Rapid Ready Roundup: The Rygo, Renishaw GML, AM Materials Research and Portable 3D Printers

In the course of my diligent efforts to keep you good people up to date on the state of additive manufacturing, I come across many interesting news items. I’ll gather them up every so often and present them in a Rapid Ready Roundup (like this one). You can find the last Roundup here.

If you follow additive manufacturing (AM) with any regularity you probably recognize the name Bathsheba Grossman. A recent Kickstarter campaign asked for investors to recreate one of Grossman’s sculptures on a larger scale. Once the goal was met, the design for the Rygo was sent to Enrico Dini to build in concrete using the D-Shape 3D printer.

The result is a nearly six foot tall sculpture that demonstrates the capabilities of AM and the creativity of artists using the technology. The Rygo will be on display at the VanDusen Botanical Gardens for the remainder of the year.

Moving on, Renishaw is offering a free version of its Geometric Modeling Library (GML) for personal use. According to Renishaw’s website, GML is, “… a suite of C++ classes and functions designed to support and facilitate the development of any application requiring complex geometry manipulation.” For academic and commercial use, Renishaw is also offering a free 90-day trial of GML.

Next, we have some AM materials news. PolyOne will work with researchers at the University of Dayton as part of a three-year project to develop advanced materials and production parts. The collaboration is the result of a $3 million grant from Ohio Third Frontier to develop polymers for use in the aerospace and automotive industry. Other involved parties include GE Aviation, Rapid Prototype & Manufacturing Inc. and Stratasys.

“We are honored to be part of this collaborative project and provide our formulation expertise to develop these specialty applications,” said Dr. Christopher Murphy, vice president, Research and Development, and chief innovation officer, PolyOne Corporation. “We look forward to working with the other project participants in Ohio to bring these new innovations to market.”

Finally, 3D printers are getting some walking shoes. Different members of the DIY community have been experimenting with portable 3D printers. The most impressive comes from MIT’s Little Devices Lab and is named the PopFab. Not only does the PopFab include a 3D printer, but also a CNC milling machine, a vinyl cutter, and a programmable drawing tool. All of that is packed into an aluminum attaché case.

Below you’ll find a short video demonstration of the PopFab.

Sources: Renishaw, The Verge, PolyOne, Vancouver Observer