3D Printing Just Got Better Thanks to Magnetic Filament
We already know there are 3D printers that cost less than an iPhone 6, 3D printers that print out edible food and even 3D printers that will let us print out our own clothes. The 3D printer has been gaining attention in a variety of industries — such as the medical field with 3D printed organs and the cosmetics field with 3D printed makeup — and it continues to fire up the maker spirit in all of us. This time it’s happening with a brand new type of filament — a filament you can stick on your fridge.
Yup, the first ever magnetic filament y’all! ProtoTek 3D Printing Materials has been coming up with a variety of filaments for 3D printing over the last two years. Their goal is to create material that goes beyond your average single-colored filaments and to allows you to do more with your printed products. The ProtoFlux PLA magnetic filament ($19) is infused with iron nanoparticles and is even capable of basic data storage via magnetic encoding.
The project has already been funded through Kickstarter, which opens up so many possibilities for new creative projects. ProtoTek has come up with a few, such as a compass needle, a magnetic storage system where you can imprint data on the filament and custom magnetic actuators. We, on the other hand, are already thinking about covering some of our walls at Brit HQ with Magscapes magnetic wallpaper. That way, we can decorate them with some giant, 3D-printed, magnetic Scrabble tiles along with cute polaroid pictures, held up by our DIY Pantone chip magnets.
What creative projects are you planning on making with the ProtoFlux PLA magnetic filament? Let us know in the comments below
