Scientists build a low-cost, open-source 3-D metal printer OK, so maybe you aren't interested in making your own toys, cellphone cases, or glow-in-the-dark Christmas decorations. How about a brake drum? Until now, 3D printing has been a polymer affair, with most people in the maker community using the machines to make all manner of plastic consumer goods, from tent stakes to chess sets. A new low-cost 3D printer developed by Michigan Technological University's Joshua Pearce and his team could add hammers to that list. Pearce is the first to admit that his new printer is a work in progress. Using under $1,500 worth of materials, including a small commercial MIG welder and an open-source microcontroller, Pearce's team built a 3D metal printer than can lay down thin layers of steel to form complex geometric objects. His make-it-yourself metal printer is less expensive than off-the-shelf commercial plastic 3D printers and is affordable enough for home use, he said. Explore further: 3-D printing: Making your own saves energy, scientist says
My Region - 3-D printer by Sask. man gets record crowdsourced cash A Saskatchewan man who has developed an affordable 3D printer has attracted worldwide attention and more than $700,000 in crowdsourced funding. Rylan Grayston, 28, from Yorkton, said curiosity fuelled his quest to create a 3D copier that sells for just $100. Other high-tech 3D printers sell for several thousand dollars or more. "I didn't have enough money for a 3D printer that I wanted, so I just started thinking about how can I do this myself?" "All I want to do is invent," Grayston said about the possible riches associated with an affordable 3D printer. How exactly does 3D printing work? Although Grayston has no formal training in engineering or computer science, he has been a tinkerer all his life. Rylan Grayston has developed an affordable 3-D printing machine. Grayston's software converts an object into file data using a sound card on his laptop. Unlike other more expensive devices, Grayston's Peachy Printer has no motors or microprocessors. With files from CBC's Bonnie Allen
Nanoscribe Will Sell a Micro 3-D Printer That Creates Tiny Structures in Seconds Nanoscribe, a spin-off from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, has developed a tabletop 3-D microprinter that can create complicated microstructures 100 times faster than is possible today. “If something took one hour to make, it now takes less than one minute,” says Michael Thiel, chief scientific officer at Nanoscribe. While 3-D printing of toys, iPhone covers, and jewelry continues to grab headlines (see “The Difference Between Makers and Manufacturers”), much of 3-D printing’s impact could be at a much smaller scale. Micrometer-scale printing has shown promise for making medical and electronic devices. Thiel says it should be possible to speed up his company’s microprinting technique even more in the future. Printing microstructures with features a few hundred nanometers in size could be useful for making heart stents, microneedles for painless shots, gecko adhesives, parts for microfluidics chips, and scaffolds for growing cells and tissue.
Scientists take "4D printing" a step further Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have successfully added a fourth dimension to their printing technology, opening up exciting possibilities for the creation and use of adaptive, composite materials in manufacturing, packaging and biomedical applications. A team led by H. Jerry Qi, associate professor of mechanical engineering at CU-Boulder, and his collaborator Martin L. “In this work, the initial configuration is created by 3D printing, and then the programmed action of the shape memory fibers creates time dependence of the configuration – the 4D aspect,” said Dunn, a former CU-Boulder mechanical engineering faculty member who has studied the mechanics and physics of composite materials for more two decades. The 4D printing concept, which allows materials to “self-assemble” into 3D structures, was initially proposed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty member Skylar Tibbits in April of this year.
world's first 3D printed metal gun successfully fires 50 bullets nov 08, 2013 world's first 3D printed metal gun successfully fires 50 bullets world’s first 3D printed metal gun successfully fires 50 rounds of bulletsall images courtesy solid concepts 3D printing service leader solid concepts has manufactured the world’s first 3D printed metal gun using a laser sintering process and powdered metals. the semi-automatic pistol is based off the design of a classic 1911 and has already successfully fired over 50 rounds of bullets without breaking. the fire-weapon is constructed with 33 17-4 stainless steel and inconel 625 components, and features a carbon-fiber filled nylon hand grip. ‘the whole concept of using a selective laser sintering process to 3D print a metal gun revolves around proving the reliability, accuracy and usability of metal 3D printing as functional prototypes and end use products,‘ says kent firestone, vice president of additive manufacturing at solid concepts. detail of the 3D printed .45 caliber pistol rodrigo caula I designboom
Vader Systems invente l'imprimante 3D métal à destination du grand public Du fait d’une température de fusion bien supérieure au plastique (de 600°C pour l’aluminium jusqu’à 1000°C pour l’or), la possibilité d’offrir aux particuliers une imprimante 3D à base de métal restait en suspens. La société Vader Systems, créée par le père Scott et le fils Zach Vader, pourrait bien mettre un terme aux doutes qui subsistaient. La technologie utilisée par Vader Systems, dénommée « Liquid Metal Jet Printing » (impression par jet de métal liquide), est une version détournée de l’impression par jet d’encre, bien connue des imprimantes 2D. Des minuscules gouttes de métal sont déposées sur une plateforme, suivant un tracé préalablement spécifié. Comme pour chaque technologie d’impression, l’objet 3D est alors construit par une succession de couche de matière, et dans ce cas précis, de métal. En changeant la taille de l’orifice des buses d’impression, la machine peut alors distribuer des gouttelettes de métal fusionné de l’ordre de 100 à 1000 microns.
