MakersFactory's summer 3D printing camp for kids

3D printing company MakersFactory, based in Santa Cruz, offers ongoing classes, clubs and summer camp for kids of all ages.

Staples will sell 3D printers, the first major US retailer to do so

Staples Inc., the office supply giant, said Friday that it is the first major US retailer to announce the availability of 3D printers.

The Cube 3D Printer from 3D Systems is now available on Staples.com for $1299.99 and will be available in a limited number of Staples stores by the end of June, the Framingham-based company said in a press release.

The Cube D Printer, ready to use right out of the box, features Wi-Fi, is compatible with Mac or Windows, and comes with 25 free 3D templates designed by professional artists, with additional templates available online. With its ultra portable design, the Cube® fits easily in the office, classroom or living room, making it the perfect 3D printing device for designers, small businesses, students and kids.

Read more via The Boston Globe.

Staples opens 3D printing centre powered by Mcor’s technology

Global office supplies player Staples has gone live with a new 3D printing Experience Centre in the Netherlands, which is powered by technology made by Irish firm Mcor. Silicon Republic reports.

Mcor’s low-cost, full-colour paper 3D printing technology called IRIS transforms sheets of standard A4 and letter business paper into solid, photorealistic physical models and enables Staples to provide easy and affordable access to 3D printing for everyone.

The Staples Experience Centre provides a hands-on 3D printing experience where consumers can learn all about 3D printing. Visitors will be able to interact with Mcor 3D printers, examine full-colour, paper 3D printed models, as well as attend 3D printing presentations and workshops.

“This is historic – it’s the first time a major mainstream retailer has provided 3D printing to the public,” said Mcor Technologies’ co-founder and CEO Dr Conor MacCormack.

Related: - Mcor Technologies Amazing 3D Paper Printers

To learn more about Mcor Technologies0 Selective Deposition Lamination (SDL) paper-based 3D printing, click here to download a complimentary copy of the 10-page whitepaper titled, "How Paper-based 3D Printing Works."

Chicago 3D Printing Shop Opens for Business

A new company in Chicago is welcoming consumers to try out the revolutionary concept firsthand. The 3D Printing Experience, a new space that opened in Chicago Monday, is educating the public on how the technology works by offering a chance to watch or experience the printing process. TIME reports.

Customers can have their head scanned and replicated in a 3D portrait, create jewelry or smaller objects like iPhone cases, and can request custom printed items. The setup includes around 20 printers, including an industrial grade printer that co-founder Julie Freidman Steele tells TIME is the first of its kind available for public access. Most industrial 3D printers are typically not available for retail use. The industrial grade printer runs about a quarter of a million dollars, while other printers in use include smaller mini printers that are available for purchase for about $1,000 as well as the MakerBot machines, which run around $1,800 to $2,400.

Read full article.

World's Largest 3D Printing Retail Store to open in London in April 2013

iMakr is pleased to announce the opening of the world's largest 3D Printing store in central London in April 2013.

With a floor area of 2500 sq-ft spread over two levels, the iMakr store will stock a large range of personal 3D Printers from major American, European and Asian manufacturers.

Located in Farringdon, the heart of the designer district of London and near to Silicon Roundabout, the iMakr store will showcase the latest in 3D Printer technology, 3D Scanners, 3D-printed products, supplies and accessories. The iMakr store will also host regular events, stage demonstrations and workshops for those curious about this revolutionary technology.

Sylvain Preumont, founder and CEO of iMakr, said: "3D printing is all about physical machines making physical things. People need a physical store to see, touch, feel and engage with the technology. That's what the iMakr store is all about."

Stay tuned for further details. To find out more and stand a chance of being invited to the Grand Opening please visit www.iMakr.com

Full iMakr.com press release.

Japanese office supply company CREW's does Staples one better by producing their own 3D printer

Last November, office supply giant Staples entered into the 3D printing market by teaming up with Mcor to launch an in-store 3D printing service.

Following on the heels of that announcement, Japanese office supply company CREW’s Co. Ltd is doing Staples one better and producing their own 3D printer.

