xs400
Neat! Now why didn't I think of that!
Brian M
Clever process - Pity about the awful video though - people seems to have forgotten on how to make viewable videos. Everything seems to have to be an Apple style ad or music video.
DStar1
Umm, can I point out that this is not additive printing and is incredibly wasteful. They are taking a ream of paper, cutting and gluing the sheets together and throwing away all of the the excess. Its along the same lines as gluing layers of aluminum foil together and then milling away all excess.
Part of the beauty of 3d printing is that we waste very little material (usually only in post processing).
Mel Tisdale
Judging by the photos, I assume that the size is not limited A4 and some 'stitching' software is used to make larger items. If that is the case, I imagine that there will be quite a few model railway enthusiasts keen to get their hands on one of these, or a printing service that employs them. One also can imagine the police being attracted to having models of crime-scenes for use in court.
Just a quick thought: any coating had better be waterproof, or these models will not last long in wet or humid conditions.
Stuart Wilshaw
It's no more wasteful than other modeling processes; the waste paper is recycled and the model itself when no longer needed is recyclable.
Nothing wrong with the video; it gives a very clear description and overview of the process.
Island Architect
OMG! The millenium has arrived from a graphic standpoint.
What great site models these are!
If they are smart enough to handle the graphics meticulously then I'd expect to see them solve the waste problem.
b
windykites
@DStar1: It might appear wasteful, but what is the cost of a ream of copier paper? And of course the waste can be recycled (if the soft glue is not a problem) One of the best features of this idea is the full-colour detail of the finished objects. One of the disadvantages is that the objects will not be as durable as those 3-D objects created using ABS plastics or metal dust. So they will not be so good for mechanical prototypes. It will not be possible to create intricate 3-D sculpture, because of the difficulty of removing unwanted material, so it's use has to find a particular niche, which will not be difficult to discover. I think it is a brilliant concept. It would be very good for making very realistic 3-D models of people's faces (watch out wax work museums!)
leafygreen
@DStar1, They don't call it 'additive printing', it's 'Selective Deposition Layering'.
The hammer is only a demonstration piece - there's absolutley no statement that you can ONLY print one piece per ream (admittedly, there's also no actual mention of being able to print more than one). The number of pieces per ream should only be limited by their overall area subtracted from that of a sheet which already has the area(s) of the 'cubes' subtracted.
Did you not see the waste thrown into the recycling bin? If the 'soft' glue is/can be bio-degradeable, then it's easily recycleable. Can 'traditional' 3D-print waste be as easily disposed of?
Personally, I'm gutted that the printer is so big (no home-based version, I assume) and probably too expensive (no home-affordable version yet, I suspect), but I'm sure they'll come.
windykites
I didn't check out all the photos before I made my previous comment.
cucotx
Great concept in a 3D printer.
Now, if only I could get a module that is compatible with it and SolidWorks 3D CAD software.
The way to lower the per piece cost would be for the printer and the software to be smart enough to not just layer sheets of paper but also layer strips of paper. Take the hammer example in the video. No need to build the whole hammer as a solid. How about the printer gluing a certain thickness of "ribbons" of paper to just make the outline of the hammer. Inside, the hammer would be hollow ...