The Shapeways Blog: 3D Printing News & Innovation
Entries from April 2012
Thursday, April 19. 2012
Shapeways, Quirky and Collaborative Manufacturing in the Economist
The Third Industrial Revolution is NOW!
Manufacturing is going digital, social and global/local. The Economist has recently published a special report on the The Third Industrial Revolution by Paul Markillie that included an article entitled All Together Now: The advantages of crowdsourcing that feature Shapeways and Quirky among others.
The article begins discussing how New York City was once the capital of manufacturing in America, how it has been in constant decline since 1950. The new kids on the block Quirky and Shapeways are bringing design and manufacturing through creative communities bringing products to market in innovative ways.
The article on Making The Future looks at how robots and people now team up to manufacture things in new ways, from 'light's out' manufacturing to manufacturing that goes unattended for weeks at a time. Here it expands on what is already emerging on Shapeways:
"Millions of small and medium-sized firms will benefit from new materials, cheaper robots, smarter software, an abundance of online services and 3D printers...there will be countless entrepreneurs in little workshops, homes and, no doubt, garages who will be able to do things they could never have done before.
Take a look at the special report online or pick up a copy of the print edition of the Economist to see what is a really good follow up to the special they published on 3D printing only last year..
Illustration by Ian Whadcock taken from the Economist
Do You Want To Apply For The Goodnik Residence : Products Of Design
Products of Design is looking for a creative entrepreneur who is creating a product that will have a positive impact on the world as Resident Goodnik for their Summer Residency Program...
The Products of Design is an absolute DREAM PROGRAM at the School of Visual Arts, a new two-year masters program that prepares exceptional practitioners for leadership in the shifting terrain of design. The faculty and guest speakers are the absolute pinnacle of design minds imparting their wisdom including Paola Antonelli, John Thackara, Becky Stern, Stefan Sagmeister, Anthony Dunne and more headed up by Steven Heller and Alan Chochinov.
Before taking the first class of students in the fall, Products of Design is using the space as a coworking facility for innovative entrepreneurs. This space includes a dedicated work desk in an open environment, and access to the Visible Futures Lab. The Visible Futures Lab will be ramping up operations thru the summer as they move into their new space. As machines and space come on line, access to the Lab
Wednesday, April 18. 2012
Designer Spotlight : Mathieu Roth aka dokMixer of MineToys Fame
This week we meet Mathieu Roth, one of the team members behind the incredibly popular MineToys, that made it easy for anyone to get a 3D print of their Minecraft avatar. Mathieu and his team plugged into the Shapeways API to make MineToys possible so we asked him a few questions about his work and how the Shapeways API made his business easier to manage, and a better user experience for his customers. So let's meet Mathieu, his chin, his MineToys, his desk and foldeer.
Name: Mathieu Roth
aka: dokMixer
Location: Strasbourg, France
Software: Cinema4D
twitter: @dokMixer
Quick hits:
Tech you couldn't live without?
Computers. Then Internet. Then 3D (i drew very badly, and went into design and took drawing courses only because i knew i could create images with 3D softwares instead of drawing crap).
Favorite material?
I... guess... i'm more color oriented, but to the feeling i guess it's plain smooth wood, than aluminum or any metal with a perfect shape. I'm obsessed with clear cuts.
Most prized object?
My iMac. Then... ok my iMac, i' know, i became an apple bitch, leave me alone.
Morning person / night owl?
I'm not hanging out a lot as i did a decade ago (ouch, decade... that word hurts), but i still go to sleep at 1 or 2am so i'm guess it's more... night owl than boring guy. Except if morning means 10 am.
" For me (the Shapeways API)... it's not only a huge gain of time (10-15 minutes for every order), it's also greatly valuable for our customer, since they can have almost immediate feedback on what they want to order ! In one click after a small step by our site, they can preview and order the item they want."
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Shapeways Meetup in NYC next week!
It's that time again! We hope you can join us next Wednesday for this month's NYC Shapeways meetup. Meet some new members of the team, chat with other Shapies, and get a sneak peek of some awesome projects we're working on (materials and lots of other goodies). We're also spicing things up with a new venue, The Caulfield.
As always, everyone is welcome! Bring a friend, bring your 3D prints, and chat with others in the community about the future of stuff.
Please RSVP via Meetup so we know how many plates of guacamole to order 
Tuesday, April 17. 2012
Introducing Polished Alumide to Shapeways
Now everyone can have smooth alumide 3D printed products.
We mentioned earlier this month that we had been experimenting with polishing alumide and now we are happy to say we can offer it as a material option.
Triangulated Cuff by Archetype Z Studio
Rodin Pendant by Natalia
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Follow Your Heart Pendant: Design by Mom, 3D Model by Son
What better gift for Mother's Day then making her idea for real with 3D printing.
The "Follow Your Heart" Pendant by Eddie Adolf's Mom.
Infographics get 3D Printed
Comparative information through 2D infographics has become THE way to communicate numbers at a glance.
