3D printing technology, as a newly emerging innovation in recent years, gained momentum and is now undergoing a surprise shakeup in this huge marketplace. As 3D printing becomes more accessible, it is becoming more common within the home, workplace, and public libraries, and moreover, it helps boost the charity career. In this article, I would love to get you informed about a non-profit organization- e-NABLE.

Introduction of e-Nable

E-NABLE is an online global community of “Digital Humanitarian” volunteers from all over the world who are using their 3D printers to make free and low-cost prosthetic upper limb devices for children and adults in need. People who are suffering the loss of fingers, hands, or even arms because of innate diseases, accidents, or wars will gain their hopes from such an assistive technology out of 3D printing.

Source from YouTube

Touching stories from the community

“Give the World a Helping Hand”

• The positive shifts and mutual feedback from the child have made everything come with love. This is what e-NABLE does, spreading love worldwide with every possibility.

Cam, a 5-year-old boy who gets the brightest smile when he laughs, is confident and outgoing, yet he still hides his hand subconsciously sometimes. His brightest-ever day came when he got his first 3D-printed arm in his life. Such an artificial arm swept all his concerns and uneasiness while he felt even more confident and innovative in the inspiration of this printed hand in a copy shape from the one of Iron Man. From then on, he became a volunteer of e-NABLE either, on behalf of the child spokesman. He is even more confident when he faces hundreds of people in front, adults or children.

“He has learned how to turn the printer and computer on, and he even knows how to edit a file with the assistance of other people,” said Cam’s mom, a volunteer at e-NABLE.

• Everyone is not a sage of perfection. We gain more love and hope from those imperfections.

One day in December 2012, little boy Liam finally got an artificial hand of his own with the assistance of e-NABLE. After several tries and practices on handling his new printed plastic hand, he succeeded in grabbing a ball up with that. His mom, who stood right aside, burst out crying with happiness.

As for the other people who possess a healthy physical situation, grabbing a ball is just a casual and simple movement. But for this little boy Liam and his mom, that is hope. They hope for the upcoming future and happiness in every piece of their life.

The volunteer map

Richard Van As, a carpenter from South Africa met Ivan Owen, an engineer from Washington DC. in November 2012. They started running their 3D printing public welfare aiming to build more “Hands” for everyone who was in need of it. What they had done was also posted on YouTube. As the video went viral, more and more people started paying close attention to such a group.

“If you’re willing to receive inquiries from people who need a robohand, put yourself on the map! I’ve put a user-editable map on Robohand’s Facebook and Thingiverse pages.”

Dr. Jon Schull is a scientist from Rochester Institute of Technology, he had built up a map that connects the volunteers all around the world. It was the map that triggered a grassroots movement. And more than 70 volunteers marked their position on the map within six weeks. That’s how the e-NABLE platform formed.

All volunteers nursed the same ambition, they gathered together on the platform and shared their ideas while striving to design various rebounds for different kids.

What’s the most surprising thing is that e-NABLE not only offers a “hand”, but lets those kids in need liberate their imaginations. They allow kids to choose the color and texture on their own. Red or blue? Smooth or carved? They get what they want.

“Can I get my new hand glow in the dark?”

“I want it to be a Spider-man type!”

Their lives aren’t of darkness, they shine thanks to e-NABLE. They glitter thanks to the great 3D printing technology.

This week in Geeetech 3D Maker Salon LIVE TALK #33, we will invite Maria Esquela who is an active e-NABLE volunteer and leader from enablingthefuture.org, a 501c3 non-profit organization to share some of the projects she has done so far.

Let’s stay tuned!

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Industrial designer John Mauriello,based in San Francisco,broke the conventional thinking and put the effort into his Coral Lamp Lighting Collection with something else entirely.

These lamp prototypes took their inspiration from different types of corals coming with varying aesthetics. Mauriello selected only three prototypes from hundreds of them to produce: the Timor, the Sargasso, and the Celebes.

