So a few days away from it all, with the smart bit of my phone switched off, and I come back to three new additive manufacturing (AM) machines and an inbox groaning under the strain of undeleted messages!
/Aside/ The aim of the time away was quality time with the children before they took off for independent adventures at summer camp. Having a bolt hole in a beautiful location on the coast of the island of Anglesey, North Wales, courtesy of my parents' love of the place half a century ago, and hard work to acquire a place there, is something for which I am eternally grateful. The third generation of our family is now completely besotted with the place. A safe haven that allows for freedom and adventure. The quality time did not quite pan out as I had envisaged, however it was 100% quality nonetheless. It turned out that all my two needed for "the best week ever" was the freedom to roam with their new BFF's, material for building dens, regular fuel stops, the odd plaster and an occasional snuggle (the power of which should never be underestimated). The only discord originated from the disparity in what was deemed to be an acceptable time to end the day and get ready for bed. We came back on top of the world.
So, the new AM machines — a new entry level 3D printer and two more from ZCorp (100% ZCorp) in the mid-range market.
The two new machines from ZCorp are the lowest priced offerings from the company. A fact that, coming quite closely after the uPrint, sees many of the predictions from the last decade — of how the competitive landscape will shape the industry and what it can offer in terms of improved performance — coming to fruition. The two machines in question are the ZPrinter 150 (monochrome, priced at £10,900) and the ZPrinter 250 (multicolour, priced somewhat higher, at £17,900). With this announcement, ZCorp is highlighting lower prices and higher specs, claiming that they 'print 5–10 times faster than other 3D printing technologies, with the unique ability to print multiple, stacked models simultaneously.' Obviously, the other big selling point — for the ZPrinter 250 — is its capability of simultaneously printing in multiple colours. What did make me smile was the swipe that ZCorp took at the entry level machines. Check this out: "Unlike low-end 3D printers, the new ZPrinter 150 and ZPrinter 250 are: easy to use out of the box; build 3D models with five times the resolution; and have the industry’s lowest operating cost (lowest cost per model)."
At this point, I would dispute the last claim in that list, but will try and get some actual facts and figures together before I wax lyrical, the stacking capability may just swing it in ZCorp's favour.
And despite ZCorp's prickles at the increasing volumes of 'low' end systems, this competition is all good. Besides, there is another 'low' end contender coming into play, priced under £1,000 (sort of).
The UP! system comes from a company that seems to be overly fond of alliteration and wants to remain shrouded in terms of its origins. UP! is a Personal, Portable 3D Printer and is being marketed as a 'micro-factory for Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime.' Okay, cynicism aside, the machine itself looks quite interesting (and different), plenty of pictures and standard spec info at the pp3dp site: http://www.pp3dp.com/. However, little to go on in terms of who, why and what is behind this development. And the $1500 price tag, it should be noted, is only for the first 100 system sales, after that, the RRP is $2990.
About Me
- Rachel Park
- Ewloe, United Kingdom
- Writing, tweeting, debating and occasionally getting a little over-excited about 3D Printing. But always aiming to keep it real!
Monday, 2 August 2010
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Piecing the ZCorp Puzzle
So back in May, ZCorp introduced a 3D printer — the Zbuilder Ultra. Actually, they called it a 'rapid prototyping machine'! I usually jump all over press releases such as that, but in this case I held back. Even on the first read a couple of things struck me as odd — the release talked about the DLP technology employed by the machine, a complete deviation from its traditional technology base for its ZPrinting range of 3D printers, but there was not one single mention of "new", "revolutionary" or even "improved" technology. Now that is beyond odd for an announcement like this. The second thing that occurred to me was how similar the image of the machine was to the Envisiontec 3D printers. It seems I was not the only one to notice that!
Reading the press release more closely, it was extremely carefully worded throughout and prompted me to do a little digging and wait and see what emerged. Sure enough, an anonymous tip declared that ZCorp and Envisiontec have come to an agreement and Envisiontec is the manufacturer.
