3D Printing Hits the Books

Modern universities around the world have successfully endorsed 3D printers in the classroom. Students from all walks of life are creating innovative products, rivaling the originality and ingenuity of high-end companies.

They've created interesting products like boats and augmented reality headsets, to name a few.

While many of these institutions at the top of the educational hierarchy are focusing on additive manufacturing, what about those lower down the learning tree?

Imagine the possibilities of having small, user-friendly 3D printers in our children's classrooms. Computers provided a tremendous leap in learning potential, proof that accepting modern means of learning can pay dividends.

Malta 3D Printing's Facebook page recently featured an interesting infographic regarding the myriad of different uses 3D printers would have in a classroom.

An Inforgraphic Detailing 3D Printing's Classroom Uses
(Image taken from 3DPrintingSytems.com)

Titled 'Revolutionizing the Classroom,' the picture explains how printing could impact 9 different academic subjects - from biology and chemistry, to graphic design and history. 

The global surge in interest in 3D printing has even lead to books being written specifically for teachers seeking to use a printer in the classroom. One of the more recent additions is titled 'The Invent To Learn Guide to 3D Printing in the Classroom: Recipes for Success', by Norma Thornburg, David Thornburg and Sara Armstrong.

'The Invent To Learn Guide to 3D Printing in the Classroom: Recipes for Success'
(Image taken from Inventtolearn.com)

Available on Amazon, the step-by-step guide has received plenty of positive reviews. It presents 18 stimulating printing projects - covering a wide range of subjects including mathematics, engineering and science.

For educators less comfortable with certain technical aspects of 3D printing, this book is definitely for you.

It is crucial that we introduce these technologies at a young age, allowing for children to get accustomed to them nice and early. The usual naysayers - Luddites and technophobes - may resist such a transition, as they did when desktop computers slowly made their way into the classroom a couple of decades ago.

However, provided all goes well, 3D printers can become a bastion of educational technology!

The KIDE Logo
(Image taken from Dejanmitrovic.com)

It's perfect for allowing children to explore their imagination, simultaneously widening their range of creative skills. Furthermore, it encourages kids to keep trying even after they've failed, as printing itself requires trial and error.

So often, children are frustrated by failure, yet 3D printing allows for an environment which accepts it with open arms.

It's nice to know that messages from the printing industry aren't falling on deaf ears. As far back as 2009, projects like KIDE have begun infiltrating classrooms in the UK. Started by Dejan Mitrovic - a technological pioneer - his educational scheme focuses on bringing 3D printing into the classroom, focusing on a 'think-create-use' model.

This Vimeo video captures the KIDE project in action - displaying the students' work in a 2 minute slideshow.

A Happy Child Examining a 3D Printed Landscape
(Image taken from Pinterest.com)

On the other side of the pond, an article by Redorbit tells us about 12 groups of teachers who visited the Michigan Technological Institute to learn more about 3D printing. They were effectively given a crash course, ensuring they return to their respective schools with a decent understanding.

Slowly, but surely, the world is embracing 3D printing. It's only a matter of time before it spreads across the globe!

Perhaps one-day the children of the future will begin community altering projects in their very own classrooms. We'll open our newspapers to read about a local group of boys and girls who helped to pioneer a contraption of the future.

All we must do is provide them with the tools and proper guidance - then sit back in awe as we watch the cogs in our little men and women's brains turn.

Awesome 3D Printable 'Life Hacks'

Today we'll be taking a look at a few awesome 3D printable products which have officially reached 'life hack' status.

Amidst our more serious blog posts, this entry will be about easy-to-use, and more importantly, easy-to-make products which may not change the world - but will definitely help to put a smile on people's faces.

Here's one for the fruit-loving house party hosts - a printable tap which transforms a watermelon into a keg!

All you require are the beverages of your choice, and a knife to cut open the watermelon. Remove the melon chunks, add some ice, pop your tap into the makeshift fruit keg and prepare to conquer your thirst!

These fun products are great for a family day by the pool or to provide some much needed novelty at a house party.

The tap is the result of a combination between a team dedicated to life-hacking and a 3D printing company started by the people, for the people - Household Hackers and Robo 3D, respectively. According to 3DPrintingIndustry.com, this nifty tap was created using a Robo 3D R1 printer.

It can, of course, be used for more conventional purposes, but this one is by far the most awesome.

Next up, we've got a nifty little item that packs a musical punch. The 'Kazoo' - a handheld instrument which requires users to hum into it - can provide hours of sweet-sounding fun.

A Grey Kazoo
(Image taken from Westhomasdesign.com)

Appropriate for both professional and amateurs alike, this small instrument definitely has mass appeal. It's bound to have parents and neighbors across the globe in search for a fine set of ear plugs.