Before 3D printing these Coral Lamps , Mauriello firstly developed the computational algorithms that mimic coral growth patterns,which show the “growth” of the lamps as they come into being. And, more remarkable,all three lamps were 3D printed in the USA, using processes which recycle waste material in an attempt to reduce waste and curb carbon emissions.

The Coral Lamp Lighting Collection is Mauriello’s way of paying tribute to the ocean’s beauty.As an senior surfer,Mauriello’ve experienced the beauty and power of the great ocean,in which coral is one of many magical living structures with all sorts of shape, scale and color.Mauriello’s lighting celebrates this thriving life created by an entire coral ecosystem.

Thanks to the efforts of Professors Frédérick Gosselin and Daniel Therriault, Now we can do more than just imagine.

These two researchers have much success in producing an ultra-strong polymer fiber and the inspiration came from the structure of spider silk. They claimed it was made of the unique molecular structure of the proteinaceous material, which can absorb up to 96 percent of impact energy before breaking. This helps to create unbreakable plastic coverings for various kinds of delicate technology devices.

Other than this bionic design, the researchers adopted the technology of 3D printing. Heat the polycarbonate first to make it viscous like honey. Then Professor Gosselin’s team made use of this property to print a series of fibres less than 2mm thick. They repeated the process quickly, “weaving” a new series of fibers in a vertical arrangement to achieve the entire network solidification.

It’s worth noting that as the 3D printer slowly extruded polycarbonate to form a fiber, the molten plastic finally formed a series of hardened loops that gave the fiber extra strength as sacrificial links.

When the impact happened,  these fibers actively withstood the damage caused by the impact energy, sacrificing the ego in the similar way that spider silk proteins do to protect the integrity of the whole.

Looking forward, the technology is expected to help electronic devices achieve the desired effect of impact protection. We might also be able to make a new type of bullet-proof glass or a protective coating for aircraft engines.

Researchers used a scanning electron microscope to photograph the ship for the purpose of showing its open cabin, a chimney, and even a small porthole. What’s most impressive is that the entire model is very tiny, which means it’s even smaller than a statuet created by artist Jonty Hurwitz in 2014 as a potential design for creating a little drug delivery vehicle.

The researchers conducted investigations into small particles called microswimmers that can move through fluids, and be followed by a microscope. They created many structures, including a spiky sphere, a spiral, a trimer, a 3D Benchy boat, and so on. Research shows that particles created in a helix shape can go around and be efficient. 

“When it moves forward, often it needs to rotate, and that helps, for example, to speed it up.”Daniela Kraft, a physicist at the Dutch university, added that the small particle that goes to a particular part of the body to deliver drugs has to propel itself and may have to deal with the complex environment in the human body.

Currently, more than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for organ transplants.Kidney patients account for most of the demand, with more than 90,000 people seeking donor organs.Statistics show that 17 people die each day while waiting for new organs.At the same time, a new patient is added to the waiting list every ten minutes.So the American company United Therapeutics paid the Israeli company CollPlant 3 million dollars to speed up the production of the famous Bioink, called rhCollagen.This will provide ideal characteristics for bioprinting, including optimal rheology, greater safety, bio-compatibility and adjustable physical properties.It can also be compatible with a variety of  technologies such as extrusion, inkjet or stereolithography.

Bio-printing is a particularly interesting technology for the medical sector, allowing the creation of human tissue and treatments that is suitable for each patient.Every day, methods are evolving and innovations are emerging, which means we’re sure to see functional organs being 3D printed within a few years.The good news for those waiting for transplants is that Bioprinting can design livers, pancreases, spleens and even kidneys.The companies CollPlant Biotechnologies and United Therapeutics Corporation have recognized that this technology could be the future of tailor-made medicine.

