3D Printing took another turn on the fashion run way. The revolutionary technology was on display at the 2016 Met Gala "Manus x Machina: Fashion in the Age of Technology." The gala showcased new clothing inspired by myriad technologies; among them, 3D printing was prominently featured. Additive Manufacturing, another term for 3D printing, is a fashion designer's choice to enhance and support the unique geometry of garments. There is a variety of applications though, from remote controlled clothing to printable fashion.
Brendon McNaughton, a 26-year-old artist from Canada, has printed a gold heart using 3D printing technology. McNaughton was inspired by gold miners in Australia and their working conditions there. The workers risk their lives for low wages despite the highly valued goal. In order to publicize this issue, McNaughton designed and created a 3D printed heart of gold. The heart of an anonymous donor was scanned with an MRI. Once printed, it was cast in bronze and then given a layer of gold leaf applied by hand. McNaughton will continue printing hearts on a commission basis of $30,000 with proceeds being donated to cardiac research.
A recent Forbes article described a PwC report that detailed 7 ways manufacturing firms confide 3D printing helps thembecome more competitive. They argue:
- Increasingly (71.1%), responding companies use the the technology for prototypes and final parts.
- Over half believe its use will be expanded to include high-volume production within 5 years.
- Surprisingly, only a quarter predict Additive Manufacturing will disrupt their supply chains in the short term.
- Almost 53% feel 3D printing will gain a greater foothold in the parts/products after-market.
- A majority (64%) anticipate Additive Manufacturing will be used to reproduce obsolete components.
- Of those organizations that already use 3D printing, more than half believe their peers will adopt the technology within 5 years.
- Firms continue to believe that technology costs and qualified labor shortages will slow greater adoption of 3D printing use.
To learn more about how additive manufacturing can help your company, contact RapidMade.
Congratulations to our colleague Anouk Wipprecht on her recognition by All3DP.com as 1 of the 30 most influential women in 3D printing. It is inspiring to see so many accomplished female professionals using additive manufacturing is so many novel ways including research, fashion, medicine, education and art.
Anouk is a designer and artist who specializes in "electronic couture"
“She has worked with Black Eyed Peas, SuperBowl, Eurovision, as well as Audi, Volkswagen and more. Famous 3D printed incarnations include the Smoke Dress and Spider Dress. She is also curator of the TECHNOSENSUAL ‘Where Fashion meets Technology’ exhibition.”
Photo Credit: Shell/3Dprint.com
2D engineering drawings fail to capture the minds and hearts of lay people. I remember Nabisco engineers willingly sharing their blue prints with production employees to coax their input and buy in to equipment designs and line lay outs. These machines and lines can cost millions of dollars, so there's a real need to "get it right the first time." Invariably there would often be miscommunication and frustration when both parties thought they were getting what they needed only to discover when the equipment was delivered and the line was installed that they had missed the mark - sometimes quite literally. One time, the operator was on one side of the line and the controls were on the other!
Now, 3D printing and rapid prototyping allow stakeholders to physically see, touch and manipulate what is being proposed. They can more easily assess what will work and what won't, saving time, money and aggravation.
In one such situation, Shell Oil recently produced a prototype that allowed the firm to design and construct an elaborate buoy. As one executive explained
“that for the offshore crews in particular there are challenges due to the high cost of installation. Patterson also says that their crews in ‘the Americas’ have been exploring 3D printing for prototyping. Upon working in the Stones project in the Gulf of Mexico—about 200 miles southwest of New Orleans—engineers were faced with how to put together enormous blocks of syntactic foam into a buoy that would need to disconnect to an FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) vessel area at what is going to go down in history as the world’s deepest water installation at 2,900m of water.”
Can you imagine hauling something that large, expensive and complex out to sea only to discover it didn't work as engineered? This is a great example of why rapid prototyping was one of the earliest applications of 3D printing technology.
If you are interested in learning more about how rapid prototyping can improve your next project, please contact RapidMade.
Video Credit Jason Jischke.
Even Oregon State fans will want to root for this particular duck to win... In Wisconsin, a duck named Phillip has received a new pair of 3D printed prosthetic feet. Phillip was frostbitten earlier this year and unfortunately had to have his feet amputated. This left him immobile and incapable of walking and swimming with other ducks. An hour before they were prepared to euthanize Phillip, a teacher offered to 3D print a new pair. Their team has since been working to make Phillip feet that are comfortable and effective.
