Ep040: 3D Printed Everything, Strength v Toughness, Blades of Fiber, and What Can't Coffee Do?

Hackaday Podcast · 18 Oct 2019 · 55m

What this episode covers

Hackaday editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams discuss the launch of the Prusa Mini 3D printer, noting its 180mm build volume and 32-bit STM32 processor. They highlight research from Washington State University on adding 20% coffee grounds to PLA filament to increase impact toughness by 400%, and showcase several 3D-printed mechanical projects, including a hoverboard-powered tracked robot and a high-torque servo gearbox. The episode also covers the disposal challenges of carbon fiber wind turbine blades and the repurposing of vintage VTech toy computers containing Z80 processors.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Next Byte Podcast · 15m

    230. 3D Printing Gets the Hannah Montana Treatment

    The hosts discuss 'SustainUp Print,' an open-source software tool from MIT that enables dual-extruder 3D printers to mix strong virgin oil-based plastics with weaker, eco-friendly recycled or biodegradable filaments. By using finite element analysis (FEA) to identify critical stress zones, the tool reinforces only those areas with strong plastic while filling the rest with sustainable material, achieving 70% of full strength with only 20% virgin plastic. The conversation also touches on the limitations of recycled polymers due to chain degradation and the potential for this hybrid approach to optimize for cost and mechanical performance beyond just sustainability.

  • The Next Byte Podcast · 17m

    12. Ford Trucks Made From Trash, NASA’s Ingenuity Drone, Snake-Inspired Nonslip Shoes

    Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss three engineering stories: Ford and HP's partnership to upcycle 3D printer waste from SmileDirectClub into fuel-line clips for the F-250; NASA's Ingenuity drone, a rotorcraft carried by the Perseverance rover designed to test powered flight on Mars; and a joint MIT-Harvard project creating snake-inspired nonslip shoes using Kirigami to prevent falls. The episode highlights material science innovations, extreme environment engineering, and biomimetic design.

  • Making It · 1h 08m

    423: Accountabili-buddies

    Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their current 3D printing projects, with Jimmy using a Bambu Lab X1 Carbon and Prusa XL for practical shop organization, and Bob exploring castable resin for bronze bell casting. David Picciuto shares his experience with an Elegoo Saturn 3 ultra and water-washable resin, while the group debates the value of creating art for art's sake versus functional objects. They also address the creative challenges of YouTube content creation, brainstorming hooks for videos, and the importance of scheduling dedicated creative time to overcome mental blocks.

  • The Next Byte Podcast · 26m

    100. Weaving Nanomaterials With 3D Printed Machine

    Hosts Daniel and Farbode discuss a Harvard University research project led by Vinoth Manaharan that uses a 3D-printed plastic cartridge and water surface tension to manipulate micro- and nanoscale particles, democratizing access to micromanufacturing previously reliant on expensive laser tweezers. They also review a webinar featuring Lumafield, a startup making affordable desktop CT scanners, which utilized the Duro PLM platform to accelerate its product development cycle. The episode highlights how accessible tools like 3D printing and cloud-native software are enabling new capabilities in high-frequency antenna design and hardware verification.

  • Making It · 1h 09m

    Episode 155: Brain tornado-ing and pretzels

    Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their recent projects, including Jimmy's new CNC machine and David's 3D printed screw organizers. The group brainstorms ideas for David's sponsored dog feeder, debating mechanisms like Archimedes screws and gravity dispensers, while also tackling Jimmy's challenge of creating ten wire-bending projects for a sports-themed video. They conclude with updates on their YouTube channel strategies, business budgeting, and personal interests.

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