindsets helped me discover my own desig language.

During my third year of study, I was expected to participate in an exchange student program. My decision was to apply for the opposite direction of what I was used to. Meaning, the opposite of the cutting-edge technology field. I found my way to the Craft Department ’Textile Art’ program at Tokyo University of the Arts – GEIDAI. During this time, every single process of my designs was made using traditional handmade techniques. Meaning, I turned completely low-tech, changing my entire thinking structures and patterns. That was very significant for me in terms of expanding my horizons and changing my view on design. Talk about stepping out of your comfort zone! When I finished my studies in Tokyo, I went back to Jerusalem to finish my final project. That’s when I decided to combine the traditional methods I recently learned, with the latest technology I was working on before. This was translating both worlds of the past and future into one design language.

Since my graduation, I was lucky to participate as a finalist in four international competitions, presented my projects in New York Textile Month, Hong Kong Fashion Week, Asian Art Museum- San Francisco and ‘Talente’ exhibition in Munich. These competitions helped me a lot to reach my goals, discover possibilities, and meet great people that influence my work until this day.

Craft and Technology Outfit

When did you first get excited about fashion and design?

I was excited to mix the borders between art and fashion, back in high school, when my project consisted of dresses made from broken glass and metal wires. I was looking at garments as a platform to make art pieces, that aren’t necessarily meant to be worn, but rather a manifestation of aesthetics, culture, language, and design. 

One exhibition that is very powerful in my memory is a solo exhibition (2014) of Iris Van  Herpen at the Design Museum Holon. The exhibition was very special and it featured beautiful outfits, that crossed borders between art, fashion, and futuristic techniques. It was influential for me because it dealt, or perhaps answered the question of whether fashion can be presented at museums as art pieces.  

When you did your first 3D printing project with fashion?

As part of my second-year curriculum study, we were asked to reconstruct costumes from the 18th- 19th centuries. I was asked to build an entire costume, made up of 7 different layers, just as it was made back in the history of fashion. The dress I was assigned to reconstruct is held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Costume Institute collections) – from the year 1870. This decade was a “golden decade” for lace dresses.  In the next semester, we were asked to think about the outfit in a modern perspective, and I was focusing on the lace. I decided to design and create a 3D lace of our times, based on algorithms printed with hard material, combining flexible properties inside the printed part. This was the first time I used 3D printing as an integral working method in my designs, and that’s when I discovered the huge potential in using algorithms, software and parametric design in the process of my work.

During my studies, and especially due to this project, I began working closely with the Institute of Chemistry – Casali Center at the Hebrew University, for innovative research in 3D printing. The research group, led by Prof. S. Magdassi, focuses on materials science, nanotechnology and their applications in a variety of fields such as 3D and functional printing.

This collaboration gave me the opportunity to work with great researchers, and thus better understand the different approach for material research studies, working on innovations in the field of 3D printing.

How important is the differentiation of fully created 3D printed items vs hybridized fashion products from textiles and 3D printed material?

The harmony of putting together two different worlds makes the innovation approach, and bring forward a new way of thinking about design. I believe in taking the essence of the traditional techniques from our past and translate those methods to the new technology- a different point of view from the traditional technique inside the process of the newest technology.

I feel it is important to make the hybrid of textiles and 3D printing together because it has the power to bring 3D printing to a much more wearable level. I also understand that fully 3D printed fashion is still in a building stage, and the combination of traditional textile methods helps this method is growing quicker. Hybridized craft methods in 3D printing are important in my opinion because we should not lose sight of the traditional processes. Technology will always move forward, but craft methods can disappear easily. I believe it is important for the designers also to remember the traditional working processes, not to lose the history of crafts. Bridging the craft methods and technology to move forward with the latest technology.

Craft and Technology Shoe

What are some of your favorite projects that you have worked on in 3D printing?