In October 2018, the two companies began a collaboration: United Therapeutics received an exclusive license for the CollPlant technology to produce and use bioinks based on human collagen for bioprinted lung transplants.Two years later, the partners began working on a kidney, an organ in need of a donor.CollPlant Bioink is made from human collagen.It requires very strict purification conditions, which makes it extremely long to process, but most importantly it is difficult to produce on a large scale.So the Israeli company relies on a plant platform to produce collagen.They explain: “The production of our recombinant human type I collagen (rhCollagen) starts in genetically modified tobacco plants. The recombinant human protein in the form of ‘procollagen’ is extracted from the leaves of mature plants and processed to produce a highly purified rhCollagen that can be used for the production of medical products.” This innovation will help develop bioprinting and regenerative medicine, provide an opportunity to create quality bioinks for the eventual design of different types of organs.

Thanks to the attention paid by the American United Therapeutics Corporation,the manufacture of kidneys is being addressed in hopes of reducing the number of patients waiting for transplants.

Reference:https://www.3dnatives.com/en/collplant-united-therapeutics-kidney-bioprinting-051020204/#!

Merging design and creativity, FramLab is a creative agency that’s dedicated to solving world problems and building a better future. And to tackle the problem of homelessness, FramLab has proposed its project Homed- 3D Printed hexagonal pods to serve as shelter for the homeless.

Since New York doesn’t have much room for building these pods, Framlab came up with something extremely innovative. They began looking for empty space and found it in what it calls “vertical lots,” i.e. the sides of established buildings.

The sides of those buildings, without windows or doors, will be the blank sidewalls to which  FramLab will attach the pods. And yes they look just like a honeycomb structure. Aesthetic and functional, these pods will provide a versatile space and provide a single room occupancy.

THE 3D PRINTED PODS

Made of steel and oxidized aluminum, each pod will be equivalent to a compact room with suitable interiors. PMMA smart glass on the front face of the modules will offer great views out to the city and when they are clustered together it will form a screen for art installations or adverts.

The 3D printed interior, covered in wood laminate, can be constructed to incorporate things like furniture and lighting, so that very little is needed to be brought in from outside. The pods will have furniture, equipment, and cabinets alongside the wooden interior for a soft and friendly atmosphere that is efficient and clean; wellness modules in the structure include sanitary provisions between the occupants.

And how do you enter these pods?

Attached to every pod will be a scaffolding staircase erected on the side of the building, making them secure yet easily movable if needed. They’ll also be attached to each other, creating small communities.

Featuring private interiors adorned with all the furniture an autonomous individual would need, the design seeks to offer elements “which are crucial for acceptable qualities of life: privacy, safety, individuality, self-esteem, among others,” according to the project’s website.

And it doesn’t stop there- Homed units are designed so that each pod can be disassembled in one place and reassembled in another in a matter of days. Each group of units can be reconfigured upon over time or moved to entirely new areas of the city as its landscape evolves.

The materials used in construction are proposed to be able to withstand weather conditions. For an ever-changing and evolving urban landscape, the modules will be easily transportable and can be assembled and dissembled in a few days.

3D Printing And Building New Dreams

3D printing has proved to be a major boon in all fields of life from medical science to architecture. It allows incredible flexibility and which turn your creative dreams into a reality. A lot that we once perceived to be fantasy and impossible is now coming to fruition right before our eyes with the help of 3D Printing.

Homed is yet another example of achieving the unthinkable! Although Framlab makes it clear that this isn’t meant to be a permanent solution, it’s a wonderful alternative nevertheless. Hopefully, this concept will spread to other major countries that will provide housing options for the homeless.

All in all, 3D Printing shows us that constructing functional homes doesn’t always have to be slow and costly. 

Credits: dezeen.com, archdaily.com, 3dprintingmedia.network, inhabitat.com, framlab.com

Customizable Printing Materials

Almost everything that can be printed in 3D can also be personalized. With the help of 3d printing, doctors and medical experts are already creating bone replacements which are fully customized for each patient. Apart from this, experts are already experimenting with 3D printing using Graphene, a flexible and transparent substance, stronger than steel.

Markforged, a Boston-based company, has just released new Composite 3D printing technology which prints tools and manufacturing parts with incredible strength. Fully functioning metal parts can be printed in under 24 hours with their new Metal X 3D printing system. The tool promises to save money and time, especially for the manufacturing industry.

