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Nintendo Fan Makes a 3D Printed RC Version of Mario Kart Vehicle

I never considered myself a video gamer by any stretch of the imagination, but growing up, I was rather wild for Mario Kart. Unfortunately, while my family had a Nintendo, we didn’t have a copy of that particular game. But I had several friends who owned the N64 version, and we would spend hours in front of the TV playing the Grand Prix mode, slinging banana peels and turtle shells at each other’s characters and trying not to fall off into oblivion, or hot lava, on tight turns. I was almost always Yoshi, unless someone else picked him first, in which case I would begrudgingly choose Princess Peach or Luigi.

We often see 3D printing used to create DIY Nintendo systems and accessories, and one Canadian engineer even used a Nintendo controller to power his 3D printer. Obviously, when you think of Nintendo and 3D printing together, Super Mario Bros. comes to mind. But while we’ve seen plenty of 3D printed carnivorous pipes straight out of the original game, there’s not been a lot of love for Mario Kart in the maker community…until now.

Mario Kart Mach 8 3D Printed RC Car

Orlando Rodriguez, a mechanical engineer, maker, and Nintendo fan who goes by Metalurgia’s Designs online, was inspired by Mario Kart to recreate the Mach 8 kart from the game, using 3D printing to turn it into an actual functioning RC car…another item we see often here on 3DPrint.com.

Rodriguez, who began the project as a fun way to occupy his time while searching for a job, was also inspired by a specific car from the OpenRC F1 project. For the shell of his 3D printed RC car, Rodriguez chose the Mach 8 from Mario Kart, and spent two months creating the design with Autodesk Fusion 360.

However, things didn’t go swimmingly at first, as the initial design had a weak motor and some clearance issues. But after an additional two months spent fixing the model and a few other problems, like thin walls and an incorrect gear ratio, Rodriguez was finally ready to 3D print the parts for his functional Mario Kart RC.

It took him about a week to 3D print all of the parts, and then he had to sand them after they were removed from the print bed. The primer and paint colors, including paint for the unmistakable Mario ‘M’ on the front of the RC car, came from Rust-Oleum.

According to Clinton Matos for htxt.africa, “For the electronics a 2845 brushless motor is paired with 2S LiPo battery and a metal geared micro servo.”

Rodriguez also said he would be adding a new front axle to the 3D printed RC car, which would use a threaded rod instead of a plastic one.

The completed Mario Kart Mach 8 is 38 centimetres long – just big enough for a little plush Mario to sit in the driver’s seat. Last month, Rodriguez posted a video showing his 3D printed Mario Kart Mach 8 RC car in action in a parking lot, and said that he “had a lot of fun making this.”

Rodriguez uploaded all of his design files to Thingiverse, where they are free to use if you’re interested in making your own 3D printed Mario Kart car. He also included several wheel options on Thingiverse that were made to work with the Pro-Line M3 tires that he used.

However, Rodriguez decided that he wasn’t done with his OpenRC MarioKart Mach 8 Project quite yet, and has been working on an additional kart shell to fit over its existing platform, so keep an eye out on Thingiverse for those files.

In addition, a few weeks after the initial test drive of his 3D printed kart, Rodriguez sent it out into another parking lot with pro-line 2.2 tires, which he said: “have lots of grip considering the wet road.”

Check out the video of his second test drive below:

Do you have any cool 3D printed RC car designs to share? Tell us about them, and discuss this story and other 3D printing topics, at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.

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Biologists Develop 3D Printed Origami Device to Catch Fish

Marine biology requires catching a lot of specimen by safe means and retrieving them unscathed. Often this can be increasingly difficult in the case of soft-bodied fish due to their anatomy. Now, scientists from Harvard University, the University of Rhode Island, and City University of New York (CUNY) have developed a 3D printed origami device to safely procure […]

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Be-More-3D Presents Spain’s First 3D-Printed House

Spanish firm Be-More-3D has just unveiled a proof of concept for the country’s first 3D printed house. The firm used an extra-large (XL) 3D-printer on-site at Valencia’s Polytechnic University. The concept is a 24 square meter construct that they built on a XL plotter. It is also a trial run for Spain’s first patented 3D printer, let alone their first concrete […]

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3D Printing News Briefs: July 20, 2018

We’re starting out with some construction news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, then following that with a little business, a little metal, and a little 3D design. Russian firm AMT-SPETSAVIA has updated two of its construction 3D printers, and the University of New Brunswick has chosen a Concept Laser 3D printer to use for its upcoming research. Mass Portal’s software team went through a reorganization, and attendees learned all about lightweight aluminum material at the recent AMAP forum. Finally, users of browser-based SelfCAD 3D software can access the MyMiniFactory design library…and share their own work there as well.

