3D Printers-Amazing

[DonH50]

Camera:

http://www.designnews.com/author.as...rams=htid_66,bid_30,aid_266251&dfpLayout=blog

Wish I had time for hobbies...

 

[Steve Williams]

The 'gold rush' for 3-D printing patents

By: Heesun Wee | Editor, CNBC.com

The technology behind 3-D printing, which seems limited only by our imagination, could very well upend patent and intellectual property law. Goldman Sachs recently cited 3-D printing as one of eight trends poised to disrupt industries.
From utilitarian processes to the final appearance of designed objects ranging from jewelry to spare machine parts, get ready for a patent land grab of 3-D intellectual property. Industrial manufacturers are making shapes from fused bits of plastic and metal powder; shapes that previously weren't possible. They're looking up from their work on the shop floor and wondering, "Do I need a patent?"

"The last time I saw this kind of gold rush for patents was during the dot-com boom" of the late 1990s, said Peter Canelias, a patent attorney based in New York.

The 3-D technology has kept the Patent and Trademark Office busy, too. During the last decade, it has received more than 6,800 patent applications related to 3-D printing (also known as additive manufacturing). Since 2007, about 680 patents a year have been filed—39.6 percent more than 2002, when 487 patents were filed. Since 2003, the office has granted 3,500 patents related to 3-D printing.

But new technology of course brings questions and risks.

A unique phenomenon of 3-D printing is the "perceived right of public access to this technology," said Terry Wohlers, co-author of a recent report from consulting firm Wohlers Associates. Some groups advocate that 3-D programs and software should be "open source" and available to all users for the sake of innovation.

As prices fall and the technology spreads, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to imagine the speed at which counterfeit knockoffs can be printed.

"Additive manufacturing technology permits production of extraordinarily accurate duplicates of objects that are the subject of IP protections," said Teresa Rea, acting director of the Patent and Trademark Office, which is part of the Commerce Department.

From a smartphone cover to a replacement screw for a broken household item, just borrow a design you like from the Internet and print it yourself.

"Additive manufacturing technology has the potential to rewrite the rules for how we think about product liability," the Wohlers report said.


"While the potential for legitimate uses of this technology is breathtaking, such as the production of custom prosthetic limbs at a fraction of the cost of standard manufacturing, additive manufacturing also presents a number of potential challenges," Rea said at a January meeting on additive manufacturing hosted by the Patent and Trademark Office.


Its growing affordability has made the technology accessible to smaller businesses, artists and consumers. Several retailers have unveiled sections dedicated to 3-D printing, including Amazon, Staples and, most recently, UPS.
"The entry barrier for infringers is modest, especially as technology improves and prices fall," Rea said. "As a result, we should anticipate that this will be a growing challenge for right holders and law enforcement."

Innovation: From mass production to customization
Growing pains with a new technology is nothing new. The debut of printed copies a few decades ago sparked cries of the death of publishing and books. American inventor Chester Carlson made his first xerographic image—a precursor to the modern photocopy—in Queens, New York, in 1938.

And if the photocopy and other innovations such as the Ford Model T showcased mass production, 3-D printing is about mass customization at reduced costs. You can create a toothbrush holder, tie, surgical instrument—all to your exact liking.

Such customization also appeals to big business. Boeing, for example, 3-D prints 300 distinct airplane parts at a cost savings of 25 percent to 50 percent per part, according to an Aug. 7 Goldman Sachs note.

Rising role of the consumer
But what sets 3-D printing apart from past innovations is the part the consumer plays.

Traditional production and manufacturing have a linear chain of events: an identifiable product designer, manufacturer, distributor and retailer. In additive manufacturing, that chain of events can get capsized.

Take a hypothetical Web-based start-up that sells a digital design for an object to a person or small company. That party, in turn, tweaks that original design before printing the final product.

"Additive manufacturing upends this system by allowing consumers to get involved in the design process," Wohlers said.

And with so many people tweaking and borrowing ideas, can intellectual property related to additive manufacturing even be enforced? Experts say patent history may offer some clues. As previous patent battles related to the Internet and pharmaceutical drugs have shown, big companies shell out big bucks to protect valuable patents.

"There's always going to be some infringement below the radar," New York attorney Canelias said. "But to get to commercial scale, patents would be enforced."

Additive manufacturing has been around for roughly a decade, quickly outgrowing its roots as a prototype platform and plaything for hobbyists and tech geeks. The global market reached $2.2 billion last year—up 28.6 percent from 2011, according to Wohlers estimates.

Those impressive numbers are dwarfed by the traditional printing market, however.

