Posted on

Sharebot Releases Improved SnowWhite2, Low-Cost SLS 3D Printer

In 2014, Italian 3D printer manufacturer Sharebot introduced its low-cost selective laser sintering (SLS) system, SnowWhite, at the TCT Show, two years prior to its market release. The company has since branched out in its 3D printer offerings, but is still improving its SLS system, releasing the SnowWhite2, an improved update to the original SnowWhite with some new features.

“SnowWhite was created to bring the advantages of sintering to small and medium-sized companies and laboratories, all in an economic, simple and effective way without sacrificing the professional quality of the result,” Sharebot states on its website. “The user can really “print in one click” because, once the profile of the material has been defined, the printing process is completely autonomous, requires no external intervention and the results are perfectly repeatable.”

The Sharebot SnowWhite2 features what Sharebot refers to as direct laser sintering (DLS) technology, infusing prints with thermal and mechanical resistance. Because of its CO₂ laser, multiple thermoplastic powders should work with this system, such as PA12 and TPU. It’s also possible to use special powders loaded with other material particles, like aluminum, carbon, or glass, to give prints a variety of mechanical, visual, and physical properties. 

Textile sample 3D printed on SnowWhite2

One improvement that the SnowWhite2 features is an upgraded software interface, which includes custom print profiles and open parameters. The printer uses the Simplify3D slicer, and has Ethernet connectivity, which partners well with the Sharebox3D print notification system.

Another one of the major changes is improved temperature management of the print chamber. The SnowWhite2 printer can be integrated with a separate module, the SnowWhite2 Nitro, that uses oxygen presence sensors to regulate the flow of whichever inert gas is used, nitrogen or argon. This makes it possible to control the atmosphere inside the chamber, which Sharebot says means no more yellowing prints.

The company says that the Nitro module can be easily added for a modified print atmosphere at any time, and that it’s easy to set the 120 kg printer up. According to Sharebot, it takes less than ten minutes to start up the SnowWhite2, about the same amount of time to move from loading your material to printing out the first few layers.

The company states that the printer’s other features include ease of use, minimal maintenance and fast cleanup, durable prints with highly detailed surfaces, a heated build chamber, and a 50 micron Z-axis resolution. Sharebot also notes that, on average, the new SnowWhite2 consumes less than 1.5 kilowatts of electrical per hour, includes an advanced laser control system with emissivity settings, and that all the unused powder is recycled and “can be directly reused in subsequent processing.”

Assembly sample 3D printed on SnowWhite2

Additional SnowWhite2 3D printer specs are:

  • 100 x 100 x 100 mm print volume
  • 100 micron XY resolution
  • 0.2 mm spot dimension
  • 35 mm/h Z-axis speed
  • scan speed up to 3500 mm/s

With the SnowWhite 2, we are now seeing the second generation in low-cost SLS machines, as Sinterit has already released the Lisa 2 and Sintratec the S2. The goal with these systems is to bring sophisticated SLS technology down to a price point that smaller businesses and labs can afford. However, as these machines advance, one has to wonder how their costs will increase. Just as Sharebot has created its Nitro module for improved prints, Sinterit has launched a series of accessories that will likely bring up the total overall cost of operation. They may still be able to keep prices below high-end production systems, as Sinterit has demonstrated that it is still focused on reducing costs as much as possible with its accessories.

Sharebot is now taking pre-orders for the new SnowWhite2 3D printer, with delivery beginning October 1st, 2020. Also, there is currently a special discount for pre-orders of the printer until September 30; contact the company’s marketing department for more information.

(Images courtesy of Sharebot)

The post Sharebot Releases Improved SnowWhite2, Low-Cost SLS 3D Printer appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Posted on

DLP 3D Printing: Mechanical & Strain-Sensing for Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Composites

Researchers from Spain continue the trend for the development of new combinations of materials, detailing their study in the recently published ‘Mechanical and Strain-Sensing Capabilities of Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Composites by Digital Light Processing 3D Printing Technology.’

