The
RDASS 4 is a remotely piloted, 3D printed helicopter from Leptron.
The little five-pound drone contains modular, nesting layers.
Depending on purpose, these clever interchangeable layers stack
inside the fuselage to provide tailored functionality. Applications
include flying ahead of armored vehicles to see over the
horizon.
Leptron had to develop eight layer variations, crash-test the
prototypes, and create end-use parts on a competitive timeline.
This would have been prohibitively expensive...
SAP,
a Norwegian company that makes parts for marine environments (like
oil-drilling facilities in the North Sea), bought a Fused
Deposition Modeling System to save time and money in prototyping.
To SAP's surprise, its prototypes were strong and attractive enough
to become end-use products.
SAP's move to direct digital manufacturing (DDM) grew out of
necessity. An extensive redesign of a driller-operator chair
involved many intricate parts and was running up against a tight
deadline. So SAP...
A new
mindset has made Acist Medical Systems more agile than ever. A
medical-device manufacturer with a clinical presence in more than
40 countries, Acist specializes in contrast injection systems. Its
devices let caregivers in cardiology and radiology infuse dye into
the vascular system so doctors can better see patients’
anatomies.
Creating end-use parts on Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
systems has improved Acist’s processes in several ways. Because
it’s engaged in direct digital...
“We
get rid of waste. We only print the things that people actually
want,” says Autodesk Labs vice president Brian Mathews in part of
Bloomberg Businessweek’s
CEO Guide to 3D Printing. The collection of articles, photos
and multimedia aims to clue the corner office in to what engineers
have known for years: 3D printing is revolutionary.
Alongside content on aerospace and bioprinting, Mathews’
video focuses on the future of finished consumer goods.
Though cost-ineffective with old-fashioned...
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.
Forward-looking
news and information blog Big
Think is out to clear up a misconception about 3D
printing: that it’s only good for prototypes. Big Think editors
point out that, in aerospace alone, thousands of 3D printed
components are already in the skies as end-use parts on military
and commercial aircraft.
I can’t resist noting that many of these end-use parts come from
Stratasys Fused Depostion Modeling (FDM) systems, which work with
ULTEM 9085, a lightweight thermoplastic with great strength,...
At
Evektor s.r.o, headquartered at the international airport in
Kunovice, Czech Republic, size is no longer an issue when it comes
to producing prototypes for lightweight aircraft, automotive and
consumer components.
When outsourcing proved too time consuming and the costs to
produce large components such as airplane dashboard covers started
to soar, Evektor turned to Stratasys and its Fortus 900mc system --
a 3D production system which utilizes fused deposition modeling.
This in-house solution...
There’s no disputing that lifelong ventriloquist Jeff Dunham has
found success with a few jokes and a cast of dolls. He stars in
Comedy Central’s highest-rated series in history, and
concert-industry magazine Pollstar named him the
top-grossing comedy act in the world in 2009 and 2010.
With an empire to uphold, Dunham is under pressure to
continually refresh his act. A new BioChannel
documentary shows one way he rises to that challenge: a
Dimension 3D Printer, which Dunham used to create his...
Until our economy turns around, will you
hunker down or invest in technology?
When the economy started to tank, Matt Hlavin, CEO of Thogus
Products, a 61-year-old manufacturing company rooted in injection
molding and heavily dependent on the automotive industry, chose not
to await economic recovery, but to invest in Fused Deposition
Modeling (FDM) technology and diversify. His decision has paid off
in spades.
With FDM in place, Thogus shifted to small-volume molding and
now competes with high-cost...
Ad Week recently lauded ten
commercials as the best of 2011. A few Superbowl favorites made the
list, including the darling Darth Vader kid at No. 1. But what’s
really got us grinning at Stratasys is the well-deserved placement
of a 3D printed-model animation at No. 2. Our customer, Artem, a London-based visual-effects
studio, made a 4-inch-tall family of 3D printed characters that
walk, farm and emote in this viral video it created for Chipotle
Mexican Grill.
For
superstar rock band U2's massive U2360 tour, which delivered
concerts to arenas worldwide from 2009 to 2011, the band needed a
steering-wheel-shaped microphone strong enough for singer Bono to
swing from. Oh — and it had to glow from within, illuminated by
LEDs. U2 turned to 1212-Studio, which had used Fused Deposition
Modeling to provide large, illuminated stage pieces for the same
tour.
"Bono's microphone was a much more complicated design and
manufacturing challenge because of how it was...
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.
What kind of savings could you see? ScriptPro, which
manufactures automated pill-dispensing systems for pharmacies,
realized a net savings of nearly 80 percent – savings that were
easy to swallow.
Robotic dispensing systems, which automate the pill bottle
filling function, allow for more patient counseling time and
reduced wait times. The large variety of vial sizes available,
however, posed design and manufacturing challenges.
ScriptPro, therefore, customizes its machines for each
pharmacy.
What could you do in the time it takes to brew and drink a
pot of coffee?
Nestlé Nespresso S.A. can pour out a new iteration of
its highly-designed single-serve espresso machine with caffeinated
speed thanks to its Diminsion 3D rapid prototyping
machine.
If you're an espresso afficianado, then you know the care,
craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into each tiny cup.
More than 20 years ago Nestlé Nespresso developed a home-brewed
option that rivals the pours of trained baristas. The...
Indian
Springs Manufacturing Company, Inc., specializes in CNC machining
and manufacturing and also manufactures and distributes hazardous
material containment and air cleaner kits. Both sides of the
business require quickly produced, high-quality models for testing
form, fit and function.
However, working with outside service bureaus and producing
models on their own manufacturing machines both proved too costly
in terms of time and money. "When uPrint came out, we jumped
at it because we liked...
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.
The
RDASS 4 is a remotely piloted, 3D printed helicopter from Leptron.
The little five-pound drone contains modular, nesting layers.
Depending on purpose, these clever interchangeable layers stack
inside the fuselage to provide tailored functionality. Applications
include flying ahead of armored vehicles to see over the
horizon.
SAP,
a Norwegian company that makes parts for marine environments (like
oil-drilling facilities in the North Sea), bought a Fused
Deposition Modeling System to save time and money in prototyping.
To SAP's surprise, its prototypes were strong and attractive enough
to become end-use products.
“We
get rid of waste. We only print the things that people actually
want,” says Autodesk Labs vice president Brian Mathews in part of
Bloomberg Businessweek’s 
Forward-looking
news and information blog 
At
Evektor s.r.o, headquartered at the international airport in
Kunovice, Czech Republic, size is no longer an issue when it comes
to producing prototypes for lightweight aircraft, automotive and
consumer components.
For
superstar rock band U2's massive U2360 tour, which delivered
concerts to arenas worldwide from 2009 to 2011, the band needed a
steering-wheel-shaped microphone strong enough for singer Bono to
swing from. Oh — and it had to glow from within, illuminated by
LEDs. U2 turned to 1212-Studio, which had used Fused Deposition
Modeling to provide large, illuminated stage pieces for the same
tour.
What kind of savings could you see? ScriptPro, which
manufactures automated pill-dispensing systems for pharmacies,
realized a net savings of nearly 80 percent – savings that were
easy to swallow.
Indian
Springs Manufacturing Company, Inc., specializes in CNC machining
and manufacturing and also manufactures and distributes hazardous
material containment and air cleaner kits. Both sides of the
business require quickly produced, high-quality models for testing
form, fit and function.
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