Nano-Printing

Nano-printing involves the printing of particles invisible to the naked eye. These particles, which are only a few atoms thick, could possibly transform electronics as we know them. These tiny printed particles are currently being tested to produce powerful batteries, and provide further processing power for devices.

Along with this, nano-printing is also in telescopes and microscopes to increase the optic power. According to Nanowerk.com, “these nanosensors can enhance the microscopes’ sensitivity and detection speed by miniaturizing their detection component up to 100 times”.

Smart Robotic Arms

In Belgium, students are in the process of creating a robotic arm which will be able to interpret and translate sign language. The birth of the idea came to be as a result of the small number of sign language translators available in the world.  Thus far, the machine can take text and translate it into fingerspelling. The project still has a long way to go, but could significantly impact the hearing-impaired community.

3D Printing in Nuclear Industry- First 3D printed nuclear reactor fuel part by 2018

Power company Westinghouse plans to be the first to install a 3D printed fuel part in a commercial nuclear reactor by Fall 2018. The current plans are to install a thimble plugging device, made of AM 316L stainless steel and non-AM 304, in a commercial reactor. With support from the U.S Department of Energy, this 3D printing milestone will soon be a reality and it is currently in the process of researching various different additive manufacturing processes.

3D printed steel bridge in Amsterdam

MX3D, a robotic additive manufacturing company based in Amsterdam, is set to complete printing its steel bridge by June, next year. The bridge is already 1/3 complete and has been designed by Joris Laarman and funded by Autodesk.

What distinguishes this technology from traditional 3D printing methods is the application of the ‘printing outside the box’ principle. The printing is done by 6-axis robot arms, which means you are no longer restricted to a square box in which everything takes place.

4D Printing

We were only beginning to wrap our heads around 3D printing and now we hear that 4D printing has arrived to take it further. What is 4D Printing, you ask? It is generally considered a part of 3D printing, however, 4D printed materials will be able to adapt to their environments and transform after they have been constructed. This programmable matter can react to outside factors like environment, head, humidity, etc.

All in all 2018 is sure to bring us a lot of surprises and we can’t wait. And if you still down own a 3D Printing and are afraid of missing out, don’t worry! Just take a look at some of our Best 3D Printers and get printing!

Credits- 3ders.org, 3dprintingstocks.com, oddstuffmagazine.com, hackaday.com, eteknix.com

Luckily there are many individuals working together to help curb the rising problem as well as raise awareness and get more people involved.

Others, however, are looking for ways to put the e-waste to another use. One of them is WoeLab in West Africa who have created the first “Made in Africa” 3D Printer from e-waste!

Using parts of scrap printers, computers, and scanners, they built the 3D printer from scratch!

WoeLab, based in Lomé, the capital city of Togo in West Africa is an innovative and community tech hub established by  Sénamé Koffi Agbodjinou.

The idea was born when Agbodjinou purchased a 3D printer for the lab. Upon seeing this, the young innovators based at the workshop decided to build their own. They wanted to see if it was possible to build a new one but with their own resources.

By launching a crowdfunding campaign, they raised a total of over $4,000 and consequently utilized e-waste components from computers, scanners, and other electronic devices to produce the W.Afate 3D printer

Revolutionizing 3D Printing

In a nutshell, WoeLab is a grassroots network of inventors and entrepreneurs who want to build a “digital democracy.” For them, this starts with the 3D printer.

The 3D printer may have been a huge breakthrough for WoeLab but it doesn’t stop there. As a part of a much broader and bold ambition- it plans to make Africa a tech-centered continent.

“The idea is that the African city of tomorrow will be built by our own innovation spaces,” Agbodjinou explains.

The machine that was created took a whole year and required a lot of collaborative work. The team used old printers, computers, and scanners and based their design on the RepRap low-cost 3D printing model, first designed by experts at the University of Bath. It’s capable of printing plastic objects within a size of 50cm cubed!

