The Buildup – 3D Printer Pays for Itself, A Fish Story and Hearing Aid

What’s new in Canada and around the world in Additive Manufacturing and Rapid Prototyping

A weekly summary of some of the most interesting and informative news on the internet this week in the world of 3D Printing, Rapid Prototyping, Additive Manufacturing or whatever you want to call it.

How to Make a 3D Printer Pay for Itself

The clever people at MakeXYZ have come up with a great idea to connect designers with under-utilized 3D printers in their area.  If you have a 3D printer and want to make some money with it visit MakeXYZ and register your printer and the rates you want to charge.  People with things to 3D print can come to the site and search for someone in their area with the kind of printer they want and contract you to make the part.  According to MakeXYZ you not only get $$$ but also “serious maker karma”.

If you own an Objet or Stratasys 3D printer from Javelin you have one of the most capable and desirable 3D printers on the planet.  Why not register your 3D printer at MakeXYZ and put some coin in your pocket?

If you’ve tried this service either as a maker or a printer let us know how it worked out for you.  Leave a comment below.

Clearly a Fishy Story [VIDEO]

Two graduates from UC Berkeley spurned the corporate life and started their own company Back to the Roots growing gourmet mushrooms using coffee waste.  Now their newest product is about to “sprout up” in homes everywhere.  Their new Home Hydroponic Kit allows anyone to grow food naturally and with 90% less water than traditional plants. Check out the Objet Blog to see how the Home Hydroponic Kit was prototyped on an Objet 3D printer using VeroClear material.  There’s also a great video of the boys’ story.

Did I hear right? 3D printed ears! [VIDEO]

There has been a lot of press this week about amazing work being done at Cornell where researches have found a way to reproduce external human ears for patients with deformities or injuries blocking their ear canal. A scan of a patients good ear is turned into a reverse mold using SolidWorks and fabricated using a Stratasys 3D Printer.  Collagen is them molded and cartilage is grown around it to create a real ear that looks and works just like the real thing.  Read the full story and watch the video interview with Lawrence Bonassar co-author of the study to learn how 3D printing is changing lives.

Doug Angus-Lee is Rapid Prototype and Additive Manufacturing Product Specialist at Javelin Technologies.  If you have an idea for The Buildup or want more information about our product and service offerings contact Doug at doug.angus-lee@javelin-tech.com or by phone at 905-815-1906 x214.

Twitter @DougAngusLee      LinkedIn http://ca.linkedin.com/in/douganguslee/