While there have been numerous studies regarding carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced composites—from improving materials to creating sensors for wearables, to e-textiles, and much more—here, the authors perform a more unique study regarding mechanical properties and strain sensors, with the ‘development of a conductive ink for DLP 3D printing technology with self-sensing capabilities based on a commercial photocurable resin doped with CNTs.’

Noting that 3D printing is making huge impacts within the industrial world, and in many other applications too, the authors state quite accurately that there is ‘a wide field for improvement.’

Composites are becoming increasingly popular in the 3D printing arena as users on all levels are able to meet their needs better for varying research, projects, and manufacturing of stronger parts.

“In particular, carbon nanotube (CNT) doped resins has been the subject of numerous studies in the last decades due to their great mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties,” state the researchers. “Their addition in low contents into an insulator resin allows the formation of electrical percolating networks inside the material, leading to an increase in electrical conductivity of the material of several orders of magnitude.”

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is a primary application able to benefit from such materials, as sensors can detect strain damage in metallic gauges. Previously, a variety of 3D printing studies have involved CNTs as fillers in developing parts with electrical properties, elastic strain sensors, shielding devices, and flexible electronics.

In this study, the researchers varied CNTs as they assessed the effects on conductivity. Next, the potential for strain sensing was investigated as the authors evaluated the impacts of load state and post-curing treatments.

Gap distance between rolls during calendering process.

A B9Creator was used for 3D printing six samples for the study with CNT content of 0.030, 0.050, 0.075, 0.100, and 0.150 wt %.

“The most relevant printing parameters were 30 µm of layer thickness and 5.12 s of exposure time per layer, except for those specimens with a 0.150 wt % CNTs, where the exposure time was increased to 6.84 s,” stated the authors.

“This is due to the higher CNT content that induces a more prevalent UV light shielding effect caused by CNTs, reducing UV radiation exposure of the photoinitiator and leading thus to an underexposure condition. On the other hand, overexposure conditions were observed for specimens with CNT contents below 0.100 wt % and longer UV light exposure times than 5.12 s.”

Half of the samples were subjected to UV post-curing treatments as the researchers studied the influence on strain sensing and mechanical properties.

Examples of 3D printed parts with 0.100 wt % CNT. (a) Tensile and three-point bending test specimens and (b) complex geometry parts.

DSC samples were also taken for ‘representative results’ as the researchers considered variances in curing degrees of each specimen.

Example of DSC test including first and second scan.

The researchers confirmed that 3D printing is advantageous in this case as nanoparticles are dispersed in resin quickly. With a time delay, greater loss of properties is possible due to re-agglomeration of nanoparticles.

Changes on the dispersion state as a function of time after dispersion process was performed and as a function of CNT content. (a) TOM micrographs of dispersion containing 0.100 wt % CNT at 0, 8, 21, and 30 h after dispersion was carried out; (b) fractional area occupied by CNTs, average larger aggregate size and their influence in electrical conductivity as a function of time since after dispersion; (c) individual agglomerate size as a function of time after dispersion; (d) TOM micrographs at 0 h after dispersion as a function of CNT content; and (e) individual agglomerate size at 0 h after dispersion as a function of CNT content.

FEG-SEM micrographs showing CNTs distribution of the 0.100 wt % CNT specimen at (a) low magnifications and (b) high magnifications.

The evaluation showed that a suitable CNT distribution was reached with a lower electrical percolation threshold, and in terms of mechanical properties, increased material stiffness.

“Nevertheless, the best results in terms of strain sensitivity were also found for the lowest CNT contents since they are closer to the percolation threshold, with the tunneling effect being the most dominant mechanism of electrical charge transport. Moreover, strain sensitivity was found to be significantly lower for three-point bending tests than for tensile tests as expected because of the effect of the compression-subjected face on the whole electrical resistance of the specimen,” concluded the researchers.

