10 New Ways to Print in 3D
Extra, extra, read all about it! We rounded up a month’s worth of 3D printing news. And boy, has a lot of 3D printing excitingness happened since June! From a portable printer to one made of legos, from surfboards to rocket engines, the 3D printing space is really taking off! We’re just glad to be along for the ride.
1. Portable 3D Printer: If you need evidence of how popular the 3D printing trend is, just check out how many projects there are over on Kickstarter! We talked about the Buccaneer, an affordable 3D printer that was funded on Kickstarter last month, and now there’s another intriguing campaign up on the crowdfunding site. The Bukito Portable 3D Printer is exactly what it sounds like and it’s awesome: a portable 3D printer! We’re basically swooning. Available for a pledge of $649, the Kickstarter campaign has 11 days left, so head that way now if you want one!
2. NYU offering 3D printing course: We’re huge fans of the pursuit of lifelong learning. This new three week course out of NYU this summer will teach students, who will include members of the public, the ins and outs of 3D printing as well as the creative process behind creating an awesome project with the technology. Three week trip to NYC, anyone?
3. Metal 3D: Now onto the AC/DC of 3D printing. That’s right, 3D printing has officially gone METAL. Researchers at NC State have discovered a method of printing free standing structures out of metal. We’re really excited about the possibilities this opens up for 3D printed jewelry.
4. eBay: Last month, we talked about how Amazon is getting into the 3D printing game. This month, eBay followed suit, launching an app called eBay Exact. The app lets you shop for customizable products that will be printed on demand and will arrive in about two weeks.
5. Cookie Cutter Customizer: This gizmo might make the geekiest cookie cutters ever, and trust us, we’ve seen some geeky cookie cutters. The new software from MakerBot lets you customize and 3D print your very own cookie cutters. It’s pretty easy to use but precision is definitely not its strong suit: it’s probably better suited to fun characters than intricate designs.
6. Casts: Wearing a cast stinks — literally and figuratively. They’re itchy, sweaty, and make showering way harder than it needs to be. Enter 3D printing and these crazy futuristic-looking casts. A doctor can create one just for you in lieu of a traditional cast. You’ll be on your way to healing, without the whole having to use a pencil to scratch your shin thing.
7. Home Decor: We’re so excited to deck out the new Brit HQ and these 3D printed home decor items are right up our alley. Tech meets design and it’s a beautiful, beautiful thing. How cool are those light fixtures?
8. Custom Surfboards: Surf’s up, bro! This new Kickstarter campaign (yep, that’s right, another 3D printing Kickstarter project — we told you they were popular!) promises to use 3D printing to create customized surfboards. You use an iPhone app to track your surfing habits (don’t forget to put it in a waterproof case!) and then that data goes towards making a board designed specifically for your body and technique.
9. LEGOBot: We’re pretty sure that you could make anything out of LEGOs if you tried hard enough. This project over on Instructables is just the latest proof of that theory. An ingenious engineer decided to put together a 3D printer… made out of LEGOs! He spent $0 and while the printer can only print in hot glue right now, we’re still pretty impressed!
10. Rocket Engine: NASA’s at it again. Last month we talked about how they created a 3D printer that can print in zero gravity. This month, they embraced 3D printing technology even more, using it to print a piece of a rocket engine. The method saved time and money and while we wouldn’t have predicted this use, it just goes to show that the possibilities of 3D printing are endless.
Got any 3D printing news we missed? What development are you most excited about? Talk to us in the comments below.