MakerBot

Local Motors 3D prints their self driving shuttle

With streamlined 3D printing, Local Motors design engineers are able to reduce tooling costs by 50% and reduce overall production time by a staggering 90%, all while keeping part production in-house.

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Additive Manufacturing

IDTechEx Technology Analyst Dr Bryony Core caught up with Dr Martin Baumers, Research Fellow and Projects Coordinator at the Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Additive Manufacturing.

The spectre of free 3D models

There has been an increasing trend towards hobbyists buying designs to 3D print on their own 3D printers at home, rather than do the difficult design work themselves. Brands are now trying to sell 3D designs rather than physical products. But the internet is full of free designs, and customers can't always tell the real things from the fakes. This has important implications for consumer safety, but also for the livelihoods of freelance designers. IDTechEx invited Martynas Klimas of CG Trader to explain the problems and implications.

The latest from the world of 3D Printing

Rachel Gordon spent two days at TCT Show, a large 3D printing trade show in Birmingham, UK, to catch up on the industry developments and see the latest machines in action.

Makerbot launches new 3D printing solutions

MakerBot has announced new 3D printing solutions that address the wider needs of professionals and educators.

Airwolf 3D

Airwolf 3D manufacture thermoplastic extrusion 3D printers. The nozzle runs at a hotter temperature than most so it can be used with a wider range of materials. They also sell the filaments.

The death of MakerBot is not the death of an industry

Following the progress of MakerBot, it is easy to be despondent about the whole desktop 3D printing industry.

Significant technology short-comings preventing mass adoption of 3DP

Consumer 3D printing has not become a reality. Industrial printing has seen limited innovation. Investor money is now fuelling start-ups.

3D scanning: the achilles heel of IP protection for 3D printing

Jerry Fisher unexpectedly found himself in legal hot water after publishing 3D models of a famous Michelangelo statue located on Augustana College's campus. Mr. Fisher used hundreds of photographs of the statue to create a 3D model. After uploading the model to MakerBot's Thingiverse, Augustana College requested that Mr. Fisher take it down, on the grounds that he had violated copyright law.

3D printing tradeshow season continues...

Just a week after Euromold at the Dusseldorf Messe, a lot of the same people joined TCT at the NEC Birmingham.

Consolidation within 3D printing industry?

In 2014, we saw a huge number of mergers and acquisitions within the 3D printing industry. IDTechEx analyzes this trend and examines why this has changed in 2015.

A Prototype is Worth a Thousand Meetings

Last week, I spoke at Inside 3D Printing New York City. Inside 3D Printing is a series of 13 annual events around the world organised by Meckler Media in 11 countries. NYC is their flag-ship event and the third one attracted 12,000 pre-registered attendees. It is co-located with 3D Design Week, which showcases products made using 3D printing and includes a fashion show.

Who buys consumer-level 3D printers?

Since the first consumer-level 3D printers came on the scene six years ago their sales have grown substantially

Cartilage to repair tracheal damage created with 3D printer

Researchers have made a medical breakthrough using 3D printing to create cartilage designed for tracheal repair or replacement.

3DPonics

3DPonics distribute instructions for 3D printing and building a hydroponics systems and sell other necessary equipment and consumables, predominantly for use in schools as an STEM project.

The graphene industry finds new market opportunities in California

The 5th IDTechEx conference and tradeshow on graphene and 2D materials- Graphene and 2D Materials LIVE! - has become the annual meeting place for the global graphene industry in California.

3D printing industry will reach over $14B by 2025

The latest forecasts by IDTechEx, including ten key markets, show the 3D Printing Industry will reach over $14B by 2025.

Impressions from TCT 3D Printing Tradeshow

On 1st October, IDTechEx attended the TCT Show covering all aspects of 3D Printing in Birmingham, UK. There were officially 10,000 delegates over 3 days, and 187 exhibitors, including all the major players in the industry.