On a side note, we would like to thank everyone that made it out to our second Product Design and Development Seminar on Monday, June 10th in Honolulu at the Manoa Innovation Center! We had a wonderful time sharing information and meeting everyone!

If you would like to share a news article with the 3D Innovations community, please leave it as a comment on this blog post. Thank you!

3D Printing News

• Amazon Expands Into Additive Manufacturing Source: Engineering.com
• GE Aviation Cuts 3D Print Time in LEAP Engine Source: Design News
• Rapid 2013 Day 2: The State of the Additive Manufacturing Industry Source: Rapid Ready Technology
• Nike and Adidas Use 3D Printing to Speed Up Prototyping Source: Engineering.com
• Amazon Creates A 3D Printing Store, Vaulting The Technology Into The Mainstream Source: Tech Crunch
• 3D Printing Helps Ford Cut Production Time on Some Parts by 25% Source: Mashable

STEM Education News

• This Is What STEM Jobs Really Look Like Source: Fast Company
• Half of all engineers are considering additional training Source: Engineering.com
• Tech jobs aren’t just for Silicon Valley Source: CNN Money
• Engineering students want jobs at NASA, Google, Boeing, Apple and Microsoft — in that order Source: Geek Wire

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3D Innovations is a full service 3D Engineering/Design company – from the  3D Design to a fully functional 3D Prototype & Product.

]]> http://www.3d-innovations.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1276 0 http://www.3d-innovations.com/blog/?p=1270 http://www.3d-innovations.com/blog/?p=1270#comments Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:45:35 +0000 3d-innovations.com http://www.3d-innovations.com/blog/?p=1270 Continue reading →]]> “Don’t make assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions.” – Miguel Angel Ruiz

As you know, last week and this week we held two Product Development and Design Seminars in Hawaii. We found that these were not only a great opportunity to get out into the community, but they also proved very useful to help entrepreneurs and small businesses get their engineering, manufacturing, prototyping, 3D CAD, additive manufacturing/3D printing, product design and development questions answered. This got us thinking, there must be many more people out there that are curious about all of these design aspects as well, but just do not have a resource in which to ask their questions… Well now you do!

Please feel free to e-mail info@3d-innovations.com with your questions, or post them as a comment on this blog post because chances are that if you have a question, someone out there has the same question! We truly love educating entrepreneurs and small business owners about all aspects of the product development life cycle, so that in the end you are able to make a clear and informed decision about the future of your product.

Product Design & Development Seminar in Honolulu, HI on June 10, 2013

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3D Innovations is a full service 3D Engineering/Design company – from the  3D Design to a fully functional 3D Prototype & Product.

As always, if you would like to share a news article with the 3D Innovations community, please leave it as a comment on this blog post. Thank you!

3D Printing News

• Misconceptions About 3D Printing Source: Design News
• China’s 3D Printing Revenue Expected to Soar Source: Engineering.com
• The race to build the first 3D-printed building Source: Wired UK
• Watch Out, Hobbyist 3D Printing – Here Comes DIY Injection Molding Source: Design News
• Autodesk CEO on 3-D Printing Technology Source: Fox Business
• 3D Printed Antennas Could Reduce Size, Cost of Mobile Devices Source: Engineering.com
• 28% of 3D printing industry revenues now from finished parts printing, says Wohlers Source: 3D Printer
• Choosing the Best Additive Manufacturing Materials Source: Desktop Engineering
• 10 Incredible Things You Can Make With 3D Printers Source: Manufacturers’ Monthly

STEM Education News

• These engineers started a company right out of college Source: Engineering.com
• National Engineers Week Foundation Honors Educators Who Inspire Students to Discover Engineering Source: STEMblog
• NASA Partners With the LEGO Group for Design and Build Contest Source: Research.gov
• STEM Equity for Role Models Source: National Association for Partnerships in Equity

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3D Innovations is a full service 3D Engineering/Design company – from the  3D Design to a fully functional 3D Prototype & Product.