“Therefore, the results prove the excellent capabilities of CNT reinforced DLP-manufactured nanocomposites in strain-sensing applications and shed light into how an UV post-curing treatment and CNT content affects the electromechanical properties of these materials.”

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: ‘Mechanical and Strain-Sensing Capabilities of Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Composites by Digital Light Processing 3D Printing Technology’]

 

The post DLP 3D Printing: Mechanical & Strain-Sensing for Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Composites appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Posted on

Anouk Wipprecht’s 3D-Printed Proximity Dresses Are Perfect for Social Distancing

If you don’t remember the stunning and technical work from Anouk Wipprecht—the Dutch fashion design working on “rethinking fashion in the age of digitalization” by combining engineering, fashion, robotics, science, and interaction/user experience in an emerging field known as FashionTech—let me refresh your memory. Noting that fashion lacks microcontrollers—something I never would have thought about—Wipprecht is an amazingly unique designer, who wants her clothing to, according to her website, “facilitate and augment the interactions we have with ourselves and our surroundings.”

“In a future where electronics are predicted to be embedded in everyday objects, – what kind of clothes will we wear? Will future techno fashion be purely aesthetic – or will it expand our awareness, acting like an intelligent second skin? Will we become super sensory, physically aware of data flows, communicating our internal states through the garments we wear? And, most pertinently perhaps, how will we socialize in our world when we are supervised by technology?”

Anouk Wipprecht’s Smoke Dress

Back in 2014, Wipprecht launched a campaign to create the first crowdsourced 3D-printed dress, and followed this up with her Synapse Dress, partnering with Materialise, Niccolo Casas, and Intel to create a wearable that leverages the wearer’s own electrical currents for a fully immersive experience. The designer later combined 3D printing with virtual reality to create a collection of dresses for Audi, and worked with model and musician Viktoria Modesta to fabricate 3D-printed prosthetics for musical performance.

Now, the high-tech futurist designer is back with two new 3D-printed wearables that could be very useful in this time of social distancing, due to the continuing COVID-19 crisis: the Proximity Dresses, Robotic Personal Space Defenders.

“Extending my research into proxemics and the body, I have fabricated two new dresses that create physical barriers when a person is detected in the immediate surroundings of the wearer,” Wipprecht said. “These twin dresses respond based on proximity and thermal sensors and indicates strangers within the intimate, personal, social and public space around the wearer.”

As with Wipprecht’s Smoke Dress and 3D-printed, robotic Spider Dress, which literally moves itself into an attack position if the embedded proximity biosensors detect that the wearer is uncomfortable, the design for these new dresses is based on Edward T. Hall’s Proxemics Theory. She explains that the theory defines “four spaces around the body,” each of which has its “own characteristic distances.”

Anouk Wipprecht’s 3D-Printed Spider Dress

“Whereas Hall had to measure the space between people using a wooden stick, I have been working since 2007 to translate these concepts into the digital domain, in order to measure the spaces between people up to a range of 25 feet,” she explained.

The Proximity Dresses use robotic, nylon 3D-printed hip mechanisms to extend when necessary. Additionally, they feature a transparent collar, 3D printed from clear resin, with some fancy sensors that offer noise-free distance readings.

Anouk Wipprecht’s Proximity Dress

These sensors use “high-output acoustic power combined with continuously variable gain, real-time background automatic calibration, real-time waveform signature analysis, and noise rejection algorithms. This holds true even in the presence of various acoustic or electrical noise sources, making it suitable for on-body use.”

By using the sensors, Wipprecht’s unique designs can invisibly trace their surroundings. Additionally, since the sensors don’t record any images or video, the dresses are not a threat to privacy, as nearby people remain anonymous.

“The Proximity Dress 2.0 is based on my 2012 prototype of this dress using hip mechanics create distance and a proximity sensor (ultrasonic rangefinder) for VW showcase during IAA, in Germany,” she concludes.