Spetsavia Completes Updates on Large Construction 3D Printers

Three years ago, Russian firm Spetsavia presented its home construction methods and 3D printers at the 3D Print Expo. Now, the group of machining and 3D printing companies collectively known as AMT-SPECAVIA has updated its range of construction 3D printers (Construction Objects Printing or COP) to introduce two new large-format models. The S-300, with a “working field” of 11.5 x 11 x 5.4 m, is able to print directly on the foundation of buildings up to two stories and 120 square meters, while the S-500 features an 11.5 x 11 x 15 m field and can 3D print buildings up to five, or even six, floors. However, the latter can be increased to a working field of 40 x 11 x 80 m, which Spetsavia says makes it “the largest 3D construction printer in the world.”

“New models of the S series are essentially the next generation of building printers. We’ve always been asked for a solution for multi-storey construction,” said Alexander Maslov, the General Director of AMT-SPETSAVIA. “Now we declare with confidence that such a solution exists! The AMT S300 and S500 printers are high-performance equipment with unprecedented capabilities and competitive price. During the development we’ve taken into account the wishes of the developing companies, at the same time maintaining the inherent reliability of our equipment, ease of management and maintenance.”

Both the S-300 and the S-500 have a direct flow print head for increased productivity, in addition to a new feed station that prepares the concrete mixture. The first shipment of the S-500 is scheduled for this fall, and a team of engineers will accompany the 3D printer to the customer for training.

University of New Brunswick to Use Concept Laser M2 Cusing

L-R: Keith Campbell, Senior Sales Director, GE Additive; Dr. Mohsen Mohammadi, Director of Research and Development for the Marine Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence; Hart Devitt, Director of Industry and Government Services; Duncan McSporran, Director, Programs and Innovation, Office of Research Services, University of New Brunswick

GE Additive has announced that the University of New Brunswick (UNB) in Canada, together with commercialization partner Custom Fabricators & Machinists and training partners Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), New Brunswick Community College (NBCC), and the College communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB), has chosen its Concept Laser M2 Cusing metal 3D printer to use in its latest research.

UNB is in charge of the country’s first Marine Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence, which will be the very first in Canada to fabricate certified parts for the marine industry with metal 3D printing. The M2 Cusing will mostly be used by UNB’s Dr. Mohsen Mohammadi, who will be the Director of Research and Development for the new center, and his team for multiple R&D areas, including bast resistance, enhanced corrosion protection, and hybrid 3D printing processes.

Mass Portal Announces Reorganization of Software Team

Latvian 3D printer manufacturer Mass Portal has reorganized, and appointed new leadership for, its software team, which is now an independent company called FabControl. The company will be building an open, next-generation software platform for managing 3D printers and AM workflows, and Mass Portal’s current CEO and co-founder Janis Grinhofs, the founder of FabControl and in charge of developing Mass Portal’s flagship Pharaoh 3D printers, will now serve as the CEO of the new company. Imants Treidis has been named the new CEO of Mass Portal.

“We will continue to serve our existing customers and industrial partners, in the same time striving for excellence in supplying the industry with highest quality machines and tailor built solutions for additive manufacturing needs,” Treidis said.

All About Aluminum at AMAP Forum 

Not too long ago in Aachen, scientific and industry experts gathered at the AMAP Forum (Advanced Metals and Processes) to demonstrate the continuing potential of researching non-ferrous metals, like aluminum, for the purposes of lightweight automotive design. 14 entrepreneurs from industry and five of the RWTH Aachen University institutions formed the AMAP Open Innovation Research cluster at the forum, and discussed topics ranging from new production technologies and materials development to modeling and metallurgic process technology. Some of the specifics included using aluminum hollow castings to create structural components with functional integration, additive manufacturing, and new design and calculation methods for high-strength aluminum alloys.

Dr. Klaus Vieregge, Chairman of the AMAP Advisory Board and Head of the Hydro Aluminium Research and Development Center in Bonn, said, “We are an efficient network. New members are always welcome, but a high number of members is not the focus of the AMAP cluster, we want to convince people by the efficiency of the work and the research results.”

SelfCAD Partners with MyMiniFactory

Online 3D design platform SelfCAD, founded in 2015, combines 3D modeling, slicing, and several other tools and functions in one easy program. Earlier this year, the platform announced a partnership with popular 3D printable model marketplace MyMiniFactory.

This partnership makes it easy for SelfCAD users to access the design library in MyMiniFactory, and also gives them the ability to download their 3D models directly from the marketplace while still in the SelfCAD program. In addition,  it’s also possible for users to upload their models directly to MyMiniFactory for maximum exposure.

