Creating Custom 3D Printed Lego Parts With Injection Molding Look

Eight years ago I started my journey in 3D printing with the first custom Lego part made by a 3D printer. The starting point of this trial was a combination of a discussion in a Lego forum about a rare part and my interest in the Napoleonic times.

The target I set for this project was bringing parts to market at a price range of below 2 EUR per piece, using colors & different materials and creating over 100 new models of historical hats (compatible with Lego Minifigures).

To reach that goal I had to solve several development challenges. I started with a free Linux 3D program (K3d) and switched to Blender later on. Blender allows additional support, like creating bearers. This is now a self developed add-on in Blender. Some conversion scripts resulted in an expansion of the lviewer code where I’ve added an STL exporter, now available in the public. My 3D models are now also importable in the Lego render POV-ray creating great quality images of Minifigures wearing the new items.

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Even the standard workflow for the development of a new item is straight forward. It usually starts with an idea, which I can get from a blog, television or a follower request. The design is made using my Linux workplace (as shown in the picture above) and ends in a zipped STL file. This file is then uploaded to the Shapeways store and the items are online within minutes.

Thus from a request via mail to a first prototype including render, it may take less then a hour to answer to a follower: “Hey, take a look at your requested model”: http://shpws.me/GtLr

But it always came down to a crucial point in production. Because of the limitations in materials I could use (to ensure low pricing), the models show a grainy surface. This would be fine for me as a 3D enthousiast but obviously would not be accepted by a Lego fan.

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Using 3D Printing Services

As you can see in this picture the surface doesn’t look satisfying compared to conventional Lego pieces.

The announcement of beta programs being launched by both Sculpteo and Shapeways, became the solution to my problem.

Sculpteo announced their smoothing modifier added as finish to WSF (Nylon based) items claiming a smooth and glossy surface in white.

Shapeways introduced their new material Acrylate in black color which claims to look and feel like it is injection molded.

After a few weeks I now have both results which really show a dramatic improvement in quality of the surface and the look and feel of the parts.

The above picture shows the result by Shapeways (black hats) and Sculpteo (white hats). Here you can clearly see there is a great improvement in look and surface.

Also the price range is coming nearby the target price. With my method of connecting items via bearer you can reach a price range between EUR 2 and EUR 3.

This is a very promising result and I’m looking forward to offer these materials to the public.

Scientists at Northwestern University, Illinois simply can’t stop creating medical breakthroughs with 3d printing strategies. Last month we have a tendency to told you concerning their promising hyperelastic bone made up of a bioengineered material. currently, their analysis has return up trumps another time with another exciting medical development: 3d-printed perishable heart stents.

Guesswork

Traditional heart stents treat weakened or abnormally slim arteries. however, they typically cause problems to patients. Despite the extremely complicated nature of tubing implantation, and therefore the obvious skills that heart surgeons possess, there's perpetually a tiny low degree of guessing concerned to decide whether or not a tubing is that the correct size for a given patient. this implies that stents that move cause the prospect of failure, doubtless exposing the patient to additional risk. what is more, 1-2 p.c of individuals with stents develop a grump among the primary few months once implantation? therefore, however, do the perishable stents overcome these issues?

3D-Printed

The 3D-printed perishable stents facilitate to beat each problem by giving each customization and anti-coagulation. A citrus-based compound material with natural anti-oxidant properties is employed to form the stents. The researchers in question used projection micro-stereo-lithography to print them with a novel method they decision microCLIP. This 3d-printing technique produces the stents victimization light-weight and a photocurable liquid resin. the tactic permits for microscopic customization of the tubing to suit every patient’s distinctive vessel form. This minimizes the potential for geometric and biological complications to arise. what is more, the fabric seems to inhibit clot formation. Researchers predict that the chance to load the tubing with anti-coagulant medication is real, that offers even additional protection and boosts healing times.

Maastricht University (MU) and Bright Lands Materials Center (BMC) begin Europe’s largest bioprinting analysis program.

The analysis focusses on the medical specialty application in regenerative drugs in Europe. Regenerative drugs are that the regeneration of cells, tissues, and organs.
MU and BMC combat the challenges of the technology, with the final word goal to be able to apply it within the medical world. alphabetic character and BMC work alongside different public and personal partners like DSM and TNO.