We will be focusing the discussion around accelerating your design project. Our CEO, Collin Kobayashi, will also share information about the following topics:

• Learn about the Product Development process and steps to commercialize your products.
• See what methods are most effective in streamlining the design process including design methods, visualization tools, prototyping techniques, and which manufacturing process would best fit your needs.
• Hear about how 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing could benefit your projects and how to accelerate your schedule to meet production manufacturing requirements.

Here are the event details:

Date: Monday, June 10, 2013
Time: 10am – 11:30am
Location: Manoa Innovation Center, Innovation Lab, 2800 Woodlawn Dr. Suite 285,
Honolulu, HI 96822

Cost: $25/person, payable at the door (Cash and checks accepted). Free for MEDB, HTDC, and INNOVATE Hawaii clients
RSVP: info@innovatehawaii.org (Seating is limited)
*One-on-one meetings with 3D Innovations to follow each seminar – Contact us to reserve a spot!

A little bit about us: 3D Innovations provides full scale product design/development solutions including 3D modeling, 3D CAD, Design/Engineering, 3D Printing/Rapid Prototyping, and Manufacturing services that transform concepts into products. Utilizing a dynamic approach to 3D Design, we are able to quickly develop digital designs into functional prototypes using 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing processes. Projects are designed to fit the specific manufacturing method required to move your project into low or high volume Production Manufacturing. Visit www.3d-innovations.com for more information.

*If you have any questions about the event or would like more information about accelerating your design project, please e-mail us at info@3d-innovations.com

We highly suggest that you check out the  Wohler’s Associates and McKinsey reports related to 3D printing that were recently released. Both reports give some great information as to the current state of the industry and future economic and growth predictions.

If you would like to share a news article with the 3D Innovations community, please leave a link to the article as a comment on this blog post. Thank you!

3D Printing News

• 3D Printer Launching to Space Station in 2014 Source: Space.com
• Wohler’s Report 2013 Released Source: Rapid Ready Technology
• Research Begins on Graphene Material for Additive Manufacturing Source: Rapid Ready Technology
• Listening To The Future With A 3D-Printed Ear Source: Tech Crunch
• Jeff Bezos on 3D Printing Source: Engineering.com
• Navy Wants Aircraft Carriers to Manufacture Weapons On the Go Source: Gizmodo
• Report Adds 3D Printing to 12 Disruptive Techs for 2025 Source: Engineering.com
• Shapeways intros squeezable Elasto Plastic 3D printing material Source: Engadget

STEM Education News

• How Lego Is Constructing the Next Generation of Engineers Source: Smithsonian
• 4 ways to encourage girls in STEM Source: Charlotte Observer
• An Interactive Look At The STEM Gender Divide Source: Edudemic
• Kids Need STEM Education in the Digital Age Source: WNYC

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3D Innovations is a full service 3D Engineering/Design company – from the  3D Design to a fully functional 3D Prototype & Product.

Throughout life we are each inspired by different things…some of us are inspired by a certain professor while others of us are inspired a quest for answers and knowledge…while our inspiration comes from different places, it instills in us a universal drive to succeed. We wanted to reach out to our parents, teachers and educators with this blog post to learn a bit as to how they work to inspire students. How do you light the inspiration spark in students? To take it a bit further, How do you inspire students in STEM fields?

We have come up with some ways in which we have seen students become inspired throughout their educational journey.

1. Hands-on Activity: We have seen this time and time again, when students are able to actively participate in the classroom we see them become fully engaged with the material. Our educational company, 3D Academy, works with schools and after-school programs to provide interactive education opportunities with 3D CAD, prototyping and 3D printing and each time we actively engage with the students we see their eyes light up because we are using a teaching model that emphasizes trial-and-error rather than lectures.
2. Field Trips: It is no secret that students love getting out of the classroom and exploring. Whether it is a class field trip or a family trip to the local science museum you see students learning and becoming inspired.
3. Group Competitions: Robotics competitions are everywhere these days, and what is more powerful than coming together with fellow students to design and build an actual robot? Answer: Nothing. Students become inspired by seeing their work come to life and these kind of competitions often lead students into future STEM careers.
4. Mentors: Mentoring a student is a very powerful way of helping them see the “cool” side of STEM careers. Having this one-on-one contact with a student allows them to get any questions they have answered and your influence might just be the inspiration they were needing.