To learn more, check out this helpful video:

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

 

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Metal 3D Printing Material Scalmalloy Could be the Aircraft Material of the Future

[Image: GE Aviation]

Aviation is one of the many industries around the world that’s increasing its adoption of 3D printing, which can be used to create the lightweight components and complex parts that are necessary for an airplane. The technology makes these parts with repeatable characteristics and consistently high quality, and can also decrease the amount of time, money, and materials needed to produce them, making the overall supply chain more efficient.

Speaking of these materials, we most often hear about components being made with strong thermoplastics and metals, such as titanium. But there’s another metal out there – a lightweight, corrosion-resistant aluminium alloy nearly as strong as titanium – that could be the hero we all need for the future of aircraft. I am of course referring to Scalmalloy, an aluminum-magnesium-scandium alloy developed and patented specifically for metal 3D printing by APWorks.

Scalmalloy is a highly ductile material that works on all existing powder bed SLM 3D printers. With a stable microstructure at temperatures of up to 250ºC, it’s highly weldable and can easily be machined for use in industries like aviation and automotive. Additionally, the material was developed specifically to use the lowest buy-to-fly ratio when compared to parts designed and manufactured using conventional methods.

Recently, a collaborative group of researchers from the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT) published a paper about another scandium-reinforced aluminum alloy, titled “Selective laser melting of rare earth element Sc modified aluminum alloy: Thermodynamics of precipitation behavior and its influence on mechanical properties,” in the Additive Manufacturing journal.

The abstract reads, “The interest of selective laser melting (SLM) Al-based alloys for lightweight applications, especially the rare earth element Sc modified Al-Mg alloy, is increasing. In this work, high-performance Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy was successfully fabricated by SLM. The phase identification, densification behavior, precipitate distribution and mechnical properties of the as-fabricated parts at a wide range of processing parameters were carefully characterized. Meanwhile, the evolution of nanoprecipitation behavior under various scan speeds is revealed and TEM analysis of precipitates shows that a small amount of spherical nanoprecipitates Al3(Sc,Zr) were embedded at the bottom of the molten pool using a low scan speed. While no precipitates were found in the matrix using a relatively high scan speed due to the combined effects of the variation of Marangoni convection vector, ultrashort lifetime of liquid and the rapid cooling rate. An increased hardness and a reduced wear rate of 94 HV0.2 and 1.74 × 10-4 mm3N-1 m-1 were resultantly obtained respectively as a much lower scan speed was applied. A relationship between the processing parameters, the surface tension, the convection flow, the precipitation distribution and the resultant mechanical properties has been well established, demonstrating that the high-performance of SLM-processed Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy could be tailored by controlling the distribution of nanoprecipitates.”

3D printed Scalmalloy aircraft partition

The researchers fabricated Sc- and Zr-modified AI-Mg alloy using SLM 3D printing, and were then able to provide clarification on the relationships between the convection flow, precipitate distribution, mechanical properties, and scan speed. SEM and TEM characterize the various precipitation behavior between different scan speeds, and a relatively low scan speed helped to evaluate and explain how significantly the material’s hardness had improved.

Authors of the paper are Han Zhang, Dongdong Gu, Jiankai Yang, and Donghua Dai from NUAA, and Tong Zhao, Chen Hong, Andres Gasser, and Reinhart Poprawe from Fraunhofer ILT.

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

[Images: APWorks unless otherwise noted]

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Roger Uceda & CIM-UPC Create a Masters Degree in Design for Additive Manufacturing

Roger Uceda was one of the key people behind the BCN3D which was created as an offshoot of design nonprofit CIM UPC in Barcelona. After helping being BCN3D to life and leading the company Roger is now back at CIM UPC trying to do what he can to make Barcelona the global hub for 3D printing. Their next effort? They’re going to create a Masters program for 3D printing, or more precisely a Masters Degree in Design for Additive Manufacturing.  The team will collaborate with “Renishaw, Ricoh, HP… technological centres and universities to make this the most powerful masters degree in Additive Manufacturing.” The catch? The degree is in Spanish for now.
3D Printer and a small race car model
Focusing on Industry 4.0 and the growth of our industry would seem to be a rather prescient thing to do. One of the problems in 3D printing at the moment is in finding enough really good people to do the work. Experienced professionals are often thin on the ground and there is a real war for talent happening in 3D. This would seem to be an excellent opportunity for people to hit the ground running if they want to work in 3D printing. 3D printing exactly the part you have also doesn’t unlock any of the value this only happens when one designs for additive.
The course will be given by Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and will focus on real cases and use machines such as the Ricoh AM S5500P, 3D Systems SLA 7000, Vanguard HS, HP MultiJet Fusion, Renishaw AM-250 as well as a BCN3D Sigma and Sigmax farm, hand-held 3DScanners and a Mitutoyo CMM. Much of the training will be conducted by professionals and will focus on product design, improving 3D printing itself through tools and tooling and also manufacturing.

3D printed surgical models DEFAM.