Check out the video below to see Wipprecht discuss her innovative, defensive Proximity Dress with Hyphen-Hub:

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

The post Anouk Wipprecht’s 3D-Printed Proximity Dresses Are Perfect for Social Distancing appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Posted on

Adafruit Weekly Editorial Round-Up: March 15th – 21st

IINewImage 21 1 1 2 2

ADAFRUIT WEEKLY EDITORIAL ROUND-UP

We’ve got so much happening here at Adafruit that it’s not always easy to keep up! Don’t fret, we’ve got you covered. Each week we’ll be posting a handy round-up of what we’ve been up to, ranging from learn guides to blog articles, videos, and more.

BLOG

Adafruit is pausing physical operation

We are still broadcasting live Wednesday nights for the biggest show and tell in the world at 7pm ET, and we’re still having Ask An Engineer at 8pm ET. We’ll see you there and we’ll provide any updates or information we have as things are changing moment by moment.

Check out the full post here

More BLOG:

Keeping with tradition, we covered quite a bit this past week. Here’s a kinda short nearing medium length list of highlights:

LEARN

Burning Fire Wizard Staff

Make a Motion Sensitive Cosplay Staff with Lights and Sound Effects! Complete your Wizard or Druid cosplay with a glowing, ever-burning fire staff. This prop is lightweight and sturdy, and made from inexpensive materials. You don’t need much in the way of sculpting ability to create something organic and magical, that looks as though it was cut from the Yggdrasil with an enchanted axe and then imbued with fires from the Mines of Moria before serving the White Witch Jadis for a century or two and then falling into your hands at the end of a rollicking adventure.

See the full guide here!

More LEARN:

Browse all that’s new in the Adafruit Learning System here!

Posted on

Adafruit Weekly Editorial Round-Up: February 2nd – 8th, #BlackHistoryMonth & Get a CLUE at PyCon US

IINewImage 21 1 1 2

ADAFRUIT WEEKLY EDITORIAL ROUND-UP

We’ve got so much happening here at Adafruit that it’s not always easy to keep up! Don’t fret, we’ve got you covered. Each week we’ll be posting a handy round-up of what we’ve been up to, ranging from learn guides to blog articles, videos, and more.

BLOG

Adafruit BHM2020 blog

#BlackHistoryMonth 2020

Every weekday in February you can check out the blog for stories and figures that honor Black History Month. We are excited to share some of our favorite African American makers, scientists, artists, hackers and more!

Check out our posts here!

More BLOG:

Keeping with tradition, we covered quite a bit this past week. Here’s a kinda short nearing medium length list of highlights:

Learn

PyPortal Pet Planter with Adafruit IO

Treat your plant like a pet! Build a smart planter with Adafruit PyPortal and CircuitPython. Monitor your plants vitals with Adafruit STEMMA Soil Sensor and plot moisture and temperature data. Use Adafruit IO to create a visual dashboard with gauges of your plants water levels.

See the full guide here!

More LEARN:

Browse all that’s new in the Adafruit Learning System here!

Posted on

3D Printing News Briefs: November 20, 2019

We’re starting out with some formnext news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, as the show is currently taking place in Frankfurt this week. SCANLAB is introducing a new scan system control extension at the show. We also have some metal stories today – Desktop Metal has launched 4140 chromoly steel for its Studio System, while QuesTek Innovations and the German Aerospace Center are exploring the potential of a high-temperature aluminum alloy. Moving on, XJet’s Carmel 1400 AM system was installed at KU Leuven University. Finally, Additive Minds investigated EOS 3D printing without the use of supports.

SCANLAB Integrating Process Data into 3D Printing

Laser scanning solutions manufacturer SCANLAB GmbH is at formnext 2019 this week, and will be introducing a scan system control extension that uses a smart data-acquisition interface that reads external sensors. It’s a functioning model of an intelligent interface, and can integrate sensor data into scan system control – giving AM users the ability to inquire about, and evaluate, centralized process data.

