BigBox is a large, hackable and open source 3D printer

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This 3D printer from E3D and LittleBox boasts an impressive build volume, modular design and hotend.

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It’s safe to assume that Makers who’ve dabbled with RepRap and other low-cost, open source 3D printers are most likely familiar with UK-based startup E3D. Combining their experience in crafting high-quality parts, the team has collaborated with fellow British company LittleBox, the designers of the MicroSlice desktop laser cutter, to introduce what they call the BigBox 3D Printer. 

Now live on Kickstarter, the BigBox is described as a no-compromise 3D printer that converges high-print resolution, a large build volume and an extrusion system that can spew out nearly every material on the market, all wrapped up in a clutter-free package with a powerful, easy-to-use toolchain. The machines will come in an assortment of DIY kits — Lite, Pro and Dual — or can ship fully-assembled for those seeking a more out-of-the-box experience. Nevertheless, all of the models boast a substantial print volume of about 12″ x 8″ x 11”, auto-leveling as a standard, and are capable of a layer thicknesses as fine as 50 microns.

Each of the BigBox units are equipped with a heated bed, a max print speed of 100mm/second and a E3D-v6 hotend that can reach temperatures up to 572°F (300°C), except for the barebones Lite version which lacks the heated bed, has half the max print speed and employs a “mostly metal” hotend. And as its name would imply, the Dual features two printheads to allow users to print in various colors or two totally different materials simultaneously.

When taking a look at the printer, one of, if not, the most noticeable attribute is its enormous build volume with a 17-liter space that provides everyone the freedom to create big objects without sacrificing quality. What’s more, the build volume has been configured to not just be large in one direction, like many other plus-sized printers, but balanced in all axes with a huge usable surface.

“Objects built in the plane of the bed are stronger than tall objects built away from the bed so this is a real practical advantage,”  E3D’s Sanjay Mortimer and Josh Rowley explain. “Having a larger bed also means that you can pack more items into a single print for high-volume printing. So BigBox has not just a large build space, but a well-proportioned, more useful build space.”

The motion system of the BigBox 3D printers have been designed by LittleBox to offer the right combination of both mechanical reduction and higher resolution motors to achieve twice the standard positional resolution, low drag motion and consistency across every axis. Any vibration and unnecessary wobbling is eliminated thanks to bearings on every corner, which in turn, offers users extreme precision and a smooth experience.

The company’s flagship E3D-v6 extruder has the ability to spit out just about every filament available on the market, ranging from flexible, rubber-like resin to metal and carbon-filled materials. And of course, Makers can still choose to use PLA and ABS.  On top of that, the hotends have interchangeable nozzles depending on if someone is looking for higher resolution or increased print times.

In terms of its electronics, the user-friendly machines include a couple of Atmel MCUs: an ATmega2560 at its core, an ATmega16U2 for managing communications, as well as an ATtiny to be added for “something else that as yet to be announced.” Each device is packed with an LCD display and an integrated SD card reader for untethered printing. Aside from the classic USB connectivity options, BigBox can also interact over the web with OctoPrint and Raspberry Pi.

Sound like a 3D printer you’d like for your Makerspace? Head over to BigBox’s Kickstarter page, where E3D and LittleBox have already well surpassed their initial goal of $46,870. The first batch of units is expected to ship in December 2015 — just in time for the holidays!

This 3D-printed smart cap can sense spoiled milk

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Researchers have 3D-printed a smart cap for a milk carton that detects signs of spoilage using embedded sensors.

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3D printing has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, ranging from affordable prosthetics and medical implants to on-demand toys and cars. However, a group of UC Berkeley engineers have pointed out, one thing that was missing up until now was the ability to produce sensitive electronic components. So in collaboration with researchers at Taiwan’s National Chiao Tung University, the team has set out to expand the already impressive portfolio of 3D printing technology to include electrical components, like resistors, inductors, capacitors and integrated wireless electrical sensing systems. In order put this advancement to the test, they have printed a wireless smart milk carton cap capable of detecting signs of spoilage using embedded sensors.

(Source: Sung-Yueh Wu)

“Our paper describes the first demonstration of 3D printing for working basic electrical components, as well as a working wireless sensor,” explained Liwei Lin, a professor of mechanical engineering and co-director of the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center. These findings were published in a new open-access journal in the Nature Publishing Group entitled “Microsystems & Nanoengineering. “One day, people may simply download 3D-printing files from the Internet with customized shapes and colors and print out useful devices at home.”

