3DCompare: Transparant 3D Printing Prices by Trusted Providers

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Jan 29, 2018

3DCompare: Search Engine for the 3D Printing Industry

3DCompare launches the first professional comparison platform for 3D printing. Based in the UK, the portal matches companies in search for 3D printing solutions with verified, professional and established 3D printing service providers around the world. The Price Checker scans hundreds of 3D printing businessess and materials to help its users find the cheapest price for their prints.

3D Printing Market Development

Active in North America and Europe, 3DCompare is rapidly expanding these days into a global network. The growing demand for 3D printing asks for novel platforms and solutions to ease decision making of a broad offering. Experts estimate that, in 2020, the 3D market will grow to 28.9 billion US dollars, coming from a level of 13.2 billion in 2016. Industries such as automotive, architecture and dentistry have realised 3D printing potential for cheaper and better quality objects.

Image for 3DPrinting.Lighting featuring laptop with 3DCompare upload function and logos of various 3D Printing Industry Leaders — The 3DCompare database includes additive fabrication services of leading providers.

Leading Industry Players and Technologies

Current partners include industry leaders such as iMaterialise, Shapeways and Makexyz. 3DCompare users have immediate access to the latest range of additive manufacturing technology including Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), Stereolithography (SLA) and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), and a wide array of metals, plastics, resins and ‘multi-colour’ materials.

Picture of 3DCompare workflow — 3DCompare – methodology and features

Get your Best Available Offer!

The 3DCompare database helps to select the best possible service for its users’ needs. Whether they want to compare prices, find out the shortest lead times, discover the best 3D Printing Materials, or learn about the shipping costs related to a particular job, any of 3D printing service providers listed in the portal is readily available to serve.

The team of 3D Compare is continuously extending its database in order to get the best offering for their users’ project. We’ll be watching it closely and we are sure there will be more news to be announced in the time to come!

All of the Lights Installation by Budmen Industries

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Illumarco

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Jan 19, 2018

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Illuminate your Imagination: 100 Unique 3D Printed Lamps Installation by Budmen Industries

‘All of the Lights’ by Budmen Industries is an immersive light installation including 100 unique 3D printed lamps. It acts as a unified display of individualism. The project represents a bright future where individuality is celebrated and reflected in environments that are as unique and complex as we, human beings, are.

Hand-crafted Digital Designs

The All of Lights installation redefines 21st century craft by combining art sculpture and digital fabrication. To attach a personal and human element to each of the designs, the designers decided to digitally sculpt each lamp shade by hand.

Image of All of Lights installation by Budmen Industries with individually crafted lamps — During the process, a variety of form families appeared while the personality of each lamp remained unique.

Following the designers’ unique approach, a great variety of different shades was created, each reflecting unique personalities. Some were symmetrical and had a pure geometrical appearance, while others were more gestural, feeling like captured motion. Or they were swirled and stretched into splendid spirals.

3D Printing Large Luminous Layers

In fact, 3D printers can build hundreds of identical objects but their real strength is in making hundreds of different objects at no extra cost. 3D printing is a shift from a world full of mass manufactured products to one where each item can be a unique reflection of our individuality (called ‘mass customization‘)

Image of Large Luminous Layers by Budmen Industries, straight from the Budmen Builder 3D Printer — Large Luminous Layers

A 3D printer creates objects layerwise. This process of stacking layers produces surfaces with striations similar to those seen on rock formations and tree bark. Printing with thick layers produces even more dramatic striations.

Image of the Budmen builder - the 3D printer used to create the lamps for the All of Lights project — The Budmen Builder

Illuminated Layers as Project Signature

Where for some applications the layering might be a limitation, the Budmen designers decided to see and use it as an charismatic feature of the process. The uniquely layered aesthetic is not only a process signature, but the object takes on an entirely new character when illuminated.

The Brains behind Budmen Industries

Budmen Industries was founded by Isaac Budmen and Stephanie Keefe. Budmen is an artist, designer and ‘lifelong inventor’ as he describes himself. His creative work exploring digital fabrication has been featured at leading museums and other venues.

Picture of Budmen Industries founders for 3DPrinting.Lighting showing their All of Lights Installation. — Isaac Budmen and Stephanie Keefe, founders of Budmen Industries, celebrating their work.

Stephanie is an artist as well, pastry chef, and photographer. Her photographs have been exhibited and sold in NYC and Chicago. Together, they created Budmen Industries.

Image at 3DPrinting.Lighting from of All of the Light Books by Budmen Industries. — All of the Light Project books – available for pre-ordering!