I have no idea why all the cloak and dagger theatrics are deemed necessary. It is not a huge surprise that machine manufacturers are looking to join forces at some level following the Stratasys / HP announcement. Moreover, these two are a good match. Envisiontec's technology is extremely competitive on accuracy and speed and has made significant in roads into the jewellery sector as a result. ZCorp offers full colour options and has a good market profile. By initiating a collaborative agreement, both companies are strengthening their position ahead of a shifting market dynamic.
Personally I think that their positions would be even stronger if they were just upfront about the whole thing!
Reading the press release more closely, it was extremely carefully worded throughout and prompted me to do a little digging and wait and see what emerged. Sure enough, an anonymous tip declared that ZCorp and Envisiontec have come to an agreement and Envisiontec is the manufacturer.
I have no idea why all the cloak and dagger theatrics are deemed necessary. It is not a huge surprise that machine manufacturers are looking to join forces at some level following the Stratasys / HP announcement. Moreover, these two are a good match. Envisiontec's technology is extremely competitive on accuracy and speed and has made significant in roads into the jewellery sector as a result. ZCorp offers full colour options and has a good market profile. By initiating a collaborative agreement, both companies are strengthening their position ahead of a shifting market dynamic.
Personally I think that their positions would be even stronger if they were just upfront about the whole thing!
Monday, 14 June 2010
Clever, Canny or Just Cynical and Gimmicky?
So 3D Systems and some of its distributors are offering trade-in deals for a ProJet 3D printer.
The logic of replicating a very successful business model is undeniable, whereby users of 3D printers can 'trade-up' to a ProJet. Beyond the logic of the idea and the gimmicky rhetoric, which goes something like this:
For a limited time only, we will credit you up to US$15,000 toward the purchase of any new ProJet 3000, or a new ProJet 5000 3D Production System when you trade-in your existing 3D printer.
... the reality is that the customer will be surrendering their exisiting 3D printer for up to $15,000 off a new ProJet, that costs in the region of $60,000.
Furthermore, 3D Systems also lists the equipment brands that can be traded in:
The logic of replicating a very successful business model is undeniable, whereby users of 3D printers can 'trade-up' to a ProJet. Beyond the logic of the idea and the gimmicky rhetoric, which goes something like this:
For a limited time only, we will credit you up to US$15,000 toward the purchase of any new ProJet 3000, or a new ProJet 5000 3D Production System when you trade-in your existing 3D printer.
... the reality is that the customer will be surrendering their exisiting 3D printer for up to $15,000 off a new ProJet, that costs in the region of $60,000.
Furthermore, 3D Systems also lists the equipment brands that can be traded in:
- Stratasys
- Dimension
- Objet
- Z-Corp
- Envisiontec
- 3D Systems' InVision series 3-D modelers.
Obvious choices perhaps, but it begs the question, if this offer works, and even one person takes it up, what will 3D Systems do with the old machine(s)???
Any suggestions?
Sciaky Goes Above Radar
With its presence at the upcoming International Conference on AM at Loughborough in July, Sciaky is taking it's EBFFF technology into the mainstream consciousness of the Additive world. EBFFF — or Electron Beam Freeform Fabrication, which the company shortens to EBF3 — could make a big impact because it seems the thing that makes it different is that it is a big technology.
I cannot find any specific information on part dimensions at this point, maybe that will be part of the unveiling at Loughborough, but deposition rates are quoted as ranging from 15 to 40 pounds of metal per hour — depending on the material and application (of course, this is standard patter). This deposition rate of metal, if accurate, is a significant increase from what has been available to date and could be the key to success here. Add to this the material choices — titanium, nickel, stainless steel and refractory alloys — and the application base becomes even more interesting.
Sciaky’s historical pedigree is founded in electron beam welding, a technology that is used in industries such as aerospace, defence and manufacturing so the company has all the right contacts for introducing the first large scale Additive Manufacturing process.