While polymers are typically used in 3D printing given their ability to be flexed into a variety of shapes, they are poor conductors of electricity. To get around this, the researchers devised a system using both polymers and wax. They removed the wax, leaving hollow tubes into which liquid metal was injected and then cured. The team used silver in their latest experiments.

The shape and design of the metal determined the function of different electrical components. For instance, thin wires acted as resistors, and flat plates were made into capacitors. The electronic component was then embedded into a plastic cap to detect signs of spoilage in a milk carton. A capacitor and inductor were added to the smart cap to form a resonant circuit. The engineers flipped the carton to allow a bit of milk into the capacitor, and left the carton unopened for 36 hours at room temperature.

(Source: Sung-Yueh Wu)

From there, the circuit sensed the changes in electrical signals that accompany increased levels of bacteria. These changes were monitored with a wireless radio-frequency probe at the start of the experiment and every 12 hours thereafter. Upon completion, the smart cap found that the peak vibration frequency of the room-temperature milk dropped by 4.3% after 36 hours. In comparison, a carton of milk kept at 4°C saw a relatively minor 0.12% shift in frequency over the same time period.

“This 3D-printing technology could eventually make electronic circuits cheap enough to be added to packaging to provide food safety alerts for consumers,” Lin added. “You could imagine a scenario where you can use your cellphone to check the freshness of food while it’s still on the store shelves.”

Looking ahead, the researchers are hoping to further develop this technology for use in health applications, such as implantable devices with embedded transducers that can monitor blood pressure, muscle strain and drug concentrations.

Interested? Read more about the study here.

Keep the mosquitoes away with this ultrasonic water lily

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This 3D-printed, ATmega328 powered floating lily pad repels insects from your pool.

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If those Citronella torches and repellant sprays can’t keep the mosquitoes away from you during a nighttime swim, perhaps this 3D-printed ultrasonic floating water lily will do the trick. Devised by Maker Jake Reeves, the project uses ultrasound in the 38-40kHz frequency range to repel pesky insects from your pool at dark. This, of course, not only deters them from joining you as you take a few laps, but will reduce how much you have to skim in the morning, and even better, prevents any future breeding.

The simple object consists of two parts, a top and bottom, both of which were printed using a MakerBot Replicator. Upon being created, Reeves sprayed each of the components with a clear sealant to keep water from seeping through to its embedded electronics, which consists of an ICStation Nano 3.0 board (ATmega328), a 40kHz ultrasonic microphone and a rechargeable 9V battery.

As you would imagine, the unit is designed in such a way that the lily pad sits just below the pool’s surface, with the flower pedals emerging from the water as the system emits a 38kHz frequency.

“I chose part of that spectrum to try and repel the unwanted insects from pools and standing water. Mosquitoes in particular dislike the 38kHz frequency as males emit that frequency, so during breeding the males avoid each other and when the females are preparing to give birth, they avoid the males to reduce competition over food.”

With summer in full swing, are you tired of skimming countless mosquitoes from your pool? If so, check out the project’s Thingiverse page here.

Freaks3D may be the most portable 3D printer ever

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ElecFreaks Tech has designed a 3D printer for Makers that is both portable and affordable.

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A classroom desk. A living room floor. A meeting space. A coffee shop. An outdoor picnic table. These are just some of the places that were not well-suited for 3D printing until now. That’s because ElecFreaks Tech has unveiled a revolutionary FDM machine that is not only affordable but portable as well. Measuring 11.4” x 12.6” x 12.8” in size and weighing a little over six pounds, Freaks3D will undoubtedly be welcomed with open arms by the DIY community.

The idea for the Maker-friendly device was born out of their own frustrations with most of today’s commercial printers. As advanced as the technology has become, it’s not without the sacrifice of either form factor, quality or price. The team explains, “Most of them are bulky, not lightweight enough to be carried around, a hassle to use, plus the prices are ridiculously high. We want a reliable, affordable and portable 3D printer that we can take everywhere. More importantly, it should be easy-to-use for general consumer crowds like artists/designers, educators, household wives, even children who are curious about creations.”

Now live on Indiegogo, Freaks3D boasts a design that will surely separate itself from a rather saturated market with an extremely small and lightweight frame that can be picked up by its customizable handle with only a few fingers. Due to low power consumption, the printer can run on a 12V battery pack, or a pair of 9000mAh lithium batteries for two hours if an outlet isn’t accessible.