Testing skeletal applications

MU and BMC can investigate the varied processes in Bioprinting technologies. Lorenzo Moroni, MU: “We wish to check skeletal applications in clinical programs and manufacture a primary functioning epitome for heart and excretory organ regeneration that may be subjected to pre-clinical analysis. this permits U.S.A. to form new bioactive materials for skeletal, internal organ or urinary organ regeneration.”

Bioprinting

The reason for this partnership is a number of challenges they were facing in the world of 3D printing and bioprinting. MU and BMC want to convert these challenges into solutions and facilitate hospitals with new applications.

Knowledge of materials and industrial opportunities

“The knowledge and skills of MU in combination with the knowledge of materials and industrial capabilities of BMC make our partnership a perfect match. Together we can provide solutions that can be used in clinical practice. At the same time, we can make a contribution to offer to industrial development and new product lines to the companies associated with BMC. Sustainable public-private partnerships in which scholars work closely with the industry needed to change the health care of tomorrow, “said Marnix van Gurp, Managing Director of BMC, and Lorenzo Moroni.

Biofabrication technologies

The initiative is anchored in a region where regional and European projects have been launched. MU is working on projects in the field of fabrication technologies and the Bright Lands Chemelot campus runs several projects that have to do with bioprinting. A further expansion of the cooperation with the neighboring institutes of Leuven and Aachen makes this region the focus of new initiatives in this field.

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Italian company WASP – famous for his or her DeltaWasp 3D printer vary (like the huge 3MT) and for his or her experimental 3D printing comes of building structures – have come back up with another nice project. The WASP ‘Maker Economy’ Starter kit. this is often a replacement economic model that comes during a shipping instrumentality to form public knowledge and fulfills basic desires victimization digital fabrication technologies. The Starter Kit includes a variety of apparatus required to 3D print atiny low community.

The Starter Kit

The kit includes a twelve meter high huge DELTA 3D printer that's ready to 3D print homes. It conjointly includes a Delta Wasp 3MT. this is often a multi-tool printer that may create something from vertical gardens and ware to furnishings. alternative things you'll realize within the kit embrace systems for cutting and employment, and for modifying materials that may be extruded.

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WASP‘s aim is to make small freelance communities, born and developed out of the community’s information because of advanced self-producing systems. WASP (which stands for World’s Advanced Saving Project) can begin with building a community on a four hundred M2 space victimization the Starter Kit. The kit is intended thus it will simply be shipped anyplace within the world and with very little assembly perform as a tool to make a property community.

The Purpose

The Starter Kit is intended thus it will use native materials and recycled materials (ánd standard building material) to create residents on web site. All the knowledge required (tutorials, guides, etc) to put in a full kit are going to be offered on-line without charge. The house project beside its content is open supply and permits project-managers, designers, engineers, architects and enthousiasts to require info from and add ideas to the project.

WASP’s chief executive officer Massimo Moretti concerning the project:

Our aim is to make micro-indipendent communities born and developed on the public knowledge because of advanced self-production systems, accessible from everybody. With 3D printing because the manufacturing method we will understand a no-debt house. A house that offers a lot of freedom to individuals. A dynamic house, ready to produce economy rather than victimization it up. A residential unit with no prices of production, ready to answer to primary human needs: house, food, energy, health, job, culture. It may be useful in humanitarian emergency things caused by economical or political crisis, or natural disasters. associate degree instrument helpful to humanitarian organizations, civil protection, National or International establishments to simply operate in poor areas or troublesome things.

Any individual who has printed with strength 3D fiber knows it can be hard to get the principal layer to stick well. When you print on glass, you'll most likely need a warmed overnight boardinghouse your material requires a high bed temperature, traps like a layer of paste stick or hairspray may not work like you'd anticipate.

On the off chance that you don't have a warmed bed, you'll most likely discover arrangements, for example, Kapton-or veiling tape, yet these set aside a long opportunity to append to the bed.

The arrangement is a cement layer sticker and that is precisely what the organization BuildTak produces.

BuildTak cement 3D printing surface sheets

BuildTak's alleged 3D printing cement surface sheets are not shabby, but rather when you print with the claim to fame fiber estimated at $50/2.2lb, you'd rather not need your prints to come up short.

My involvement with printing BuildTak is that you need to invest more energy in leveling your bed. BuildTak calls it 'finding the sweet spot'. When you don't locate the sweet spot, it can be extremely hard to evacuate your prints. What's more, trust me, you need to utilize your BuildTak more than once.

