In this edition of sliced we feature: Carbon’s new resin materials, Dremel Education, MakerBot, PT Scientists, Farsoon Technologies, Sigma Labs, German RepRap and Hairy Lions.
New Carbon CLIP resins
Carbon CLIP 3D printers have announced the release of two new super-strength 3D printable resins.
EPX 81 (Epoxy 81) has a hard finish, performs extremely well under tensile pressure, and can deflect temperatures of up to 140°C (284°F).
CE 211 (Cyanate Ester 211) is a clear-setting orange resin capable of withstanding temperatures up to 260°C (500°F).
Dremel donates 70 3D printers to schools across the U.S.A
3D printing company Dremel has donated a total of seventy 3D printers to schools nationwide in order to promote STEAM education. The K12 schools were selected as part of a design competition, with each school receiving two Dremel 3D Idea Builder machines.
Rafael Franca, manager, Dremel 3D Education, explains the importance of the project,
The most powerful learning experiences we can offer are those that help students see the potential they have to make real change in the world around them. We’re very much looking forward to seeing how dozens of schools will apply 3D printing technology and STEAM education to help build a better tomorrow.
MakerBot Educators Program
MakerBot are also promoting the use of 3D printing in education with the introduction of a MakerBot Educators Program. The company, who run Thingiverse, recently created a platform for lessons on 3D printing.
Drew Lentz, MakerBot Learning Manager, explains the program,
After recently establishing Thingiverse Education, now the largest collection of 3D printing lesson plans online, we saw an immediate response from hundreds of teachers who were excited to contribute content and share best practices with peers. The new MakerBot Educators Program is taking it a step further by forging a closer relationship between MakerBot and the most engaged teachers of our community.
MakerBot will include contributors to Thingiverse Education as members of the program in which they will provide monthly ‘missions’ to encourage the teaching of 3D printing.
Ackuretta Technologies releases new 3D printer
The Ackuray A135 is a direct light processing (DLP) machine and can use 8 different resin materials. The Taiwanese company, Ackuretta Technologies, have developed four of these themselves. Which are reportedly “suitable for the jewelry, dentistry, medical and manufacturing and prototyping sectors“.
Farsoon new printer
Similarly, Farsoon Technologies have announced a new 3D printer system. The FS271M is a 3D printing metal machine that uses laser sintering technology. The large machine has a 275 x 275 x 320mm build size which the company believe fares well for aerospace, medical and automotive applications.
Uncertainty microwave on the moon
The Google Lunar X prize competition has been narrowed down to five teams. We recently reported on PT Scientists’ exciting collaboration with Audi that may eventually lead to a 3D printing microwave on the moon. Unfortunately, these plans will not becoming to fruition as they have been unable to get a launch contract verified before the end of last year, as the rules stated.
There are rumors that the deadline may be extended as PT Scientists maintain they are on track. A spokesman for PT Scientists, Sven Przywarra, was optimistic,
I believe there might also be a good chance for us to be back in the race.
Sigma Labs sign partnership with Pratt & Whitney
Sigma Labs, metal 3D printers and creators of PrintRite software, have announced a contract with aerospace manufacturers Pratt & Whitney.
Mark Cola, President and CEO of Sigma Labs, voiced his excitement about the agreement,
I’m very pleased to announce that Pratt &Whitney, the esteemed aerospace and defense manufacturer, is joining our Early Adopter Program. Signing high quality, well known customers – coming on the heels of our contract with Siemens just a few weeks ago – clearly demonstrates a growing market for our PrintRite3D quality assurance software and strong brand recognition for our products.
RepRap help shoemakers
German 3D printer manufacturers RepRap have announced their printers have been used to help produce footwear in Italy. The Footwear Polytechnic of Riviera del Brenta in Venice have used a RepRap x400 PRO V3 in to help the production of their shoes. In addition to the 3D printer, they were also given a Geometric Capture 3D scanner in order to create digital models of their footwear. Using these models they were able to print accessories and structures like heels.
Hairy Lions
Finally, there is a new challenger to baby Groot. The Hairy Lion from Primoz is sweeping through the 3D printing maker community. As show in the featured image and in the photos below, makers have managed to replicate the majestic lion mane using an FDM 3D printer. It involves 3D printing a shell full of hairs and then using a low heat to melt the mane with contrasting results. In the “mane” the results are superb, although when too drastic a heat source is used the results can also be quite amusing.
If you would like to have a go at 3D printing your own Hairy Lion, here is the Thingiverse design.
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Featured image shows Sliced logo over a hairy lion 3D printed by Kyle Gillespie (g1ll32p13 on Instagram).
