3D printing Archives - Page 2 of 4

Sandra Canning Exhibits 3D Printed Photographic Lithopanes

November 12, 2014

Can fine-art photographers find ways to incorporate 3D printing in their work? Yes, according to Sandra Canning, an award-winning South Florida-based fine art photographer. On September 5, she exhibited four 3-D printed photographic lithopanes alongside three of her traditional 2D prints. The event was part of an artist’s night gathering at the LMNT fine-art collaboration and event space in Miami.

Onlooker admires 3D printed photographs (lithophanes) at art exhibit at the LMNT creative space in Miami, Florida. Photo by Sandra Canning, www.sandracanning.com

Lithopanes look like a bas relief to the naked eye, but when the lithopane is backlit, the picture is revealed. Lithopanes were made from translucent porcelain when the art form was popular in the 1800s. Canning’s exhibit at LMNT demonstrated how 3D printing can be used to convert fine-art photos in the 21^st-century lithopanes.

Original 2D photography of "Tree in Key Biscanyne" by photographer Sandra Canning, www.sandracanning.com — Original 2D photography of “Tree in Key Biscanyne” by photographer Sandra Canning, www.sandracanning.com

Close-up of the backlit lithopane of "Tree in Key Biscayne" by photography Sandra Canning. Photo by Sandra Canning, www.sandracanning.com — Close-up of the backlit lithopane of “Tree in Key Biscayne” by photography Sandra Canning. Photo by Sandra Canning, www.sandracanning.com

Canning created the lithopanes in collaboration with Prototyping Solutions Inc., one of the largest resellers of Stratasys 3D Printers in North America. Serving businesses in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, the staff at Prototyping Solutions helps people choose the right printer, material part, and solution for any 3D printing need.

Close-up of unlit 3D lithopane of photo "Tree in Key Biscayne" by Sandra Canning. — Close-up of unlit 3D lithopane of photo “Tree in Key Biscayne” by Sandra Canning.

The exhibit was entitled “Photography’s Past, Present, and Future as Expressed Through 3D Printing” and represented the inaugural get together of “The Art of 3D Printing” Meetup Group that Canning founded for Miami-area artists. Along with Canning’s 3D printed photography, the September 5th event featured a TED-style talk by engineer/3D-printing pioneer Werner Blumenthal, and “3D-printed selfies” produced by FORGE, a 3D-printing studio based in Jacksonville, Florida.

Canning started The Art of 3D Printing Meetup Group in her quest to learn more about 3D printing and encourage its use in the arts. She recognized that while 3D printing is revolutionizing every aspect of the creative arts, “Photographers have not had much involvement in this movement.” She came across 3D printed lithopanes in her quest to find applications for 3D printing for photographers.

“3D printing was one of those things that had been in my peripheral vision but I never felt any personal connection,” explains Canning. “In May or June of 2014, I was looking for something unique to do with my pictures.” When she started researching 3D printing, she was blown away by the impossible structures being printed in fashion, sculpture, jewelry, architecture, and even bioprinting: “I knew that I was looking at something that was going to change everyday life — not just the creative arts.”

She felt left out when she first tried to find applications of 3D printing for fine-art photographers. Then, she ran across some 3D-printed lithopanes of Yoda and cats, and says, “At that moment I got the bug to create fine-art quality lithopanes inspired by the ones from the 1800s.”

Canning didn’t believe the first 3D printed lithopanes she saw were gallery worthy, so she sought out different services, materials, and methods that would produce a fine-art result.

Prototyping Solutions, Inc in Birmingham, Alabama proved to be the perfect partner for this marriage of art and technology. The team of experts, including Vince Denino and Rixey Kelly, consulted with Canning to produce the parts well within the assigned budget and ahead of schedule.

The lithophanes of Canning’s photos were printed at 16 micron layer height in Vero White on a Stratasys Objet260 Connex 3D printer. Each part took around 30 to 45 minutes to build.

