3D Printers and Printing

Solving Problems and Squashing Stereotypes with 3D Printing
Charles is a metal designer and 3D printing enthusiast living in Las Vegas, NV. Although he is a SolidWorks wizard and has produced some amazing prints, he says, “I am honored to be known only as a friend helping Tom and Keith”, two YouTube personalities in the metalworking field. We were very excited to talk with Charles, and patience was a virtue in the process. He stays so busy printing on his 3D printer (for both himself and others) that it is hard to find the time to connect. Charles chuckles and admits, “I was hoping to contact you sooner, but I spent the day designing & printing items for [Read more…]
Testimonial: Vadym Chalenko
Vadym Chalenko: Designer, Inventor, and Manufacturer Vadym Chalenko began his career as a graphic designer and has created illustrations for a number of retail t-shirt customers. He also has an interest in photography/ videography, and therein lies the start of his journey from Inventor, to 3D printing to Manufacturing. Capturing Inspiration “Last September I was looking for another phone and was really surprised by the photographic and video-graphic quality of the new models. I selected a Galaxy S3 and started using it more as a camera than as a phone.” The Beastgrip is a universal lens adapter and rig system for Iphone, Android or Windows phones. “Overall, camera phones have [Read more…]
Dr. Chris Williams, Ph.D., and the Virginia Tech DREAMSLab
Dr. Chris Williams, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering in the Department of Engineering Education. Dr. Williams also directs the DREAMSLab at Virginia Tech (Design, Research and Education for additive manufacturing Systems), which contains eight different 3D printers representing five different 3D printing technologies. A strong proponent of additive manufacturing and 3D printing, Dr. Williams was interested in developing a way for K-12 STEM teachers to bring the technology to their schools. As part of its outreach program, the DREAMSLab holds 3D printing workshops for K-12 STEM teachers at the National Science Foundation (NSF) center for e-design’s Research Experience for Teachers (RET). During the week-long [Read more…]
The Promise of 3D Printers
by Aaron H. Pratt, VP Marketing – Microboards Technology/Afinia Almost exactly one year ago, we made the decision to enter the fray of 3D printing. What we saw then, and what we see now, was a disruptive technology, positioned to change business, that was beginning to make its way into the desktop market. Technologically speaking, we knew we were a late entrant. 3D printing, sometimes called Additive manufacturing, had been around for 30 years in one form or another. But marketwise, we saw a window of opportunity. Suddenly, garage tinkerers and back-room hobbyists were beginning to produce a product that met the economic requirements and piqued the interest of a [Read more…]