Check out "InfObjects", three dimensional info-visualization by Johannes Tsopanides. Fun data driven designs with a communicative purpose. Using opensource software he uses data to generate designs then 3D prints them as tangible objects. Within the topic of food, he has created a model based on the amount of energy, CO2 and cost of particular dishes and their ingredients. The products are not intended to be objects of utility. They rather have the function to raise awareness for the topic & could be used within the context of an information campaign. His design studio SHAPES iN PLAY have developed other projects using using parametric design & data driven geometries including a couple very cool sound based projects.
Monday, April 16. 2012
True love: 3D printing your wedding ring
We've all heard the adage that distance makes the heart grow fonder, but it also seems to inspire creativity. Shapeways community member Alec Cox shared his story of designing and 3D printing his wedding ring on Shapeways, and the back story is even more romantic.
Ladies, brace yourself. Gents, take notes.
Hers
His
Designing the rings
[Caitlin and I] went to the same high school but have gone to different colleges (she goes to MIT, I go to a school in Ohio) for undergraduate, so 3D printing has given me the ability to create our rings where distance has taken away the traditional ritual of shopping for rings together. While I initially tried to smelt the rings myself, this resulted in a pile of useless silver slag and a whole heap of danger concerning oxy-acetylene torches.
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Design for 3D Printing with Shapeways & ProtoSpace: Utrecht
Along with our Meetups Everywhere, we are starting to help more people learn how to get started designing for 3D printing, the next taking place in Utrecht at Protospace on Friday April 27th.
This class presents the foundations of 3D modeling and 3D printing, and uses SketchUp (Google's free 3D modeling software) to apply those concepts. In the exercise, you will create a customized keychain, learn how to get it 3D printed on Shapeways, and sell customized versions of this and other products in your online shop.
Bring your Mac or PC laptop (SketchUp does not support Linux), your charger, and an external mouse. We do recommend that you create an account on Shapeways and download Google SketchUp prior to the class.
Shapeways User Meetup Report: Utrecht, The Netherlands
On March 30, over 40 Shapeways members met in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Instead of at a bar (our usual meeting spot), we met at the ProtoSpace FabLab - a wonderful place filled with art, machines (laser cutters, CNC machines, Ultimaker printers and more!) and people who just love to make their own stuff.
We invited two well-known community members to give a short presentation about their work. Dario Scapitta showed us his amazing jewelry and how the new materials and production options inspire him. Michiel Cornelissen explained how his love for creating things dragged him away from his job at Philips Design and had him start his own company.
After that, the FabLab crowd and Shapeways members mingled, had a few drinks and had a good time.
Next up: the community-powered meetups in London and Baltimore on April 25th and 26th. If you'd like to host one in your area please get in touch with us and we'll give you all the help you need!
Mother's Day Make-A-Thon!
Scenario 1: Sunday, May 13th, 6pm. Mom calls, disappointed, reminding you it's Mother's Day. You complain that it's an artificial holiday and your love extends beyond traditional conceptions of time or space. She blames your father.
Scenario 2: Saturday, April 21st, 12pm. Post morning caffeine, you head to Shapeways.com and design mom a custom gift she'll be talking about for years. It arrives at your place two weeks later, fresh off the 3D printer. Mother's Day, her eyes widen. You're not only the perfect kid, you define perfection. She offers to do your laundry for old time's sake.
The countdown begins! With Mother's Day less than a month away, prove to yourself (and mom) that you won't let procrastination get the better of you.
We're here for the moral support, and even have a couple tools to make creating your masterpiece super easy. Get inspired with our Mother's Day Friday Finds and the gift guide.
Happy making!
3D Printed Rocket Sparrow Takes Flight (Video)
Launching a 3D printed rocket combines everything we love, the freedom of flight, the danger of rockets and, 3D printing. We were super excited when images of a 3D printed rocket were posted in the It Arrived forum by Leo Rolph and now we are happy to see the first video of the launch.
Fly little Sparrow, Fly...
The rocket is powered by a Model Rocket Engine that seem relatively cheap to purchase online.
How Big Can You 3D Print Your Stuff?
On the materials page of Shapeways you can find information about the different materials, their price, print dimensions and you can even compare them with the comparison sheet. But, if you are designing, it might be useful to have a quick overview of the maximum print dimensions (in cm) when you want to select a material for your object. This infographic gives you that information, quick and clearly.
Let us know, how do you select your material.
The infographic was produced by Guido Hermans who is currently pursuing a PhD in industrial design focusing on mass customization through additive manufacturing in the Design Research Group at Umea Institute of Design in north Sweden. Please welcome Guido who will be a regular contributor to the Shapeways blog, bringing his relevant research and impecable style.
Friday, April 13. 2012
Friday Finds: 3D Printed Designs From the Shapeways Community
Happy Friday everyone! Check out the latest creations from the Shapeways community. With Mother's Day coming up, this week's picks focus on gift ideas for mom. We also just launched our Mother's Day Make-A-Thon! Start tinkering...
RJ's Double Heart Shaped Shots, perfect for her morning espresso.
Eddie Adolf's "Follow your Heart" pendant, designed by Eddie's mom. Adorable story.
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