3D Printing has been making news all through September with no fewer than 5 big developments in the last 30 days:
3D Printing in the New York Times (x 3)
The paper of record has covered 3D Printing twice this month giving the technology its broadest exposure yet. First as a feature article covering the technology broadly from the affordable Makerbot, to the accessible Shapeways, to the high end 3D Systems. Secondly, the watershed investment in Shapeways was covered and commented on. The third article was shorter, a dispatch from the NYC Makerfaire covering the myriad 3D printer technologies that were on display. For afficianados the info isn’t really “News”, but the idea of physically constructing an object is entering the mind of the mass market consumer.
Shapeways 3D Printing Service announces $5MM investment from VC’s that funded Twitter, Zynga, and Foursquare
Shapeways has been doing an excellent job progressively expanding the availability of 3D printing technology to the masses. Investment from Union Square Ventures, the most prestigious and successful early stage consumer internet VC firm, does a great deal to validate the approach Shapeways has taken.
MakerBot Thing-O-Matic
MakerBot Industries used the NYC Makerfaire as an opportunity to announce their next innovation in affordable 3D Printing. Dubbed the “Thing-O-Matic” the successor to the “Cupcake” boasts improvements to the 3D Printing head which can provide finer resolution and a build platform that allows for semi-automated production.
UP 3D Printer
Want an affordable 3D Printer, but you are afraid of splinters? The “UP” 3D Printer, straight out of China, could be right for you. The principle is the same, it is a Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) system that melts a filament of plastic and deposits it in layers to build an object. The major difference between the MakerBot and UP seem to be polish (The UP looks more “Professional”) and Philosophy (MakerBot is militantly open source, while the UP is closed). The UP’s website looks a little less than reputable, but if it is a serious product the value to the market will be great.
3D Printers Are Amazing Technology
With all the excitement about the raised profile and financial interest in 3D Printing it is important to remember the reason people are interested in the tech is the amazing things it is capable of. Typical 3D printing processes create something solid, but this neat innovation uses the same principle to create something ephemeral. The practical uses are unclear, but printing the equivalent of helium balloons is FUN. At its core 3D Printing brings us closer to the day when we can manipulate the physical world as easily as we manipulate the digital one now.