The other angle that caught my attention is the PC-based control system, which according to Sciaky, takes advantage of the company’s extensive experience using integrated CNC motion and process controls.
Sciaky is a subsidiary of Phillips Service Industries (PSI) so backing and further development should not be an issue.
I suspect this is one to watch.
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
The Only Way Forward in British Politics?
We have the big picture established, with the details to follow.
The Tories and the Liberal Democrats have formed a full-on coalition, which has been achieved following serious and comprehensive negotiations. Compromise on both sides and a real flavour of hope and optimism. That is my own sense of this result, the two parties in question seem largely to have bought into it too, and there is even a notable number of Labour MPs that concede this was the only stable way forward. Of course, you can not please all of the people, all of the time and there will be dissenters.
With two young, dynamic, positive personalities leading this new era in British politics the potential is great, along with the weight of expectation. They both hold pertinent ideologies, and ideology is all very well, even admirable, but this country is faced with some difficult realities. And it is the realities that need to be dealt with. With this in mind, the fact that no one party holds a majority means that the issues and the problems will all be faced on middle ground out of necessity. I really like this idea. Recent history has demonstrated to me that one party pushing through ideologies with a majority has not worked well. This might!
It will not be easy — it is unlikely that passionate, sometimes arrogant and self-interested, personalities will change overnight. Passion is good. Arrogance and self-interest is unhelpful. The dust needs to settle, but that watershed moment I mentioned yesterday may be here as the face of politics and politicians (literally and figuratively) changes. Will it be for the better? I truly hope so.
The Tories and the Liberal Democrats have formed a full-on coalition, which has been achieved following serious and comprehensive negotiations. Compromise on both sides and a real flavour of hope and optimism. That is my own sense of this result, the two parties in question seem largely to have bought into it too, and there is even a notable number of Labour MPs that concede this was the only stable way forward. Of course, you can not please all of the people, all of the time and there will be dissenters.
With two young, dynamic, positive personalities leading this new era in British politics the potential is great, along with the weight of expectation. They both hold pertinent ideologies, and ideology is all very well, even admirable, but this country is faced with some difficult realities. And it is the realities that need to be dealt with. With this in mind, the fact that no one party holds a majority means that the issues and the problems will all be faced on middle ground out of necessity. I really like this idea. Recent history has demonstrated to me that one party pushing through ideologies with a majority has not worked well. This might!
It will not be easy — it is unlikely that passionate, sometimes arrogant and self-interested, personalities will change overnight. Passion is good. Arrogance and self-interest is unhelpful. The dust needs to settle, but that watershed moment I mentioned yesterday may be here as the face of politics and politicians (literally and figuratively) changes. Will it be for the better? I truly hope so.
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
I Have to Voice my Opinion on this Political Mess .....
After years of apathy on matters political, the UK population seems to have become more engaged thanks to the results of the recent general election. From a personal point of view, I have always used my vote, strongly believing that as part of a democratic society, I had a duty and a responsibility to do so. That said, it has always been with more than a hint of indifference because of the nature of politicians over the last 20 years (the time I have been eligible to vote).
It is the nature of politicians and NOT the nature of politics that subdued my interest. For years the theatrical performances from front line politicians that have towed the various party lines fuelled my frustration — I am sure I am not alone in my desire for a party (or even an individual) to stand up and tell the truth, the whole truth: the good, the bad, and the downright ugly, and to deal with the problems we face head on with dignity and character.
There was a brief window of opportunity last Friday, as the results of the election came through, where real hope for a genuine renaissance in British politics glimmered. A hung parliament, it was what we had been told was coming but no one quite believed it. Once confirmed, my personal opinion was that it was possibly a result that could see the three major parties reassess, and push politicians towards putting country before party and self-interest. The need to negotiate and compromise could potentially result in a parliamentary situation that would prevent a repeat of the operational dictatorship that the Labour party has effectively enjoyed during the last 13 years that has resulted in some near on catastrophic legislation — the ramifications of which are not fully apparent yet.