The director general of CIM UPC Felip Fenollosa said that, ” we have taken a step forward for the formative leadership in Additive Manufacturing, integrating the relevant actors in this ecosystem to contribute their experience to prepare the next generations of professionals for the transformation of our industry. We seek that in a global environment any Design can be sent anywhere in the world and manufactured at the same point of sale”

3DPrint.com asked Roger Uceda what the ideas were behind the new Design for Additive Manufacturing course:
What kind of students do you expect will attend? 
Roger Uceda: “We expect two kind of students. Firstly we expect just graduated in engineering degrees that love and beleive in 3D printing, and want to work in that field. We also expect engineers that are already working in companies and want to change not only their products but also the way they manufacture and supply. We need to provide to that students the criteria to choose the correct tool in aditive manufacturing depending on their strategy. Is not the same to use 3D printing to shorten the development time, to change the supply chain, to optimize the geometry or to fully customize a product.”
Where do you think you’re graduates will work? 
Roger Uceda: “Our students will work in different fields, from product develpment to production companies, 3D printing manufacturers and also in the medical field. We will give special attention to the use of additive manufacturing in health. On the other hand, CIM-UPC offers the possibility of a dual training, combining the master classes with an internship in companies in all that fields. At this moment we have more vacancies in our job bank that students.”
Why should I take this class? 
Roger Uceda: I personally think that additive manufacuring is the perfect tool for changing the way we produce things. But this is just a tool. We need to teach the best professionals to lead that change in design and in production using this amazing  technology. If you are a 3D printing passionate that want to lead that revolution, this master should be probably a very good idea!.

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Diabase Engineering Introduces the H-Series Desktop Hybrid 3D Printer and CNC Machine

Diabase Engineering offered 3D printer owners a brand new option in 2016 when it introduced the Flexion Extruder, an add-on extruder that promised to give any 3D printer industrial 3D printing capabilities. A few months later, the company upgraded the extruder by giving it higher-temperature capabilities. The extruder has been popular and a claim to fame for Diabase Engineering, which was founded a couple of years ago by NinjaFlex inventor Stephen Heston.

Now Diabase has taken a step forward into the 3D printer market itself with the H-Series, which is more than a 3D printer – it’s a hybrid machine that combines both additive and subtractive manufacturing capabilities. The H-Series is designed like a vertical machining center, with an open build environment and a range of workholding options that allow for the use of round, rectangular or sheet stock as raw material. It includes air-cooled spindles and coordinated 5-axis motion, enabling the use of advanced subtractive toolpaths. Additional subsystems and attachments allow for process environment control, scanning and measurement, nozzle cleaning and more.

Hybrid manufacturing machines are becoming increasingly common as manufacturers realize the convenience of having 3D printing and CNC machining in one place. Typically, parts are 3D printed roughly to near net shape, then cleaned up and machined down to their final shape. This process is a low-waste and high-throughput one that that allows for accurate parts with high quality surface finish, though it also requires the machine to have higher mass and stiffness in order to remain accurate under highly vibrational tool loads.

The H-Series is a little bit different. Rather than completing a 3D printed part and then machining it, the machine additively and subtractively manufactures in successive steps: it starts with a sheet, slug or other raw material, then machines away some features, adds additional ones, and subtractively smooths them before adding more in a true hybrid process. This process is faster and more predictable in terms of mechanical properties.

The H-Series has a tool-changing system that accommodates up to five Flexion extruders, as well as wireless control, an enclosure, and a heated filament cabinet.

According to Diabase Engineering, the H-Series is suitable for short run production, not just prototyping. Its desktop size makes it a convenient machine for the office or small machine shop, and Diabase describes it as being well-suited to prosumers and institutions.

More and more manufacturers are realizing the benefits of hybrid manufacturing. While 3D printing is an effective technology on its own, using CNC machining alongside it makes it faster, cleaner, and overall more effective. The H-Series isn’t the first hybrid 3D printer and CNC machine to enter the market, nor is it the first desktop hybrid machine, but its novel process of additively and subtractively manufacturing one right after another sets it apart from others.

As 3D printing moves away from being a prototyping tool and towards being an actual tool for manufacturing, machines like this help to bring the technology forward into something that is more efficient and effective. The H-Series will be available soon from Diabase Engineering; you can sign up on the company’s website to be notified when it is available.

 

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

[Images provided by Flexion Engineering]

 

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Renishaw Releases Additive Manufacturing Monitoring Software

UK-based Renishaw has just released their InfiniAM Spectral software for monitoring 3D printing systems. The metal manufacturing monitoring software helps achieve consistency in laser powder bed fusion outputs. This is especially useful for LPBF prints since the system uses millions of laser exposures to process materials. What’s unique about this particular monitoring technique is that it […]

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