{"id":17019,"date":"2014-08-05T22:42:50","date_gmt":"2014-08-05T22:42:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/?p=17019"},"modified":"2022-09-30T15:22:39","modified_gmt":"2022-09-30T19:22:39","slug":"3d-print-and-pick-and-place-otherwise-known-as-the-most-awesome-machine-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/3d-print-and-pick-and-place-otherwise-known-as-the-most-awesome-machine-in-the-world","title":{"rendered":"3D Print and Pick And Place (otherwise known as the most awesome machine in the world)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Retro Populator<\/a> is anything but retro, it may well be the future of digital manufacturing.  We all know that 3D printing is all kinds of awesome, but it does have limitations, namely anything other than the material you are printing in.  Now, if we combine a 3D printer and a Pick and Place machine, we can make all sorts of amazing products, with integrated components such as electronics, batteries, motors, magnets even insect larvae, though I am not sure why.<\/p>\n

\"Pick<\/a><\/p>\n

The Retro Populator<\/a> is an electronics pick-n-place retrofit for 3D printers.  Take your RepRap based desktop 3D printer (ie. most of them) add a few of the shelf components and you are now at the very forefront of digital fabrication.  Note: Actual effort may be greater than brief overview given in superficial description.<\/p>\n

Now this first prototype is not yet the 3D Print and Pick and Place all at the same time, but it is an indicator that it will be very possible in the relatively near future.<\/p>\n

Check out their video of the first iteration in action and keep an eye out for their project as they flirt with the avalanche of success that may very well bury them on Kickstarter.<\/p>\n