3D Printing News: PETG Camera, OrcaSlicer 2.5 & More
By Dynafabs
3D printing news: a camera with a printed PETG body, the OrcaSlicer 2.5 beta, a desktop metal printer with a built-in furnace, and big new machines.
This week's 3D printing news has a clear theme: printed parts doing real jobs. A camera that proves its photos are real wears a printed PETG body, a popular free slicer gets smarter about obstacles, and a startup wants to put a metal printer and furnace in one desktop box. Here's our roundup of what's happened since our last news post, with every source linked so you can read the full story.
A trust-first camera with a printed PETG body
The CAIM1 (short for Counter Artificial Intelligence Machine 1) is a portable camera designed to prove, at the moment of capture, that a photo or video came from a real sensor rather than a generative AI model. In a Prusa Research blog post, the team explains that its enclosures are printed in Prusament PETG instead of being injection moulded.
The reason is very practical. The camera's electronics are dense and run hot, and the design is still changing. Committing to steel moulding tools before the cooling was proven would have been expensive, and every change afterwards would mean reworking the tool. Printing lets the team adjust the shell and its internal air ducts overnight, and creator Josh Cowell says a replacement panel can be sliced and printed locally in a couple of hours. FilamentFeed's write-up adds that the camera is still in development and testing, with a production batch planned for 2027. Club386 covered the project's earlier announcement with Noctua.
OrcaSlicer 2.5.0 beta: smarter about obstacles
The free, open-source OrcaSlicer has moved its next big version to beta. The v2.5.0-beta release notes on GitHub add toolhead collision volumes, which let a printer profile tell the slicer about hardware sitting above the bed, such as clips, tool docks or camera arms. As FilamentFeed explains, arranging, brims, supports and travel moves then work around those obstacles, and the slicer warns if a move crosses one.
The beta also shortens travel routes on every print, speeds up rounded sparse infill and slices detailed models up to twice as fast. One catch: because the G-code for every print changes, anyone with carefully tuned profiles is advised to back them up before upgrading. It builds on the 2.5.0 alpha from 16 October.
Metal printing and sintering in one desktop box
Studio 3e8, a startup from Somerville, Massachusetts, has announced the Mesa 1. According to the company's product page and VoxelMatters' report, it prints carbon steel or copper from sealed powder cartridges, surrounded by a scaffold material that holds the part in shape, straight into a crucible inside a built-in sintering furnace. The company says there are no lasers, binders, supports or loose powder to deal with, and that it runs from a standard 120 V US wall socket.
It's due on Kickstarter on 1 December. FilamentFeed notes that the price isn't clear yet, with different figures in different places, so treat any number you see as unconfirmed until the campaign goes live. As with any crowdfunded hardware, the real test will be shipped machines.
Big machines for big parts
Two industrial stories show the other end of the scale:
- Kratos buys an eight-laser metal printer. VoxelMatters reports that Kratos Defense has bought an AMCM M 8K, with an 800 x 800 x 1,200 mm build volume, for its facility in Odon, Indiana. The aim is to make hypersonic test hardware faster and more cheaply. TCT Magazine and 3DPrint.com also covered the purchase.
- Stratasys teases a mystery machine. VoxelMatters says Stratasys will unveil an unnamed "high-volume polymer production system" at Formnext in Frankfurt on 17 November, alongside the European debut of its F870, a large-format FDM printer with a fully heated 1,000 x 610 x 610 mm chamber. No details of the new system have been released.
And one to watch for desktop users: Bambu Lab has teased the H3C, a nine-tool changer launching on 3 November, with specs and price still under wraps.
What it means if you're ordering prints
- Printing the final part is normal now. The CAIM1 uses printed PETG as a finished enclosure, not just a mock-up. PETG is tough, handles warmth better than PLA and is a sensible choice for housings. Our material guide compares the common options.
- Iteration is the superpower. Being able to change a design and have a new part in hand quickly is exactly why short runs of printed parts make sense before committing to moulds.
- Heat and warping matter for big parts. Stratasys' heated chamber is all about keeping long parts flat. If you're ordering something large, our orientation guide explains how print direction affects strength and finish.
FAQ
Can Dynafabs print enclosures and housings in PETG? Tell us what your part needs to do through the quote page and we'll suggest the right material for it.
Is Dynafabs connected to any of these companies? No. This is industry news we've read and summarised. Follow the links for the full details from the original sources.
Should I wait for desktop metal printing? For most enclosures, brackets and prototypes, a well-chosen plastic or resin part does the job today. If you're not sure what suits your project, ask us through the quote page.
Got an enclosure, bracket or prototype you'd like to hold in your hand? Upload your STL, 3MF, STEP or ZIP at dynafabs.uk/quote. You don't need an account to get a quote.
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