Delusional, is the conclusion I have come to.
Me, that is!!
Momentarily the rhetoric sounded right — the statesmen-like performances sounded different with a subtle shift in parlance and politicians engaging in straight-talking. Within a day it had become critically apparent that it was just the start of a new game! Party priorities, self-interest and power-hungry UNELECTED individuals are still wielding their poison, mostly behind closed doors; this, together with indecision and a lack of real vision are the characteristics that define this generation of politicians.
"Strong, stable, principled governement."
That is the verbiage that is coming from every party! I whole-heartedly believe that's what we need, and I am sickeningly aware that it's not what we are going to get.
There is one option that offers the vital stability, but even now it is not clear that the UK will get it.
Strong — unlikely.
Principled — just who do they think they are kidding???
Principles do not rate very highly in the Westminster bubble. Along with morals, ethics, truth and standards; principles have pretty much been obliterated amongst parliamentarians, shamefully replaced by sociopathic, power-hungry, fame-driven, money-grabbing individuals who are only too happy to believe their own press.
The key missing skill — the ability to listen.
The press analysts, pundits and comedians have got plenty of material to sink their teeth into, but it doesn't really help and the confusion is profound.
I am loathe to let the hope die completely, I still await the watershed moment that we need to fundamentally change the nature of the politicians we elect and by association, clean up the political arena in which they operate.
It is the nature of politicians and NOT the nature of politics that subdued my interest. For years the theatrical performances from front line politicians that have towed the various party lines fuelled my frustration — I am sure I am not alone in my desire for a party (or even an individual) to stand up and tell the truth, the whole truth: the good, the bad, and the downright ugly, and to deal with the problems we face head on with dignity and character.
There was a brief window of opportunity last Friday, as the results of the election came through, where real hope for a genuine renaissance in British politics glimmered. A hung parliament, it was what we had been told was coming but no one quite believed it. Once confirmed, my personal opinion was that it was possibly a result that could see the three major parties reassess, and push politicians towards putting country before party and self-interest. The need to negotiate and compromise could potentially result in a parliamentary situation that would prevent a repeat of the operational dictatorship that the Labour party has effectively enjoyed during the last 13 years that has resulted in some near on catastrophic legislation — the ramifications of which are not fully apparent yet.
Delusional, is the conclusion I have come to.
Me, that is!!
Momentarily the rhetoric sounded right — the statesmen-like performances sounded different with a subtle shift in parlance and politicians engaging in straight-talking. Within a day it had become critically apparent that it was just the start of a new game! Party priorities, self-interest and power-hungry UNELECTED individuals are still wielding their poison, mostly behind closed doors; this, together with indecision and a lack of real vision are the characteristics that define this generation of politicians.
"Strong, stable, principled governement."
That is the verbiage that is coming from every party! I whole-heartedly believe that's what we need, and I am sickeningly aware that it's not what we are going to get.
There is one option that offers the vital stability, but even now it is not clear that the UK will get it.
Strong — unlikely.
Principled — just who do they think they are kidding???
Principles do not rate very highly in the Westminster bubble. Along with morals, ethics, truth and standards; principles have pretty much been obliterated amongst parliamentarians, shamefully replaced by sociopathic, power-hungry, fame-driven, money-grabbing individuals who are only too happy to believe their own press.
The key missing skill — the ability to listen.
The press analysts, pundits and comedians have got plenty of material to sink their teeth into, but it doesn't really help and the confusion is profound.
I am loathe to let the hope die completely, I still await the watershed moment that we need to fundamentally change the nature of the politicians we elect and by association, clean up the political arena in which they operate.
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Timely Update!
Oh, the joys of technology — NOT.
So, my excuse for not posting recently ....... complete and utter frustration at my inability to comprehend the inner workings of my computer and software. The blogging software I use boggles my mind, to the point where I gave up for a while. A little help later, and I think it is on it's way to being sorted.
