3D printing with light

Posted on by aneczka2307

http://3dprint.com/89024/calarts-3d-printing-with-light/

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CalArts Student Experiments with 3D Printing Light

Not all 3D printing is meant to last. When CalArts student Aaron Bothman decided to print something for his short film The Red Witch, his thesis project, he wanted it to be less permanent. Having seen the work of Beijing-based artist Ekaggrat Singh Kalsi, who has used a modified 3D printer to ‘print’ in light, he found his inspiration.

Not something that you can pick up with your hands, the product of this technique is something that can be captured on film, which is exactly the medium in which Bothman works.

He and his father worked together on building the printer, a small delta model constructed from a kit but with a particular twist. When assembled, an LED was placed where the hot end would usually have been installed. This allows Bothman to capture the light on film by using a long exposure while the printer runs the model, tracing out the shapes as a 3D light painting.

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This isn’t the first 3D printing project that Bothman junior and Bothman senior have worked on together. In an interview with 3DPrint.com, Aaron talked about his experience printing with his father and how it has influenced his work both while at CalArts and after graduation:

“I’m an animator and artist based in Los Angeles. I graduated from the animation program at CalArts a couple months ago, and am currently working as an artist at JibJab, a small studio in LA. I originally learned about 3D printing in middle school from my dad, who teaches mechanical engineering at UCSB, and who helped a lot in thinking through this project. As a stop-motion filmmaker, 3D printing allows me to tackle more ambitious projects on a short production schedule than I might be able to otherwise.”

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In order to create the light animation, each Maya image to be captured is sent to the printer one frame at a time. Over time, these images create the illusion of movement, just as is done in more traditional stop motion filming. The result is a piece that is built up in layers, requiring the same mode of conceptualization as a 3D printing project but with the option for movement and, of course, no support materials. In fact, no materials at all, something that makes this a particularly appealing way to engage in a 3D printed project if there is no need for the product to be tangible.

Somewhat akin to the old question about a tree falling in the forest with no one to hear it, the question that could be asked of this technique could be: when a 3D printer creates something that cannot be touched, is it still 3D printing? The creations don’t truly occupy space or at least they only do for a fleeting moment but as they dance before your eyes, I think you may be willing to set that debate aside for a moment. Just think of it this way: with this technique, you could print all you want and never run up a bill for filament and never have to worry about storage space.

And that sounds pretty ideal to me.

Let us know what you think about this concept in the 3D Printing with Light forum thread at 3DPB.com.

3dprint.com

by  | AUGUST 15, 2015

The fully-body Iron Man suit!

Posted on by Malta 3D Printing

An Incredible 1.8 Miles of Filament Were Used to Create This Fully-Body Iron Man Suit!

http://3dprint.com/48264/3d-printed-iron-man-suit/

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Life-Size 3D Printed Iron Man Suit Used Over 1.8 Miles of Plastic Filament, Took 14 Months to Complete

One of the areas which has seen substantial benefit from 3D printing is that of the prop and costume industry. Whether created for movie and set production or printed out as simply a hobby, the design attributes that 3D printing has to offer are taking prop and costume making to the next level.

Over the last 13 months we have seen numerous body suits and masks from popular movies 3D printed. We’ve seen entire 3D Printed Alien Xenomorph suitscreated, as well as life-sized suits such as the Hulkbuster from the Iron Man movies 3D printed and then painted. Additive manufacturing enables fine intricate details which could not have been accomplished without great expense using traditional forms of subtractive manufacturing.

In what may be one of the most detailed and largest prop/costume projects we have seen to date, a 20-year-old Marvel Comics enthusiast named Ross Wilkes has created a 3D printed life-sized Iron Man suit.

The project — which Wilkes started way back in 2013 as part of his odd, yet very creative, New Year’s resolution — has taken 14 months to finally culminate in a complete suit reminiscent of Tony Stark’s famous armor.

“Building my own Iron Man suit has been an incredible challenge,” says Wilkes. “Before I could start, I had to learn the basics of 3D printing and was able to pick up the rest along the way. I’m thrilled with what I’ve been able to create using only a 3D printer, and to be able to see the complete suit now is incredible.”