Xerox, for instance, has annual revenue of about $23 billion, mostly from traditional copiers and printing, though the company has been supplying the 3-D printing industry with printing heads for the past decade.

Kevin Lewis, head of Xerox's 3-D initiatives, said, "I just think the [additive manufacturing] market will be small [for Xerox]."

But that doesn't mean industry leaders aren't taking notice of 3-D printing's possibilities. Prototyping has given way to advanced printing of fully functioning parts. The technology is also stretching into printed electronic parts. The idea is to fuse microelectronics with mechanical components. These two trends have "gotten our antenna up," said Xerox's Lewis.

Amid so much growth potential, it's unclear how insurers will underwrite the liability for open-sourced digital designs, which could be altered and customized. According to Wohlers, "These novel questions will eventually be answered by the manufacturing and insurance industries, and ultimately, by the courts."

 

[Steve Williams]

From teeth aligners to engine parts, 3-D printing business grows

By: Tom DiChristopher | Special to CNBC.com

Three-dimensional printing's origins can be traced to Japanese researchers, who printed the world's first 3-D objects three decades ago. That technology today has blossomed into a multi-billion-dollar industry that's just getting started.

The global market reached $2.2 billion last year—up 28.6 percent from 2011, according to Wohlers Associates, an additive manufacturing research firm. Much of the industry is devoted to creating prototypes. But experts say most of the growth moving forward will be in manufacturing parts and finished products for consumers.

"That's where the money is," said Terry Wohlers, president of Wohlers Associates. "That's where the excitement is.That's where the opportunities are."

Here's what could be next for 3-D printing.

1. How is additive manufacturing likely to grow?

Industry growth is likely to come from organic sales and output, and acquisitions. For example, industry leader Stratasys acquired Brooklyn, N.Y.-based start-up MakerBot in a $403 million deal in June.

Additionally, about 20 percent of Stratasys's growth is organic, said Andrea James, senior research analyst at Dougherty & Co. Much of that organic growth stems from expanding the applications for its systems, and diversifying its 3-D printing materials.

"As materials' properties improve and processes become more robust, 3-D printing could become increasingly appealing for end-parts production," according to an Aug. 7 Goldman Sachs note on disruptive technologies, including additive manufacturing.

And throughout the industry, entrepreneurs will be able to use existing technology to bring new systems to market, according to Wohlers.

2. Who are the major players?
There are roughly 30 companies that sell additive manufacturing systems for industrial production. Plus, there's a growing number of smaller businesses that specialize in desktop 3-D printers. Many companies overall are seeing solid double-digit profit growth, and steadily increasing stock prices.

Shares of Stratasys, for example, recently were trading around $96 a share, up roughly 48 percent from a year ago. The company, based n Eden Prairie, Minn., has installed 21,000 3-D printing systems for industrial use since 1991, more than any other company peer. In 2012, its annual profit jumped 60 percent to $59.6 million.

European companies such as EOS, Concept Lazer and Arcam lead the industry in printing systems for metal products. (In metal printing, metal powder is fused together to create objects. In printing with plastics, tiny bits of polymers are melded together.) The leaders in metal 3-D printing have given them an edge in the lucrative market for aerospace components, health-care products and medical devices.

Notable newcomer ExOne, based in North Huntingdon, Pa., has focused on selling systems for industrial production that draw on a wide range of materials including metal. Since its IPO in January, shares have soared more than 150 percent to recently trade around $65 a share.
At the retail level, UPS will feature 3-D printing from Stratasys as part of a test program for entrepreneurs, architects and other customers. The 3-D printing market's other big names include 3D Systems and upstarts such as Shapeways.

3. How much does this technology cost?
Industrial systems can run as low as about $5,000, with high-end systems, topping hundreds of thousands of dollars. Consumer 3-D printers are available for roughly $1,000 or under.

Like any growing industry, 3-D printing is morphing quickly. Already sales in the middle tier of additive manufacturing systems—which span industrial operations and personal 3-D printers—is showing growing pains. More specifically, the low-end of industrial 3-D printing systems, with unit prices ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 are "not selling as briskly" due to the popularity of consumer 3-D printers priced under $5,000, according to Wohlers.

As businesses and individual customers gravitate toward really expensive units or affordable desktop models, these factors combined are raising the average selling price of industrial systems.

4. Which industries stand to benefit from 3-D printing?
The early 3-D printing adopters are primarily aerospace firms and medical device manufacturers. For example, doctors have placed about 30,000 hip implants, manufactured by Arcam's 3-D technology. And 3D Systems machines creates Invisalign teeth straighteners.