Two tradeshow demonstrators were created that show how diverse the integrable sensor range is. The first incorporates a surface-temperature pyrometer into the scan head control, and the sensor system’s data merges with laser beam position data. In the second, an OCT (optical coherence tomography) sensor from Precitec is integrated to measure the powder bed’s surface topography. Visit SCANLAB at formnext this week at Booth B41, Hall 12.0.

Desktop Metal Launches 4140 Chromoly Steel for Studio System

Massachusetts-based company Desktop Metal is expanding its material portfolio by launching 4140 chromoly steel for industrial applications for its office-friendly Studio System. 4140 is a versatile material, with high tensile strength, abrasion and impact resistance, and toughness. DM Studio Systems users can now use this material to 3D print parts like connecting rods, couplings, pinions, press brake tools, and more for industries including automotive, agriculture, industry, and defense.

“As global demand for the Studio System grows, Desktop Metal is broadening its materials portfolio to include 4140 chromoly steel, enabling designers and engineers to print a broad variety of critical industrial applications, such as couplings, forks, pinions, pump shafts, sprockets, torsion bars, worm gears, connecting rods, and fasteners. Now, teams around the world will be able to leverage the Studio System to iterate quickly on 4140 prototypes and ultimately produce end-use, customer-ready parts faster and more cost-effectively,” said Desktop Metal’s CEO and Co-Founder Ric Fulop.

QuesTek’s 3D Printable Aluminum Alloy

Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) technologies leader QuesTek Innovations LLC and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) are working on a joint project to explore the potential of QuesTek’s new 3D printable high-temperature aluminum (Al) alloy. The material, able to perform at temperatures between 200-300°C in its as-built condition, is being developed by QuesTek under several US Navy-funded Small Business Innovation Research awards, and is believed to be the first powdered Al alloy to meet necessary requirements without any subsequent heat treatment. The DLR will be 3D printing demonstration components with the material, which can be used to fabricate more lightweight precision components like heat exchangers.

“The accelerated design and development of a printable aluminum alloy capable of meeting so many current needs is especially exciting, as it will enable concurrent design of material composition and component geometry,” stated Greg Olson, QuesTek Chief Science officer. “Based on our internal test results, we see broad application of this material in manufacturing components for aerospace, satellite, automotive and high-performance racing.

“We are particularly pleased to be collaborating with the DLR. Their unrivaled reputation, expertise and close relationship with industry needs will bring an important new scope to our efforts.”

XJet’s Carmel 1400 3D Printer Installed at KU Leuven University

Professor Shoufeng Yang, KU Leuven, shakes hands with Avi Cohen, VP of Healthcare and Education at XJet.

For the first time, a 3D printing system has been installed at a European academic institution. XJet recently delivered its Carmel 1400 AM system to the KU Leuven University in Belgium, where it will be used to for university research and to help develop regional 3D printing medical opportunities. The 3D printer, and its proprietary NanoParticle Jetting (NPJ) technology, will be put to good use at the European research center, as academics will used it to explore medical applications and AM educational and research purposes. XJet’s zirconia material will also be used to 3D print ceramic medical models.

“Since the Carmel was installed, we are already reaping the benefits. The XJet system offers the high levels of precision and exceptional detailing required, levels which were previously impossible or extremely time-consuming in post-processing. The use of soluble support materials, with no harmful powders, makes it a much easier process and opens up opportunities to innovate that simply did not exist before,” said Professor Shoufeng Yang, who is heading the AM research at KU Leuven. “It’s an amazing and fantastic technology for R&D in universities and for the manufacturing industry, and it’s very exciting to be a part of. I believe that this is the best ceramic additive manufacturing method which can be easily upgraded into future multi-materials additive manufacturing, which is a grand challenge in the AM industry.”

XJet is also attending formnext this week – you can find the company at stand #C01 in Hall 12.1.