“This 3D printing project has been a great joy to be a part of because it was targeted to a different audience than we are used to,” said Rixey Kelly, Service Engineer at Prototyping Solutions. He said the widgets and gizmos they typically print are artistic enough in their design and function but don’t do much for the soul: “The lithophanes, much like widgets, are ideas that can be printed and then held in your hand. But these uniquely depict a place and moment in time.”

Canning collaborated with a local maker John McNulty (makerssquare.com) and his partner to create the backlit frames.

Art of 3D Printing Meetup Group

During the 3D Photo Art exhibit at LMNT, Canning said many visitors said they had never seen anything like it before. She says, “I think most people were surprised that you could 3D print a photo in this way.” They asked plenty of questions about the process, the smoothness of the surface, the cost, and the learning curve.

Canning founded the Meetup group as a way to learn and grow with other who are interested in The Art of 3D Printing. A second event she hosted demonstrated 3D scanning for creating 3D selfies and featured equipment supplied by 3D Systems.

So what’s next for this accomplished photographer who wants to explore the potential of 3D printing?

“Since my journey to learn 3D printing began, I have had a clear picture of the ultimate 3D printed photographic lithopane,” says Sandra. “I am still perfecting those for a future exhibit.” She also has some ideas for 3D printed scultpures and jewelry.

LINKS

Sandra Canning Photography

Meetup Group: Art of 3D Printing

HP Unveils Technology for Immersive Computing and Faster 3D Printing

October 30, 2014

For months there has been speculation that HP would make a grand re-entrance into the world of 3D printing. And indeed, they have.

At a launch event in New York on October 29, HP unveiled its vision for the future of computing and commercial viability of 3D printing.

According to HP, their advancements have the potential to revolutionize production and offer small businesses a new way to produce goods and parts for customers.

HP’s new Blended Reality ecosystem combines the new Sprout by HP computing platform and HP’s disruptive Multi Jet Fusion technology for 3D printing.

Sprout by HP

Sprout by HP is a first-of-its-kind “Immersive Computing” platform that redefines the user experience by combining a computer with a scanner, depth sensor, hi-res camera, and projector in a multi-screen device. With Sprout by HP, designers and makers can take physical items and seamlessly merge them into a digital workspace.
HP Multi Jet Fusion is a revolutionary technology engineered to resolve critical gaps in the combination of speed, quality and cost, and deliver on the potential of 3D printing.

“We are on the cusp of a transformative era in computing and printing,” said Dion Weisler, executive vice president, Printing & Personal Systems (PPS), HP. “Our ability to deliver Blended Reality technologies will reduce the barriers between the digital and physical worlds, enabling us to express ourselves at the speed of thought – without filters, without limitations. This ecosystem opens up new market categories that can define the future, empowering people to create, interact and inspire like never before.”

HP Multi Jet Fusion Advances 3D Printing

Leveraging HP’s decades of leadership in the print market and advanced materials science, HP Multi Jet Fusion is designed to resolve fundamental limitations in today’s 3D print systems while delivering higher productivity and quality at a lower cost.

Stephen Nigro, Senior Vice President of HP’s Inkjet and Graphics Solutions Businesses, unveils the new HP Multi Jet Fusion at the Sprout by HP and HP Multi Jet Fusion Launch event on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014 in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision for HP/AP Images)

“As we examined the existing 3D print market, we saw a great deal of potential but also saw major gaps in the combination of speed, quality and cost,” said Stephen Nigro, senior vice president, Inkjet and Graphic Solutions, HP. “HP Multi Jet Fusion is designed to transform manufacturing across industries by delivering on the full potential of 3D printing with better quality, increased productivity, and break-through economics.”

Multi Jet Fusion is built on HP Thermal Inkjet technology and features a unique synchronous architecture that significantly improves the commercial viability of 3D printing and has the potential to change the way we think about manufacturing.