In the aerospace industry, GE is using metal systems to make stronger, lighter fuel injectors for its LEAP jet engines. The redesigned components, using 3-D printing technology, consolidate as many as 20 parts into just one, cutting certification costs.
"We're saving probably on the order of 50 to 75 percent in total costs," Gareth Richards, LEAP program manager at GE Aviation, told CNBC in July. "That can be total material cost. It can be labor. It can be the design time," he said.

Automotive, fashion, tech and consumer product companies have also invested in additive manufacturing.


5. How is 3-D printing advancing?
Additive manufacturing allows designers to create shapes and products that previously were not impossible. Traditional manufacturing is about subtracting or stamping out shapes from raw materials. In contrast, 3-D printing is about building objects layer by layer in cross sections.

Making parts and finished products using 3-D printing technology has grown to account for 28 percent of all additive manufacturing activity, up from virtually zero 10 years ago, according to Wohlers.

In recent years, researchers have experimented with printing a variety of products: clothing, batteries, surgical instruments for combat—even beef.

Xerox is printing experimental chips so small that they can enable a number of applications that today's rigid, comparably larger chips cannot accommodate.

Researchers are also making strides toward achieving what Wohlers calls the holy grail: printing replacement organs. Chinese researchers recently unveiled miniature kidneys comprised of cells printed from a hydrogel material, which live for up to four months.


6. The growing global market, and the China factor
Additive manufacturing so far has tapped just eight percent of its global market potential, according to consensus views of industry experts surveyed by Wohlers. By that measure, the market opportunity could be $21.4 billion.

And seeing potential dollars signs, governments around the world are taking notice. China has dedicated $242 million to a seven-year research project. A three-year public-private partnership in the United States will invest $70 million.

Wohlers said he noticed an uptick in China's investment ever since President Obama called out 3-D printing in his State of the Union address in February. "I think what it's done is light a fire, a bonfire under the Chinese to the point where they're determined to be leader," Wohlers said.

 

[Steve Williams]

New 3D Scanner Could Kick Off Copyright Wars....

Emma Woollacott, Contributor, Forbes

Brooklyn-based 3D printing company MakerBot is opening a can of worms with the launch of a 3D scanner that allows users to copy objects placed on its turntable.

The Digitizer, due to start shipping in October, uses two lasers and a camera to scan objects up to eight inches across and weighing up to 6.6 pounds. It creates a 3D digital file that can then be used with the company’s 3D printers to create a precise facsimile.

“This is another innovative product for visionaries, early adopters, experimenters, educators, creative hobbyists, 3D sculptors, organic modelers, designers, and architects who want to be the first to become an expert in desktop 3D scanning,” says MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis in a statement.

It’s a big step forward for 3D printing. In the past, MakerBot’s many users have had to create their own models from scratch, or else download instructions from Thingiverse, the company’s user-generated library of designs. Now, though, and in just a few minutes, they can copy anything small enough to fit on the Digitizer’s turntable.

Like games figurines, for example.

Just days ago, digital artist Joaquin Baldwin was forced to withdraw a set of 3D printed Final Fantasy VII figurines from sale after developer Square Enix issued a takedown notice to Shapeways, the 3D print shop Baldwin was using. Baldwin was taken by surprise by the move, and has been seeking advice as to whether it’s legal to make the digital files available for free.

“I’m not a lawyer, so I don’t have a clue,” he says. “I just don’t want people to post them again on some site, start selling them, and then the blame coming back to me for making them accessible in the first place. I don’t know how all of this works.”

The answer is that it’s complicated. Purely decorative objects are protected by copyright, but objects with a useful purpose aren’t – they’re covered by patents instead. And the vast majority of functional objects are unpatented. This leads to some tricky cases, says Michael Weinberg of Public Knowledge, who has written a white paper about the legal implications of 3D printing.

“Sometimes useful articles can also be decorative. A vase is a container to hold water and flowers, but it can also be a work of art in its own right,” he points out. In cases such as this, the object itself isn’t subject to copyright, but decorative elements such as the design on the outside are.

He gives the example of a doorstop which is exactly the size and basic shape that a user is looking for, but which includes color and carvings along the sides.

“If the individual were to reproduce the entire doorstop, including the print and carvings, the original manufacturer may be able to bring a successful claim for copyright infringement,” he says.

“However, if the individual simply reproduced the parts of the doorstop that he cared about – the size and angle of the doorstop – and omitted the decorative elements (the print and carving), it is unlikely that the original manufacturer would be able to successfully bring a copyright claim against the copier.”

