MM1 modular multimaterial 3d printer by MakerMex

MM1 is a new 3d printer by MakerMex from Mexico. The main feature of MM1 is the modularity of the extruder head that is easily replaceable and could be upgraded in the future. It is a standard "feature" of any DIY 3d printer where you can find many upgrades for your machine, make and install it yourself. I think MM1 aims at users that lack knowledge or time to learn skillset needed to make attachments themselves.
MM1 wants to achieve ability of multiple material printing with their extruder and printbed modules.

MM1 technical specifications:

• Printer Dimensions: 49 x 37.5 x 49 cm.
• Weight: 11 Kg
• Build area: 20x20x20cm 
• Filament: standard 3mm filaments 
• Resolution: 20 microns (0.02mm) 
• Speed: 300mm/s 
• Supported Materials: ABS, PLA, flexible PLA, conductive material, wood-based filament, nylon, polycarbonate, chocolate, Play-Doh, ceramic, plasticine clay and much more
• Multiple printer linking abilities using structural connector system
• Compatible with any Windows, Mac or Linux-based operating system
• Supports and uses open source software
• Price: at $1,149 range

MM1 is on Kickstarter now:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/495547969/mm1-modular-3d-printer-customize-your-printing-exp

Company homepage: http://www.makermex.com/Us/index.php

MM1 technical specifications compared to other mainstream machines:

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Testing flammability of 3d printing materials

Here is a small improvised and non.scientific "test" of fire resistance (or flammability however you want to look at it) of various Shapeways 3d printing materials. The results are not surprising, basically gypsum burns worst. Don't try this at home folks. Plastics is flammable.

Tested materials were: Alumide (metallic plastic) UV Cured Acrylic Resin (Frosted Ultra Detail & Detail Plastic), Gypsum Full Color (full color sandstone) and Nylon (white, strong & flexible).

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Sintratec desktop laser sintering 3d printer coming soon at affordable price (Update: they presented a good machine and had great Indiegogo!)

Let the desktop laser sintering revolution begin!

Sintratec is company from Switzerland that wants to develop first  desktop selective laser sintering DIY 3d printer. They aim to launch a crowdfunding campaign in October to raise money to ship at least 60 kit printers with price under 3999 euro ($5,277).

The main feature is that they will replace CO2 laser used in current SLS machines with diode laser which is cheaper and visible by human eye which gives more safety.

These videos show that they are already successful with prototype 3d printers and that the printed objects are strong:






Company homepage: http://sintratec.com/

Sintratec desktop SLS 3d printer prototype, the "Bobby" with 130mm cubed print volume

Example of object printed on Sintratec machine

Update (29.1.2015.):

Sintratec presented a finished machine and had a successful Indiegogo campaign where they raised  $213,337 out of their $175,000 target.
Looks like we will have laser sintering on our desktops soon. Maybe they will be standard machine type.

Here is the presentation video:



Technical specifications from the Indiegogo:

• Compact Size: 550x530x360mm. Fits on your desk.
• Build Volume: 130x130x130mm. Laser sintering allows you to stack objects or place them diagonally in the build volume resulting in a maximum build dimension of 225mm and thus, making the build volume quite large.
• Diode Laser: 2300mW, blue laser. The laser is compact and comes with high quality optics. The laser light is visible, making optical adjusting safer. Laser safety glasses are included in the kit.
• Main Print Material: Nylon PA12 Powder. Very strong and high resolution parts. Flexible if printed thin. Dark in color to better absorb the laser.
• Heated Laser Sintering: Both with a heating coil and optical heaters. A heated build chamber opens a whole new world of 3D printing: Objects don’t have to be fixed down on a build plate as it is the case with cold laser sintering, stereolithography or filament 3D printing.
• Priced from USD 3999 to USD 4999 on Indiegogo 

Final design looks much better then the prototype

Sintratec Indiegog page:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sintratec-world-s-first-desktop-laser-sinterer

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3d printed falcons will wreak havoc on living birds to protect airports

Many thousands of birds die every year in collision with airplanes and they cause some one billion US dollars of damage. You don't want a stupid seagull flying in a jet engine during takeoff or landing, it will ruin your day.
Some airfields have teams of living falcons chasing the birds away, but now there is a much more effective solution with some help of 3d printing.

These 3d printed flying predators are developed by Dutch company "Clear Flight Solutions" and come in two models: Peregrine Falcon and bigger Bold Eagle. They are made from foam material in the wings and bodies made of 3D printed nylon stretched over glass fiber composites. They fly powered with small electric motor which moves the wings and can reach speeds up to 80 kilometers an hour.

Beside airports they can also protect crops and garbage sites by scaring living feathered vermin.


http://clearflightsolutions.com/

Detailed article:

http://www.audubonmagazine.org/articles/birds/robotic-raptors-rescue

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How to design and 3d print an electric guitar

Olaf Diegel is custom 3d printed guitar maker who will guide you trough the process of creating a fully functional SLS 3d printed electric guitar.
You will need the access to more serious equipment like SLS 3d printer and some tools, but they are much more available now and will probably be ubiquitous in the future.
The bodies of his guitars were 3D printed out of Duraform material (Nylon), on a 3D Systems sPro selective laser sintering system (SLS).

How does the 3d printed nylon guitar sound? Here is the answer:



He also made a 3d printed saxophone.

Update (27.9.2014):

Olaf Diegel organized "first concert" of live band that plays with 3d printed instruments:

The first live concert with a band consisting only of 3D-printed instruments has taken place at Lund University in Sweden. The band included a drum, keyboard and two guitars, all 3D-printed by Lund University professor Olaf Diegel. The band members were students at Lund University’s Malmö Academy of Music.

As some comments say, the drums may sound somewhat hollow and electric guitar is not effected by acoustic properties of the body but more by electronics and coils. Still it is a nice accomplishment.

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Demonstration of 3d printed nylon saxophone

Olaf Diegel usually makes 3d printed guitars, but now he made a saxophone.

Saxophone data:

The saxophone has 41 components excluding all the springs and screws, It is printed in nylon, on a SLS machine, and weighs less than a quarter of a real sax (575 grams vs 2.5 Kg. Weight might go up a tad once painted, though, but still a lot less than a metal one).

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