10-Times Faster: The technology images entire surface areas instead of one point at a time. This makes it possible to achieve breakthrough functional build speeds that are at least 10 times faster than the fastest technology in market today.
New Levels of Quality, Strength and Durability: A proprietary multi-agent printing process utilizes HP Thermal Inkjet arrays to simultaneously apply multiple liquid agents and produce greater accuracy,resiliency and uniform part strength in all three axis directions.
Accuracy and Detail: The HP technology can deliver fully functional parts with more accuracy, finer details, and smoother surfaces than other 3D print processes. The HP Mult Jet Fusion method can be used to manipulate part and material properties, including form, texture, friction, strength, elasticity, electrical, thermal properties and more.
Breakthrough Economics: The HP technology unifies and integrates various steps of the 3D print process to reduce running time, cost, energy consumption and waste. This significantly improves the economics of 3D printing.

Materials and Color Science

HP is committed to developing a platform that will become an industry standard. The company is focused on growing the highest potential commercial markets. While the HP 3D Print technology is available today, HP is working directly with customers under the HP Open Customer Engagement Program. Through this program, HP will continue to extend the capabilities of the HP 3D Print platform throughout development and will provide a certification process for partners to drive materials innovation. Wider distribution of the HP 3D Print system will begin in 2016.

By inviting open collaboration, HP and contributors will be able to achieve greater flexibility and versatility in 3D Print materials beyond the current use of thermoplastics, which will enable new solutions in segments such as additive manufacturing and will expand applications for engineering, architecture and consumer goods. HP will also bring its color science expertise and the full-color capabilities of traditional HP printing to the 3D world in future-generation 3D Print systems.

Sprout by HP Reimagines Computing

The first product available in HP’s Blended Reality ecosystem, Sprout by HP combines the power of an advanced desktop computer with an immersive, natural user interface to create a new computing experience.

Guests interact with innovative technology introduced at the Sprout by HP and HP Multi Jet Fusion Launch event. (Photo by Ivan Agostini/Invision for HP/AP Images)

“We live in a 3D world, but today we create in a 2D world on existing devices,” said Ron Coughlin, senior vice president, Consumer PC & Solutions, HP. “Sprout by HP is a big step forward in reimagining the boundaries of how we create and engage with technology to allow users to move seamlessly from thought to expression.”

Because a scanner, depth sensor, hi-resolution camera and projector are built into a single device, Spout by HP enables users to bring objects from the physical world into the digital workspace, where users in multiple locations can collaborate on and manipulate a single piece of digital content in real-time.

“People have always created with their hands,” added Coughlin. “Concurrently, technology has progressed from the first transistors, through calculators to today’s most sophisticated computing platforms. Until now, the physical and digital worlds have largely been separated and digital creation has remained in 2D. With Sprout by HP, we introduce the first immersive computing platform, seamlessly merging these two worlds together, enabling people to intuitively bring their creations, work, and projects to life in 3D.” Below are some of the features of Sprout by HP.

Dual-screen Experience: Designed for creative expression and human interaction, the workspace couples a vertical HD touchscreen with a 20-point capacitive touch mat.
The Sprout Illuminator: This projection system scans and captures real-world objects in 3D, allowing the user to immediately interact and create.
HP Workspace: The software platform built expressly for Sprout takes full advantage of the dual-screen experience to make working and creating seamless, intuitive and engaging.
True Remote Collaboration: The interface advances how users work, collaborate and share. Simultaneous visual and workspace connectivity, allowing concurrent creativity and content manipulation.
Advanced Platform: The next-generation computing platform features a powerful 4th generation Intel i7 Processor, 1TB of storage in an easy-to-use dual-screen interface, and a Windows 8.1 multi-touch experience.

Sprout Marketplace

The potential of Sprout by HP’s unique configuration is fully realized through the Sprout Marketplace, an application marketplace that contains a growing suite of applications that are optimized to take advantage of Immersive Computing platform to enhance how users work, play and engage with entertainment.