3D Printing Without Supports

Image credit: EOS

Michael Wohlfart, DMLS Process Consultant for the EOS Additive Minds Process Consulting team, wrote an article on LinkedIn, titled “Building without support? Possibilities and limitations,” about the design aspect of printing without supports in metal powder bed fusion technology, which can reduce build time, material consumption, and cost. The three main reasons for supports are heat transfer, residual stress, and recoater forces, but there are workarounds for all three. In recoater forces, forces are acting on the part while spreading powder, and the recoater will wipe away parts not connected to the baseplate. Prop supports, such as cones and stacking parts, can be used to negate the need for a baseplate connection. Wolfhart discussed a few examples that were 3D printed on an EOS M290 out of titanium.

“Let’s move on to a more advanced design and even incorporate stacking,” Wohlfart wrote. “Since Christmas season is coming up, how about a Christmas tree designed with Siemens NX and pimped with nTopology? By turning it upside-down, the tree is self-supporting and the tree trunk can act as a shell for the next tree. You can see a small overlap of 0.1 mm in x-y-direction between the lattice and the solid parts in order to assure a good connection.”

To learn more, check out Wohlfart’s LinkedIn post.

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

The post 3D Printing News Briefs: November 20, 2019 appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Posted on

3D Printed Sensors Could Be The Key to a Seamless Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) has been heralded as one of the next big steps in our technological development. The vision is somewhat utopian: the system collects information, relaying it swiftly throughout a hyperconnected network and uses that data to discover insights and take action in order to improve our daily lives. It could save energy by making devices more efficient, optimize areas like infrastructure and traffic, help with waste management and personal health, and do so much more.

The capabilities of the IoT are a result of many factors, but one fundamental aspect to consider is the sensing tech that will be used to collect data throughout IoT systems. Not only must we consider the strength and power of these sensors, but we must also consider how we are going to create such a massive amount of the devices in order to adequately track the large waves of data created out in the world.

This is where 3D printing technology and the use of nanomaterials come into play. When utilized together, they can help create the seamless and powerful IoT that we envision.

The strengths of 3D printing

3D printing is a rapidly evolving technology that has the potential to provide a great deal of value within scientific, industrial, and even everyday settings. One could viably see the technology utilized to create and mass-produce the bulk of IoT sensors. At the very least, the additive manufacturing process can help in designing optimal enclosures for the electronic components of sensors. Because of this process, it’s easy to modify or add new features to the enclosure without having to start from scratch. This flexibility would certainly benefit in the creation of sensors as they develop and change form or function.

But exciting developments in 3D printing electronic components are what will truly unlock the mass-production of strong and capable IoT sensors. The use of conductive ink — an ink for 3D printing infused with conductive materials such as copper, silver, and gold — can enable us not only to conveniently print electronics, but to also remove the constraints of the traditional 2D circuit board. By creating three-dimensional circuit boards that can take on a number of different shapes or sizes, we will be able to build a more versatile array of devices. And importantly, this can consolidate and speed up the creation of IoT sensors.

Bringing nanomaterials into play

Aside from developments in 3D printing sensors like conductive ink, we can also turn to nanomaterials, which are often cited for their high-functioning capabilities. In particular, graphene is considered an ideal material for sensors: it’s durable, flexible, highly conductive, and can detect changes in the environment through factors such as temperature, light, pressure, and can even sense chemical changes. A massive amount of research has gone into unlocking the capabilities of graphene, and its use in sensors can help provide the IoT with accurate information and greater resilience.

This means that it can address both the external and internal needs of IoT sensors (i.e. the creation of a strong and resilient enclosure and of highly capable electronic parts). And seeing as how 3D printing could be instrumental for enabling the creation of sensors on a far greater scale, it stands to reason that pairing this process with graphene would be an immense boost to the capabilities of an IoT system.

IoT sensors, in order to provide accurate measurements on the environment around them, must be strong enough to withstand harsh conditions such as rain and snow, or some industrial cases, be strong enough to withstand extreme heat or even salt erosion from marine-based applications. For more traditional metals and materials, the elements could quickly wear at the tech, which could result in inaccurate data that would disrupt the IoT system. It would also be highly inefficient to constantly replace sensors, making durable nanomaterials as the ideal base for creating sensors.