Seeing the first 3D printed multi-color shoes that were made in collaboration with Stratasys was an extremely exciting moment. In these shoes, my aim was to create a fabric-like texture inside the printing process. I couldn’t hope for better results. Since my graduation presentation, the shoes were presented in exhibitions worldwide (the last exhibition was in Milan Design Week 2019). Most of the people I have met during the exhibitions were sure the shoes are made from fabric and not from 3D printing. The shoes are now part of the Holon Design Museum permanent collection, they were the first pair I made together with Stratasys. We made a few more designs, but nothing compares to the success and joy that was brought by my first pair.

One of the most exciting projects that has had a huge impact on my projects so far, was working in collaboration with Intel ‘RealSense’ studio in Jerusalem. We incorporated their technology into the design process by 3D scanning an entire body thus allowing to create customized fashion and accessories, designed for a specific person. We also launched together an AR App (made together with Yoav from RealSense Studio) that demonstrates the 3D printing process using a hologram featured on the reality).

Another very exciting collection will be soon launched together in collaboration with Prusa Research company for FDM processes of wearable shoes. I worked closely with their maker-lab, and we made huge progress, the shoes are 100% wearable with multi-color and flexible materials!

Stratasys and Goldstein Collaboration

What is currently being worked on for you within the 3D printing world?

I am a great believer in collaboration and partnership with great people and open-minded companies. I want to continuously break boundaries, that is my core value, and I understand that in order to do that, I must turn to other disciplines and utilize what they have to offer. The ability to combine both worlds of past and future technique has a big impact on both my past and current projects. This is my take on the future of the 3D printing world.

Harnessing the power of the new technology and utilizing traditional techniques helped me create my own design language. I think that the ability to be open minded in the design process enables me to achieve my goals. I am a great believer of trying new methods, and not putting limits. This works because the design process has ups and downs, and from some failures and material tryout, you can reach better-designed results.

How was it to partner with Stratasys so early on in your journey?

My 3D printing journey started in a small room in my parent’s house, which I filled with 2 desktop printers. That room became my very own printing lab, where I got to experience, try-out materials and utilize the good old “trial and error” method.

I was fortunate enough to gain that experience, because I believe that is what enabled me to work with a “tip of the spear” company such as Stratasys.

The collaboration with Stratasys established after I had many “flight hours”, examples and tryouts. We partnered up during my last year studies. As my vision was to integrate colors inside my printed projects, They allow me to carry out my vision and turn it into reality. I’ve been incredibly lucky, and honored, especially knowing it came at such an early stage of my career. And it also makes me very proud.

I worked closely with the R&D team, and therefore, we shared the same vision of pushing the boundaries of the technology through design research. During the making process, we made some very interesting tryouts with the ability to control any voxel (3D pixel). At the same time, our research was growing, I made it into the final stage of numerous worldwide competitions and exhibitions (‘Talente’ & Milan Design Week), so we were continuing our collaboration for specific events that lead to new developments and exciting processes in each of the projects.

Woven 3D Print Shoes

Do you wish to branch out of just 3D printing? 

I wish to further develop in the field of augmented/virtual reality.

3D printing is already well integrated into our lives and in many industries. From medicine to automobiles, furniture, military equipment, housing, fashion, etc.

I believe in the future of 3D printing and its applications. I also believe that 3D printing is directly linked to 3D scanning and ARVR applications and that this technology will completely alter the user experience in public sites and will be adding new features to the digital medium.

The adoption of the technology by museums to reach new levels of audience experience- multi sensational- rather than just viewing. I believe AR will soon be in every museum, using the newest technology for public use, and even controlling our experiences in different senses- not just by looking at an art piece.

I’m also very interested in the smart- textile field, adding new reactions for textile by using programming software. I find especially the 4D printing process very interesting topic to work on, creating 3D objects that change their shape over time.

What are some key skills needed to be a designer within the 3D printing world?

I believe that the main key is determination. Not to be afraid of failure. 3D printing can be very attractive on the one hand, but on the other hand, it is a relatively new technology, there are some limits and tons of failures in the making process. It takes time unti you figure out the path to the final project, it takes time and extra effort.

Being a Maker- For me, to be a designer in the 3D printing world means to be a ‘maker’, I believe in hard work from the beginning. You need to be experimental with many technology techniques. Building your own printer and so on are examples of how I describe a ‘maker’.

