ENTER HERE - 3DPrint - Ultimate 3D Printing Giveaway!

[emil]

- What is the most interesting thing you have seen done with a 3D printer or 3D printing technology?

It really is hard to choose only one. I would say that one very cool thing is 3d printed organs, which have tremendous possibility, and could help save lifes. The idea that you would be able to print a liver, an ear or a heart is simply too cool to fathom. However, as this really wouldn't have any use for a hobbyis (well, i hope not, but i guess you could write a new take on frankenstein), i am really excited about the idea of printing circuitry.

- If you could build your dream 3D printer, what would it include and what would it do? Let your imagination run wild!
For now, size is somewhat important. Being able to print a fullsize helmet in one piece is insanely cool. Although several extruders, and precision is just as important. I like the idea of being able to print houses with big 3d printers, printing cement, but i'm not sure wether that is quite there yet

[Laserbeamtoast]

Okay, to start off, I will introduce myself. I'm Dylan, and I'm in 7th grade. I saw this contest, and instantly got really excited. I really want one of these printers, so here are the answers to your questions-

1. What is the most interesting thing you have seen done with a 3D printer or 3D printing technology?

The most interesting thing that I have seen is the bio-technology with 3D printers. It is really cool that someone doesn't have to wait for a donor or transplant for days (or even years!), but can just have their custom body part printed off in a matter of hours, or even minutes. I also think that 3D printing is probably the future of pretty much everything. Food, cars, houses, medicine, and so many other things!

2. If you could build your dream 3D printer, what would it include and what would it do? Let your imagination run wild!

If I could build my own 3D printer, it would have two stages: printing, and the pick-and-place stage. The "printing" stage would include two different extruders: one for plastic and one for metal. That way, one could print the case and circuit board (instead of wood), and the other could lay down the traces and connections. The second stage, the "pick-and-place" stage, could pick up (and place) the components into the circuit board, also sealing it up, and going back to the "print" stage to use the metal extruder to not just solder, but also weld the components in place. The printer would also have durable and fast steppers to move things around, and get the print done quickly.

Thank you for starting this contest, and I hope you like my entry!

Thanks,
Dylan

[orionthunter]

- What is the most interesting thing you have seen done with a 3D printer or 3D printing technology?
I would say the printed low cost prosthetic hands. I love the idea of using this technology to improves people's lives with collaborative design, and low cost manufacturing.

- If you could build your dream 3D printer, what would it include and what would it do? Let your imagination run wild!
I would like to see a printer with multiple extruders with a single hot end that could mix filament colors to create any color on the finished print.

[ralphzoontjens]

Hi, I would like to enter.
I agree to the rules and guidelines and retweeted and shared the links.

twitter: https://twitter.com/ralphzoontjens
fb: https://www.facebook.com/ralphzoontjens

For the questions:
- What is the most interesting thing you have seen done with a 3D printer or 3D printing technology?
The work of Neri Oxman to me stands currently as the most state-of-the-art work as she is exploring 3d printing with graded properties such as stiffness. Her work also stands out because she has developed an interface, using Processing, to assign these properties to individual voxels, as if one were painting in each layer of the geometry.

- If you could build your dream 3D printer, what would it include and what would it do? Let your imagination run wild!
It would be a 3d printer that can integrate electronic and mechanical structures. It would be able to combine many materials, not be constrained by building layer by layer but also being able to weave structures in 3d space, it would be able to work with yarns, and it would be able to infuse printed materials with liquids such as inks to make them conductive, a power source, electrically responsive to stretching/bending etc. I am especially interested in 3d printing of smart textiles so this is what the printer should be most geared towards.

[Nemares]

- What is the most interesting thing you have seen done with a 3D printer or 3D printing technology?
I have seen multiple people across the internet using 3d printing to create casting molds. The ability to not only have it in plastic, but to take the plastic prototypes and use it to make a piece in metal afterwards is a wonderful innovation.

- If you could build your dream 3D printer, what would it include and what would it do? Let your imagination run wild!
I would love to have a printer that had multiple extruders, a large printing area (12"x12"18" would be my ideal), and a heated bed. I would ultimately love to use it to make cosplay armor in as few segments as possible. I have so many ideas running about in head that I wouldn't even know where to begin.

[thelowlander]

- What is the most interesting thing you have seen done with a 3D printer or 3D printing technology?
So many things to mention here. I like printed figurines, custom toys, machine parts, casting molds etc. But the most interesting thing might be prosthetic limbs and hands, or better yet. printed organs, to replace organs that are failing.

- If you could build your dream 3D printer, what would it include and what would it do? Let your imagination run wild!
Aside from having something from star trek that materialises everything you ask it to? (Teh Tarik/tea, shaken with milk) A small portable package that would be fairly easy to setup in a room of different sizes. So you could print in different volumes. If there's room for it, the printer would be big, if there's no room, you don't unfold/setup the printer all the way and it would be a bit smaller. Allow it to print and combine different materials maybe. Like printing electronic devices and assembling it at the spot.
Also, a 3D printer that would double as a CNC machine, by changing the head or several components would be a dream. Without having to dig too deep in CNC knowledge. It should be a machine that's very straightforward to use, so people can focus on the content rather than the machine and it's setup.

Actually, aside from all this printing goodness, I'd like to come up with a system or guidelines to moderate the amount of materials used in this new era of 3D printing. Plastic is one of the worst pollutants on the planet, our oceans are choking in it. If the oceans die, we die, simple as that. The advent of 3D printing could have the nasty side effect that everyone starts using a lot more plastic, and because it is becoming so affordable and easy to print anything, people could print lots and lots of tests that waste resources before they print something they are happy with... the iteration cycle...
Scrap that earlier part about building an expanding printer.... If I could build my dream 3D printer, it would be one where I could use and reuse the materials all the time, so there would be a minimum amount of waste.

Nice competition.
I've shared the facebook posts as well.

[tesserwithpaul]

- What is the most interesting thing you have seen done with a 3D printer or 3D printing technology?
Life enhancing prosthetics for children, across continents: http://youtu.be/peoZJRtnPiA

- If you could build your dream 3D printer, what would it include and what would it do? Let your imagination run wild!

In Addition to prosthetics, I'd like to build/print custom video production tools like gimbals, sliders, go pro cases etc.

[Ggalisky]

My entry:

- What is the most interesting thing you have seen done with a 3D printer or 3D printing technology?
Creating organs. That stuff is crazy

- If you could build your dream 3D printer, what would it include and what would it do? Let your imagination run wild!
Something extremely rigid, that could do 4 materials at 500mm/s.

[Batteau62]

- What is the most interesting thing you have seen done with a 3D printer or 3D printing technology?
The most interesting and amazing has to be the medical prosthetics that have saved lives and enriched lives. I'm also interested in how the technology will change the quality of life for all of us, rich or poor.
- If you could build your dream 3D printer, what would it include and what would it do? Let your imagination run wild!
My dream printer would print in 5 axis' in almost any material. It would use open source hardware and software. Fully integrated pipeline from design to completed object. Modular with easy service and maintenance ability.

[gial]

- What is the most interesting thing you have seen done with a 3D printer or 3D printing technology?
I think the new unlimited capabilities to medical industries, to health care, to surgery.
- If you could build your dream 3D printer, what would it include and what would it do?
Big space, multi material, combine SLA and FDM technologies, multi color, fast, easy to use, simple maintenance, a nice design to have it to your living room for everyday use.