BuildTak FlexPlate framework is the arrangement

BuildTak's as of late propelled FlexPlate System guarantees to make print expulsion much simpler.

The framework comprises of two parts: an attractive mounting plate and the FlexPlate.

It has been hailed as the innovation without bounds; a procedure that will in the long run increment effectiveness worldwide and do as such in a naturally inviting way. Yet, you most likely know why 3d printing rocks as of now. What you won't know is that a specific multi-billion dollar online retailer by the name of Amazon is utilizing 3d printing innovation to change the way it conveys bundles to clients.

Prime Air

The organization's calculated automaton conveyance framework, known as Prime Air, is required to dispatch inside the following three years, under the stipulation that broad tests indicate it to be totally protected. In some energizing news from the United Kingdom, Amazon as of late gave a sneak look into its new conveyance framework at an improvement focus close Cambridge. A neighborhood daily paper, Cambridge News, and five understudies from an adjacent school got welcomes to look at the lab and see what's happening there.

This spearheading conveyance technique is probably going to get a great deal of press in the coming years. Along these lines, the introduction given to 3d printing must be something worth being thankful for.

Amazon Prime Air Drone

Rambles and 3D Printing

You're most likely pondering where 3d printing fits into Amazon's new framework. The key is in the automatons themselves. Pictures from the sneak look demonstrate a scope of 3d printers in the improvement focus. A portion of the segment parts of Amazon's automatons are made with 3d printing strategies, which enhance the streamlined features of the airborne gadgets. Besides, the 3D printers help to rapidly test models and exchange adaptations of the automatons. As indicated by Amazon, there are more than twelve models right now. Besides, the 3d printers will help the retailer to refine and develop its automatons over the coming years before discharge.

Amazon Prime Air Drone

An Exciting Application

The utilization of 3d printing techniques by Amazon is uplifting news for three reasons. Firstly, it conveys more introduction to the innovation, which is dependably something worth being thankful for. In like manner, its adjustment could turn out to be more far reaching. Different makers will observe how Amazon is utilizing added substance assembling to build up its future innovation. At the point when such a major name has confidence in 3d printing strategies, it'll convey solid positive signs to different businesses.

At long last, the understudies who got welcomes are at a susceptible age. Seeing the innovation in real life for themselves might've aroused their advantage enough to get the message out among loved ones. As an outcome of this, a greater amount of today's childhood may seek after professions identified with 3d printing, which is dependably a positive.

In a dynamic move for added substance producing, another system for industry norms has been declared. Two global standard-setting bodies, ISO and ASTA, together built up the Additive Manufacturing Standards Development Structure. The new system got endorsement in July amid a meeting in Tokyo, with the news sifting through as of late that the rules have been set.

Structure

The usage of these new specialized guidelines speaks to a key defining moment for the business. As expanding quantities of organizations begin to use 3d-printed parts, having a specialized structure set up is basic for the advancement of added substance producing innovation. Moreover having this structure set up guarantees organizations won't squander significant assets, for example, time, floundering in disarray about the most ideal approach to accomplish something. Presently, they can essentially counsel the new structure for the correct answers.

Development

Therefore of this news, one may contemplate whether a decrease in development is a certainty. Organizations can now counsel the specialized guidelines for each and every issue. Beforehand unfathomable improvements frequently emerge suddenly when individuals attempt to tackle problems.And this is valid for each innovation. Yet, both ISO and ASTM endeavored to elucidate this is not their aim.

Union

Rather, the thought is to convey a feeling of union to 3d printing. Thus, the innovation turns out to be more open, with more organizations energized by the execution of best practices. The outcome is an expansion in advancement, with progressively divergent businesses consoled that they have a specialized system to counsel in the event that they experience challenges with 3d printing. We can likewise hope to see a direction archive that'll go with the structure, for simple referral.

Utilizing the structure set out by the standard-setting bodies, specialists can create industry norms on three levels:

General Standards for added substance producing ideas, normal prerequisites and aides.

Models for printing with a scope of material classes and procedures. For instance, metal powders or melded testimony displaying.

Particular benchmarks for particular materials, procedures, or enterprises.

The outcome is a more strong industry, with the joining of added substance producing liable to happen at a quickened rate. This can just prompt to better things for AM. Look at both the ISO site and the ASTM site on the off chance that you need to take in more about these standard-setting bodies.