Rapid Ready Roundup: Mcor, Stratasys, Architecture and 3D Photo Booths

In the course of my diligent efforts to keep you good people up to date on the state of additive manufacturing (AM), 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.

The Irish are invading! No, not really, but Mcor Technologies is making new inroads in the US, following the debut of its Iris 3D printer and its deal with Staples. The company announced the addition of architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) 3D printing and modeling firm, LGM to its list of channel partners. LGM will sell the Mcor stable of AM systems, as well as using Mcor products to fill AM orders.

“Mcor 3D printing solutions are uniquely positioned to create high-quality, full color geospatial and AEC models, and will enable us to provide 3D printing solutions to additional market sectors,” said Charles Overy, owner and director of LGM. “With a commitment to green products, LGM continually seeks to partner with firms that further our earth-conscious mission. Mcor’s eco-friendly, paper-based 3D printing technology supports LGM’s commitment to increasingly move to green products.”

Moving on, Stratasys was recently honored with the “2013 Product Award - Top Innovative Equipment” from The Dental Advisor magazine for the Objet Eden 260V. The AM system was noted by the magazine for its “outstanding surface detail, easy management and maintenance and high resolution in all axes.”

“We are delighted that the Objet Eden260V 3D Printer was recognized by the prestigious Dental Advisor magazine,” said Avi Cohen, director of Global Dental at Stratasys Ltd. “This award reflects the growing importance of 3D printing in digitizing dentistry. Being placed in the Top Innovative Equipment category highlights Stratasys’ important role in redefining manufacturing for dental laboratories.”

Next, you may remember Rapid Ready talking about D-Shape in the past as part of a slowly moving plan for large-scale 3D printing. The basic idea is to use a giant extruder head filled with concrete to build the structural foundations of buildings. To date, not much progress has been made in putting D-Shape into action.

Now, Dutch architect Janjaap Ruijssenaars of Universe Architecture says he intends on moving ahead with the technology to construct a house in the shape of a giant Möbius strip. The “Landscape House” is projected to be complete in 2014 at the cost of around $5 million.

Finally, I can’t remember the last time I saw an actual photo booth. The old strip of pictures still appears as a common trope in TV and the movies, but the actual physical object seems to have become a rare beast. MakerBot is putting a new spin on an old idea by introducing 3D printing photo booths.

The general idea remains the same as the original photo booth. People step inside and have their likeness digitally captured to provide a 3D rendering. That data is used to build a model of the customers using AM. While AM is fast, it isn’t going to spit out a model in a minute or two, so unlike photo booths, folks will have to return to the site later to pick up the finished product. The whole shebang runs between $20 and $60.

Below you’ll find the incredibly artsy promotion video from Universe Architecture about the Landscape House.

Sources: PR Newswire, Vending Times, Guardian UK, PR Newswire