While attending the Consumer Electronics Show this year, I was blown away with the advances in 3D printing. In previous years, it seemed to have potential, but maybe some years away yet. I was so wrong. In just 12 months from last year’s show, the technology has exploded and is now touching every industry group.
Architects have been working with 3D modeling on computers for years, but are now actually creating building materials on 3D machines. Fashion designers are creating unbelievable dresses, shoes and jewelry in 3D. Even bakers can get in on the act, creating edible treats that defy imagination from sugar.
Shapify Me
My first live experience with the technology came when I met Leonid Volkov of Artec 3D . They manufacture both handheld scanners (called EVA) and Shapify Booths (for full body scans in just seconds.)
Eva was the first 3D scanner ever used to create an official bust of a sitting president. Volkov explains that President Obama was delighted to have this technology used in place of the former plaster masks which had been used for all previous presidents. Formerly, presidents had to breathe through two straws placed in their nostrils, while the plaster mold formed around their face. With Eva hand scanners, Obama only needed to sit still for a few minutes.
For some Hollywood effects made possible using Eva, check this article .
Not only presidents can have busts made of themselves, now it’s possible for anyone to have a full-figure statue made of their likeness. Artec had their Shapify Me booth up and operating for the entire show, with lines of people waiting to try it.
You merely stepped inside and the lights spun around you for a full, 360° scan in just 15-20 seconds. The biggest problem most people had was deciding what kind of pose they wanted. For me, checking the back of my camera to see my last picture seemed appropriate.
Within minutes you could see your initial, low-resolution scan appear on a monitor mounted close by. If so inclined, you could wait for a higher res version and then order a miniature figurine that would be as accurate as anything you could imagine.
When I got mine, I really couldn’t believe how good every detail was preserved. If you were here looking at this in real life, you’d even see the Ohio State embroidered logo over my shirt pocket. Each shirt button is individually discernible, every fold in my cargo pants defined, it really is amazing – and I just posed for under 20 seconds. The Smithsonian hasn’t called looking for it yet, but I’m treasuring it in the meantime.
I wanted to know more
After the Consumer Electronics show, I wanted to know more about how people are actually using the technology, so I set out to find some ordinary folk using 3D. I know the astronauts have found ways to create replacement parts while in space, and doctors are creating prosthetics, but are we getting to the point of having a 3D printer in your home? From the people I found this past week, it’s already here for some and getting closer for others.
Family business making toys and jewelry
Amelise J. Lane, Public Relations Manager with Autodesk , tells about the Sterns, who ”are a 3D printing family based in New York, who turned their love of 3D printing into a small business. Cameron embraced the Maker Movement and has his entire family making and creating. Stern Design Works provides 3D printed parts to help make jewelry, toys and other curiosities.”
“Cameron is an avid user of free consumer software that helped him realize his dream of turning his 3D modeling and 3D printing into a business,” continues Lane. “In the fabrication process, Cameron provides 3d printed parts ranging from animals, astronauts, space capsules and robots, to scenic elements.”
Sean McMains of San Marcos, TX also finds it helpful for developing games. He says, “My son and I do some card and board game design together. We bought a PrintrBot Simple a while back, and have been using it to prototype parts for our games.”
Use in perception research
Nicole Prause, Ph.D. at Span Lab reports, “I am a scientist in Los Angeles, and we use 3D printers to conduct
research. Specifically, we were interested in women's preferences for phallus size. In the past, this was studied using drawings of flaccid penises (!). The 3D print offered metric advantages. The data are currently under review for publication at PLOS One.”
Creative service agency adds prototyping
My husband and I added a 3D printing division to our small creative services agency about 2 years ago,” says Mo Eppley. “We are in St. Petersburg, Florida, and we provide custom 3D design, printing and rapid prototyping services. We use a lot of open source software - Blender, Tickercad, Google SketchUp for design software and Slic3r and Repetier for operating the machine.”
The Eppley’s are self taught but come from a graphic design background. “We have photos of some of our projects on Facebook and our Instagram accounts: http://ift.tt/1HL9xT9 http://ift.tt/1IyRMUp ”
Creating large scale artwork
Artist Kevin Caron's inspired sculpture can be seen in public and private places from coast-to-coast as well as overseas and online at http://ift.tt/1fv3hgI . Caron was named Sculptor of the Year by Art Trends magazine 2012 - 2014.
“Many of my sculptures trick the eye or mind,” explains Caron. “What works in CAD (Computer Aided Design, which is how you create the file used to make the print) may or may not be something that will work in steel. I print a maquette (or small version of a sculpture) to get a better idea if a sculpture is viable. It also helps me know if the proportions are right.”
“I have created - and sold - original sculptures using 3D printing. Contrary to popular belief, every one of them has come out differently, for various reasons. Here are some of my original sculptures: Hot Lips , Vessel , and Simple Planes with Aquamarine Stripe .
“Sometimes I use my printers for practical needs. For instance, I recently made a stand for business cards. I've also made a rack for a touch screen computer. It's exciting to create the files in CAD then print just what I need or want.”
Architectural office
Mila Salahuddin, Communications Manager with 5+design, says, “I'm with a Hollywood, CA architecture firm, 5+design . We're a firm of 80 and we use our 3D printers regularly for 3D drawings with applications such as Rhino, Solid Works and Revit. Attached is a photo of our most recent building façade and a structural shape that was first drawn in an application and then printed.”