Hours have been spent tooting away at the Malta 3D Printing office, with a trusty kazoo never more than a few feet away!

According to the Guiness Book of World Records, on 14th March 2011, over 5,000 kazoo players teamed up to create their own rendition of one of Wagner's greatest compositions, 'The Ride of the Valkyries'. How many of those kazoos were 3D printed?

Moving on, we present to our viewers a simple, yet handy product which is bound to help people save a few extra pennies. Have you ever known there was some toothpaste left in the end of the tube, but couldn't be bothered to awkwardly squeeze it out?

This trusty tube roller is meant for those occasions!

The Tube Roller in Action
(Image taken from Thingiverse.com)

Its incredibly easy-to-use, just fit it onto your desired tube and twist away. Guaranteed to squeeze every last drop out of your bothersome tubes. Don't like the colour? Good thing Malta 3D Printing has dozens of alternatives.

The item pictured below is a cool alternative to that annoying bunch of keys on a ring. This 3D printable Swiss army knife can hold a number of keys, and should fit into a pocket nicely.

(Image taken from Pinterest)

Say goodbye to that frustrating feeling you experience when you pull your mobile phone out of your pocket, only to realize its been scratched by your cumbersome key ring. Furthermore, printing this product in a nice bright colour will reduce the amount of time we spend looking for our keys!

Finally, we bring to you another tool that can help you tackle another common nuisance.

Cable Spool (Image taken from Thingiverse)

We've all gone through our fair share of mobile phones, speakers, and the myriad of other devices which come with 2-3 different cables per box. This cute cable spool allows you to store your wires in a practical way, and even when in use, guarantees things remain nice and tidy.

These spools can be easily stacked on top of each other or placed side-by-side neatly, as opposed to simply having a pile of wires left in a dusty box under your bed.

The examples listed here are only a speck of sand in the beach that is 3D printing. There are literally thousands of products out there that are can be immensely useful, or entertaining!

Don't hesitate to contact Malta 3D Printing for any of the items listed above!

Why Hollywood's Interest in 3D Printing Has Exploded

In theaters across the world, fans watch in amazement as lifelike costumes and props take centre stage in blockbuster movies. We've all been spoiled by advanced CGI (computer generated imagery), sitting back as we admire an ultra-realistic ocean glistening below a hovering alien mother-ship on screen.

The list of computer generated images is endless, and some movies rely entirely on these graphical reproductions.

Luckily, 3D printing is stepping in to add some much needed realness to our favourite flicks. The Iron Man movie series serves as a prime example - with an untold number of suits having been 3D printed by Legacy Effects for all 3 Iron Man titles.

One of Tony Stark's Various Iron Man Suits
(Image taken from Wordofthenerdonline.com)

One can only imagine the amount of time and precision required to produce such works of art, and Lead Systems Engineer at Legacy Effects, Jason Lopes, can attest to this.

In this short interview with Bloomberg, Lopes gives a quick breakdown on why 3D printing is rapidly replacing older methods of costume creation.

Lopes states that, as a traditional special effects studio that once relied on high-quality animatronics and sculpting (to name a few), it was essential that they kept up to date with the latest technological trends.

Besides the impressive Iron Man suit on their resume, Legacy Effects have also produced models for other smash hits like Real Steel and Pacific Rim. The 'Noisy Boy' a fully-operational, hydraulic robot created for the Real Steel feature film, reportedly costed tens of thousands of dollars to complete.

The video below titled '3D Printing is Revolutionizing Special Effects' sees the team behind Legacy Effects going in detail about how additive manufacturing is changing their work lives. Sculptors are now expanding their skill sets, substituting stone age sculpting for futuristic 3D printing.

While Legacy Effects remains an alpha male of the 3D printing prop and costume world, others are also making a name for themselves. According to 3DPrintingIndustry.com, Terry Gilliam - the world famous writer, director and actor - requested a cutting edge movie prop for his new movie, 'The Zero Theorem.'

Of course - it had to be 3D printed - and Gilliam reportedly selected FATHOM and North Design Labs to craft this space-age device. North provided the creative mojo while FATHOM delivered in the technical department, a combination which resulted in this movie prop:

Movie Prop for Sci-Fi Flick 'The Zero Theorem'
(Image taken from Article.wn.com)

This convincing, alien gadget gets plenty of screen time, housing a Samsung Galaxy Tablet and acting as a interactive mini-computer. According to 3DPrinterWorld.com, the entire device was 3D printed and assembled within a couple of days.

It was printed by an Objet500 Connex, a high-range printer capable of printing numerous materials in a single session.