To celebrate the ‘All of the Lights’ project, Budmen released a special book on the immersive installation. Pre-order books are available for a special early-bird price, personalized and signed by the artists. Books will be shipped February 2018.

Pictures in this post were sourced from the Budman website.

Repro-Light: Would the Luminaire of the Future be fully 3D Printed?

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Illumarco

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Jan 15, 2018

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Image of Repro-light for the 3DPrinting.Lightig blog

Repro-light Consortium aims to Revolutionize the Lighting Industry by 2020

As part of the Horizon 2020 programme, an European project for re-usable and re-configurable parts for sustainable LED based systems was initiated by lighting industry leaders. Named ‘Repro-light’, it aspires to successfully initiate a transformation in the European lighting industry, with the ultimate aim of creating the ‘Luminaire of the Future’. We thought it would be good to write a brief update on it, as it will significantly affect our future and inspire our readers!

Innovative Technologies and Materials

The Repro-light project harnesses innovative technologies and materials and aim to implement modular luminaire architecture as never attempted before. Called the ‘Luminaire of the Future’, it will include a smart production scheme and the development of a reconfigurable easily customizable LED luminaire.

Market Focus: From Energy into Function

The Repro-light project is perfectly timed to capitalize and lead this transformation. It is set to change the reputation of the LED luminaire from a disposable object, into a customizable and sustainable product, with a high function value. The LED market is currently mid-transformation, shifting its focus from energy efficiency to function values, therefore the timing of the project is perfect!

Consortium of EU Lighting Experts

Led by representatives and driving forces from the European lighting industry, as well as manufacturers, experts on lighting sustainability and the Social Sciences, the Repro-light consortium possesses the excellence and the influence to not only execute this project successfully, but also invoke a sustainable change in the European lighting industry beyond the lifetime of the project.

OEMs – Innovation leaders – Universities

The need for projects like Repro-light has been highlighted over the last years by leading lighting experts and institutions. Now, some of these thought-leaders join forces in the Repro-consortium. It includes several leading European manufacturers such as TRILUX, BJB, Ground Zero, and Rohner Engineering.

The Consortium is compromised of EU Lighting Industry Leaders and Institutions.

In addition, it contains remarkable innovative members of the lighting industry as Bartenbach and Luger Research, as well as experts on lighting sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment IREC and Mondragon University who are prominent in Social Sciences.

Market Needs and Requirements

The project’s first phase is underway. This initial phase of work will focus on analysing the customer needs and technical requirements. This information is vital for the following project stages, the initial phases finishing by March 2018.

Project Updates: Stay Tuned!

To receive updates on the project progress, to receive additional information about Repro-light or to learn about its partners, please visit the website.

We at 3DPrinting.Lighting strongly believe there is no future for the lighting industry without incorporating 3D printing in product design, development and operations, so we’ll be following the project updates with great interest and inform you once interesting developments come to pass. Stay tuned!

Gantri – Inspired 3D Printed Table Lights

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Illumarco

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Oct 21, 2017

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Picture of Gantri 3D printed table lights

Gantri: Empowering Human Creativity

3D printing has changed how products are prototyped. With Gantri, it’s changing how products are made. The unique Gantri 3D printing process combines the simplicity and flexibility of desktop 3D printing with the quality and craftsmanship of industrial manufacturing. It allows designers worldwide to easily bring quality products to market at a fraction of the time and cost.

Gantri: Simplicity and Efficiency in Design and Fabrication

Gantri aims to break down the barriers in traditional ways of manufacturing and selling. Simplicity and efficiency are key in their designer approach. By promoting inspired design rather than a specific aesthetic, design becomes relevant to everydays life.

“Gantri helps independant designers to create inspired, high-quality lighting products and make them accessible and attainable for all”

Innovative Materials and Processess

Working with the best material innovators from around the world, we offer corn-based materials that are environmentally friendly, purposeful and durable. The in-depth knowledge of 3D printing allows designers to create optimized 3D models and achieve higher quality prints straight off the printers.

Every part is hand-finished and foreseen with a protective coating to achieve a perfect finish that feels comparable to traditional luxury products.

Bring your Concepts to Life

Gantri welcomes talented designers regardless of location or academic degree. Any independent designer around the globe can become a member of the Gantri Community to create his own products and brand.

Please refer to the Gantri shop to source your own table lights, created by independent designers worldwide. All products are made in California.

