Monthly Archives: May 2013

First Football Cleat to Be Built Using 3D Printing Technology

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Nike is taking its forty years of experience and innovation to create the first ever football cleat built using 3D printing technology.

Nike Football debuted the Nike Vapor Laser Talon. The plate of the cleat is 3D printed using Selective Laser Sintering technology (SLS). The shoe weighs only 5.6oz and is designed to provide optimal traction on the football turf. This should help athletes excel in the 40-yard dash although I can’t pretend to be an expert in American football. I am however, more than half way through season one of Friday Night Lights. give me another few weeks and the next few seasons and I should be up to speed.

The Dark Side: 3D Printed Gun Available To All

It was reported last week that the first gun made with 3D printing technology was fired with success in Austin Texas in the US. the gun was created and fired by a controversial group Defense Distributed. the gun was made out of ABS plastic. only the firing pin was made of metal.

Now they have made the blueprints available online. the blueprints have been downloaded over 100,000 times.

With guns becoming undetectable and untraceable, don’t you just feel slightly less safe? No? Me neither, but excuse me while I go write the next post from under my bed.

Barack Obama On 3D Printing

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In February US President Barack Obama gave his Stare of the Union address as he does every year. In the speech, he recognises the potential of 3D printing.

Our first priority is making America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing. After shedding jobs for more than 10 years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three. Caterpillar is bringing jobs back from Japan. Ford is bringing jobs back from Mexico. And this year, Apple will start making Macs in America again.

There are things we can do, right now, to accelerate this trend. Last year, we created our first manufacturing innovation institute in Youngstown, Ohio. A once-shuttered warehouse is now a state-of-the art lab where new workers are mastering the 3D printing that has the potential to revolutionize the way we make almost everything. There’s no reason this can’t happen in other towns.

So tonight, I’m announcing the launch of three more of these manufacturing hubs, where businesses will partner with the Department of Defense and Energy to turn regions left behind by globalization into global centers of high-tech jobs. And I ask this Congress to help create a network of 15 of these hubs and guarantee that the next revolution in manufacturing is made right here in America.

The US president makes a State of the Union address every year to report on the condition of the nation and to outline their legislative agenda.

It’s always good to see the government recognise the potential of a technology and help it along. Even if it’s not my government.

Building Bytes: 3D Printed Ceramic Bricks

Desktop 3D printer printing Building Byte, ceramic brick

 

In keeping with the ceramic 3D printing theme, I want to talk about Design Lab Workshop who have come up with Building Bytes. During a six week residency at the European Ceramic Work Centre, they focused on 3D printing ceramics for large scale construction. Using desktop 3D printers, they created these printable bricks.Each Building Byte can be unique without complicating its fabrication process. The Building Bytes were made from a liquid slip cast recipe of earthenware ceramics typically used for casting molds.

honeycombed 3D printing block, Building Byte

A desktop 3D printer was connected to an extrusion system made up of plastic cartridges and air pressure. The only change to the 3D printer was a material extrusion head requiring minimal change to the printer.

interlocking 3D printing brick Building Byte ribbed 3D printed brick Building Byte xbrick shaped 3D printed ceramic brick Building Byte

Building Bytes from design lab workshop on Vimeo.

3D Printed Ceramic Water Filters

The WaterBoiler adapted to unclude a 3D printed ceramic water filter.

Design studio Unfold, based in Belgium, created a ceramic filter for an open source water boiler and purifier to be used in the developing world. The reason I’m writing about this is because the ceramic filter was 3D printed.

How was it made? This machine was first designed by Jesse Howard in collaboration with Thomas Lommée as The WaterBoiler. This design was passed on to Unfold who adapted the design by replacing the PET bottle with a cut through glass bottle holding the 3D printed ceramic water filter.

The WaterBoiler created on OpenStructures design principles.

The original WaterBoiler created by Jesse Howard and Thomas Lommée

Source: OpenStructures