3D printed prosthetics has been used for animals for years now, but this is the first duck to receive new apendages through 3D printing technology. Phillip will soon be able to waddle and swim happily with the other ducks. #goducks
Photo Credit: Brittany Herbert/Mashable
New Balance joins Nike, Adidas and others in the race to gain a foothold in the 3D printed shoe market. NB has announced a new $400 sneaker that utilizes additive manufacturing. As technology develops, shoe companies are looking for new, innovative ways to make shoes stronger, more comfortable, more versatile and adaptive. The sneaker touts a new porous insole that molds to the wearer’s foot. This is another example of how 3D printed wearables are becoming more prominent and how the expansion of 3D printing technology is spurring creativity in industry. Time will tell if the industry has put its right foot forward.
Development Model shown to Portland City Council for approval
If a picture is worth a 1,000 words then a model is worth a 1,000 pictures. Bring your ideas and drawings to life:
Architecture
- Turn around in as little as 24 hours means more time to perfect your designs.
- Embedded textures lets you simulate the colors of building materials like brick, stone and wood.
- Small features lets you design realistic windows, doors, beams, facades and other important visual design elements.
- Prints come directly from your BIM models.
Marketing
- Get your products in front of customers where it would otherwise be difficult or impossible.
- Customize marketing materials with logos and designs.
- Infinite customization to achieve the exact effects you desire.
- Get concept models in front of customers early in the product development cycle to get feedback before spending too much money on the wrong track.
- Get tangible products in your customers hands instead of a 2D computer image.
Promotions
- Pens and magnets are boring and forgettable. Make a promotional giveaway your customer has never before seen.
- Come to us with nothing but an idea for a promotional product and we can take care of the rest.
- Personalize your giveaways to the exact customer you are handing it to with custom messaging.
- Many promotional products require expensive tooling and long lead times to accomplish - RapidMade can make your promotional products in a week or less.
Displays
- Drive traffic to your stores at the window and sales with custom retail displays.
- Stand out and get attention at your next trade show with eye catching models.
- Capture your customers' attention and make them remember your brand
- Lean on our design team to come up with a creative solution that will satisfy your customers and be flexible for your budget.
Exhibits
- Store geometric and color data for priceless artifacts and works of art permanently with3D scanning technology.
- Use digital object data to engage visitors online with interactive web exhibits.
- Create to-scale or re-scale replicas that let your visitors safely interact with models of priceless artifacts without endangering the original piece.
- Create complimentary pieces for your exhibit from object data scanned by other museums around the world.
RapidMade Advantages:
- Color: with almost 400,000 colors to choose from, why skimp?
- Size: scale-down huge machines or buildings to hand-held or table-sized replicas
- Logistics: avoid lugging heavy machinery to trade shows
- Creativity: turn your BIM and CAD models into tangible marketing materials
- Carefree: leave the design and fabrication to us, just supply the ideas
See other great models here.
As Pittsburgh natives, we've been awaiting the Opening of GE's New Additive Manufacturing Facility there. The Grand Opening was earlier this week. Officially named the Center for Additive Technology Advancement (CATA), the plant is officially located southwest of the city near the airport in Findlay Township. The move symbolizes GE's belief that improving the speed and effectiveness of additive manufacturing will give it a strategic advantage. Just "down the road" from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh - Hail Pitt - perhaps GE will collaborate with these schools on AM research.
According to Business Wire,
“The new facility represents a $39 million investment over three years and will result in the creation of 50 high-tech engineering jobs initially, in disciplines ranging from mechanical and electrical to systems and software engineering. This is GE’s first multi-modal site in the U.S., designed as an innovation hub offering training and development in both design and applications.”
Having lived through the repeated Pittsburgh-based plant closings of the 80s and 90s, personally we're hoping this is just the beginning of a bright, high-tech renaissance for SW Pennsylvania.
Photo Credit: NewHistorian.com
We've written before about using 3D printing to create artwork and artifacts. These stories are especially interesting to us given that RapidMade has been privileged to 3D print both originals and replicas. And apparently we are in good company...
In another brilliant example of this approach, Cambridge University is 3D scanning and printing reproductions of Ox bones. During the Shang Dynasty in China, roughly 1339 BCE-1112 BCE, oracles would inscribe their writings on Ox bones which are being recreated for research and educational purposes. These bones provide insight into the way of life during the Shang Dynasty. Archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians alike can now safely continue to learn from the information contained in these bones while ensuring their preservation. The university’s collection contains over 600 bones (that is a lot of scanning and printing) which will now be more readily available for study due to these replicas.
We've blogged before about firms that are using 3D printing to help the visually impaired "see." Innovative individuals and businesses have found unique ways to enhance the aesthetic, educational, and medical experiences of people with different levels of blindness.