Please leave a comment on this blog post with your own ideas about inspiring students, and we will grow the list together!

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3D Innovations is a full service 3D Engineering/Design company – from the  3D Design to a fully functional 3D Prototype & Product.

3D Academy, A Division of 3D Innovations, LLC provides training services specializing in 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) Technology. 3D Academy promotes Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education programs that integrate 3D Technology into K–12, as well as university classrooms.

As always, please share any additional news articles with our community by leaving it as a comment on this blog post. Thank you!

3D Printing News

• Doctors save little boy’s life by 3D printing tiny plastic airway for him in world first Source: Mail Online
• Wood, Salt, and Wonder: The Renewable Future of 3D Printing Source: Gizmodo
• Building Better Plastic Filament Source: Rapid Ready Technology
• China to Open 10 3D Printing Innovation Centers Source: 3D Printing Industry
• Additive Manufacturing Employed for Aquatic Animal Tagging Source: Rapid Ready Technology
• 3D Printed Pizza Gets Nasa Funding To Feed Mars Space Missions Source: HuffPost Tech UK
• Mataerial 3D-prints beautiful ‘gravity-defying’ structures Source: Wired UK
• 3D Printing Round-Up: Innovative Medical Field & Space Exploration Pursuits Source: Design News
• X-Box One Prototyped with 3D Printer Source: Engineering.com
• 3D Printers Demonstrate Rapid Robot Evolution Source: Yahoo! News
• Physical bump-mapping lets us 3D print photographs Source: Geek

STEM Education News

• Unpacking the Benefits of a STEM Education Source: EdTech
• The Joy of Discovering A New Discipline Source: Engineering.com
• Teen Creates Cheap Self-Driving Car, Wins Top Intel Prize Source: Engineering.com
• A Web Series For Kids Aims To Be The “Elmo for Engineering” Source: Fast Company
• Brilliant Gadgets From the Hands of the Young Source: Design News

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3D Innovations is a full service 3D Engineering/Design company – from the  3D Design to a fully functional 3D Prototype & Product.

For two months in a row now, Rapid Ready Technology has posted some intriguing articles about companies that are trying to advance CAD applications and software in very drastic ways.

1. Leonar3Do Brings Virtual Reality to 3D Design: A Hungarian startup, is ready to offer a different approach to 3D design by allowing people to actually design in 3D. The company’s proprietary technology uses imaging glasses and a stylus called the “Bird” as part of a virtual reality (VR) design space that creates objects in 3D.

“Leonar3Do’s vision has always been to breakout of the antiquated 2D mold and drive design innovation to empower how people can visualize, create and innovate their ideas they have imagined but in real, 3D space,” said Roland Manyai, Leonar3Do’s business development and marketing director.

The system uses infra-red position detection in the form of three sensors mounted around the workspace. The glasses have built-in infra LEDs enabling head-tracking positioning, and the Bird is a spatial input device that allows users to create and interact with 3D VR images.

2. Thinker Thing Directs Digital Design with Your Mind: What if someone could build a design tool that allows the user to make anything they can imagine, by thought alone? Thinker Thing is a company that has taken on this ambitious project, with startup funding from the Chilean government. Instead of controlling the evolution of a design with a mouse or touchscreen, the company is developing a method of using an Emotiv EPOC EEG reader to build 3D objects.

At this point users aren’t directing complete designs with their thoughts, as though your brain were controlling the mouse. Instead, the EPOC measures reactions to different design elements and selects the element that, according to your EEG, is most appealing to the user. Each piece of a larger design slowly evolves as EPOC continues to monitor a user’s thoughts, until eventually the entire piece is complete.