Fighting headwinds and promising developments

But the other hurdle to overcome revolves around the sheer number of sensors that we’ll need to run IoT systems. Market researchers estimate that there are already more than 20 billion connected devices in today’s world, and that number will only continue to grow as we become more technologically advanced and seek to bring about a true IoT. The sheer number of devices translates to an equally massive amount of sensors, and making advanced, nanomaterial-based sensing tech for widespread use is a monumentally challenging endeavor, especially as mass-producing nanomaterials like graphene have proven difficult in the past. In addition, the cost of implementing so many sensors may give many pause over pursuing such a cause, even if the nanomaterial-based sensors are so capable.

The “wonder material” graphene, which has historically been troublesome to produce, has recently seen potential breakthroughs that will allow scientists to create higher quantities, which in the case of 3D printing IoT sensors means that printers could very well have plenty of material to work with.

SEM images of Graphene Oxide ink

Scientists have also recently experimented with 3D printing objects with graphene, which could prove to be the final key in unlocking nanomaterial-based sensors for the IoT. Researchers in China have discovered a way to utilize the virtually 2D material to create 3D objects by using a graphene oxide ink, and have successful used the nanomaterial to create tiny supercapacitors.

Graphene-based cilia inspired sensors.

It’s not far-fetched to say that if graphene ink can be used to 3D print batteries, sensor tech can’t be too far behind. For instance, graphene has been used to 3D print biologically-inspired cilia sensors that imitate how creatures in nature sense their surroundings. Paired with other developments in printing sensor tech, such as integration with wearables, the scientific world has taken a massive step toward making the process of mass-producing nanomaterial-based sensors faster and more affordable.

The development of sensing tech and the need to overcome the various obstacles in their creation and implementation are issues that seem to fly under the radar when discussing the amazing possibilities presented by the Internet of Things. But in spite of these challenges, the IoT is purported to hit the mainstream by 2020. And when looking at the trajectory of 3D printing and nanotechnology for sensor use, it’s clear that we are well on our way to achieving a seamless sensor-based IoT.

Don Basile is a Venture Capitalist and writer and you can find him here.

The post 3D Printed Sensors Could Be The Key to a Seamless Internet of Things appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Posted on

A rugged Alaska temperature monitor #Sensors #3DPrinting #Alaska @Instructables @Hackaday

Instructables rabbitcreek posts about building rugged temperature monitors for food cache sites in Alaska.

Our friend Monty is an Archaeologist who helps with camps for kids in Native Villages scattered around the state–Culturalalaska.com. He has been building cache sites for the historical preservation of food with these kids and wanted a way of temperature monitoring that he could leave for about 8 months of winter. A food cache in Alaska is designed to prevent Bear entry and can either be buried or secured in a small cabin-like structure on poles.

Unfortunately the warming of the climate makes many of these handy refrigerator designs more like a microwave this summer–honestly it’s really hot up here! There are a lot of commercial datalogging machines out there but Alaska needed its own DIY brand: Waterproof, Two waterproof sensors on long lines that could be within the cache and another to lay on the surface, Something buildable for kids with a STEM program, Minimal maintenance, Long term battery, Easy download from SD card, 3D printable, rechargeable, Real time Clock, and cheap.

The design uses several Adafruit parts to accomplish the mission:

See this Hackaday article and all the build instructions on Instructables. Great project!!

Posted on

BeeWatched is a Beehive Monitoring Box

Very cool project from Victorien, Clément Martin on Hackster.io:

For several years, beekeepers have noticed a high mortality of their hives. The bees leave hives abruptly without warning signs. That’s why we’ve created a system that controls temperature and humidity inside a hive, to detect any health problem.

This system is connected and the data collected can be consulted online. The system makes a measurement every 40 minutes. Moreover, it’s possible to see the battery power level to know when to recharge the system.

Read more and see more on YouTube