The Awesome Objet500 Connex
(Image taken from Stratasys.com)

Not only are these exciting products being sold to mega-rich movie companies, but mega-rich customers too. According to techeblog.com, the cleverly named 'Iron Man Factory' situated in Shenzhen, China, is producing replicas that cost an arm and a leg.

At $35,000, the 3D printed, carbon-fiber Iron Man suit is hardly going to be selling like hotcakes, but is sure to tickle serious fans' fancy.

Less wealthy Iron Man aficionados out there can also settle for the non-3D printed version for only $2,000 dollars.

These are only the beginnings of a very promising lunge into the movie industry. It's no surprise Hollywood is taking notice of 3D printing - as time constraints become greater - faster, rapid prototyping methods of production will quickly gain precedence.

Albeit expensive, 3D printing has too many advantages not to be taken seriously.

Printing Powers Into the Food Market

The food industry is the next branch of economy to benefit from 3D printing.

In 2013, NASA announced their interest in 3D printing food in space, allowing Systems and Material Research Corporation from Austin, Texas to begin developing methods for printing food in space. NASA's interest into 3D printing speaks volumes about just how big additive manufacturing can grow to one day!

Back on Earth, others are busy focusing on 3D printers that can print chocolate, ice cream and more!

From ChocEdge in the UK, all the way to Global 3D Labs in India, the chocolate 3D printing trend is catching on quickly - promising to, in the future, produce results to rival the world's best chocolatiers!

An Accurately Crafted England Football Badge
(Image taken from 3DPrint.com)

Of course, this entry into the 3D printing market is still young, and won't be replacing the hard-working men and women in the chocolate industry anytime soon. 

However, as with any growing technology - this is one to look out for in the future.

Currently, time constraints will hold this technology back. According to 3DPrintingIndustry.com, it would take up to 40 minutes to produce a single plate of chocolate. While this is far from ideal, 3D printers still have a few tricks up their sleeve.

The Choc Creator from ChocEdge, founded by Dr. Liang Hao - claims to be more accurate than human hands, laying layers of chocolate at measurements of 0.5mm to 1.0mm. Having been on the market since 2012, its' successor, the Choc Creator V2 has only recently been launched.

The Stylish Choc Creator V2
(Image taken from 3DPrint.com)

With the first entry marketed as a user-friendly yet capable device, the V2 (pictured below) offers technical supremacy - improving on feature's such as the temperature control, according to 3ders.org. It also promises an improvement in accuracy, with printable chocolate tracks ranging from 0.45mm-1.3mm.

The price tag is heftier than its predecessor, but its promise to improve on an already capable machine should justify this. It was unveiled at the '2014 World 3D Printing Technology Industry Conference and Exhibition,' which took place in China.

These printers allow users to deposit layers of chocolate on any surface desired - but what about as an ice cream topping?

Well, we're not quite sure how that would work, but rest assured that other parties are working with ice cream and 3D printers. The idea is still in its infancy, after yet another group of promising students - this time from the world-renowned MIT - fiddled around with a printer until it was able to extrude ice-cream.

Check out the video below for a quick demonstration.

The students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kyle Hounsell, Kristine Bunker and David Donghyun Kim - claimed to have taken interest in this novelty idea in a bid to excite children about 3D printing, as per 3ders.org.

"We felt that it was just as important to come up with a new technology as it was to interest the younger generation in pursuing science and technology so we can continue pushing the limits of what is possible," Bunker told 3ders.org.

The three tech-junkies reportedly hacked a Solidoodle 4 3D printer, allowing for compatibility with a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.

Another promising food related 3D printer is the Foodini, by Natural Machines. It allows home cooks
to place (preferably healthy) foodstuffs into open containers which are then pumped out via a syringe.

Its' Kickstarter campaign was unfortunately unsuccessful, but still managed to raise a little more than $80,000 dollars, leaving it slightly off its $100,000 target mark. While this is indeed a revolutionary idea that needs time to be perfected, the decision to market it as a way to change how we prepare our food is slightly premature.

The Foodini
(Image taken from naturalmachines.com)

Of course, the Foodini is changing the way we fundamentally prepare dishes, but it isn't necessarily making us eat healthier or save time with cooking.

Similar to other 3D devices, Foodini has its own online database where users are able to download different shapes and patterns for the variety of sweet and savory dishes. Powered by Android, the Foodini comes equipped with Wi-Fi and a 7-inch touchscreen.

Well-crafted Edibles Made by the Foodini
(Image taken from 3dprintingindustry.com)

The creators of Foodini, Lynette Kucsma and Emilio Sepulvedu, plan for their creation to be as popular as the microwave one day.

According to 3dprint.com, they also aspire to create '3D printing ovens' one day. It's difficult to imagine this materializing anytime soon, but it's exciting to think that 3D printing technology will infiltrate such a core aspect of our lives - improving and revolutionizing the way we think about food.