[via Engineering.com]

3D Printing Kissing Booth for Valentine's Day

This Valentine’s season, Hot Pop Factory is teaming up with Untitled & Co and Draft Print 3D to host the 3D Printing Kissing Booth - a fun and interactive pop-up event where groups of friends, couples and individuals can come together, strike a fun pose and have themselves immortalized in three dimensions.

All attendees can have themselves scanned in three dimensions with the opportunity to purchase a 3D printed miniature of themselves afterwards.

The event will be held in Toronto.

[via BlogTO]

Don't have a 3D Printer, No Problem

A blog post by Shaan Hurley, Autodesk Technologist for the Office of the CTO on where 3D printing is headed.

... I don’t think in the near future every home will have a 3D printer, but I believe they will all have access to one. We are starting to see companies like Staples [offering 3D printing services in in Belguim and the Netherlands] but I want to see a day where the manufacturers of consumer goods provide free or a for a small fee replacement parts or custom modifications that you can purchase online and then pickup at your local FedEx Kinkos which are located about everywhere. That would save time, energy, warehousing, transportation costs and be better for the environment.

A good option is my friends like Duann at Shapeways.com that have some 25+ materials from plastics, ceramics, to metals they can 3D print in and also you can even market and sell your designs on their marketplace. There is also Ponoko, Scultpteo, i.materialize, and many more.

Read full article.

China's first 3D print museum opened in Beijing

China's first 3D print museum opened on Jan 15th in Beijing's Industrial Design and Creative Industry Base.

Earlier this month, China’s first 3D printing studio with a photo booth opened to the public in Xi’an.

The Chinese government is committed to develop 3D printing and plans to invest in locally-invented 3D printing technologies to boost its manufacturing power.

France gets its first 3D print shop: Protoshop

3D print shop Protoshop, opened by Multistation, a france-based industrial equipment distributor, is located near Montparnasse station in downtown Paris. 3ders.org reports.

The shop is officially opened in October 2012. Different kinds of 3D printers are presented, and your design can be printed on site on different machines with material of your choices.

The store focuses mainly on machines, offering a choice of printers (for sale or rent), scanning devices and CAD software. But customers can buy iPhone / iPad cases, jewelry or lamps in the store or print out their own design.

Read full article.

Inside The World's Biggest Consumer 3D Printing Factory

If Santa replaced his elves with refrigerator-sized machines that digitally assemble toys out of nylon dust and lasers, his workshop might look something like this. Forbes reports on Shapeways, the Amazon of 3D printing.

In October, 3D-printing startup Shapeways opened its New York production facility in Long Island City, Queens, the biggest consumer-focused 3D printing factory in the world. ... In 2012 it printed more than a million items, well over its total for all prior years combined since the company launched in 2008. And by the holiday season of 2013 it hopes to have more than 50 printers filling its 25,000 feet of floor space.

Read full article. via @3DPrint_newsbot

Related:

Bloomberg Used Incredible 3D-Printed Scissors for a 3D Printing Factory Ribbon Cutting (Gizmodo)

Not only did Mayor Mike Bloomberg cut the ribbon today (Oct18, 2012) at the new Shapeways 3D printing factory in New York, he did it using 3D-printed scissors. And they came out of the printer fully assembled.

Pop-Up store 3DEA in New York offers customised 3D sex toys. By appointment only.

Pop-Up store 3DEA in New York which opened for the holidays, allowing customers to print all kinds of things (jewellery, Xmas tree ornaments, toys...), has also been offering customised 3D sex toys. But by appointment only. 3ders.org reports.

You and your loved one will be greeted with champagne and chocolate. After a quick tutorial on how to perfect your scan, you can then enter the ShapeShot 3D scanning booth. The ShapeShot cams will capture you in your full glory and these 3D images will be used to print out a prototype on a 3D printer.

Then the 3D printed model will be sent to New York Toy Collective, a high-end sex toy shop run by Chelsea Downs and Laura Parker. They will then have it replicated in silicon form.

As reported by VRZone, "it's still early days with things like 3D printed sex toys, mostly due to the materials currently used in the printing process and the difficulty in getting a smooth finished product." So this would explain why New York Toy Collective would replicate the scanned part of someone's anatomy to make a silicon version of it.