The device features a v-slot slider system that provides users with precise seamless positioning, as well as simplified extruded-aluminum beams for enhanced stability. Additionally, Freaks3D is equipped with an interactive LCD display for intuitive monitoring and configuration.

As mobile and low cost as it may be, Freaks3D is still able to produce high-quality prints with detailed layer resolution. With no pre-heating required, an all-metal nozzle spews out PLA/TPU material in a wide range of colors without easy breaks or damage, making it an ideal instrument of DIYers of all ages. Simply feed the filament into the entrance path and the printer will take care of the rest.

Freaks3D prints via both USB and SD card. What’s more, the machine is super quiet — so no need to worry about upsetting librarians, teachers or neighbors — and is extremely easy to operate. Once a print job is done, just twist to remove the object.

• Printer size: 11.4” x 12.6” x 12.8”
• Build volume: 5″ x 6″ x 4″
• Nozzle diameter: 0.4mm
• Resolution: 100 microns
• Connectivity: USB and SD card
• Software: Cura, Repetier Host

Following in the footsteps of its latest crowdfunding success, the ELF VR drone, ElecFreaks Tech has already well surpassed Freaks3D’s initial goal of $20,000 on Indiegogo. Shipment slated for August 2015.

Photon Printer is a $20 micro laser engraver

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The Photon Printer is a 3D-printable laser engraver made from recycled DVD drives.

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It seems like nowadays Makers can transform any form of electronic waste into a fully-functional device. Case in point: this pocket laser engraver comprised of recycled DVD drives.

In a project he calls the Photon Printer, Maker Stephen Brockett has successfully developed a micro laser engraver made from a pair of spare DVD burners, some stepper drivers and an Arduino, of course. Inspired by a previous Instructables project he happened to stumble upon, the idea was originally meant to be a simple weekend activity, but didn’t take long to evolve into a much more elaborate endeavor.

Brockett points out that the laser diode needs to be from a DVD drive capable of writing to discs, because the laser from a read-only drive isn’t powerful enough to engrave. In his case, the Maker used a set of LightScribe drives from an old HP GSA-H60L that he had lying around, and the Photon Printer’s X and Y mounts have been designed to fit these drives.

“The newer the drive, the more powerful the diode will be. After about 2009, they changed the diode package making it harder to use, so aim for something before that,” he advises.

Powered by an Arduino Nano (ATmega328), the engraver features laser housing with a glass lens and a pair of EasyDrivers that rely upon the regulation of a 5V USB supply. Aside from that, Brockett decided to 3D print a few of his parts including the enclosure with built-in roller door access, as it enabled him to customize the housing to best suit the oddly-shaped DVD components. Since the parts had one large flat surface, 3D printing was super easy.

To modify the DVD axes, Brockett suggests unscrewing the hub ends to expose the circuit board, and then from there, soldering wires to the two terminals on the far right, as they connect to the end stop micro switch. Afterward, reassemble and then solder four wires to the stepper motor.

In terms of software, the Maker employed GRBL — an open source, high-performance CNC milling controller written in optimized C that will run on an Arduino — and generated a Gcode for the engraver. As a whole, the Photon Printer itself works quite well, especially given the minimal parts and cost associated with the project. What’s more, the device boasts various adjustment options and a spring-ensioned Z axis to reduce vibration.

Intrigued? You can head over to Brockett’s Thingiverse page here, or watch it in action below.

Local Motors plans to begin selling 3D-printed cars next year

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Local Motors will be releasing two models of the ReLoad Redacted car in Q1 2016 at a price tag of $18,000 to $30,000. 

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If it’s up to Local Motors, not only will the vehicles of tomorrow be autonomous, they’re going to be 3D-printed as well. That’s because the Phoenix-based company, who introduced the first 3D-printed automobile (the Strati) back in September 2014, has unveiled the electric car that it plans to sell next year. The design for the coupe was chosen by the company’s crowdsourcing community and a panel of well-known judges from among 60 other entries. Among the judges in the contest was former “Tonight Show” host and auto enthusiast Jay Leno, who said “You need something that makes you go ‘what’s that?’”

