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This is truly remarkable. I first heard the news last week from 3DPi (read their comprehensive article here).  Inspired by the T-1000 from Terminator 2, Dr. Joseph DeSimone and his team have come up with a truly revolutionary idea in 3D printing.  Check out this video (at 7x speed). It's so fast, they printed an object (which would take up to 11 hours using traditional 3D printing methods!) DURING the 10 minute TED talk!



They call it CLIP - Continuous Liquid Interface Production.  And it grows  parts instead of printing them layer by layer!  (more on this later) Take a look at the micrograph (right) - the image on the right is a traditionally 3D printed part with layers, on the left - CLIP!  Plus, CLIP is 25-100 times faster than traditional 3D printing.

Dr. DeSimone, CEO and Co-Founder of Carbon3D, says, “Current 3D printing technology has failed to deliver on its promise to revolutionize manufacturing.  Our CLIP technology offers the game-changing speed, consistent mechanical properties and choice of materials required for complex commercial quality parts.”

So, how does Clip work?

For now, I'm quoting right off their website, and will add as we learn more.

CLIP is a chemical process that carefully balances light and oxygen to eliminate the mechanical steps and the layers. 
It works by projecting light through an oxygen-permeable window into a reservoir of UV curable resin. The build platform lifts continuously as the object is grown.
The heart of the CLIP process is a special window that is transparent to light and permeable to oxygen, much like a contact lens. 
By controlling the oxygen flux through the window, CLIP creates a “dead zone” — a thin layer of uncured resin between the window and the object.** 
This makes it possible to grow without stopping. As a continuous sequence of UV images are projected, the object is drawn from the resin bath. Sophisticated software manages the entire process by controlling the variables. 



** We are very interested in learning more about this "dead zone" - it is tens of microns thick and an area where it is impossible for photopolymerization to occur.

Want to learn more?  Check out the Carbon3D website, another article, or (highly recommended) watch the recently-released TED talk below!


 


UPDATE 3.26.15:  3DPrint.com has a story about Gizmo 3D, a company that says they too "are working on a super fast SLA style 3D printer, which may actually one-up the Carbon3D system, as far as speed and print quality go."  Read more here!

Just for fun, here is the Terminator 2 video clip shared in the TED talk. (in Spanish...?)


Check out this video of Chuck Hull, winner of the European Inventor Award 2014.  (You can view videos of the other winners here.)  In this video, he describes his invention of the first SLA 3D printer in 1983!



MINK 3D printer


This printer uses plain printers ink (surprisingly, the maker, Grace Choi, says it is FDA approved) to add colour to a power, cream, or waxy base and create makeup. The printer sells for around $300, and supplies, like boxes and the base, presumably are sold as well. I couldn't find how much these cost, however. To print in a certain colour, you choose that hex colour from any online picture and paste it into a Microsoft Paint or Photoshop file. You send the file to the printer, and it adds that colour to the base. 

Ok, makeup, not that interesting, right? 
But this does show how versatile 3D printing is, and what can be done with printers and common household objects, like ink and a computer. 

Here is an article with a more in-depth explanation of how this works. 


By Jane, 7th grade
A Graphic of the phone with the Camera app open
Many major technology companies such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft have all gotten into the 3D scanning game.  

"Giving devices full 3D vision is the next step in the consumer electronics evolution. This began with Kinect for the Xbox, and, although this process is still in its early phase, that is where all the technology giants seem to be setting their sights. Apple bought PrimeSense, the company that makes Kinect, as well as 3D Systems' Sense consumer 3D scanner, " says 3DPI in an article titled "Google Wants to give Your smartphone 3D modeling Capabilities."


A Schematic of the Phone
It seemed as though Google stopped having interest in 3D modeling when it sold Sketchup to Trimble in 2012. However Google is now working on Project Tango - an Android smartphone that can 3D scan objects. You may be thinking that any smartphone can do that with 123D Catch however this would have an extra depth sensor camera in the back and therefore have to take many fewer shots for a higher quality image. 


Putting depth sensors on smartphone cameras is not new.  In 2011 HTC released the HTC Evo 3D.  It had one for capturing 3D video and now the HTC One (M8) has one for refocusing a shot after it is taken however Tango would be the first phone to have one made for 3D scanning.


Although we (the BPC Maker Club) have not had much luck getting decent quality out of our Kinect it supposedly can get some decent quality scans. The Kinect was not made for 3D scanning but for movement tracking in video games that don't need high accuracy and therefore this limitation is to be expected.


Apple has not actually released a 3D scanner it did buy PrimeSense, the company behind Microsoft's Kinect 3D motion sensor. This means that Apple will probably come out with some sort of 3D sensor in the future.


- Abe (7th grade)

Well, I am impressed.  Already, will.i.am has used his influence to raise awareness of the FIRST Robotics League, and now he is taking on 3D Printing.  3D Systems just announced that the company is appointing will.i.am Chief Creative Officer!  I think will.i.am has done some fascinating things with his fame and fortune, including his i.am.angel Foundation,which operates i.am.STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math), "an elementary and middle school initiative to provide underserved students with learning and interaction opportunities beyond the classroom..."

Reichental, President and CEO of 3D Systems, in the press release, says, “We’re excited to partner with a pop culture influencer of will.i.am’s caliber who really gets 3D printing and its potential... will.i.am is a global tastemaker who embodies the essence of creativity and entrepreneurship, and we are fortunate to have him as our guide on this exciting journey.”

Pretty smart of 3D Systems, since will.i.am gets "cool" and can certainly move forward 3D System's goal to go mainstream -  one of the many goals 3D Systems has put forth so far in 2014..  Will.i.am's got experience already as Intel's Director of Creative Innovation. Pretty cool gigs!

Watch Avi Reichental & will.i.am discuss the future of 3D printing...


Here's another interview, from the CES floor, including a tough question about intellectual property.




ADDED 1.18.24: And, finally, you should read about all the other stuff 3D Systems has been up to already in 2014... and it's only been 18 days!



For the first time ever, the FIRST Robotics competition sponsored by America Makes, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Education is providing 3D printers to its contestants - approximately 450 3D printers in total.  There are several companies on the FIRST Robotics Competition 2014 Printer, Software and Services Donors List, including both 3D Systems and Stratasys!  You can read 3D System's blog post on the "winning" the bid here.
"We see a great potential to expand the use of 3D printing in FRC," FRC Director Frank Merrick said. "From the new options in prototyping to on-demand parts, 3D printing opens up a whole new world of possibilities in engineering, and we're very excited to introduce this capability to our young competitors and see what our participating teams come up with."
3D Systems, in return for the big order, is donating its entire Cubify software design suite, including Cubify Invent, Cubify Design and Cubify Sculpt, to every team participating in the competition, along with some cloud printing coupons. (psst - you can get a copy of this design suite, too, by entering the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards’ Future New Challenge, boosted by 3D System's offer of free software!  Deadline is soon!!)



I learned that FIRST stands for "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology" and is billed as "the varsity sport for the mind."  If you want to see an interesting documentary on FIRST Robotics, I recommend this 43 minute show - "i.am.FIRST: Science is Rock and Roll" - self-produced by Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas.  My favorite quote is when Will.i.am says "If the Black Eyed Peas can play at the halftime at the Super Bowl, we can play at the FIRST Robotics competition"!  (To learn more about this project, check out this news clip.)