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‘Incredible’ may be an understatement. Wilkes, who used only one 3D printer, a Velleman K8200, which was purchased in kit form back in 2013 and assembled soon thereafter, used quite a bit of filament for this project. A total of 32 1kg-spools of filament were used, equating to approximately a 1.8-mile-long strand. Because the Velleman 8200 has a build envelope of just 20 x 20 x 20 cm, Wilkes had to 3D print the suit in hundreds of separate pieces before fusing them all together, sort of like a puzzle.

Velleman 8200 3D Printer

Three different colors of filament were used for the main body of the suit — red, gold, and gray — and it even features the familiar chest repulsor transmitter, centered at the sternum area. Unlike many past projects we have seen, Wilkes did not paint or use any finishing techniques on this project, relying on the colors of the filament to do their job. As you can see from the images provided to us by Wilkes, he’s done a remarkable job at realizing an accurate rendition of the suit, one which appears to be 3D printed, yet still remains a very accurate representation of the suit we are all familiar with from comic books and movies.

Let’s hear your thoughts on this incredible 3D print in the 3D printed Iron Man Suit forum thread on 3DPB.com.

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3DPRINT.COM
by  | MARCH 3, 2015

Filaments recycled

Posted on by Malta 3D Printing

A Terrific Example of 3D Printing’s Sustainable Qualities!

http://goo.gl/woybZ2

cruncher plastic waste recycler

Recycling Plastic Waste & 3D Print Fails Into Filament: The Cruncher
Any time I’ve seen a new technology meant to bring 3D printing to the masses, my initial response has been: “Do we really need more low-quality plastic crap in our houses?” But I’m excited by rapid prototyping as a much less materially intensive way to design and redesign products, and experiments in the healthcare sector, such as printing replacement organs, are awfully cool. But, of course, all of that testing out and experimenting will involve failures — should those bad prints just go to the landfill? Not if startup Extrusionbot has its way. I originally published the following post at sustainablog on February 6th, 2015.

Recycling Those 3D Printing Fails: The Cruncher

I’m still not sold on the idea that 3D printing is a useful consumer-level technology, but it’s definitely got its uses for designers and researchers. Regardless of who’s using the technology, though, there will be failures. With 2D printing, you can just throw the paper into a recycling bin. With 3D printing, the type of resin used, and the ability to break it down in a useful manner, determines recyclability. And using recycable plastic in the first place makes for a greener process overall.

So, I was intrigued when I came across a press release for The Cruncher, a machine designed to recycle 3D printing fails, or prints that are no longer useful. Created by Extrusionbot, a company that launched its signature EB2 filament extruder through a successful Kickstarter campaign. The new device will work right alongside the earlier product, but can also work with other extruders. In short, The Cruncher breaks down prints and other plastic materials that makes them ready for reuse.

If this just addressed the issue of 3d printing waste, The Cruncher would be a good thing, but fairly limited in its impact. But in addition to turning existing prints and prototypes back into usable plastic pellets, The Cruncher can also process other plastics, like used bottles and other waste materials. That’s kind of exciting… still limited in terms of impact, but conceptually promising. Why not use plastic waste that may well end up in landfills or oceans otherwise?

I’m pretty sure this one’s going to hit its funding goal: it’s already well on the way. It’s clearly designed for use beyond the consumer audience. I like the idea of reuse and recycling as an integral part of 3d printing, and hope not only that this campaign succeeds, but the concept catches on in the niche.

Work with 3D printing? Would a product like this help your efforts? Share your thoughts with us…

CLEANTECHNICA.COM
by  | February 12th, 2015

New Translucent Filament!

Posted on by Malta 3D Printing

We’ve recently received our shipment of this awesome translucent filament that we’d like to showcase. We’ve got a bunch of different colours, which have proven to be popular with our customers. As you can see in the photos, translucent filament produces a unique see-through effect and glistens in a well-lit environment.

Malta 3D Printing's photo.