3D Printing
What is 3D printing?
3D printing is a process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital file. Using additive processes creates a 3D printed object. An additive process is a form of successive layering. Each piece of the object is created in layers until the entire object is printed. Every layer can be seen as a thinly sliced piece of the object.
How does it work? To create a 3D object one must first start with a virtual design. The design is made in a computer aided design (CAD) file using a 3D modeling program or by using a 3D scanner to copy an object. The scanner can make a 3D digital copy and put it into the 3D modeling program. Once that is done, the software slices the model into thousands of layers. Then the file is uploaded to the 3D printer and the printer creates the object layer by layer. The 3D printer creates every slice by layering together the object, creating a three dimensional product. There are a number of different 3D printing technologies, which use different materials to create the final object. Plastics, metals, ceramics, and sand are all used for industrial prototyping and production. Although plastic is the most widely used material there are alternatives such as nylon, and biomaterials. Some 3D printers process powdered materials which utilize a light/heat source to melt fuse layers of the powder together. Others use polymer resin materials and utilize a light laser to harden the resin in layers. The most common process is deposition. This process uses plastic materials to form layers and create a shape of the object. Inkjet has superior materials to ink and binder to fix the layers. Deposition is the most common process which forces plastics in filament form through a heated extruder to create layers. 3D printing processes:
Stereo lithography
Digital Light processing
Laser Sintering/Laser Melting
Extrusion/Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
Inkjet
Selective Deposition Lamination (SDL)
3D printing is a process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital file. Using additive processes creates a 3D printed object. An additive process is a form of successive layering. Each piece of the object is created in layers until the entire object is printed. Every layer can be seen as a thinly sliced piece of the object.
How does it work? To create a 3D object one must first start with a virtual design. The design is made in a computer aided design (CAD) file using a 3D modeling program or by using a 3D scanner to copy an object. The scanner can make a 3D digital copy and put it into the 3D modeling program. Once that is done, the software slices the model into thousands of layers. Then the file is uploaded to the 3D printer and the printer creates the object layer by layer. The 3D printer creates every slice by layering together the object, creating a three dimensional product. There are a number of different 3D printing technologies, which use different materials to create the final object. Plastics, metals, ceramics, and sand are all used for industrial prototyping and production. Although plastic is the most widely used material there are alternatives such as nylon, and biomaterials. Some 3D printers process powdered materials which utilize a light/heat source to melt fuse layers of the powder together. Others use polymer resin materials and utilize a light laser to harden the resin in layers. The most common process is deposition. This process uses plastic materials to form layers and create a shape of the object. Inkjet has superior materials to ink and binder to fix the layers. Deposition is the most common process which forces plastics in filament form through a heated extruder to create layers. 3D printing processes:
Stereo lithography
Digital Light processing
Laser Sintering/Laser Melting
Extrusion/Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
Inkjet
Selective Deposition Lamination (SDL)
Bibliography: "3D Printing Processes: Free Beginner 's Guide – 3D Printing Industry." 3D Printing Industry. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://3dprintingindustry.com/3d-printing-basics-free-beginners-guide/processes/>. "Gartner Says Consumer 3D Printing Is More Than Five Years Away." Gartner Says Consumer 3D Printing Is More Than Five Years Away. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2825417>. Toro, By. "How 3D Printers Work (Infographic)." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 18 June 2013. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.livescience.com/37513-how-3d-printers-work-infographic.html>. "What Is 3D Printing? How Does 3D Printing Work?" 3D Printing. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://3dprinting.com/what-is-3d-printing/>.