3D Printed Trees Art by Se Yoon Park

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Illumarco

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Jul 17, 2017

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Picture of 3D printed trees by Se Yoon Park

Korean Architect Creates stunning 3D Printed Trees for Temporary Art Installation

With a background in architecture, Korean designer Se Yoon Park recently created a stunning piece of art including 3D printed trees. Contrasting influences his former rural life, made him develop an interest in issues such as light, darkness, time, and life. Experimenting with gradient light and its consequent shadows, Se Yoon arrived at this particular form for his 3D printed trees, where the play of light produces ever-changing effects.

Light, Darkness and the Tree

The project ‘Light, Darkness and the Tree’ is the result of the contemplation of the words that Park takes most seriously: light, darkness, time, and life. His work explores the transitions between light and darkness, and in his sculptures, he seeks to contain both light and darkness within an exterior, a single object. His creature consists of many smaller geometric elements and imitates the organic structure of a tree.

From ‘Concept’ to ‘Design’ to ‘Reality’

The initial design stage knew multiple media, from hand-written sketches, to handmade models, to digital 3D models in Rhino. All the parts were designed in Rhino for production on a 3D printer. The biggest challenge has been error control in retaining an accuracy in shape that was essential for the structural integrity of the overall artwork.

Advantages of 3D Printing Technology

Compared to traditional methods where material is casted away, the additive 3D printing process allows being more accurate, and it is free from shrinking issues. Moreover, it provides to work with multiple design materials and bring them together in one build.

Also, a the combination of traditional fabrication methods and 3D printing technologies might be a way forward. 3D printing is a very helpful way to rapidly turn ideas into reality, while the more mature conventional technologies can turn them into real production items.

Picture showing the 3D printed trees of Se Yoon Park in Rhoni 3D Software — Se Yoon Park used Rino 3D Software to create all of his light tree models.

Light and Darkness in a Sculpture

Se Yoon chose Polyamide material for his creature due to its strength, lightness, and porosity, which allowed him to structurally employ the 3D printed parts in his sculptures. It also gave him the flexibility of dyeing the pieces to explore a variety of artistic surface treatments. The translucency of Polyamide also allowed him to play with an electrical light inside his sculptures, creating the effect of a soft glow.

Picture showing Se Yoon Park in his workplace. — The creative work space of Se Yoon Park.

3D Printed Trees – The Making Of: Polyamide Materials and SLS 3D Printing

Polyamide is 3D print material that is used in combination with a process named Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). Laser Sintering 3D printers do not use a filament, as many DIY printers do. On the contrary, a very fine, granular nylon powder is heated and sintered by a laser beam within the 3D printer to create the parts.

This post was inspired by an earlier post of i.materialise, pictures are property of Se Yoon Park.

Electric Light Shoe: A Dreamlike Sculpture Universe

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Illumarco

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Jul 13, 2017

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Picture with side view of Janne Kyttanen's Electric Light Shoe

Award Winning Centerpiece Electric Light Shoe by Janne Kyttanen merges Japanese Culture Icons

The Electric Light Shoe is a 70 centimeters tall sculpture containing a dream-like universe. The artwork features a kaleidoscope of Japanese cultural icons and was designed and fabricated back in 2008 already by designer and artist Janne Kyttanen. The illuminated shoe was created as the centrepiece of the award winning Onitsuka Tiger global Electric Tiger Land campaign.

Electric Light Shoe: A Living Glowing Sculpture

The super detailed structure is laced with an LED lighting system that glows and pulses, bringing the sculpture to life. There are only one eight sculptures available in this super limited edition collection, plus two artist proofs.

The Onitsuka Tiger – Symbol for Streets and Highways

The characteristic Onitsuka Tiger stripes represents a system of highways and streets. Illuminated signs crowd the front of the shoe and a monster-like figure looms over buildings at the shoe’s opening.

The fine details were achieved with rapid prototyping, the process that enables a digital CAD file to be transformed quickly into a solid object, mostly by means of additive manufacturing technologies.

Revolutionary Work in 3D Printing

Janne Kyttanen is a pioneering digital sculptor creating multidisciplinary work at the intersection of 3D printing, virtual reality and augmented reality. His work has been featured in TIME Magazine’s ‘Design 100’, the people and ideas behind the world’s most influential design. Kyttanen is best known for his revolutionary work with 3D printing and is considered to be one of the most influential designers of his generation.

More availability and purchase info is available on the designers’ website.

Pollen Lamps: Raising Awareness for Pollen Issues by 3D Printed Lighting

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Illumarco

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Jul 10, 2017

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Pollen Art by ZHDK : Light to Raise Awareness about Hay Fever

In Switzerland 20% of the population suffers from hay fever between January and August. Hay fever is caused by pollen like grass, ash, birch, sunflower, ragweed, and dandelions.