Professionalism and expertise- 3D designing and printing is just like programming. You must “study the language”. You must learn the 3D software skills, be an expert in your field. Luckily, in our times, this information is approachable by everybody via the internet. It is possible to study everything you set your mind to, every single feature is fully covered.

Independence and self-confidence – I believe to fully be in control of your designs, anyone that wishes to be a designer in the 3D printing world, should do the work on his own, and not rely on others people’s skills. The making process changes the way the final object will appear, and for me, this is the main freedom space, that you have the ability to bring your design from your imagination into reality and constantly improve it upon your request.

Who are organizations you want to partner or collaborate with in the future?

I want to continue my work with the partners that supported me and have been fantastic in our collaboration: Stratasys, Prusa Research and Swarovski.

I believe the future of my work also lays in collaborating with companies that have new technological developments and have design potential that can become a platform for combining my design visions.  I would love to work with researchers of innovation in material research such as Neri Oxman and designers working in the field such as Iris Van Herpen. I’d like to extend the collaboration for shoe design with companies that develop 3D printed shoes such as Adidas.

Designers are not fully on the 3D printing wave just yet, how does it feel to be an early adopter?

It’s extremely exciting to be a part of a relatively small group that consists of designers and makers, who are investigating into how design can be developed in a sustainable and innovative way, using 3D printing technology.

This era is the most stirring time for pushing the boundaries of this technology, and I’m looking forward to working on new projects that will inspire me to think about “re-inventing” our future.

I feel that there is so much space for designers to grow in this field, working together with researchers and scientists all while keeping an open mind for new opportunities.

I feel blessed and extremely lucky to have become an early adopter in this field. It is a magical time filled with opportunities to seize and enjoy and to continue being excited from any new features, ideas, and projects.

I think 3D printing has great potential in so many fields, and design is one of the most exciting uses for this technology, clearing the way for further development of Art and Design (and maybe the concept of fashion and design as art), presenting each artist’s point of view the production process, from imagination to reality.  

Where do you see the field of 3D printing and fashion in 5 years?

I see 3D body scan as a key process that will be an integral part of any fashion development department. I believe that 5 years from now, personalization will receive a different meaning and will bring a drastic change in the fashion industry, moving from mass production to one of a kind customizable piece.

In my opinion, another upcoming major change that will take fashion design forward is the ability to design your own clothing- the customer will be his own designer by, ‘pushing buttons’ (by simplifying the design and programming software) for producing his favorite design.

I’ve also found the development of flexible material as a very important process for 3D printed fashion, and the development of new material will be a major step for 3D printed textile to make 3D printing – wearable.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

With 3D printing and 3D scanning, we can utilize the new technology to develop tailored pieces and fit to measure clothing for individuals. I want to take this a step further and produce customized clothes, based on body scans, ready-to-wear fashion and I hope to have designers and partners in the future, bringing innovative approach into daily production methods of fashion.

In the next two years, I will be studying at the Royal College of Arts in London, in the master’s program for smart textile developments called ‘Soft Systems’.

I believe this upcoming period will greatly influence and affect my career, and I hope that 5 years from today I will be able to continue developing my design language, and open my own brand, start-up, lab and continue researching and developing the wearable technology field. I hope to continue being thrilled and excited from any new project, any new printing method and constantly breaking the boundaries of the latest technology 

Best Non-FFF 3D Printer of the Year 2019: the Wildcard Update

The 3D Printing Industry Awards is a celebration of new technologies, innovations, materials and the best 3D printers of the year. In the lead up to our third annual event, the 2019 3D Printing Industry Awards, we’ve been sharing the Wildcard nominees that you think have missed the shortlist this year. So far, this has […]

2019 Desktop FFF 3D printer of the Year: the Wildcard Update

Looking for the best 3D printers on the market? This year’s nominees for the 2019 Desktop FFF 3D Printer of the Year Award, and the subsequent Wildcard mentions, are the perfect place to start. From the many FFF 3D printers out there on the market, our readers recently selected their top ten desktop 3D printers in […]