3D Printing Celebrities

So far we've covered plenty of interesting printing related gadgets and projects - but what about the names and faces behind these marvelous projects?

Who are the inventors and pioneers that helped propel 3D printing to the pedestal it currently sits on?

One cannot give recognition to the lesser names in the 3D printing world without first mentioning the mastermind that is Chuck Hull.

He is the father of stereolithography, the first link in the chain which lead to different types of manufacturing, all under the 3D printing umbrella. A visionary, Hull also invented the STL file type and the rapid prototyping technique - all critical pieces of the 3D printing pie. He is reported to have over 60 patents in the USA alone.

Chuck Hull (Image taken from IndustryWeek)

Hull's passion for his creation lead to him founding 3D Systems Corp. Established in 1986, it stands tall and proud as the world's first company dedicated to 3D printing, and is still the market leader. Currently 74, his desire to continue to lead his company clearly hasn't waned, and he still operates as the Chief Technical Officer and Executive Vice President.

 The metaphorical light bulb above Hull's head lit up back in 1983, when the entrepreneur was working for a small business that used UV rays to place layers of plastic onto tables and other furniture.

Envisioning a method which involved using light to mould plastic layers into 3D shapes, the cogs in his head began to turn.

After months and months of experimenting, Hull's dreams turned into reality - and a prototype was made. The printer pictured below was Hull's first ever printer, a relic now over 30 years old!

The Birth of a New Dimension in Manufacturing
(Image taken from Pcmag)

Moving onto another celebrated face in the printing industry, Malta 3D Printing presents the story of Enrico Dini, also known as 'The Man Who Prints Houses.'

In case you missed out, last week's post included a Chinese company capable of printing up to ten houses a day! While that is awe-inspiring, the Eastern firm must pay homage to Dini, the first to patent the technology to print large structures using 3D printing.

Many years ago, Enrico Dini was a robotics specialist, and enjoyed experimenting with 3D printing in his spare time. Teaming up with his brother, he created his first prototype printer, eventually succeeding in printing a stone column, and more notably - the world's first ever fully printed architectural structure.

The 'Radiolaria' - designed by Anrea Morgante, Printed by Enrico Dini
(Image taken from HuffingtonPost)

After this, Enrico Dini's name became famous in the world of architecture. A documentary filmed by Marc Webb and Wake-Walker takes a look at Dini's life as he balances work and family - at times, to his own detriment. A teaser of the documentary can be viewed here.

Enrico Dini Sits Within His 3D Printed Structure
(Image taken from 3DPrinting)

In an interview with 3DPrinting.com, Dini states that his only wish is to be able to convert his current line of printers into affordable, simplistic machines for all to use.

"My dream is to go to Africa, remove the weapons out of the hands of child soldiers and replace them with a basket. They can use the basket to collect sand and bring it to a 3D printer. This printer then builds small houses, irrigation canals, or parts for shading. Things that improve life for the people there," Dini was quoted as saying.

Our next contender for the printing pioneer award is one who claims that 3D printing is effectively lighting the fire for the third industrial revolution.

His name is Tedd Syao -  a man who, after analyzing the state of the 3D printing industry, saw fit to dedicate himself to improving its infrastructure from the bottom up - similar to how his revolutionary printer operates.

An earlier version of the Titan 1
(Image taken from 3ders.org)

As founder of Kudo3D, Syao was instrumental in the creation of the Titan 1, the next wave of SLA printers. Incredibly, the Titan 1 raised a staggering $687,000 dollars on Kickstarter in 2 minutes!

According to Kudo3D's Kickstarter page, Syao previously worked as a professor in electrical engineering, clocking in 15 years of hard work in the Photonics industry. Building on his unique set of skills and experience, Syao and his team crafted this trendsetting printer, available at the low cost of $1,999!

SLA (stereolithography) printers differ from the conventional FDM (fusion deposition modelling) printers. Kudo3D's entry into the market claims to improve the resolution, increase build speed and build space whilst focusing on reliability - effectively making it a top contender in the SLA domain.

Interestingly enough - the Titan 1 builds items 'bottom up', as displayed in the picture above.


Tedd Kao-Chih Syao, Founder of Kudo3D
(Image taken from Google+)

Tedd Syao was also at the heart of creating and polishing Kudo3D's patent for the PSP technique - a 'Passive Self-Peeling' technology, which is said to "minimize the separation force, (so that) features as tiny as a strand of hair can be preserved during the printing process" according to company's website.

From Hull's moment of brilliance to Syao and Dini's revolutionary ideas, the world of 3D printing has not stopped expanding in the last few decades. As the world continues to open its' eyes to this method of manufacturing, one can only expect more pioneers to pop up around the world.