Picture showing Betula - the Birch Pollen Lamp — Betula – The Birch Pollen Lamp

Pollen Density

A density of many thousands pollen per cubic meter can be measured on some days. During these peak periods, not only allergy sufferers are affected but also people usually not allergic to pollen.

During pollen season, allergy sufferers usually try to avoid the outdoors and getting close to trees and flowering plants. The truth is, pollen is carried even inside our homes. They get inside while airing the room or are simply carried inside on one’s clothes or hair.

ZHDK: Raising Awareness for Pollen Issues

The ZHDK design project aims on raising awareness on these issues by making pollen visible for the first time: the pollen lamps.

The lamps are composed of three main parts: The lamp shade, the lamp cord and the cover lid. The lamp shade and the cover lid are 3D printed with white nylon powder. It gives the lamp a course, sandlike texture. LED Bulbs are used to give the lamps different colours.

The pollen lamps were developed in collaboration with the designers Roman Jurt and Michael Kennedy from the Zurich University of the Arts.

Desktop Metal Unveils New and Affordable Metal 3D Printers

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Illumarco

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May 1, 2017

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Desktop Metal introduces two metal 3D Printing Systems covering the full PLC from Prototyping to Mass Production

Metal 3D printers have been around for decades, however they have always been limited in terms of materials, fabrication speed and user-friendliness. Desktop Metal, a mere two-year-old startup, unveiled recently two new 3D metal printing machines, one of which can create prototypes and the other production parts faster and cheaper than existing technologies.

Microwave Enhanced Sintering

The novel metal printing technology is called “microwave enhanced sintering” by Desktop Metal. The printers put down layers of metal and ceramic powders, mixed in a soft polymer. The cartridges and alloys that work with the printers are made by Desktop Metal and other major providers in additive manufacturing.

Once the parts are printed, they go into a furnace where they are rapidly ‘cooked’: The heat simply burns away the polymer.
The metal is fused together but at a temperature that won’t make it melt and lose its shape. Wherever ceramic was laid down in a printed design, metal remains separated and doesn’t fuse. The created pieces can finally be separated by hand.

Picture showing the Desktop Metal 3D printer — The Desktop Metal 3D Printing System for Office Environments.

DM Studio System: Office-friendly Metal 3D Printing

Designed as an end-to-end solution, the Desktop Metal Studio System is the only way to print complex metal parts in-house. The system comes with purchase and subscription pricing options, and it is by far the only metal 3D printing system that is cost-effective for engineering teams.

Picture showing the Metal Desktop Production System. — The Metal Desktop Production system.

DM Production System: Metal 3D Printing at Scale

Next to the DM Studio System, the Desktop Metal Production system delivers the speed, quality, and cost-per-part needed to compete with traditional manufacturing processes. Arriving in 2018, this breakthrough Single Pass Jetting (SPJ) process delivers speeds up to 8200 cm3/hr. It is 100x faster than laser-based systems. With zero-tooling needed, it’s the fastest way to manufacture complex metal parts.

The system runs low-cost with MIM powder, comes with a high throughput, and simple post-processing deliver per-part costs that are competitive with traditional manufacturing processes.

3D Printing Metal Breakthrough

A breaktrough in the world of 3D Printing Metal, which will offer great next advantages for the lighting industry. We keep following this young start-up with great interest!

Pictures in this post are property of Desktop Metal. The video was sourced from the TechCrunch Video Channel.

ION 3D printed Lampshade by David Münscher

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Illumarco

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Apr 10, 2017

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ION 3D Printed Lampshade by David Münscher: Inspired by Curved Paper Folding

Designer David Münscher has created two lampion shaped lampshades, that use principles of curved paper folding to create a thin, but rigid light object. The ION 3D printed Lampshades are a great fit for any interior design!

Picture with ION Lampshades. A great fit to any interior! — ION 3D Printed Lampshades – A great fit to any interior!

ION – 3D Printed Lampion Shape

Due to the layer structure of the 3D printing process the resulting shade has a paper like structure, that reveals itself fully when lit.
The lampshade design draws its inspiration from a classic lampion shape, hence the name – ION.

Picture of ION Lampshade by Studio Oxique. — When lit the horizontal lines softly shine through and evoke the feeling of a fabric lampshade.

Focused Spot & Dispersed Mood Lighting

During daytime the bright white, curved shape adds a clean, yet homely accent to an interior. When turned on in the evening ION illuminates the space with a warm, soft glow to the sides and
a focused spot of light underneath.

