Life at the Feeding Edge » 3d printing http://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blog Taking a bite on new technology so you don't have to Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:01:02 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Sculptors and 3d printing http://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blog/2010/01/23/sculptors-and-3d-printing/ http://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blog/2010/01/23/sculptors-and-3d-printing/#comments Sat, 23 Jan 2010 19:43:38 +0000 epredator http://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blog/?p=496 On friday I had a trip to London, talking finance, equity shares, next steps for a major project all very heavy stuff. On the way back from the meeting one of my good friend and business partners and I stopped by at The Royal British Society of Sculptors on Old Brompton road. The outside of the building [...]]]> On friday I had a trip to London, talking finance, equity shares, next steps for a major project all very heavy stuff. On the way back from the meeting one of my good friend and business partners and I stopped by at The Royal British Society of Sculptors on Old Brompton road.
The outside of the building had a reactive sculpture that opened mechanical umbrella type flowers that wound up the side of the building like a vine so I knew this would be interesting.
Inside the main exhibits were suitably technical yet artistic. One was the wearable tail, a robot fashionable tail that was really more like Second Life than south kensington. Others were water bubbles generated in a tank to create the shapes of numbers, which was a forerunner of the glowing ball structures that rise and fall with the stock market at the London Stock Exchange.
Out the back there were a set of design concepts for a competition that would be the next installation to replace the flowers out front.
I was immediately drawn to this model
3d printed model (Artist credits to follow)
It was a computer designer 3d model that had been rendered using a 3d printer in order to be able to see the concept before it is rendered in full size aluminium.
So there I was in a sculpture society looking at a physical rendition for a virtual model that would become a full size one. That was the winner for me as you can imagine.
I left a comment that I would like to be able to share the experience of exploring the virtual model as well as seeing the physical model.
With HP doing deal with Stratasys moving into the 3d printing market this sort of thing will become a lot more common!

]]> http://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blog/2010/01/23/sculptors-and-3d-printing/feed/ 2 Just in Time and Just in Place manufacture http://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blog/2009/12/01/just-in-time-and-just-in-place-manufacture/ http://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blog/2009/12/01/just-in-time-and-just-in-place-manufacture/#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:49:09 +0000 epredator http://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blog/?p=429 I was just typing an explanation of 3d Printing in one of the networks I frequent to help some people get a handle on 3d Printing. It struck that the “just in” prefix worked quite well. We are all used to the notion of Just In Time when talking about stock levels in a shop or factory, [...]]]> I was just typing an explanation of 3d Printing in one of the networks I frequent to help some people get a handle on 3d Printing.
It struck that the “just in” prefix worked quite well. We are all used to the notion of Just In Time when talking about stock levels in a shop or factory, having the resources you need when they are needed and not holding too much redundant and expensive stock.
With 3d printing we add the layer of it being just in time by its very nature, but it is also where we need it so it is Just in Place.
Just in Time, Just in Place with Just Enough Quantity seems to work for 3d printing?

]]> http://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blog/2009/12/01/just-in-time-and-just-in-place-manufacture/feed/ 0 3d Printing multiple materials with Objet http://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blog/2009/06/26/3d-printing-multiple-materials-with-objet/ http://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blog/2009/06/26/3d-printing-multiple-materials-with-objet/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:22:48 +0000 epredator http://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blog/?p=214 I just received a sample from Objet of the results of their new PolyJet Matrix(tm) 3d printing technology. Why is this important? This particular technology means that in one pass an object can be constructed of several types and forms of material. In the example sent through, a rendering of Zebedee from the magic roundabout [...]]]> I just received a sample from Objet of the results of their new PolyJet Matrix(tm) 3d printing technology. Why is this important? This particular technology means that in one pass an object can be constructed of several types and forms of material. In the example sent through, a rendering of Zebedee from the magic roundabout the various components all feel very different. Given my original 3d print sample was a small ABS plastic box from a few year ago things have really come on.
Objet 3d print sample
The hat and nose are actually made of a rubbery substance and soft to the touch, the spring flexes when you push on the sides of it and the body and head have some intricate detail and colour to them (such as the tiny buttons on his front).
It was an Object printer that was used by the creators of the Coraline movie in a very interesting way too.

Objet.com 3d printer sample

There is a whole stack of information in particular on the entry level 350 printer here and you can follow @3d_printers on twitter.
I am even more convinced than ever of the impact of this sort of technology when combined with the digital design and distribution channels we have. It will continue to get cheaper, better and faster and as in my previous post about some uses of the printers we have a whole host of new business and entertainment uses to consider over and above pure manufacturing of products. This is akin to the differences in virtual world technology usage of mirror worlds and mirror builds compared to more expressive and unusual environments. Mix that all up with Augmented Reality applications and we have one very interesting leap and trends forming.
As experts in the field of design in this space also warn such as csven on ReBang there are responsibilities in learning to design these sorts of products. Making people aware of the opportunities in their product design profession will bring along safe usuable products.
Either way, like virtual worlds and Augmented Reality, 3d printing is not going away, in fact they are on a march together it would seem. So join the march I say :)

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