Skip to main content

Bondic’s new Liquid Plastic Welder reinvents glue for the 3D-printing age

BondicEVO™ Liquid Plastic Welder | Kickstarter Tecnology 2017
3D printers are normally pretty sizeable things, even when they are made to have a small “desktop” footprint. No one can accuse Bondic’s new BondicEVO Liquid Plastic Welder of having that problem. A bit like the world’s smallest, battery-powered 3D printer, the Liquid Plastic Welder is a pocket-sized device that extrudes a stream of liquid plastic for joining two materials together. Like some kind of nifty spy gadget (well, if spy movies were all about fixing fidget spinners with plastic welding), the adhesive stays in its liquid form until it’s blasted with ultraviolet light — with the result of hardening it in just four seconds.

Think of it as a 2017-era version of glue — only way more precise and easier to apply — and you won’t be far off.

The product was originally the work of Dr. Thomas Offermann, a German dentist-turned-inventor. According to Bondic’s superhero origin story, a patient one day asked if he could take home of the dental bonding material dentists use for filling minor cavities, as well as a UV light. This patient apparently used the material to attach wires to a microchip, which sparked the idea behind the current Kickstarter project.

After a few years of hard research and development and various versions, the next-gen BondicEVO is now available for pre-order on Kickstarter. In terms of form factor, it looks similar to a miniature glue gun, or a pocket squirt gun — complete with a high-quality finish. It includes a built-in LED light with more power than previous versions, a quick release cartridge system for easy refilling, and an ergonomic grip for convenient and steady applications.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t a replacement for either glue or a 3D printer, but some intriguing product that exists in the middle. Given its keychain-friendly portability, however, it would totally be a useful tool to have in the arsenal of any self-respecting maker — whether you are looking to carry out minor repairs, create unique art, insulate and secure wiring, or whatever else.

Prices start at $11, which includes a starter kit with a tube of BondicEVO formula, LED light, shaping tool, and decal. Shipping is set to take place in August.

Luke Dormehl
I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury trailer reveals wild new game mode
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

Nintendo released a new trailer for Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, which finally reveals information on the re-release's new mode. Bowser's Fury is an entirely new adventure that features a gigantic Bowser.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is a Nintendo Switch version of the 2013 Wii U game Super Mario 3D World. Nintendo previously revealed that the new edition would feature something called Bowser's Fury, but this is the first time the mode has been shown in any form.

Read more
Wild new 3D printer makes parts by sending titanium particles supersonic
3D printing metal technique

Regular layer-by-layer 3D printing is old news compared to a new additive manufacturing technique developed by an international team of engineers. They recently demonstrated an innovative method for printing 3D metal objects by firing a powder that’s composed of tiny titanium particles, at supersonic speed, so that they fuse together in any interesting way.

This “cold spray” approach takes place below the melting temperature of the metal. When the particles hit the substrate at high enough velocity, they deform and adhere to it. The efficiency of this adhesion increases as the particle velocity increases. Without the high-speed impact, metal powders would simply not adhere well.

Read more
GPS-tracking, 3D-printed decoy eggs can help root out illegal poachers
Decoy turtle eggs

Poachers pose a major threat to sea turtle nests by stealing eggs to sell in what has become a rampant black market trade in certain parts of the world. Conservation efforts to stop this have, to date, included patrolling beaches for would-be poachers, as well as removing the eggs and placing them in a secure hatchery so that they can be incubated in safety.

Conservationists at the nonprofit organization Paso Pacifico in Nicaragua and researchers from the U.K.’s University of Kent have another idea, however -- and it involves 3D-printed decoy eggs, boasting built-in GPS trackers.

Read more