The Sprout Marketplace currently contains a suite of Windows-based applications designed uniquely for the dual-screen environment including the Martha Stewart CraftStudio, DreamWorks Animation Story Producer, Crayola’s Draw & Sing, GestureWorks Gameplay and first party experiences from HP including Create, Collaborate and Capture, enabling users to easily capture physical objects, manipulate them in a digital environment, and collaborate and share their creations in new ways.

New applications, including a range of creative applications for professionals, families, gamers and beyond, will continue to be added to the marketplace regularly. The Sprout Software Development Kit is available at www.sprout.hp.com/developer.

Sprout by HP is available for pre-order at hp.com today and will be available for purchase in select retail locations and at hp.com on November 9.

LINKS

Sprout by HP

Video: Blended Reality

The UPS Store Expands 3D Printing Nationwide

October 5, 2014

Following the successful launch of 3D print in six markets across the country, The UPS Store® is expanding 3D printing services to nearly 100 additional locations nationwide. The UPS Store will be the first nationwide retailer to offer 3D printing services in store.

Customers can bring a Computer Aided Design (CAD) file to participating locations and 3D print their product design on a Stratasys uPrint SE Plus professional-grade 3D printer. The printer is designed to accurately and reliably produce complex engineering parts, functional prototypes, durable models, and one-of-a-kind-objects. Entrepreneurs, engineers, home inventors, and makers can use 3D printing to help refine their ideas and reduce product development time.

During the 2013 pilot program conducted at six UPS Stores, the 3D print services were used by small businesses, startups, inventors, artists and a wide range of professionals. Over the past year, the six locations saw demand for 3D print continuing to increase across a broad spectrum of customers.

“More small business owners and entrepreneurs are looking to 3D printing to help bring their innovations to market,” said Gilad Gans, President of Stratasys North America. “The UPS Store is at the forefront of a growing number of retailers that see additive manufacturing as a significant value-add for their customers.”

Globally, 3D printing services offered by retailers and other providers are growing in demand. According to Wohlers Report 2014, a survey of 3D printing service providers worldwide revealed that more than two-thirds (68.3 percent) added new machines in 2013, up from 58.1 percent in 2012. Overall, the 3D print service provider sector increased by 21 percent last year.

“We are committed to offering small business owners, entrepreneurs and consumers high-tech solutions in order to assist with all of their business needs,” said Michelle Van Slyke, vice president of marketing and sales at The UPS Store. “We launched the pilot to evaluate if there was demand for 3D print and we’re excited to be announcing an expansion, giving even more small business owners access to high-quality, professional 3D printing.”

Now small business owners and consumers across the country will have convenient access to top-notch 3D printing at a much higher quality than an at-home 3D printer can provide.

“There are significant differences between home 3D printers and professional 3D printers,” said Daniel Remba, small business technology leader at The UPS Store. “Many of the challenging and time consuming steps used to prepare a simpler printer are fully automated on the uPrint SE Plus, leading to added precision and reliability, higher print quality, and a success rate unmatched by a home printer.”

LINKS

UPS Store Locations Offering 3D Printing

Stratasys

Spyder 3D World Gives Designers a New Online 3D Printing Destination

September 6, 2014

DESIGNERS. Spyder 3D World is a brand-new interactive marketplace to showcase 3D innovations from designers around the world.

“3D printing is opening new worlds of opportunity for creativity and advances in art, science and manufacturing. At Spyder 3D World we wanted to create a space where all of these elements can come together, where designs are celebrated and shared, where students learn from masters, and where anyone in the far corner of the globe can compete with a large corporation to sell their ideas,” said Joe Bloomfield, founder and CEO of Spyder 3D World.

Part Marketplace, Part Free Showcase

Today there are communities that either sell or share designs. Spyder 3D World combines the best of both worlds by offering 3D designers a marketplace where they can choose to monetize their work or just share it.

