Thomas Edison, probably the most polific inventor, found over a 1000 ways how NOT to make a light bulb. Working day and night to eliminate the wrong guesses, he finally succeeded.
Cheaper/Faster 3D printers aught to help with the 99% prespiration he talks about.
Artists are different - the journey is more important/fun than getting to the destination.
Every RP article implies that faster design processes are better. Here the author even argues that more iterations leads to better outcomes. This may sound obvious, but anyone involved in design will tell you: faster doesn't always mean better. Here is a hint: it really depends on the design methods that you use and how far in the decision making process you are. Sadly, the last 10 yrs have shown me that most RP are not actual improvements to the quality and originality of products. Some times faster just means faster, and this only means producing crap designs faster than before.
Thanks for raising the issue, SoCalPE, and thanks Jason, for the link to a resource for suggestions on plastic part disposal. I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more people raising concerns about this issue as 3D printer use becomes more prevelant and as more organizations more widely integrate the technology as part of their prototyping and product development workflows.
On i.materialize, the first search result from above, they lay out 4 possible solutions. While they may not work for everyone and every 3D printer, they are atleast bringing some interesting and valid means or reusing unwanted printed objects.
Beth, thanks for corroborating my concerns about recycling 3d printed parts. Yes, that photo with the caption "... generate a mountain of throwaway prototypes..." is concerning in our society's semi-enlightened path of renewal ability and recycling. I'm an avid fan and user of FDM 3d printing for prototype parts. To my knowledge, SLA material cannot be recycled unlike 3d printers that extrude ABS (which we recycle after the parts are tested). I'm not sure about Objet or ZCorp parts. Doug, can you speak to this?
P.S. Tape Wrangler tolerances of some parts are 1/250,000 of an inch. Really???
Great working examples of how 3D printers are being used in companies to faciliate design and as a more cost-effective means of prototyping.
Seeing that image of all of those plastic, 3D printed parts, though, makes me think about disposal issues related to all this content that will be generated. A reader raised that issue in a comments on another 3D printer story and that image really brings the concern to light.
By experimenting with the photovoltaic reaction in solar cells, researchers at MIT have made a breakthrough in energy efficiency that significantly pushes the boundaries of current commercial cells on the market.
In a world that's going green, industrial operations have a problem: Their processes involve materials that are potentially toxic, flammable, corrosive, or reactive. If improperly managed, this can precipitate dangerous health and environmental consequences.
With LEDs dropping in price virtually every year, automakers have begun employing them, not only on luxury vehicles, but on entry-level models, as well.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 4
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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