Recently,
we've seen an increase in requests for various types of inserts in
3D prototypes and production parts. With Fortus 3D Production Systems, a build can be
paused and objects can be inserted directly into a 3D printed part.
You can then resume the build and when it’s finished, your
object is embedded firmly into the final part; it can be partially
exposed outside the part for functionality or completely enclosed
within the part. The end result is some very cool looking and
functioning 3D...
Many
years ago I was given the opportunity to design my first product.
The terms rapid prototyping, 3D printing, and 3D prototyping were foreign to me.
Although I felt confident in my abilities to design a complex piece
of equipment, I was ill-prepared when it came to making the parts I
needed.
We had a large in-house machine shop and I was assigned a machinist to build my prototypes. I would bring him a drawing of a part I’d worked on all day. He would bring me the part and I would find an error...
Read More »
This
is the first of many posts in a regular series from Stratasys
application engineers, who’ll offer technical advice, new ideas and
experienced reflections on Fused Deposition Modeling from an
engineering perspective.
One thing that’s true of rapid-prototyping machines across the board is that some post-build processes must be done before a 3D printed or rapid-prototyped part is ready to be used. The parts have been built, but support removal and/or some additional post processing is required.
W...
Read More »The Department of Defense STARBASE youth program recently placed a large order – roughly $1 million – with Stratasys for another batch of 3D printers. DOD STARBASE locations nationwide now have more than 100 Dimension and uPrint 3D printers being used as classroom technology. 3D printing or rapid prototyping with FDM technoloogy helps the program raise kids’ interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects and careers.
The week-long special program engages kids in...
Read More »Start the new year off right when you check out all the great information at any of industry events noted here. We frequently post links to events, shows and conferences centered on rapid prototyping technology, digital manufacturing, 3D printing and more, so check back often for the latest offerings.
Shot Show
»
January 17-20, 2012
Las Vegas, NV
FETC 2012
»
January 24-26, 2012
Orlando, FL
Solidworks World »
February 12-15, 2012
San Diego, CA
Pacific Design & Mfg »
February 14-16, 2012
Anaheim,...
At year-end there are always a ton of “Top 10” and “Best of” lists. At Stratasys, we’ve compiled our “Best of 2011 Webinars” list too. Whether you’re looking for inspiration to maximize your existing additive manufacturing equipment or justification to present your case for securing a rapid prototyping system, grab a cup of coffee and spend a few minutes with a few of Stratasys’ webinars from 2011. We'd love to hear what other webinars you might like to see -- leave your comments below.
Read More »If you’re looking for a break from cold winter weather, December and January offer several warm-weather industry events. Check our events section frequently, as we regularly post events interest, including events centered around rapid prototyping technology, digital manufacturing and 3D printing.
PRI
(Performance Racing Industry) »
December 1 - 3, 2011
Orlando, FL
Shot
Show »
January 17-20, 2012
Las Vegas, NV
FETC
2012 »
January 24-26, 2012
Orlando, FL
Read More »
It’s
only natural that engineers working with additive
manufacturing / 3D printing should have focused on the
resolution of the manufacturing system in the days when "rapid
prototyping" was used to produce conceptual
models judged on appearance only. Today, additive
manufacturing is commonly used to produce tooling, functional
prototypes and low volume production parts that must meet the same
demanding dimensional requirements as traditional manufacturing
methods. In this changing environment,...Read More »November offers a number of industry events that may be of interest, including events centered around rapid prototyping, technology, digital manufacturing and 3D printing. New events are posted regularly, be sure to check back.
SEMA
Show »
November 1 - 4, 2011
Las Vegas, NV
MD&M
Minneapolis »
November 2 - 3, 2011
Minneapolis, MN
ATMAE
2011 Annual Conference »
November 9 - 11, 2011
Cleveland, OH
ASME
(International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Expo)
»
November 13 - 16, 2011
Denver, CO
Read More »
Fall ushers in a host of events in October and November. They may be of interest to you, as many focus on rapid prototyping, technology, digital manufacturing and 3D printing. Be sure to check back, as new events are posted regularly.
Design
2 Part Show »
October 12 - 13, 2011
Pasadena, CA
CMTS
»
October 17 - 20, 2011
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
SAMPE
TECH »
October 18 - 19, 2011
Fort Worth, TX
MAPP
Benchmarking Conference 2011 »
October 27 - 28, 2011
Indianapolis, IN
SEMA
Show »
November 1 - 4, 2011
Las...
As fall kicked into high gear, students and teachers sharpened
pencils and revved up their 3D printers. Find out how one Minnesota
middle school added heft to its pre-engineering curriculum
with the
Dimension uPrint Personal 3D Printer.