The Spyder 3D World blog highlights new and interesting work by designers. Recently showcased designers are from France, Mexico and Southern California. New designers are welcome.

“Our members are sharing cool and imaginative designs that show there’s no limit to what can be created with 3D printing,” added Bloomfield.

The Future of 3D Printing Here Today

Within the past year, significant feats have been accomplished with 3D printing technology including the 3D printing of 10 houses in Shanghai. A Flordia father printed a prosthetic hand printed for his 6-year-old son and the US Army announced it will consider 3D printing food on the front lines.From musical instruments and medical devices to food, toys and shoes, 3D printing is changing nearly every industry and bringing the concept of personal manufacturing to reality.

According to Gartner Research, 3D printing is “accelerating to mainstream adoption” and is expected to create new product lines and markets at a rapid pace.

Advanced printer technology and more affordable printers are creating widespread interest in 3D printing. Spyder 3D World is kicking off the community with a social media sweepstakes to give away an Airwolf AW3D HDx printer to one lucky winner. Airwolf 3D uses its own printers to produce parts for new machines. Visit to Spyder 3D World Facebook page for details.

LINKS

Spyder3dworld.com

Facebook: Spyder 3D World

Gartner Report: “How 3D Printing Disrupts Business and Creates New Opportunities.”

3D Systems and United Nude Collaborate on 3D Printable Shoes

August 17, 2014

DESIGNERS. In the process of researching a magazine feature story on 3D printing, I gathered dozens of examples of how 3D printing will change how and where products are manufactured. Many of these changes will open plenty of opportunities for designers worldwide. For example, imagine creating shoe designs that can be downloaded and printed in a store or in the customer’s home. The highlights from the press release (below) show how two companies are joining forces to help make that concept come to life.

3D Systems is collaborating with fashion brand United Nude to deliver a new line of 3D-printed wearable shoes. The “Float” shoes are uniquely designed for immediate home printing on the new Cube® 3 desktop 3D printer and will push the boundaries of what’s possible using 3D System’s most affordable home printer. The Float shoes will also be available at United Nude’s flagship retail store in Soho, Manhattan. United Nude plans to offer live, in-store manufacturing and feature continuous shoe printing in the store window. This is the first fashion-focused 3D printing retail experience in the United States, expanding on United Nudes’ successful Regent Street, London installation.

Files for United Nudes' Float Shoes can be downloaded from the United Nudes website and printed at home or in-store on the new Cube 3D printer. — Files for United Nudes’ Float Shoes can be downloaded from the United Nudes website and printed at home or in-store on the new Cube 3D printer.

“After pioneering wearable, 3D-printed shoes using a state-of-the-art Selective Laser Sintering 3D printer, we are thrilled to deliver fully functional, 3D-printed shoes designed for an affordable home desktop printer,” said Rem D Koolhaas, founder of United Nude. “This design is about creating something beautiful and interesting; it’s about experimenting, moving forward and learning along the way.”

Priced at $999, Cube 3 is the only dual material, plug-and-play, kid-safe certified 3D printer that is easy to own and affordable to operate. From fashion to decor to everyday items, with the Cube 3 you can print what you desire and what you need. Cube 3 comes with two starter cartridges and 25 exclusive designs to get printing quickly and love what you make.

The Float Shoe is available at the United Nude website (www.unitednude.com) and in the NYC store at 25 Bond Street. Cube 3 is available for purchase on Cubify.com.

LINKS

3D Systems

Cubify

United Nude

Adobe Photoshop CC Expands Support for 3D Printing

June 30, 2014

By radically simplifying the 3D printing process for designers, Adobe is striving to make Photoshop CC the go-to tool for anyone who wants to print a 3D model. 3D printing is becoming an increasingly popular method of making prototypes and finished designs in creative fields such as filmmaking, animation, architecture, and jewelry.