The winning entry, named Reload Redacted – Swim and Sport, was submitted by mechanical engineer Kevin Lo, who envisions a reconfigurable, low-speed neighborhood car. Set to debut during the first quarter of 2016, it will be priced in the wheelhouse of $18,000 and $30,000, with a fully-homologated highway-ready version to follow towards the tail-end of next year. Lo, who works for Hewlett-Packard on advanced printer systems, received $7,500 plus royalties from future sales for his mockup.

“In addition to its revolutionary design, the entry showcases many benefits of Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM), including the ability to create a completely customizable vehicle. What’s more, its design boasts a flexible foundation that can support many different styles and technology options,” Local Motors writes.

According to Lo, Reload Redacted – Swim and Sport has some clear benefits over Local Motors’ original 3D-printed car. For instance, any part can be easily removed, reprinted and replaced in the event of an accident. Having chose form over function, the vehicle is built around a skateboard-style chassis that houses the powertrain, battery, steering and suspension. What’s more, both redacted versions feature external speakers for the audio system, and interchangeable front, rear and roof panels to accommodate different styles. The target audience for such a vehicle will be the “social, outgoing, adventurous type,” Lo notes.

The battery technology in the test platform, which will also serve as a base for the development of the 3D-printed car’s powertrain, employs the same lithium ion chemistry used in existing electric vehicles (as well as iPhones). Local Motors is already working to identify numerous cutting-edge battery options, such as exploring lithium sulfur battery technology, which creates three times the energy at half the weight of lithium ion technology.

Meanwhile, the company has launched a program it calls the Local Motors Co-Created (LOCO) University Vehicles. Three colleges have already signed up to participate: the University of Michigan, Arizona State University and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Several projects will focus on developing an autonomous vehicle.

“Think Uber, but with low-speed, autonomous cars,” explained Ed Olson, an associate professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at University of Michigan, who leads the project. “The goal of this program is for us to begin to understanding the challenges of a transportation-on-demand system built around autonomous cars.”

Artist modifies his 3D printer to paint with light

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Maker attaches an RGB LED to his RepRap 3D printer to paint with lights.

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Indian architect Ekaggrat Singh Kalsi has taken the practice of light painting into the third dimension by 3D printing with light. To accomplish this, the Maker has created a new system that swaps out filament for LEDs and captures the resulting print with long-exposure photographs.

Kalsi began by connecting a 5mm RGB LED to pins 4, 5, 6 on the RAMPS board of his AVR based 3DR Delta printer. With the LEDs attached to the working end of his machine, he was able to use light to trace a shape line by line. Though the object can’t be seen by the human eye while in progress, when combined with the time-lapsed camera, the end result is a floating, hologram-like image.

Additionally, he programmed his NIKON D3100 camera so that it starts and stops automatically, preventing the need to hold down the shutter release button for extended periods of time. Using an Opto Isolator, he joined one of the RAMPS pins to the shutter release button, which enabled him to capture a 3D scan of his daughter’s face and then paint it with light.

Kalsi produced Gcode for all of the different angles of the face model, while the final results are built as a rotating GIF file of the scan. Beyond that, he wrote a custom Grasshopper 3D script that was capable taking any 3D model and converting it into Gcode. This script is tasked with controlling the path of the LED as well as turning the light source on/off.

Pretty sweet, huh? You’ll want to see it in action below!

HMC Boudicca is a 20-inch-tall, 3D-printed walking mechanized tank

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Codename Colossus is a fully 3D-printed, electronic and mechanical toy that is made to order.

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As recent months have demonstrated, 3D printing is slowly but surely making its way towards the toy industry. Joining the likes of others including Mattel and Disney, Machination Studio has unveiled a 20-inch-tall, electronic mobile tank boasting a retro-futristic military theme.

The HMC Boudicca is comprised of over 400 3D-printed parts, along with movable legs, guns and cannons enabled by Arduino-controlled servos, LEDs and motors. Meanwhile, the device itself is powered by 7.4V LiPo rechargeable batteries, or six 7.2V AAs with a recommended minimum of 2800mAh.

The brainchild of toymaker Michael Sng, the walking tank is only the first in his ambitious Codename Colossus project — “a made-to-order, kinetic toy line set in Europe in an alternate history during The Great War.”

Although the project’s website doesn’t provide too many details around the fictional backdrop, it certainly resembles that of other steampunk novels where giant iron mechas battle it out.