Mark Commentz is a Model Builder and he had this to say regarding pricing for 3D printers. "On the whole, programs for commercial use that can be used for 3D printing are becoming less expensive. It's a good thing because it's making this technology more accessible. For architecture, we are moving into using 3D printing more and more, so if we can make applications and 3D printing more affordable, that allows students and up and coming studios to be better trained early on."
Prototyping products
From Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, Jackie Wu says, “I'm a grad student studying Robotics. I use 3D printing to help launch my first robotics startup, for an indoor flying security camera that we are raising a Kickstarter for next month. We are able to rapidly prototype and change up iterations for things that don't work (too unstable, too heavy, etc.).”
Maxim Wheatley, Co-Founder / Chief Product Officer at LifeFuels explains, “We print out prototypes purely to test out aesthetic and ergonomic aspects. Although something in CAD might appear to look great and feels comfortable in your hands, you can't know until you really do it. With 3D printers, we can do this quickly and rather inexpensively. We also enjoy printing out components and concepts to have design discussions around, and also to demonstrate and excite to the rest of our team. Showing people an image is one thing, discussing something that they can hold in their hands is entirely another!”
Jeremy Irons, Design Engineer with Creative Engineering LLC in Bronxville, NY also extols the virtues of having a 3D printer in-house. “One time a client was in a time crunch and needed to fix a problem with a product that was about to go into production. We quickly engineered a solution, but had to test multiple iterations to make sure we got it exactly right. The processes to get this part made would typically take a week, but we had an in-house 3D printer. I was able to print the part in one hour, test it, make changes to the CAD, and repeat about 5 times. That was about 5 weeks of work and waiting packed into a day and the client was stoked we were able to help them out so quickly to get the product into manufacturing on time.”
Buying and selling 3D models
According to Michael Becce with MRB Public Relations , CG Trader is the world’s fastest growing marketplace for 3D models. People can both purchase models like this model for a ring created by Temix , or they can sell their own designs to others.
Schools stretch minds and budgets with 3D printers
Joshua M. Pearce, Ph.D.,Associate Professor at Michigan Tech Open Sustainability Technology Lab relates,” We have done a lot with 3d printing and education at the college and high school level by training teachers (who) then bring it to their classrooms .”
“At the university we use it to print lab equipment and save 90-99% -- this enables us to do a lot more with less -- but also drops the cost of research grade scientific tools that anyone can have access to them – from 5th graders to people in the developing world. See examples here: http://ift.tt/1dr83Pf .”
Christine Archer with Amtek Company , Inc. says, “A lot of people think of 3D printing as it relates to engineering programs in schools. While this is oftentimes a popular application, schools are also finding ways other departments can take advantage of the investment in a 3D printer. Art teachers are teaching students to design using 3D CAD software and then print their creations rather than going the traditional route of making molds. Theatre departments are turning to 3D printing for prop and set design. That's the great thing about 3D printing - there are so many applications for the technology, and probably many more no one has even thought of yet.”
The argument and counter argument
While everyone above seems comfortable with their 3D printers, I did not delve into how long they each took to learn their application. Just like any program, from Photoshop to iMovie, there is a learning curve.
Ricky Twiggs Jr., founder of Unchained Thought Enterprises, LLC is concerned that the learning curve is something many people don’t consider. Telling about his firm, he says, “We are an emerging consulting company that specializes in 3D Printing and Genetically Modified Organisms. I have been involved in 3D Printing for about 5 years, ever since I came up with a medical device (diabetic pump). With the rise of popularity, mainly driven by the media, 3D Printing is quickly becoming a household name and in some cases is in a household. The entry level price now for a 3D Printer is around $400 to $2700, depending on your wallet, but surprisingly they are all pretty efficient as long as the consumer takes their time to learn their machine. Most of the time the ones below $600 have to be built from a kit. The ones about $700 are usually pre-assembled.”
“I find that a lot of my clients are not really small businesses. A lot of small businesses cannot afford the allocation of profits to be used for a machine that requires much more experience then the average person/business knows about. It requires 3D modeling experience, unless the user only wants to use premade objects from Thingiverse or Grabcad. However, that can only last so long. What if the person wants to create something I there own or for a friend? This requires more work from either a professional 3D program such as Solidworks or a free program such as Tinkercad. This is the major problem, there still needs to be a large education movement of the intricacies of 3D printing.”
Ari Zoldan, CEO, Quantum Media Group, LLC counters that, “Although advanced 3D printers are on the market, consumers are likely not going to be the first ones to purchase this equipment. 3D printers are an innovative technology that can create parts of cars, houses, and even food, but how many people do we see walking around the streets with a printer made bag of potato chips?”
“While the 3D printer may not appeal to the average consumer just yet, recreational and educational facilities have opened their eyes to the great potential of 3D printers. The Wadleigh Memorial Library in Milford, New Hampshire for example, has been one of the many to purchase a 3D printer for public use. With low cost and great innovative potential, anyone can go inside the library and use their 3D printer. Schools,libraries, and small and large business offices, are noticing the tremendous benefit of the addition of 3D printers.”
“Teachers can encourage students to be creative in geometry, librarians can guide visitors to engage in their innovative interests, and businesses can add 3D printers to their offices as a new and cool element.”
Are you using 3D printing at home? If so, please leave a comment and share how you are using it.
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