Related: 3D Shades of Grey. Free Sex Toy Designs for Your 3D Printer

3DEA, 3D Printing Pop Up Store, Opened in NYC (Nov 27-Dec 29)

MAKE has partnered with 3DEA, a pop up 3D printing emporium in New York City’s fashion district. The store will sell printers and 3D printed objects as well as offer a lineup of classes, workshops, and presentations from the likes of jewelry maker Kevin Wei, 3D printing artist Josh Harker, and Shapeways’ Duann Scott.

The store will be open until Dec. 27 at the Eventi Hotel, 835 6th Ave.

[via Make: Blog]

London’s first 3D-printing co-working office space

3dprintuk have opened London’s first 3D-printing co-working office space. architizer reports.

Equipped with an in-house Objet30 high-definition 3D printer (and more on the way) Mak3d provides designers with a free desk and access to these rapid prototyping technologies. There is one small catch: Designers are asked to work two hours a week for the office in exchange for desk space.

[via @Alien5700]

Staples offers 3D printing service

Staples will be offering 3D printing services in in Belguim and the Netherlands for a start.

According to their press release:

In a giant step toward the reality of 3D printing for all, Mcor Technologies Ltd has struck a deal with Staples Printing Systems Division to launch a new 3D printing service called "Staples Easy 3D," online via the Staples Office Centre.

Staples' Easy 3D will offer consumers, product designers, architects, healthcare professionals, educators, students and others low-cost, brilliantly coloured, photo-realistic 3D printed products from Staples stores.

Customers will simply upload electronic files to the Staples Office Centre and pick up the models in their nearby Staples stores, or have them shipped to their address.

Staples will produce the models with the Mcor IRIS, a 3D printer with the highest colour capability in the industry and lowest operating cost of any commercial-class 3D printer.

[via engadget]

The DreamVendor: A 3D printer in a vending machine

Students at Virginia Tech have created a 3D printer in a vending machine. You supply the files on a SD card, the part comes out in a bin.

In their own words:

The DreamVendor is an interactive 3D printing station for Virginia Tech students to enable them to quickly fabricate prototypes for their academic, and even personal, design projects.

Think of it as a vending machine with an infinite inventory - you simply insert an SD card that contains 3D printer code (generated from your CAD model) into the machine; the DreamVendor then prints your 3D part and dispenses it into a bin when it's finished.

In addition, the DreamVendor houses physical examples of the latest research by the members of the DREAMS Lab.

Reddit, Technabob via @laurenthaug

Tinkering With Technology – 3D Printing Initiative For Primary Schools

Loughborough University in the UK has launched an initiative called Tinkering with Technology, designed to give primary school children a glimpse into the world of 3D printing with a specific purpose – to get children more interested and involved in engineering from an early age.

[via 3D Printing Industry]

Public 3D printing labs open in Brisbane and Tel Aviv

Queensland's first 3D printing lab is to be established at The Edge, at the State Library of Queensland and should be publicly available by Christmas. [Brisbane Times]

Israel opens it's first open-source 3D Printing Lab. The Reut Institute’s 3D printer XLN labs is located in downtown Tel Aviv. [via 3D Printing Industry]

To validate the overall importance of 3D printing’s future for whole of Israel, Reut director Grinstein states that ”An important factor in Israel’s success has been access to and availability of technology that individuals could learn and excel in. And the next big revolution is going to be in 3D [printing]”.

Image left - A member of the XLN staff shows off an open-source 3D printer (Photo credit: Courtesy) The Times of Israel

Street vendor-style 3D printing kiosk

Ponoko reports on a street vendor-style 3D printing kiosk.

Unfold, a design studio in Belgium, put together a mobile kiosk for 3D printing near the end of last year. Recently, they’ve has been showing off an amazing redesign of the project at Istanbul Design Biennial called Kiosk 2.0.

Read full article via 3DPrinter.net

First two 3D printer retail stores open in the US

The first two 3D printer retail stores have opened in the US this September.

In New York

The MakerBot Store
298 Mulberry St.
New York, NY 10012
(347) 457-5758
store@makerbot.com
makerbot.com/retail

Open: Mon-Sat 12 PM-7 PM; Sun 12 PM-6 PM

In Los Angeles

Deezemaker
290 North Hill Avenue #5
Pasadena, CA 91106
(657) 333-6253

Hours are 11am – 8pm and currently open everyday of the week