Six April Fools and four remarkable truths of 3D printing

Yes, it’s April 1st, and you know what that means…Relished by some and dreaded by others, April Fools’ Day is upon us. Though many 3D printing innovations may be remarkable, and at times surprising, it seems there is still plenty of space for a hoax or two. Keeping our eyes open for the pranksters this […]

3D Printing News Briefs: October 13, 2018

We’ve got business and education news galore in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs. First, Voodoo Manufacturing has launched its new Shopify app, and BeAM Machines is partnering with Empa, while Sculpteo is working with a property developer to provide 3D printed apartment models. VSHAPER has signed an agreement with educational publisher Grupa MAC, and the United Arab Emirates is introducing 3D printing into over 200 of its primary schools. The US Navy will be testing the first 3D printed ship component, and Lufthansa Technik has established a new Additive Manufacturing Center. Finally, maker Thomas Sanladerer shared on YouTube about his recent visit to the Prusa headquarters.

Voodoo Manufacturing Launches Shopify App

This spring, high-volume 3D printing factory Voodoo Manufacturing began its full-stack manufacturing and fulfillment service for 3D printing entrepreneurs, which allows users to outsource work like quality control and assembly for their products through its easy shopfront integrations with online marketplaces like Shopify. Now, the company has launched its own Shopify app, which will allow online sellers to create and customize 3D printed products and sell them on their own Shopify stores. Once the app is installed, users can make their first product in less than 5 minutes, which is then automatically added to their store, ready for purchase.

“We wanted to make it ridiculously easy for ecommerce stores to diversify their product offering with 3D printed products. By applying 3D printing to the print-on-demand business model, we are opening up an infinite range of product categories for Shopify merchants,” said Max Friefeld, the Founder and CEO of Voodoo Manufacturing. “The Voodoo app provides a new source of high quality, customizable, on-demand products, that don’t require any 3D design experience.”

Before the official launch this week, Voodoo piloted the service with a group of beta users, including It’s The Island Life by graphic designer and Guam native Lucy Hutcheson. She is already successfully selling six different products made with the help of the new Voodoo app.

BeAM Machines Partnering with Empa

BeAM, recently acquired by AddUp, has signed a research and development agreement with Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology. Together, the two will develop novel applications for BeAM’s powder-based Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technology, which uses focused thermal energy to fuse materials by melting them while they’re deposited. This makes parts manufacturing much faster. The partnership has come on the heels of Empa’s acquisition of a BeAM DED 3D printer, which is located at its Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing in Thun and is used to integrate and test out innovative components.

Patrik Hoffmann, who leads the laboratory, said, “We are very excited to collaborate with BeAM’s engineers to push the boundaries of this innovative additive manufacturing technology and to develop a whole new range of applications for Swiss industries and beyond.”

Sculpteo 3D Printing Apartment Models

Together with Sculpteo, French property developer Valoptim is working to improve customer experience by providing clients with miniaturized 3D printed models of their future apartments when they sign their contracts, so they can better visualize and prepare for moving into their new home. These small, exact replicas give new owners an immersive experience, which is a definite value add. In addition, production of the 3D printed models is local, and can be done fast.

“Sculpteo uses the best machines and 3D printing processes on the market today. At first, we had the ambition to test the feasibility of 3D printing in the real estate sector. This innovative process has proven to be extremely interesting: the realistic rendering, with high-end finishes, allowed our clients to discover a miniaturized version of their future apartment enabling them to realistically imagine themselves living in it,” said Edouard Pellerin, CEO of Valoptim. “This innovation contributes to our business dynamic: constantly improving the customer experience.”

VSHAPER and Grupa Mac Sign Agreement

Polish 3D printer manufacturer Verashape has signed an agreement with Grupa MAC, the country’s top educational publisher, in front of Poland’s education curators at the recent Future of Education Congress. Per the agreement, Grupa MAC will use a network of educational consultants to distribute the VSHAPER GO 3D printers to kindergartens and other schools in the country. Grupa MAC recognizes that 3D printers are a good way to quickly present the effects of students’ learning, and the VSHAPER GO is the perfect choice, as it is easy to use and comes with an intuitive interface of SOFTSHAPER software.