Meanwhile, trademarks exist to protect customers from confusion about the origins of a product, meaning that if you’ve created something yourself for your own use you’re in the clear: you know where it came from, after all. However, selling that object on is more problematic – as Baldwin has found.

Weinberg predicts that, over the coming years, dozens of small battles will start to set legal precedents and slowly change the way the law is implemented.

“It is critical for today’s 3D printing community, tucked away in garages, hackerspaces, and labs, to keep a vigilant eye on these policy debates as they grow,” he warns in his paper.

“There will be a time when impacted legacy industries demand some sort of DMCA for 3D printing. If the 3D printing community waits until that day to organize, it will be too late.”

 

[treitz3]

Until laws are put into place, would this mean that things 3-D printed prior to the new laws are grandfathered in? Much like the old seat belt that didn't go over the shoulder...

Tom

 

[Steve Williams]

This is a 3D scanner Tom

 

[treitz3]

True, but it got me wondering if things that are scanned/printed before any new laws were put into place....would they be grandfathered in? [copyrighted material obviously not included]

Tom

 

[Steve Williams]

we should have whart chime in as he is a copyright attorney

 

[Steve Williams]

The Much-Hyped 3D Printer Market Is Entering A New Growth Phase, Says Gartner

Natasha Lomas,Tech Crunch

3D printing remains a nascent market, despite high levels of hype around the technology’s potential — such as, most recently, news that astronauts will be using a 3D printer in space next year. The hype may be a little overblown but there’s no doubting the technology’s trajectory. Enter analyst Gartner with a new report, which predicts worldwide shipments of sub-$100,000 3D printers will grow 49% this year, to reach a total of 56,507 units.

That rate of growth is forecast to rise to 75% in 2014, fueling shipments of 98,065 units. It’s the first time Gartner has put together a forecast for the sub-$100,000 3D printer market so that’s something of a rite of passage for the technology too.

“The 3D printer market has reached its inflection point,” said Pete Basiliere, research director at Gartner, in a statement. “While still a nascent market, with hype outpacing the technical realities, the speed of development and rise in buyer interest are pressing hardware, software and service providers to offer easier-to-use tools and materials that produce consistently high-quality results.”

“As the products rapidly mature, organisations will increasingly exploit 3D printing’s potential in their laboratory, product development and manufacturing operations,” he added. “In the next 18 months, we foresee consumers moving from being curious about the technology to finding reasons to justify purchases as price points, applications and functionality become more attractive.”

The analyst expects the price of 3D printers to be driven down by competitive pressures and higher shipment volumes over the next several years, helped by increasing numbers of large multinational retailers selling 3D printers through their physical and online stores. By 2015 it’s predicting seven of the 50 largest multinational retailers will do so.

“Office superstore Staples is already in the market, and other superstores and consumer goods retailers, such as Yamada Denki, are prime candidates to sell printers and finished 3D printed items. Their presence in the market will have an impact on average selling prices, forcing providers into low-margin sales of consumer 3DP by 2017,” Basiliere added.

Combined end-user spending on 3D printers is predicted to hit $412 million this year, up 43% from spending of $288 million in 2012. While the analyst expects spending to increase 62% next year, reaching $669 million. Gartner’s forecast shows enterprises continuing to dominate 3D printer purchases over the next few years, with enterprises spending more than $325 million in 2013 vs $87 million in the consumer segment; and $536 million in 2014 vs consumer spending of $133 million.

Gartner noted that current enterprise uses of 3D technology focus on “one-off or small-run models for product design and industrial prototyping, jigs and fixtures used in manufacturing processes and mass customisation of finished goods”. But as advances in 3D printers, scanners, design tools and materials reduce the cost and complexity of creating 3D printed items, it said applications of 3D printing technology will expand further — drawing in other areas such as “architecture, defence, medical products and jewellery design”.

The analyst expects 3D printers to have the biggest impact on industries, including consumer products, industrial and manufacturing, and a “medium impact” on construction, education, energy, government, medical products, military, retail, telecommunications, transportation and utilities. Low impact industries include banking and financial services and insurance.

“Most businesses are only now beginning to fully comprehend all of the ways in which a 3DP can be cost-effectively used in their organisations, from prototyping and product development to fixtures and moulds that are used to manufacture or assemble an item to drive finished goods,” said Basiliere.

And while earlier buyers of 3D printers will continue to be makers and hobbyists, rather than average consumers, Gartner reckons the former group will contribute to the development of a 3D printing ‘killer app’ — some form of “plug and play” tool — that will be key to driving consumer sales in future. ”We expect that a compelling consumer application — something that can only be created at home on a 3D printer — will hit the scene by 2016,” Basiliere added.