We shall see. I am much calmer now though, and it is time to play catch up.
Things were pretty quiet for a couple of weeks in the additive manufacturing (AM) world, a few snippets here and there, but they seem to be hotting up again now.
The Stratasys/HP partnership that was announced at the beginning of the year has followed through quite quickly on its promise, with the first Designjet 3D machines released today. Serious distribution through Germany, France, the UK, Italy and Spain is set for next month. This is great news, and as I said at the time of the original announcement, will likely see 3D printers penetrating deeper and wider into industrial markets.
Shapeways is 3D printing with glass! A major breakthrough on a material level — this will find a host of applications that were previously closed to 3D printing. I suspect the majority will be on the 'arty' side of things, but this is a growing application area that is driving some of the new capabilities of 3DP and should never be dismissed.
Continued development of the RapMan 3D printer has just seen the launch of the new BfB 3000 fully assembled, fully capable 3D printer — retailing below £2000. This is massive. This is precisely what everyone has been saying that they are waiting for. I really want to see how the news of this spreads — hopefully as far and as fast as possible. Essentially, as far as I can see, this machine bridges the gap between the "hobbyists" (still don't like that terminology) and the commercial machines. For a good (alphabetical) list of the two, see the Fabaloo post on 17th April!!! Excellent position to take at this point, I fully concur.
Terry Wohlers has also recently posted an excellent piece of writing on his Wohlers Talk blog. It addresses the decades old recurring issue of terminology in this sector. (Full post here: http://wohlersassociates.com/blog/2010/04/changing-a-name/). Terry offers a compelling argument, and I mostly agree with what he says. I am yet to be convinced that it will stand the test of time, but I will go with it for now in the interests of community and growth. My own instincts still lean towards a split — AM and 3DP.
A very brief round-up, but my computer and sanity permitting, I'll be back with more commentary very soon.
So, my excuse for not posting recently ....... complete and utter frustration at my inability to comprehend the inner workings of my computer and software. The blogging software I use boggles my mind, to the point where I gave up for a while. A little help later, and I think it is on it's way to being sorted.
We shall see. I am much calmer now though, and it is time to play catch up.
Things were pretty quiet for a couple of weeks in the additive manufacturing (AM) world, a few snippets here and there, but they seem to be hotting up again now.
The Stratasys/HP partnership that was announced at the beginning of the year has followed through quite quickly on its promise, with the first Designjet 3D machines released today. Serious distribution through Germany, France, the UK, Italy and Spain is set for next month. This is great news, and as I said at the time of the original announcement, will likely see 3D printers penetrating deeper and wider into industrial markets.
Shapeways is 3D printing with glass! A major breakthrough on a material level — this will find a host of applications that were previously closed to 3D printing. I suspect the majority will be on the 'arty' side of things, but this is a growing application area that is driving some of the new capabilities of 3DP and should never be dismissed.
Continued development of the RapMan 3D printer has just seen the launch of the new BfB 3000 fully assembled, fully capable 3D printer — retailing below £2000. This is massive. This is precisely what everyone has been saying that they are waiting for. I really want to see how the news of this spreads — hopefully as far and as fast as possible. Essentially, as far as I can see, this machine bridges the gap between the "hobbyists" (still don't like that terminology) and the commercial machines. For a good (alphabetical) list of the two, see the Fabaloo post on 17th April!!! Excellent position to take at this point, I fully concur.
Terry Wohlers has also recently posted an excellent piece of writing on his Wohlers Talk blog. It addresses the decades old recurring issue of terminology in this sector. (Full post here: http://wohlersassociates.com/blog/2010/04/changing-a-name/). Terry offers a compelling argument, and I mostly agree with what he says. I am yet to be convinced that it will stand the test of time, but I will go with it for now in the interests of community and growth. My own instincts still lean towards a split — AM and 3DP.
A very brief round-up, but my computer and sanity permitting, I'll be back with more commentary very soon.
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