Oh and if you’re looking for a compact and cost-effective 3D printer take a look at the Geeetech E180 Mini 3D printer

An inspiration to the entire continent

WoeLabs opened in 2012 and by 2013 they produced the first 3D printer. Today they have 20 finished products and other labs in Africa are following suit.

They plan to place a 3D printer in every school within one km of the lab to encourage technological learning.”What we are concerned with is to try to create in the young people a confidence in themselves in their capacity to realize projects,” Agbodjinou says.

WoeLab’s 3D printer may have been the first one in Africa made from e-waste but they have inspired incubation hubs all across the continent who are looking to this new technology.

Even students at Buni Hub, a mini fabrication lab in Tanzania, have similarly created a 3D printer using waste electronics.

3D printing is also being used to make prosthetic limbs in Africa, like in Sudan, where the organization Not Impossible are helping amputees.

“We want to bring these technologies to Africa, and see how Africans can develop and understand them in an effort to create African possibilities,” Agbodjinou says.

Reusing digital waste

Since the electronic waste in Ghana makes it one of the world’s largest digital dumps, the initiative taken by WoeLab has not only made a mark in the field of 3D printing but a mark worldwide. It shows us how action taken at even the smallest community-driven level has enough potential to make a big impact.

WoeLab locally sources their e-waste from all across Togo’s capital, particularly from one of their partnering groups, the Action Sociale pour Le Developpement Integral (ASDI) recycling centre.

With about 50 people working in the space, and a second lab opened in Lomé earlier this year, WoeLab is gradually growing. There are 10 startups based in WoeLab pursuing projects ranging from building robots to tackling waste.

It proves that we can reduce the amount of dangerous waste and convert it into materials for “low high tech” which Agbodjinou refers to as using recycled materials to provide new sources of income for Africans with limited access to technology.

In a country where about almost half of the inhabitants live in poverty, offering access to emerging and self-sustainable technologies will help improve their livelihood and standard of living.

Credits- ibtimes.co.uk, inhabitat.com, fabbaloo.com, all3dp.com, woelabo.com, ghanawebonline.com, xclusive.co.ke

From electronics and 3D modeling software to questions about cost and productivity- Here are a few 3D printing myths debunked!

1. 3D Printers Are Too Expensive

From the time when 3D printing was invented until the 2000s, it was true that 3D printers could only really be purchased for industrial purposes.

But nowadays, high quality, consumer-grade printers are available to anyone at prices that affordable!

Don’t believe us? Read our previous post about the 5 Best Geeetech 3D Printers for more information.

2. 3D Printers can print guns

Yes, it is possible to 3D print a gun. But it is a difficult task, and also a dangerous one. A 3D printed plastic gun will only last for a few shot before breaking apart, which can be potentially dangerous to the shooter.

If you are concerned that 3D printed guns are a security issue, know that the cost of making one includes: the purchase of a 3D printer and the materials, the time to 3D print and assemble the parts, and still the bullets. At this point, someone might as well purchase a real gun.

Also, 3D printed guns are banned in several countries, in some you can even go to jail by downloading the blueprints.

3. The market for 3D Printing is still not stable enough

By definition, a stable market is “A market with low trading volume that can nevertheless absorb a large sale without a major change in price. In most low volume markets, a single large sale causes a big jump or drop in price because there are relatively few other sales against which to compare the large scale. The term is most common in foreign exchange.”

Market analysts say that the 3D printing market has already stabilized and will see more stable growth in the coming years than in the past years.

4. 3D Printers can print human organs

Though 3D printed implants are being used in the medical field, we haven’t still been able to develop fully functional organs! The main problem is that human organs are not only very complex but also interdependent.

For now, the focus is on being able to print simple tissue for simple organisms. You can read more about how 3D printing implants are being used in surgery here

5. 3D Printing is only for large-scale manufacturing.

Not true! At the moment it wouldn’t make sense to start manufacturing everything using 3D printing technologies. 3D printing isn’t fast enough to be profitable on a large scale. The only exception is when dealing with custom-made products. Hearing aids, for example, are highly customized products with special geometric forms. In this case, it is already cheaper to manufacture hearing aids with 3D printing rather than with traditional manufacturing processes.

6. Soon every home will have a 3D printer

Though this would be a dream, 3D printing services have become very affordable. Hence economically, it wouldn’t pay off to purchase a 3D printer for the limited amount of items they might want to print every year, and they would rather invest in the 3D printing services!

But, you never really know. Maybe this dream could become a reality!

7. 3D Printers only print plastic

Since ABS and PLA filaments are the most used and heard of, somehow majority of people are convinced that 3D printing is only for plastic! But that’s far from the truth

3D printers can now comfortably print metals, wood, resins, bio-materials, and even carbon fiber. It all depends on the filament technology. In fact,  3D metal printing is the fastest growing segment of the industrial and medical field.

8. Things are faster to make, on a 3D Printer

Although it has become faster, 3D printing still takes longer than most traditional manufacturing processes. Also, reliability is an issue. If the 3D printer screws up, you’ll have to start all over again.

In certain cases, of course, 3D printing would be faster, if the object to be manufactured has a very complex shape and doesn’t need to be mass produced.

 9. It is cheaper to make some things on a 3D Printer

It all depends on the quantity and the complexity of the product. The cost per item remains the same for whatever amount of items you wish to 3D print. Using traditional means, however, the price of production decreases as the number of items increases.

So: Yes, some things are cheaper to make on a 3D printer.

10. 3D Printers will save the world

3D printing definitely has huge potential for making this world a better place. Some would argue that 3D printing will enable people to cheaply produce high-quality goods and necessities by themselves. However, this will only be the case if the 3D printing industry becomes a fully open source.

One thing’s for sure- 3D printing is here to stay and make a big impact on future technology!
Credit:sculpteo.com;cbs.com;gambody.com;pinshape.com

Take bone cancer for example. It’s a terrifying disease that could either be fatal or leave you without your limbs. But with the help of 3d printing, we can develop implants that could completely transform the medical field.

A team of scientists in Australia is approaching the final stages of development of a new method, designed to quickly replace the removed portion of the bone.

The ultimate goal is to provide bone cancer patients with custom-made implants that can be used immediately. This means that in one surgery it will be possible to remove the cancerous portion of the bone and fix the limb – amputation will be avoided in more of the cases.

How does it work?

Ideally, surgeons would remove a cancerous tumor, scan the bone, and create a 3D print of the needed implant. It would then be placed inside the patient.

The technology developed in a project worth millions of dollars involves the use of 3D printing, robotic surgery, and advanced manufacturing.

Not only limited to bones, 3D printing can be used for various other organs and part of our body. Hospitals around the world are printing 3D models of patients’ organs, using data from ultrasounds to re-create, say, a heart or a lung so that it can be studied in all its unique complexity prior to surgery, allowing doctors to plan how to fix it before even picking up a scalpel.

Presently, it is extremely difficult to save the limb from amputation. When a larger portion of the bone has to be removed, surgeons cannot leave the limb hanging from the skin tissue. Though the missing bone can be made using bone grafting and other technologies, it takes another surgery to insert the implant. Obviously, scientists are not expecting this option to be available anytime soon, but they are hopeful and determined – team has stated multiple times that their goal is to bring this technology to the theatre.

Scientists are still in the middle of their research. The challenge is huge because it changes every aspect of the process. The surgery itself will be modified to adapt the latest robot technology and the operating theatre would have to be equipped with necessary equipment to accurately measure what size and shape implant is needed. Furthermore, 3D printer, which also has to be specialized, must be placed fairly close to the surgery room. Finally, the entire procedure must be optimized in such a way that the surgery and the manufacturing of the new part can be carried out at the same time, without much delay.

Professor Emmanuel Josserand said: “These sorts of advanced manufacturing capabilities will ensure a competitive advantage for Australian businesses, domestically and internationally.”

This party explains the large investment – it will give economic benefit. But most importantly – more bone cancer survivors will be able to carry on living without a permanent disability.

Credits: IB Times, Autodesk