The latest version of Adobe Photoshop CC includes features to make it easier to build, refine, preview, prepare, and print designs for creating 3D models or products. Using familiar Photoshop tools, you can design in 3D from scratch or refine an existing 3D model and produce beautiful, print-ready models. Automated mesh repair and support structure generation ensure models will be produced reliably. Accurate previews allow you to confidently submit print jobs to a connected in-studio device or an online 3D printing service.

The updated software includes built-in access to the Shapeways and Sculpteo online 3D print services and supports the most popular desktop 3D printers, such as the MakerBot Replicator.

Sculpteo Is Onboard

One 3D printing service that is making their printer profiles available through Photoshop CC is Sculpteo, an online 3D printing firm based in San Francisco in Paris. Founded in 2009 by Eric Carreel and Clément Moreau, Sculpteo offers on-demand 3D printing of individual products as well as short-run manufacturing. They have 45 materials, colors, and finishes and their factories use only professional-grade printers. You can preview how your design will print by downloading the profiles of Sculpteo printers and dragging and dropping them in a folder.

Photoshop CC supports the full range of high-quality materials available on Sculpteo, including ceramics, metals, and other additive materials.

Maria Yap, senior director of product management, Photoshop at Adobe, called Sculpteo a great fit for the 3D printing capabilities of Photoshop CC: “We’re excited to add Sculpteo as our first European-based 3D print service provider. Their high-quality results and quick turnaround times appeal to creatives.”

LINKS

About 3D Printing in Photoshop CC

Sculpteo Now Integrated with Adobe Photoshop CC

Adobe Photoshop CC

Sculpteo

Museum Exhibit Will Raise Public Awareness of 3D Printing

June 7, 2014

An upcoming exhibition at the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) in Tampa, Florida looks like a terrific opportunity to get a better understanding of everything that is happening in the fast-developing field of 3D printing.

MOSI is a not-for-profit institution and educational resource dedicated to advancing public interest, knowledge, and understanding of science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM). Starting June 14, they will host an exhibition entitled “3D Printing the Futurel” The exhibition will illustrate how 3D printing has the potential to reshape how we live, work, and play.

3D Printing the Future will include 3D-printed objects, live demonstrations, plus an in-depth look at how 3D printing technology works and how it can be used. At the exhibition, you will see 3D printers in action as you walk through immersive exhibits focusing on various applications of 3D printing.

3D Medicine: See 3D-printed medical objects, including 3D-printed body parts and prosthetics, and learn how 3D printing is revolutionizing the world of modern medicine.

3D Science & Technology: See how 3D printing is helping scientists and researchers working in some of the most remote places on Earth. Learn how 3D printing is being used to help solve crimes, build cars and houses, and send replacement tools to astronauts in space.

3D Archaeology See how archaeologists are using 3D scanning and printing to bring ancient artifacts to life in surprising detail and advance our understanding of ancient people, places and animals.

3D Everyday: Discover everything from 3D-printed furniture and toys to 3D-printed fashion and jewelry. This section will illustrate modern conveniences that 3D printing can provide in the future, such as being able to print a replacement part for a dishwasher or an extra place setting for unexpected dinner guests. See how the fashion industry is embracing 3D printing to create clothing, jewelry and accessories that are tailored just for you.

Hands-On 3D Workshop: In this area, you can draw with the world’s first 3D printing pen, and bridge the gap between the real and virtual worlds by building with 3D-printed Minecraft blocks. Families can even take part in an interactive story featuring 3D-printed models. This fun, imaginative story time will offer a glimpse of new ways to tap into the imagination of children through tangible story-themed play that they can design and print out.

3D Live Showcase This live stage show will feature a variety of fun and fascinating demonstrations, including interactive scanning, a 3D Music Jam Show with actual 3D-printed instruments, and step-by-step walk-throughs of the 3D printing process. This show celebrates the fruits of creativity and the “maker movement” using 3D printing.

LINKS