Tuesday, March 21, 2017 5:33 While 3D printing might have lost its magic in the mainstream, there’s no denying that those that are still in the thick of it are coming up with ever more impressive ways of extruding melted plastic into functional objects. And for some, 3D printing is still a viable way for not just prototyping but also manufacturing at scale. The problem is, how do you speed the process up? How can you cost-compete with injection molding? The folks over at Brooklyn-based Voodoo Manufacturing just might have one of the best solutions we’ve seen yet in the form of Project Skywalker. VIDEO Using a Universal Robots UR10 robotic arm, the company has successfully been able to automate the ‘harvesting’ process (the manual process of removing a printer’s build plate) to pump out small production run batches with what is essentially the first-ever robot-operated 3D printer cluster (9 MakerBot Replicators). VIDEO “Extrapolating from the 9-printer cluster, we now estimate that a single arm will be capable of tending to approximately 100 printers within our factory,” explains company co-founder Jonathan Schwartz. “Using a robot to automate purely the harvesting step of our process would increase the current 40 printers/employee ratio to approximately 400 printers/employee. We also estimate that all in, each deployed robot arm will have a payback period of 3 months. Project Skywalker was a massive success, and all of Voodoo is now excited for the day we deploy it within our factory at full scale.” While 3D printing still has a long ways to go before it can be considered a viable and cost-effective manufacturing solution, it’s initiatives like this that are helping us get there that much faster. Read Schwartz’s full breakdown of the project—including how he thinks robotic automation is going to change the US manufacturing industry—over at the Voodoo Manufacturing blog. The post Voodoo Manufacturing Unveils the First-Ever Robot Operated 3D Printer Cluster appeared first on SolidSmack. Read more about CAD, product design and related technology at SolidSmack.com Source: is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world. Anyone can . Anyone can contribute. Anyone can become informed about their world. Please Help Support BeforeitsNews by trying our Natural Health Products below! Join our affiliate program and earn extra money by sharing with friends and family or by posting on your social media. Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at www.herbanomic.com Get our Free Ebook, "Suppressed Health Secrets" with Natural Cures THEY don't want you to know! HUmineral Humic Fulvic Concentrate - Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again! Ultimate Curcumin - Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much more. MitoCopper - Bioavailable Copper destroys pathogens and gives you more energy. (See Blood Video) Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser! Cleans out toxic buildup with oxygen! Organic Hemp Extract (CBD) - Full Spectrum high CBD (3300mg) hemp extract eases stiff joints, relieves stress and more!Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification, mental focus and thyroid health. Smart Meter Cover - Reduces Smart Meter radiation by 96%! (See Video) APeX - Far Superior to Colloidal Silver! Protect Your Family! Immusist Beverage Concentrate - Proprietary blend, formulated to reduce inflammation while hydrating and oxygenating the cells.
Brooklyn-based nine printing company Voodoo Manufacturing has unveiled a robotically managed nine printer cluster that allows nine printing to compete on cost with injection moulding. Called Project Skywalker, the cluster of 3D MakerBot Replicators pumps out production batches in parallel, with completed units "harvested" by a Universal Robots UR10 robotic arm. Voodoo plans to scale up the technology as soon as possible. “Using a robot to automate purely the harvesting step of our process would increase the current 40 printers/employee ratio to approximately 400 printers/employee," said company co-founder Jonathan Schwartz.