In Helsinki, designers are 3D printing replicas of famous works of art so that they can be touched and experienced in a way like never before; objects can now be handled by visually impaired students so as to better understand concepts in their education.
A doctor in New Zealand has applied this technology to create an affordable medical device that can help examine patients’ eyesight and diagnose conditions that can be treated and prevented.
In this one field of medicine we in turn can see a global effort to make lives better through 3D printing and its versatile array of applications.
We've blogged before about ventures that have involved 3D printing houses. Now, UCLA researchers are working on a 3D printing process that allows them to reuse captive carbon dioxide as an ingredient in cement. They call their revolutionary material CO2NCRETE.
Now that they've identified a process that works, the team is thinking about how to scale up and commercialize it so the 3D printed CO2NCRETE can be marketed and sold:
“We know how to capture the carbon. We know how to improve the efficiency. We know how to shape it with 3D printing, but we need to do all of that at the lab scale now, and begin the process of actually increasing the volume of material and then thinking about how to pilot it commercially,” states DeShazo, who has been responsible for providing ‘public policy and economic guidance’ in terms of this research.”
Maybe someday, the 3D printed cement can be used to 3D print those houses.
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Photo Credit: 3ders.org
3D printing has now entered into the world of culinary arts as researchers, bakers, chefs and restaurateurs are looking to 3D printing for a unique take on the culinary experience. 3D printing can be used to make unique table settings as well as original molds for cakes and other baked goods among other applications that were previously too expensive or complex to be adopted by the industry. While the materials used in 3D printing edibles must be safe for food products, there are some restaurants already using the technology for displays to give their food a unique environment so as to enhance the customer’s experience.
Photo Credit: 3Dprint.com
Osseointegration, the surgical integration of prosthesis to a patient’s bone structure, is seeing resurgence in popularity due to 3D printing. Because of the variety of unique implants and prosthetics made possible by 3D printing, it becoming much easier and effective to install implants directly to the patient’s bone structure. These 3D printed implants will help solve the cost and discomfort hurdles facing amputees. Currently, researchers believe 3D printing can be a cost-effective way of making custom prosthetics that outperform their more generic alternatives.
Luke's missing left leg rarely lets him down.
If you're a regular reader of our blog posts, you know that we have an adorable three-legged rescue affectionately named Luke Triwalker. We continue to debate if and when it will make sense to create a prosthesis using 3D scanning and printing, so anytime I come across a similar situation, I enjoy learning more about the whys and hows associated with each case. One success story involves an Australian pup named Ziggy. Like Luke, this rescue had a mangled leg that couldn't be saved. Unfortunately, it became apparent to his owners, both veterinarian students, that Ziggy's remaining leg was not developing correctly. They
“found Ziggy had an angular limb deformity, due to damage to his growth plates in his remaining front leg. The increased weight on Ziggy’s front leg was making it “bent and twisted” due to abnormal bone growth, according to senior lecturer at the University’s School of Veterinary Science Dr Jayne McGhie.”
Despite corrective surgery, Ziggy ultimately developed arthritis which further hindered his mobility. It was then that they turned to 3D scanning and printing:
“CT scan images of Ziggy’s leg were used to create computerised and printed three-dimensional models of his limb. These models were then used to calculate where the bone had to be cut and how it had to be manipulated to straighten the limb so Ziggy could walk normally,” McGhie said.”
Photo Credit: University of Queensland
After recuperation, Ziggy is back up on all threes...
Story after story illustrates the power and popularity of 3D printing in the medical field. Fueled by the ability to customize solutions to specific patients, providers are using the revolutionary technology to create and improve a range of medical devices, surgical guides, designer drugs, and body implants. The wide adoption of health-related additive manufacturing initiatives has left the FDA scrambling to respond. In late October, 2014, RapidMade participated in an FDA-sponsored forum of stakeholders to discuss their concerns and consider best practices. Since then, it appears that the FDA has backed away from implementing industry-wide regulatory guidelines and instead chosen to review and decide each product on a case-by-case basis using existing 510K and emergency use regulations.
At least one source, Maya Eckstein, argues the current tactic does not sufficiently address an ever-increasing number of issues that are surfacing...
“Unanswered questions include:
How will FDA treat non-traditional device “manufacturers,” such as hospitals?
Will FDA regulate 3D printers as medical devices? Or, will FDA only concern itself with 3D-printed products?
Will a manufacturer’s sharing of its design files for a 3D-printed product constitute promotion of the product? If so, will manufacturers be obliged to share risk information whenever they share design files?