Want a machine of your own? You’ll have to be willing to shell out at least $5,000, with each piece having a 2% markup from the previously sold price to help maintain the value of the pieces and cover the cost of inflation.

Pyra is the world’s first 3D-printed smart oven

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Project Pyra demonstrates the convergence of 3D printing and the Internet of Things.

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Pyra is the world’s first 3D-printed smart oven. The brainchild of FATHOM, the convection oven combines the versatility of fused deposition modeling with advanced cloud-based intelligence, ultimately defining the convergence of both direct digital manufacturing and the Internet of Things. Or, as 3DPrintingIndustry.com puts it, “a cross between a tiny ancient Egyptian tomb and an Easy Bake oven.”

As you can see from its 45-degree, self-supporting sides, Pyra is not like your typical oven — it has no flames, no buttons and no switches. Instead, it utilizes forced air convection to evenly heat what lies inside the cooking enclosure. Through an intricate system of air ducts and 3D-printed fans for heat circulation, this ingeniously-shaped machine is able to achieve uniform temperatures up to 375° F inside its entirely plastic chamber.

“From cell incubation to roasting marshmallows and everything in between, the need to heat objects exists across all industries, making the Pyra a transformative device that can serve as anything from a tool in a science laboratory to a grill at your next barbecue. Using professional-grade 3D printers like the FDM-based system from Stratasys at FATHOM used in Project Pyra, this innovative thermal chamber gives a glimpse into the future of how products will look and function.”

As you can imagine, there were a few challenges along the way with regards to heat flow, the geometry of the design, and of course, finding materials that could stand up to extremely high temperatures without melting. This is where Stratasys’ ULTEM 1010 resin came in handy, which not only is durable enough but has a NSF 51 food-contact certification.

Impressively, the team was successfully able to slow cook a dry-rubbed cut of beef — and it looks delicious! While it may be fun to employ Pyra for some BBQ ribs or s’mores, FATHOM points out that the thermal chamber is intended more so for cell culture incubation and a number of other applications, such as lab experiments and thermoforming packages.

According to its creators, the plan is to make the thermal chamber open source so that anyone can download, customize and 3D print their own models. This will enable Makers to adjust the scale, change the pattern texture (to make grill marks or to hold cupcakes), as well as revise the design for outdoor cooking.

Pyra’s physical makeup isn’t the only customizable element; in fact, its accompanying mobile app can be personalized as well to do things other than just control the temperature and heat time. In terms of hardware, the project is based on the combination of a Raspberry Pi and Arduino board, packs a 12-bit digital temperature sensor and features Wi-Fi compatibility to connect to the cloud.

“The Pyra is just one item that benefits from extensive physical and digital customization. In a larger sense, the device serves as a glimpse into the future of how products will be designed, manufactured, and used on both consumer and commercial levels. FATHOM is elated to be a part of this future by making the unmakeable and sharing innovative applications at the forefront of the manufacturing industry.”

Intrigued? Head over to the project’s official page, or watch its team explain more in the video below.

This 3D printing robot “draws” furniture and other decor

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Galatéa is a robotic arm that can design fully-customiszable furniture on demand.

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When you think of piecing together your own furniture, IKEA is surely the first brand that comes to mind. However, instead of having to assemble it all by hand, wouldn’t it be much easier to allow a machine to take care of it for you? That’s the idea behind a recent Kickstarter project from Paris-based startup Drawn, led by entrepreneur Sylvain Charpiot.

Once an industrial robot that dismantled auto parts, Galatéa has been converted into large-scale 3D printer that is capable of making fully-recyclable furniture, like chairs, in a matter of two hours. Like other 3D printers on the market today, the machine heats plastic up to 440° F and extrudes the material layer by layer to create any shape and size. Right now, the objects can reach four feet tall and six-and-a-half feet wide.

Everyday people aren’t necessarily the target audience for Galatéa, but more so interior designers who can now deliver customizable furniture to customers right before their eyes. This should please those who are seeking a very specific item for their house yet can’t seem to find the perfect piece. With this robotic arm, a user can simply decide which kind of decor they would like, including the color, dimensions, shape and materials, and let the device take care of the rest.

Looking ahead, the Drawn team is hoping to develop newer and sustainable materials such as wood, miscanthus and linen that will give the printed products a unique and much more natural feel. Intrigued? Head over to its official Kickstarter page, where the team has already surpassed its initial goal of $17,029.