Win $40k for designing an open source filament extruder
The cost of filament is a thorn in the side of many DIY 3D printing setups. But thanks to Inventables, the Kauffman Foundation and Maker Faire, prices of around $50/kg are soon to be a thing of the past.
The challenge has been set: Design an open source machine capable of making plastic resin pellets fit for use in a low cost 3D printer.
The first person or team who uploads a successful solution will be declared the winner, taking out more than just glory and DIY adoration. Prizes include a very handy $40,000 thanks to the Kauffman Foundation, as well as a Desktop Fabrication Lab consisting of a 3D printer, Laser Cutter and Shapeoko CNC mill.
Nice.
If you think you’ve got what it takes, here are the criteria:
The first team/person to build an open source filament extruder for less than $250 in components can take ABS or PLA resin pellets, mix them with colorant, and extrude a 1.75mm +/- .01mm filament that can be used in a 3D printer is declared the winner.
Apple is usually revered as an shining example in the design world. There is the ocassional exception, however. They seem unwilling to design a mouse that takes into account biomechanics and ergonomic factors of the human hand since at least the early 90’s. The iPod earbud style headphones are another instance – where Apple has a priority of designing a geometric neo-minimalist form, rather than ensuring comfort and performance. Cupped headphones are also much better at isolating your ears away from the ambient noise of the world.
These issues led Paris based Chilean industrial designer JC Karich to develop a 3D printable ear enclosed headphone adapter that houses a pair of iPod earbuds. (more…)
Getting some serious work out of your hobby 3D printer.
It has been said that once you have a lathe you can make just about any other tool. This open-source printable mini lathe could be the perfect place to get started. With the quality of hobby printers increasing so rapidly, it is great to see complex mechanical models like this making their way out into the ecosystem.
(We’ve seen a printed mini-lathe before, but that project seems to be obsolete now.)
Meet the makers of the NTH Synth, following their successful Kickstarter campaign This mouth-wateringly good looking machine is the NTH Synth, a product that was recently crowd-funded on Kickstarter. I interviewed the guys behind NTH Synth about DIY electronics, designing for Ponoko, and how to get your crowd-funding campaign to stand out from the crowd. (more…)
An accessible and low-cost way to make precision tools.
When you want to make precision tools like a CNC mill or a lathe, it’s generally because, obviously, you don’t have one. The problem is, how do you make precision tools without using precision tools? It’s getting easier and easier to find a place to use one, but sometimes that is not a practical option. One possible solution being explored is the use of cast concrete. (more…)
Fritzing is an open-source initiative to support designers, artists, researchers and hobbyists to work creatively with interactive electronics. We are creating a software and website in the spirit of Processing and Arduino, developing a tool that allows users to document their prototypes, share them with others, teach electronics in a classroom, and to create a pcb layout for professional manufacturing.
I got introduced to Fritzing through a tipoff on the Ponoko User’s Forum and all I can say is ‘wow!’ It’s an amazing tool to support people all the way from their first taste of electronics to final production of their own designs.
Another approach to 3D printed circuit building from Thingiverse
Thingiverse user CarryTheWhat has taken a novel approach to building simple electronic circuits with his solder-free 3D-printed circuit board library. The library includes battery holders and pegs for other components, a few different printed switches, and uses conductive thread to make the connections.
Being able to create simple circuits on a desktop 3D printer would be a great boon to hobbyists. (more…)
Even with the various DIY kits and systems available these days, the costs involved can be prohibitive for new enthusiasts trying to get set up with quality CNC equipment. But not for long…
The Piccolo CNC platform is a pocket-sized stand-alone device that will soon be available for under $70. This diminutive laser-cut wonder is capable of more than just plotting graphic designs. It includes Arduino and Processing libraries that enable the device to move autonomously or respond to sensors and data. Multiple Piccolo plotters can be programmed to work together to create large scale outcomes, and the platform is also just right for further experimentation in either 2D or 3D fabrication.
Piccolo is being developed by Diatom (who you may remember from the wildly successful SketchChair project) in a collaboration with Cheng Xu and Huaishu Peng from the CoDe Lab.
We are currently refining the Piccolo prototype into an open-source design that is simple, quick to assemble, and easy to use, and is entirely composed of digitally manufactured components and inexpensive off-the-shelf hardware.
Click through for a perky little demo clip of the Piccolo CNC-bot in action. (more…)
RepRap offshoot uses SLS to make wax positives for metal casting
Andreas Bastian has been making some fantastic progress on his DIY SLS printer.
The goal of this project is to provide a method for rapidly manufacturing complex pieces in metal by manufacturing a wax “positive” of the object, which is then used to make a mold for the lost wax casting process. Current metal rapid manufacturing techniques rely on high-power lasers, plasma jets, or electric arcs to sinter metal powder. This approach sidesteps the higher costs and dangers of these high-power systems in favor of a relatively low power laser-sintering technique.
Using a home-built laser sintering wax printer to cast complex metal pieces at home: the DIY-force is strong in this one! Now all he needs is a DIY microwave smelter.
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