All posts filed under: Affordable

The Astonishing 3D Printed Camper

History is full of stories about 3D printed houses. A new trend has begun due to a unique project occurring in Canada. A camper trailer thirteen feet long will be presented by the Wave of the Future 3D. Facebook will be broadcasting the even live for ten to fourteen days. The expectations are the size of the camper will break a world record. The Wave of the Future 3D’s founder and an RV company product specialist is Randy James. He believes 3D printing is capable of eliminating roughly 95 to 100 percent of all issues with campers. Create Cafe is a coffee shop and 3D printing workshop. The live 3D printing will also be hosted at their store. They have stated 3D printing can solve any problem. The name of this spectacular camper is The Wave. Large scale, custom built ErectorBot will be used for the 3D printing. This is believed to be the biggest 3D indoor printer in North America and the only one known throughout Canada. Randy Janes owns the ErectorBot 3D printer. …

3D Printing Stores and Labs in Berlin

The idea of accessibility is being used in Berlin because it is believed that everyone should have the ability to become a maker and have access to 3D files, 3D printers, and 3D modeling software. Platforms, such as Thingivers; software, such as Meshmixer; and 3D printers are now available for affordable prices. As a matter of fact, there have been a growth spurt in this accessibility over the previous years. Places like universities have this technology available within their facilities, so that students can develop and research in their fields. Recently, the Technical University of Berlin (TU), for instance, has taken it a step further by making the accessibility of additive manufacturing by opening a student run “3D Printing Repair Café”. This past April, the 3D Printing Repair Café celebrated its opening by providing students and even non-students with a space to try out the 3D printing technology. They can do this whether need a creative design model, a spare bicycle part, or just a custom made gift. Also, the space consists of Ultimaker brand …

Rep Rap Organization Project

The RepRap Printer, also called the Replicating Rapid Prototyper, was created as a starting point for the British to develop a 3D printer. This 3D printer would be able to make a copy of its own items, at a low cost. With the RepRap able to make copies of its own items, the makers envisioned the possibility of the RepRap units being cheap, allowing the manufacture of more complex products without having to use complex industrial infrastructure to make them. An initial study done on the RepRap supported the claim that by using RepRap to print common products, there were major economic savings. These saving were also more cost efficient since the RepRap printers was able to clone themselves. Making the savings even greater. RepRap, started by Dr. Adrian Bowyer in 2005, a mechanical engineering lecturer at the University of Bath, UK, was first prototyped in September 2006. Adrian Bowyer, a British engineer and mathematician, after spending twenty-two years as a lecturer, then retired from academic life. The first model of the RepRap successfully printed …

What are the Steps Involved in Making Something – i.e. the Process Chain?

i. Conceptualization and Creation of a CAD File Designing of the 3D object is the first step in 3D printing which can be done by drawing the object or downloading the various files that can be sourced from the internet. A wide range of computer-aided design file types are available, and they come in a variety of parameters, formats, and names. A detailed description of the object to be built by the 3D printer is required for the printer to operate. The description of the object to be created then needs to be placed in the CAD file to get the three-dimensional description of the object. Operating the 3D program can be a daunting task for someone who has not been familiar with the program, but there are a lot of helpful guides for different programs. One may need to spend some time to familiarize themselves with the computer-aided design file. Other individuals may opt to create models using the Google SketchUp application. Tools are available with which one can draw lines and shapes. The …

Comparing Open-Source and Low-Cost 3D Printers with Commercial Products

The most recent comparison of the 3D printers was the uPrint machine manufactured by Stratasys and the thermoplastic extrusion machines that are made by companies such as MakerBot and Bits from Bytes. The uPrint machine recorded a high number of sales compared to the sales of the assembled devices. Stratasys has built a new professional machine, called Mojo. The new entry-level machine has superior features, such as a soluble support system together with starter packs. Stratasys is also offering the device on leasing programs starting at 185 US Dollars.