Replicator Cinema – Iron Man, MakerBot, and Dinosaur Parts

ZCorp’s New Technology

ZCorp is the only 3D printing company that can produce models in full color. It is a great strength, but also a terrible weakness because their build material is plaster based, brittle, and not usable in more mechanically rigorous applications. ZCorp has acquired a technology that remedies that weakness. The ZBuilder Ultra is their new prototyping machine, an SLA based system, provides impressive technical specifications and has an an impressive aesthetic befitting an advanced technology. See a finished piece emerge from a bath of build material at the 1:06 mark and the “Tron” like build process at the 1:50 mark.

Open Source 3D Printers at MakerFaire

While I was at MakerFaire it was impressive to see how much energy there was around Open Source 3D printing. The MakerBot was the belle of the ball, but the Fab@Home, RepRap, and other Open Source projects were well represented as well. It is exciting to see is the improving quality of the models that are being created. With more designers all design problems are shallow. Complex transformers, interesting puzzles, and multi-material builds show how much opportunity there is even in affordable platforms.

3D Printing Iron Man

Objet 3D printers are capable of extraordinarily detailed output. Film and game studios are using their technology in the visualization processes, for example, when they are designing the newest armor for Iron Man or Master Chief.

Casting Pewter in a 3D Printed Mold

3D printing is an exciting technology with a lot of energy being expanded by manufacturers in the category. However, there is also a tremendously innovative community of users. Case in point this metal smith using 3D printed molds as a way to cast pewter.

3D Printing a Fossil

One of the first examples of a 3D printer in pop culture was in the completely terrible 3rd installment of the Jurassic Park series. A character 3D prints a velociraptor’s voice chamber and plays a critical role at the climax of the film. Science fiction in 2001 is reality in 2010. Now, a small Canadian natural history museum is using 3D printers to produce replicas of dinosaur fossils. At the time of this post they have yet to splice any DNA and Wayne Knight is still safely in Los Angeles.

Tagged as: 3d printing, Fab@Home, Iron Man, Jurassic Park, Makerbot, MakerFaire, Objet, Open source, Printing, RepRap, Technology, ZCorp