Read more.
Those kids might one day join the University of Minnesota's Formula SAE Team, which used RedEye's rapid prototyping capabilities to fine-tune designs and build low-volume, custom parts. Judges and students were impressed with how well assemblies...Read More »
Those kids might one day join the University of Minnesota's Formula SAE Team, which used RedEye's rapid prototyping capabilities to fine-tune designs and build low-volume, custom parts. Judges and students were impressed with how well assemblies...Read More »
Would you trust the stability of that cup of coffee you grab for
the road to a 12-year old? You would if that middle-schooler had an
assignment from Peter Grimm, an industrial technology teacher at
Southview Middle School in Edina, MN.
Grimm challenges his eighth and seventh grade pre-engineering students to find a solution for the problem of ill-fitting cup holders in older vehicles. By incorporating the educational power of 3D printing, students’ creative ideas are easily brought from a CAD...
Read More »
Direct
digital manufacturing of plastic parts has come a long way. But,
how close are we to do-it-yourself manufacturing?
Advancements in FDM technology are making it possible to not only use additive manufacturing for rapid prototyping, but low-volume manufacturing too. In fact, muscle cars are being restored today using low-volume manufacturing. The Pit Viper, a restored supercharged 1968 Ford Mustang built by TPI (Total Performance Inc.), is an impressive example. After exploring traditional...
Read More »
The following events are
scheduled for August and September. They may be of interest to you,
as many focus on rapid prototyping, technology, digital
manufacturing and 3D printing. Be sure to check back, as new events
are posted monthly.
SIGGRAPH
2011 »
August 8 - 11, 2011
Vancouver, BC
AUVSI's
Unmanned Systems North America 2011 »
August 16 - 19, 2011
Washington, DC
Western
Plastics Trade Fair 2011 »
August 18, 2011
Anaheim, CA
Medical
Prototyping Conference »
September 7 - 8, 2011
Minneapolis, MN
The following events scheduled for July and August may be of
interest to you as many of them focus on rapid prototyping,
technology, digital manufacturing and 3D printing. And, be sure to
check back, as new events will be posted each month.
Campus Technology 2011 »
July 26 - 28, 2011
Boston, MA
2011 PACE Forum Partner Day »
July 27, 2011
Vancouver, BC
SIGGRAPH 2011 »
August 8 - 11, 2011
Vancouver, BC
AUVSI's Unmanned Systems North America 2011 »
August 16 - 19, 2011
Washington, DC
Last year, we sponsored Monroe Community College in their
Engineering Science Association Competition. The school has a
Dimension 3D Printer and uses it to quickly produce 3D models
for their competition pieces, among other things. They love
the FDM technologybecause of the durability of the ABS plastic and the ability
to produce accurate parts in a matter of hours. This has been a
distinct advantage to the school in their competitions. One
instructor said to me, "One of our great advantages...Read More »
While many of us fantasize about that
perfect sports car, Swedish supercar creator, Christian von
Koenigsegg 
is busy designing them – with help from true-to-life prototyping
with a Dimension 3D
printer.
More than 300 parts make up each high-tech car with design and testing taking weeks. With a Dimension 3D printer in-house and accessible to each engineer, testing now races throughout the development cycle, with high-density plastic models and parts designed, printed and available within hours.
Rap...
Read More »The following events, although fictional, are very real problems in companies with low volume product needs.
Design Engineer (DE): " I just spoke with our tooling vendor and they are quoting us $15,000 just for the tool and the lead time is 4 weeks."
Engineering Manager (EM): Gets out his calculator. "We only need 50 parts, that's $300 per part not including their molding costs. We need these out in the field next week if possible. What's with the long lead time?"
DE: "Remember we designed in...
Read More »
As a teenager learning to waterski at a friend’s cabin one summer,
I envied the guys on the lake who could do deep cuts, spraying a
wall of water 15 feet high. Yet, afraid to fall down, I was content
to safely ski between the dual wakes of water from the boat. That
summer, my friend’s dad taught us a valuable lesson. He said we’d
never learn to ski like those guys unless we “wiped out” a lot
more. “If you aren’t falling,” he said, “you aren’t learning.” He
was right. By the end of the summer,...
It's
back to school for many countries after a long summer
break: a great time to show gratitude to
teachers for developing outstanding curriculum, opening doors
to new possibilities and supporting the futures of our kids
and communities.
This month we'll be sharing with you how educators in the US
and around the world have implemented an additive
manufacturing curriculum by incorporating 3D printing into their
classrooms from elementary through college graduate. It's very
exciting to see so...
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