When will FDA consider a 3D-printed device to be a “custom device”? Will such 3D-printed custom devices be exempt from premarket approval requirements and mandatory performance standards?
How will FDA execute its inspection program? How will quality systems and good manufacturing practice requirements be applied to the 3D printing of drugs and devices?”
Another unknown is whether the FDA will attempt to regulate non-profit organizations like e-NABLE which use a network of unregulated makers to print and distribute low-cost prostheses to needy children and adults.
Clearly the key will be providing enough regulatory oversight to ensure patient safety without becoming overly bureaucratic and cumbersome.
Every presidential campaign season, US-based manufacturing and jobs are popular speech punchlines. And while we can all understand the importance of re-shoring production , how to effectively accomplish the goal is more difficult. Where does a company begin?
Knowing the relative strengths and costs of the available technologies and materials provides a good start:
3D Printed Plastics
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
Standard Materials: ABS
Relative Cost: ★★☆☆☆
Machine Finish: ★★☆☆☆
ABS Prime Finish: ★★★★☆
Typical Lead Time: 2-5 Business Days
Specialty Materials: PC, nylon, ULTEM and many more (See FDM page)
Relative Cost: ★★★★☆
Machine Finish: ★★☆☆☆
Typical Lead Time: 3-7 Business Days
FDM Pros: Very high accuracy on large parts, diverse materials, rigid and tough, fast turnaround, sparse fill for light weight with high part volumes
FDM Cons: Striated machine finish, low resolution on features under 0.030"
Polyjet (Objet) Printing
Standard Materials: Acrylic and polypropylene-like
Relative Cost: ★★★☆☆
Machine Finish: ★★★★★
Typical Lead Time: 2-5 Business Days
Specialty Materials: ABS-like, various elastomers and digital materials (See Polyjet Page)
Relative Cost: ★★★★☆
Machine Finish: ★★★★★
Typical Lead Time: 3-7 Business Days
Polyjet Pros: Top quality detail, best surface finish, clear material option, embedded textures, fine features, single piece mechanical assemblies
Polyjet Cons: Resins - not industrial thermoplastics, lower heat resistance, better for smaller parts
Selective Laser SIntering (SLS)
Standard Materials: Nylon and glass filled nylon
Relative Cost*: ★★★☆☆
Machine Finish: ★★★☆☆
Typical Lead Time: 5-10 Business Days
Specialty Materials: Rubber (TPU), carbon filled nylon and other composites (See SLS page)
Relative Cost: ★★★★☆
Machine Finish: ★★★☆☆
Typical Lead Time: 5-10 Business Days
SLS Pros: Real thermoplastic and thermoplastic composites, uniform matte finish, great thermal and mechanical properties
SLS Cons: Large and thick parts can warp, longer production lead times, porous material, low resolution on features under 0.030"
*In volume SLS can become one of the least expensive printing processes.
Large Format 3D Printing
Learn More about Large Format 3D Printing
Standard Materials: Epoxy infused Acrylic
Relative Cost*: ★★★☆☆
Machine Finish: ★★★☆☆
Typical Lead Time: 5-10 Business Days
Specialty Materials: Sand (Sand Casting), Low Ash Burnout Resin (Investment Casting)
Relative Cost: ★★★☆☆
Machine Finish: ★★★☆☆
Typical Lead Time: 5-10 Business Days
Large Format Pros: Largest build size of any 3D printers, cost effective for large parts, casting patterns and molds without any additional tooling
Large Format Cons: Not as durable as SLS or FDM, not intended for small objects, longer production lead times compared to smaller printers
3D Printed Metals
Note: 3D printed metals tend to be 5 to 10 times the cost of 3D printed plastics and are often more expensive than machined metals.
Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS)
Standard Materials: Aluminum, stainless steel, tool steel and titanium
Relative Cost: ★★★★★
Machine Finish: ★★★☆☆
Typical Lead Time: 5-15 Business Days
Specialty Materials: Cobalt chrome, inconel, (nickel alloy) and more (See DMLS page)
Relative Cost: ★★★★★
Machine Finish: ★★★☆☆
Typical Lead Time: 5-15 Business Days
DMLS Pros: Stronger than cast parts, works with exotic and expensive to machine metals, can make parts that are otherwise not manufacturable
DMLS Cons: Limited part size (generally under 10"), rough finish, lower tolerance than machining, generally more expensive than machining
Printed Metal
Learn more about Printed Metal
Standard Materials: Stainless steel bronze alloy
Relative Cost: ★★★★☆
Machine Finish: ★★☆☆☆
Typical Lead Time: 10-20 Business Days
Specialty Materials: None
Relative Cost: N/A
Machine Finish: N/A
Typical Lead Time: N/A
Printed Metal Pros: Half to a third the cost of typical DMLS parts, beautiful bronze polish look, easily plated, larger bed than DMLS
Printed Metal Cons: Single available material, low strength to weight ratio for metal, long lead time relative to other 3D technologies
3D Printed Composites
Colorjet Full Color Composite
Standard Materials: Full color composite
Relative Cost: ★☆☆☆☆
Machine Finish: ★★★☆☆
Typical Lead Time: 2-5 Business Days
Specialty Materials: None
Relative Cost: N/A
Machine Finish: N/A
Typical Lead Time: N/A
Full Color Composite Pros: Full gradient of 390,000 colors, generally least expensive material, fastest way to make large models, very rigid
Full Color Composite Cons: Features thinner than 0.100" can be brittle, does not have the flex of real plastic
Traditional Manufacturing
Machining
Standard Materials: ABS, HDPE, acetal, nylon, aluminum, stainless steel
Relative Cost: Quantity and lead dependent
Machine Finish: ★★★★★
Typical Lead Time: 5-15 Business Days
Specialty Materials: Custom materials available on request
Relative Cost: Quantity and lead dependent
Machine Finish: ★★★★★
Typical Lead Time: 5-15 Business Days
Machining Pros: Scales well with volume, widest range of materials, high tolerance and good surface finish
Machining Cons: Generally more expensive at low volumes and higher complexity than 3D printing, more design limitations than 3D printing
Urethane Casting
Learn more about urethane casting
Standard Materials: Rigid and rubber urethane, acrylic, resins, plaster, composites
Relative Cost: ★★★☆☆
Machine Finish: ★★★★☆
Typical Lead Time: 5-15 Business Days
Specialty Materials: Custom materials available on request
Relative Cost: ★★★☆☆
Machine Finish: ★★★★☆
Typical Lead Time: 5-15 Business Days
Urethane Casting Pros: Repeatable textured finishes, good for over-molding, mimics injection molding faster and with lower tooling cost
Urethane Casting Cons: 5-10 days required to make tooling, moderate tooling costs, does not use thermoplastic, higher part cost than injection molding
Injection Molding
Learn more about injection molding
Standard Materials: ABS, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, TPU
Relative Cost: Quantity and lead dependant
Machine Finish: ★★★★★
Typical Lead Time: 4-12 Weeks
Specialty Materials: Custom materials available on request
Relative Cost: Quantity and lead dependant
Machine Finish: ★★★★★
Typical Lead Time: 4-12 Weeks
Injection Molding Pros: Highest quality, lowest cost production parts available in large quantities, expedited production in as little as four weeks
Injection Molding Cons: High tooling costs and longer lead times
Movement Control Laboratory/University of Washington
A new 3D printed robotic hand, which is able to match human motion and dexterity, is being created from scans of human hands and motion sensor technology. Thanks to research being conducted at the University of Washington, a hand has been built of durable plastics and uses ten motors for movement. Video shows a researcher wearing a motion-sensor glove that detects his movements and sends a signal to the robotic hand to make the same movements. The problem with biomimetic robots in the past has been an inability to accurately simulate the complexities of human motion. By scanning a skeleton hand, researchers were able to 3D print their robotic parts accurately to mimic the motions a human hand is capable of making. This will lead to developments both in medical practices for amputees as well as motion-sensor robotics.
Credit: Newscientist.com
MIT researchers recently turned to 3D printing in order to build a mobile robot. Leveraging one advantage of 3D printing, the robot’s body was printed in one piece capable of movement using hydraulics. Both in universities and at home, roboticists are looking more to 3D printing to build unique parts, rapid prototypes, and even robotic prostheses. Though the relationship between the two industries is just beginning to gain momentum, there are already myriad ways in which 3D printing has opened up possibilities for makers and businesses in the field of robotics.
Credit: 3Dprint.com
Dr. Ralph Mobbs of the Sydney Spine Clinic turned to 3D printing to save the life of a patient suffering from a rare form of cancer. Drage Josevski was diagnosed with chordoma, a cancer that affects the spine. His case was especially difficult because the tumor was located in his top two vertebrae. Dr. Mobbs performed a landmark procedure that replaced the vertebrae with a 3D printed titanium implant. Josevski’s surgery was a success, and he is in rehabilitation to adjust to the implant. This achievement is yet another example of the possibilities 3D printing creates for the medical field.