Floor and Table Lamp Flexibility

ION is available in two sizes and lends itself to be hung as a single lamp or in groups, forming lines or clusters. By the use of a lamp stand the shades can also be turned into a floor or table
lamp.

Close up of 3D printed ION Lampshade — ION lampshade was made from fine 3D printed Polyamide.

Soft Shine and Evoked Fabric Feelings

The pendant light is 3D printed on demand in a thin nylon 3D printing material. The fine layers of the printing process produce a matt finished, paper like structure. Both, ION and the smaller ION S lampshades are now available via oxique.com.

Pictures in this post are courtesy of David Münscher.

U RoK Design Studio – a Unique Lighting Design-Maker Practice

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Illumarco

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Feb 13, 2017

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U RoK Design Studio: Create Unusual Designs that please the World and Living Space around us

U RoK Design, a family-owned design-maker studio, is based in Stourbridge, UK. The practice was founded in September 2014 by the Latvian designer-maker Roberts Kulins. The author of ‘idea and concept’ is passionate about creating unusual design objects and finding new ways that make the world and living space around us more pleasant.

U Rok Design - a wooden 3d printed light — U Rok Studio – Wooden 3D printed Light with diffusive lens cover.

Nordic Asperity, Creativity and Style

Natural and sustainable materials feature, along with nature primordialism, Nordic asperity, creative and ascetic style all at the same time – it are the influences of the designer’s place of birth. The lighting products in this post are made by using cutting edge 3D printing technologies.

Hand Made 3D Printed Lighting

U RoK Design offers a wide variety of 3D printed lighting products. The collection varies from classic wooden suspension lamps to raw steel industrial style luminaries. The lamps fit equally well in the modern urban home as well as in a country cottage. The aim of U RoK Design is to create products that are pleasant in experience, suitable for every application, reasonable in price and an accessible for everyone.

Lighting made Perfect together!

U RoK Design provides tailored design products and services, and is always happy to work with customers that have special requests. Match products to specific customer desires and needs is their ultimate work.

All Kulins‘ products are handmade in the UK and as unique as your fingerprint!

3DCompare: Search Engine for the 3D Printing Industry

3D Printing Market Development

Leading Industry Players and Technologies

Get your Best Available Offer!

Illuminate your Imagination: 100 Unique 3D Printed Lamps Installation by Budmen Industries

Hand-crafted Digital Designs

3D Printing Large Luminous Layers

Illuminated Layers as Project Signature

The Brains behind Budmen Industries

Repro-light Consortium aims to Revolutionize the Lighting Industry by 2020

Innovative Technologies and Materials

Market Focus: From Energy into Function

Consortium of EU Lighting Experts

OEMs – Innovation leaders – Universities

Market Needs and Requirements

Project Updates: Stay Tuned!

Gantri: Empowering Human Creativity

Gantri: Simplicity and Efficiency in Design and Fabrication

Innovative Materials and Processess

Bring your Concepts to Life

Korean Architect Creates stunning 3D Printed Trees for Temporary Art Installation

Light, Darkness and the Tree

From ‘Concept’ to ‘Design’ to ‘Reality’

Advantages of 3D Printing Technology

Light and Darkness in a Sculpture

3D Printed Trees – The Making Of: Polyamide Materials and SLS 3D Printing

Award Winning Centerpiece Electric Light Shoe by Janne Kyttanen merges Japanese Culture Icons

Electric Light Shoe: A Living Glowing Sculpture

The Onitsuka Tiger – Symbol for Streets and Highways

Revolutionary Work in 3D Printing

Pollen Art by ZHDK : Light to Raise Awareness about Hay Fever

Pollen Density

ZHDK: Raising Awareness for Pollen Issues

Desktop Metal introduces two metal 3D Printing Systems covering the full PLC from Prototyping to Mass Production

Microwave Enhanced Sintering

DM Studio System: Office-friendly Metal 3D Printing

DM Production System: Metal 3D Printing at Scale

3D Printing Metal Breakthrough

ION 3D Printed Lampshade by David Münscher: Inspired by Curved Paper Folding

ION – 3D Printed Lampion Shape

Focused Spot & Dispersed Mood Lighting

Floor and Table Lamp Flexibility

Soft Shine and Evoked Fabric Feelings

U RoK Design Studio: Create Unusual Designs that please the World and Living Space around us

Nordic Asperity, Creativity and Style

Hand Made 3D Printed Lighting

Lighting made Perfect together!

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