“Classes with students are a perfect environment for the use of 3D Printing. Creating a pyramid model for history lessons, the structure of a flower or a human body for biology lessons are just a few examples, and their list is limited only by the imagination of students and teachers,” said Patryk Tomczyk, a member of the Grupa MAC Management Board. “We are happy that thanks to our cooperation with VERASHAPE, 3D Printers have a chance to reach schools through our network of educational consultants.”

3D Printing to be Introduced in UAE Primary Schools

Speaking of 3D printing in education, the Ministry of Education (MoE) for the UAE has announced that in early 2019, a country-wide introduction of 3D printing into over 200 primary schools will commence. As part of this new technology roll out, Dubai education consultancy company Ibtikar is partnering with Makers Empire, an Australian education technology company, to deliver a program that implements 3D printing and design. Makers Empire will supply 3D software, curriculum, teacher resources, training, and support to Ibtikar, which will in turn train MoE teachers to deliver the program.

“Through this rollout of 3D technology, our students will learn to reframe needs as actionable statements and to create solutions to real-world problems,” said HE Eng. Abdul Rahman of the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Education. “In doing so, our students will develop an important growth mindset, the skills they need to make their world better and the essential ability to persist when encountering setbacks.”

US Navy Approves Test of First 3D Printed Shipboard Part

USS Harry S. Truman

The US military has long explored the use of 3D printing to lower costs and increase the availability of spare parts. Huntington Ingalls Industries, the largest military shipbuilder in the US, has also been piloting new technologies, like 3D printing, as part of its digital transformation. In collaboration with the US Navy, the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division has worked to speed the adoption of 3D printed metal components for nuclear-powered warships. This has led to an exciting announcement by the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA): a metal drain strainer orifice (DSO) prototype has officially been approved as the first 3D printed metal part to be installed on a US Navy ship. The assembly is a component for the steam system, which allows for drainage and removal of water from a steam line while in use. The 3D printed DSO prototype will be installed on the USS Harry S. Truman in 2019 for evaluation and tests. After one year, the assembly will be removed for inspection and analysis.

“This install marks a significant advancement in the Navy’s ability to make parts on demand and combine NAVSEA’s strategic goal of on-time delivery of ships and submarines while maintaining a culture of affordability. By targeting CVN 75 [USS Harry S. Truman], this allows us to get test results faster, so-if successful-we can identify additional uses of additive manufacturing for the fleet,” said Rear Adm. Lorin Selby, NAVSEA Chief Engineer and Deputy Commander for Ship Design, Integration, and Naval Engineering.

Lufthansa Technik Opens New Additive Manufacturing Center

Lufthansa Technik, a leading provider of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) for civil aircraft, has established a new Additive Manufacturing Center. The goal of the new AM Center is to bundle and expand the company’s experience and competence with the technology, which can be used to make individual parts more quickly and with more design freedom. As the world of aircraft is always aware of weight, making more lightweight parts is an excellent benefit of 3D printing.

“The new AM Center will serve as a collaborative hub where the experience and skills that Lufthansa Technik has gained in additive manufacturing can be bundled and further expanded,” said Dr. Aenne Koester, the head of the new AM Center. “The aim is to increase the degree of maturity of the technologies and to develop products that are suitable for production.”

Tom’s 3D Visits Prusa Headquarters 

Maker Thomas Sanladerer, who runs his own YouTube channel, recently had the chance to tour the Prusa Research headquarters in Prague. Not only did he get the opportunity to see how the company makes its popular MK3 and and MK2.5, but Sanladerer was also able to see early models of the company’s recently announced SL1 resin 3D printer, as well as the Prusament filament production line.

“I always find factory tours like this super interesting because it’s the only chance you really get of seeing behind the scenes of what might really just be a website, or you know, a marketing video or whatever,” Sanladerer said in his video.

Sanladerer took the tour of the Prusa factory right after Maker Faire Prague, which the company itself organized and sponsored. To see behind the scenes of Prusa for yourself, check out the rest of the video below:

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