Japan allocated 4 bln yen to launch national 3D printing project, from 3Ders.org:
…The Japanese government has allocated 4 billion yen ($38.6 million) in funding for its national 3D printing projects, including the research and development of 3D printing machines and refined 3D molding technology.
Among which, 3.2 billion yen funding will be allocated to support research and development of 3D printers capable of producing end use products in metal for industrial use. Another 550 million yen will be used to develop super-precision 3D printing technology, including Fused Deposition Modeling, Selective Laser Sintering, as well as technology for post-processing and powder recycling. The remaining 250 million yen is for developing new 3D measurement devices and image processing software.
In the short term, Japan plans to support the use of 3D printers in educational settings where students may receive hands-on experience in learning about 3D data and 3D printing technology. By bringing 3D printing technology to students, they hope to provide skills and experience to their students which will allow them to become comfortable working with these tools in research and design – while also engaging their imaginations.
…Japan’s long term goal is to build the most advanced industrial 3D printer by 2020 to make a major impact on the 3D printing market. Internationally, the 3D printer market is already dominated by the United States and Germany, with 75 percent and 15 percent market share, respectively. Japan’s share is just 0.3 percent. If Japan’s nascent 3D printer industry can produce some success stories, the field could really take off…
Every Thursday is #3dthursday here at Adafruit! The DIY 3D printing community has passion and dedication for making solid objects from digital models. Recently, we have noticed electronics projects integrated with 3D printed enclosures, brackets, and sculptures, so each Thursday we celebrate and highlight these bold pioneers!
Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don’t forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D!
The Adafruit Learning System has dozens of great tools to get you well on your way to creating incredible works of engineering, interactive art, and design with your 3D printer! We also offer the MakerBot Digitizer in our store. If you’ve made a cool project that combines 3D printing and electronics, be sure to let us know, and we’ll feature it here!