Flo N' Go - Home - Scepter's patented "Flo n' go" gas pump handle allows you to stop and restart the flow of gas and is designed to eliminate gas spills and overfills. How Your Old CDs Can Turn Sewage Into Drinking Water Good news, fans of terrible 90s bands—your unhealthy obsession with Hanson, Sugar Ray, or Creed could turn out to have a happy ending. No, their music will never be palatable, but the actual CDs on which their tunes were laser-printed, the very same audio discs currently collecting dust in your mom’s basement, could be used to make dirty water potable. At least this is the potential new use for old CDs recently proposed by a team of Taiwanese researchers. “Optical disks are cheap and readily available,” said lead researcher Din Ping Tsai, a physicist at National Taiwan University, in a press release. Each month, roughly 100,000 pounds of CDs become obsolete, with millions being sent to landfills around the world. Tsai’s process involves using a CD’s flat surface as a platform on which to grow zinc oxide. In a test, the researchers found that “over 95 percent of the contaminants had broken down after just 60 minutes. Globally, 884 million people don’t have access to safe drinking water.
Hypr3D Voici l'imprimante 3D qu'utilisera la NASA à bord de l'ISS L’agence spatiale américaine vient ainsi de présenter l’imprimante 3D capable d’imprimer en état d’apesanteur qui devrait prendre le chemin de l’ISS en juin 2014. C’est à bord du cinquième ravitaillement de l’ISS par la société Space X, et donc à bord de la capsule Dragon que sera envoyée l’imprimante accompagnée d’un stock de consommables et de fret scientifique et alimentaire. Pour présenter son projet, la NASA vient de publier une vidéo mettant en avant à la fois l’imprimante et comment les astronautes à bord de la station spatiale internationale l’utiliseront. La capacité à fabriquer son propre équipement ou des pièces de rechange directement dans la station permettra à la NASA d’économiser à la fois du temps et de l’argent : " Comme vous pouvez l’imaginer dans la station spatiale, les astronautes doivent faire avec ce qu’ils ont." " Malheureusement, comme sur Terre, certaines pièces cassent ou se perdent."
Drink This! Cup Show 2014 Photos » Workhouse Ceramics Drink This! Workhouse International Ceramic Cup Show 2014 Drink This! 2014 showcases ceramic drinking vessels by contemporary artists around the globe. The focus of the exhibit is on the variety of ways artists explore the cup, in functional, sculptural, traditional and non-traditional forms. Thank you! Pam Eisenmann- Co-CuratorJoan Ulrich- Co-CuratorDale Marhanka-Ceramics Director Cups are probably one of the most unassuming, yet challenging forms to make. Potters seem to be quite particular about what they like about cups and why. I was so inspired to see such a diverse range of cup forms, surfaces, decoration and building processes. Each of us will have different visceral reactions to different pots based on our own personal histories. Juror-Sam Chung Awards 1st Place - $250-Nicole Aquillano-Massachusetts 2nd Place - $150- Brad Willis-Massachusetts 3rd Place - $100-Jess Carter-Florida Honorable Mentions Richard Peterson-Ohio Ted Neal-Indiana Stephanie Wright-Maine Lauren Karle-Kansas
New miracle material poised to alleviate the global water and energy crisis (NaturalNews) Daunting observations made in the Population Institute report, "2030: The 'Perfect Storm' Scenario," clearly illustrate the dire need for innovative solutions concerning the pending worldwide energy and water crisis. According to Science Daily, "With the world's population expected to hit 8.3 billion by 2030, there will be a massive increase in the global demand for energy and food by 50 per cent and 30 per cent for drinking water." Yet, scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore have steadily worked over the last five years to create a seemingly miraculous material that produces hydrogen, creates clean water and can even generate energy - all at a very low cost in contrast to the current technology available. Called Multi-use Titanium Dioxide, the material is formed by creating nano fibers from titanium dioxide crystals, which are then used to construct a flexible membrane. Sources: