Archive | Rapid Prototyping RSS feed for this section

Another DIY DLP 3D Printer turns to Crowd Funding

date May 13, 2012 comments Comments are closed

Tags:

The majority of current DIY 3D printers on the market are based around FDM technology which is a great simple 3D printing process. Put simply it takes a plastic filament, melts it down and pushes it out a tiny nozzle which is directed on to a bed which moves around in the X and Y directions to effectively draw your object. The print head is raised and the next layer is drawn on top until the part is complete. The process is slow and is limited in resolution due to the size of the nozzle opening and the Z stepping for each layer.

DLP (Digital Light Projection) on the other hand is a much faster printing process that is capable of printing very high resolution models and is a technology that is slowly creeping into the DIY 3D printer scene. Continue Reading →

Read full story

ACMI Zoetrope in Melbourne

date May 16, 2011 comments Comments { 93 }

Rapid Pro a leading Australian rapid prototyping service provider have recently teamed up with Megafun and Krome Studios to build the characters for the Tasmanian Tiger Zoetrope on display at the ACMI (Australian Center for the Moving Image) in Federation Square Melbourne.

Rapid Pro had to develop a new method for building the plaster characters because traditional methods were not acceptable due to the intricacy of the characters. In all there are 7 different characters with up to 32 different variations of each needed to produce the smooth lifelike motion seen in the video.





The Tasmanian Tiger Zeotrope can be seen at the ACMI in Federation Square Melbourne.

Read full story

New Rapman/BFB Reseller in Victoria

date November 10, 2010 comments Comments { 372 }

RapMan AustraliaOrigin Systems have have been appointed the Victoria resellers of the BFB and Rapman 3D printers. Origin Systems Pty Ltd will be supplying the RapMan 3.1 (in kit form), the BFB 3000 (fully assembled) and as assortment of plastic filament to print with.

Visit www.rapid3d.com.au for more details

Continue Reading →

Read full story

FDM Rapid Prototyping

date November 3, 2010 comments Comments { 94 }

So what is the FDM process of rapid prototyping and what can it be used for? FDM or Fused Deposition Modeling is a process used by many rapid prototyping machines from large expensive industrial machine to more affordable open source rapid prototyping machines that are now available in kit form. The FDM process is able to produce extremely strong and useable parts in materials such as ABS plastic.

FDM Rapid Prototyping works by firstly z slicing a 3D model file such as an STL in a computer program and then outputting a program for the rapid prototyping machine. The machine prints the part by laying down layers of thermo material layer by layer slowly building up a 3D part.  FDM technology is also able to print overhangs by printing both a part material and a support material. For more information watch the video.

Read full story