Both of these projects are extremely interesting but at the same time seem a little far off. As far as the future of CAD goes, we expect to see a couple advancements within the next few years. One, Multi-Touch CAD; Take away the keyboard and mouse and you are left with designing on touch screens with your fingers (much like how we use an iPad). Moving geometry, viewing and sketching could all be done with your digits, and could even allow for greater expression than through a keyboard and mouse. Some apps have achieved this, but we expect to see this technology translate to our workplace and become more common. Two, Sharing; One aspect to CAD is the ability to share files from one person to the next. Currently, there are many types of files that cannot be opened with different applications and we expect to see immense growth in this area of CAD as more designers collaborate on projects and push software developers to find better and more standardized was to share files.

These are exciting times for designers, engineers and CAD! We are eagerly anticipating future CAD advancements and can’t wait to see this technology continue its transformation.

Research Articles

• Leonar3Do Brings Virtual Reality to 3D Design Source: Rapid Ready Technology
• Thinker Thing Directs Digital Design with Your Mind Source: Rapid Ready Technology
• What Does the Future Hold for Computer Aided Design (CAD)? Source: Clean Tech Revolution
• Q&A: The Future Of CAD Source: Manufacturing.net

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3D Innovations is a full service 3D Engineering/Design company – from the  3D Design to a fully functional 3D Prototype & Product.

If you would like to share a news article with the 3D Innovations community, please feel free to leave it as a comment on this post. Thank you!

3D Printing News:

• Harvard Robots are 3D Printed, Self-Assembling Source: Engineering.com
• How 3D Printed Body Parts Are Changing Medicine Source: Design News
• E-Waste 3D Printer to Mars? Source: Engineering.com
• The Beautiful Math of 3D Printed Mobiles Source: Shapeways
• Additive Manufacturing Employed for Aquatic Animal Tagging Source: Rapid Ready Technology
• How 3-D Printing Could Disrupt the Economy of the Future Source: Bloomberg
• Using 3D printing to include electronics into designs Source: Make Parts Fast
• Michigan Tech Sponsors A 3D Printers For Peace Contest Source: Tech Crunch
• New tool lets you create 3D-printed models with a literal wave of your hand Source: Extreme Tech

STEM Education News:

• Show Some Respect For The Innovating Women Reshaping Technology And Entrepreneurship Source: Forbes
• Robots in the Classroom Source: Media Planet
• 22 More People You Didn’t Know Were Engineers Source: Design News
• Miss Hawaii USA Brianna Acosta, “I’m a robotics nerd”. Source: MidWeek

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3D Innovations is a full service 3D Engineering/Design company – from the  3D Design to a fully functional 3D Prototype & Product.

We know how important it is to be an active business member in society, and we pride ourselves on our involvement with the local STEM community as well as the local and national 3D printing and start-up communities.

If you have not had a chance to see what we have been up to, click on over to the news section of our website!

Here is a quick summary of our most recent news:

1. 3D Innovations sponsors the Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo

April 22 & 23, 2013: 3D Innovations sponsors the first Inside 3D Printing Conference and Expo in New York City.

2. 3D Innovations sponsors 4th Annual Hawaii STEM Conference

April 19, 2013: 3D Innovations sponsors 3D CAD/Pre-Engineering workshops for students to learn about Engineering/Design and enhance their tech skills. Visithttp://www.womenintech.com/HawaiiSTEMConference/ for more information.

3. Bytemarks Cafe features 3D Innovations/3D Academy

November 28, 2012: Catch us talking about our business trip to Asia and learn more about 3D Printing on Bytemarks Cafe – Wed. Nov. 28th 5-6pm on KIPO – 89.3 FM

4. Cool Jobs Features 3D Innovations/3D Academy

November 26, 2012: STEMWORKS and KIDS AHEAD features Collin Kobayashi of 3D Innovations/3D Academy in their latest edition of “Cool Jobs”. Read more about his job that involves working with 3D Technology. Check out the story here.

5. Sachi Kitchenware Launches New Product

September 21, 2012: With design, prototyping, and manufacturing support, 3D Innovations was able to assist Sachi Kitchenware with product development, going from concept to product and bringing their product to market. Visit www.3d-innovations.com/pupucooler.html for more information.

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3D Innovations is a full service 3D Engineering/Design company – from the  3D Design to a fully functional 3D Prototype & Product.