3D printing

Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing is the process of building up a three-dimensional object, one thin layer at a time. 3D printing is only one category of additive manufacturing, though the two terms are frequently considered to mean the same thing.

. Which types of 3D printing technologies are there?

3D printers use one of the following methods to build an object layer by layer: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

How can I use 3D printing in education?

3D printing enables the physical manifestation of someone's thoughts and ideas. The hands-on experience makes a technical subject fun and attractive, even for people who aren't especially interested (yet) in design, architecture, computer science or engineering and many other fields of study. For some, what used to be a dry and theoretical and (as a result of that) boring class, can now become an engaging and hands-on experience.

What is the difference between 3D printing and 4D printing?

4D printing is a subset of 3D printing. In "normal" 3D printing, the end product is static, unless some flexible material is used, and it is meant to stay in that form. 4D printing is a way of "programming" the material/object to change form or functionality when given the correct impulse.

Abs

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, otherwise known as ABS, is a thermoplastic commonly used as the build material or 'filament' in fused deposition modeling 3D printers. It's fairly strong, but it's also a bit tricky to work with (and gives off nasty odors when melted).

What are the limitations of 3D printing?

Although it is already deeply implemented in the world of prototyping, 3D printing is still some years away from having a breakthrough in the world of manufacturing. This breakthrough would allow 3D printing to spread from just prototyping, with the exception of select components already being manufactured by 3D printers, to being widely implemented in everyday manufacturing processes all over the world.

Who invented 3D printing?

Charles (Chuck) Hull, co-founder of 3D Systems, invented the solid imaging process known today as stereolithography (SLA). This was the first commercial 3D printing method. He first thought of the idea in 1983 while using UV light to harden tabletop coatings. In 1986 he received the patent for the process.

Computer Aided Design (CAD)

Computer aided design, or CAD, is software that enables users to create models in either two or three dimensional formats. While CAD was initially developed for use in the architecture and manufacturing industries, consumer friendly applications are now readily available for little or no cost.

G-code

G-code is the language used to instruct your 3D printer to perform operations. In common usage this is almost exclusively generated by software, and is not written by hand. G-codes control specific actions like motion, speed, rotation, depth, and other related switches and sensors used in the operation of a machine.

what is 3D printing

It is the automated process of building a three-dimensional object by adding material rather than taking material away (as in drilling or machining). The process, also known as additive manufacturing, was first introduced in the late 1980s. It was first commercially used as a rapid prototyping method in the aerospace and automotive industries. Charles Hull, who later co-founded 3D Systems, had a patent issued for a stereolithography system (or SLA for short).

What are the benefits of 3D printing?

Like most emerging technologies, 3D printing offers benefits in a lot of areas. These include improvements in financial, logistical, healthcare, creative and environmental areasFor one, the technology allows for endless customization with regards to design and material. One notable example of this benefit is in the healthcare sector. Complex prosthetic limbs can be produced precisely to individual needs for a much lower price.

How does 3D printing work?

To create a 3D printed object, you use an "additive p

Rapid Prototyping

a group of technologies used to quickly fabricate a scale model of a physical part or component using three-dimensional computer aided design (CAD) data. Construction of the part or component is usually done via 3D printing or additive manufacturing technology. More recently, the term 'real-time prototyping' has become popular, but essentially it means the same thing

: Functional Prototype

a near-final model or representation of a product, created during the design process to evaluate the form, fit and function of an object and its constituent parts. Functional prototypes don't necessarily have to be built from the same material as the final model (though it might help). For example, a platform jack may be 3D printed in plastic to test for fit and movement, before final production in metal.

: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

is a 3D printing process that extrudes heated thermoplastic material through a computer-controlled print-head nozzle to build parts up layers. FDM is actually a term that's been trademarked by Stratasys. This led to the RepRap open-source community to coin the term "fused filament fabrication" (FFF) for a more generalized and legal way to describe the process.

Polylactic Acid (PLA)

is a biodegradeable plastic that's used as the build material or 'filament' in fused deposition modeling 3D printers. This material is easier to work with than ABS, and the smell is not so unpleasant, but the trade-off is that PLA is structurally more brittle.

: RepRap

is shorthand for "replicating rapid prototypers", machines which are open-source 3D printers utilizing the fused filament fabrication process. One of the defining characteristics of a RepRap machine is that it should be capable of printing out its own parts (but not necessarily all of them). Various RepRap designs and build instructions are freely downloadable from reprap.org, where they proudly describe their printers as "humanity's first general-purpose self-replicating manufacturing machines".

Slicer

r. A slicer is the software package used to divide a 3D model into flat layers, which are then printed one at a time. The output of a slicer is G-code that controls the path, speed, and temperature of the printer. Slicer software packages are available in both open-source and proprietary programmes, and they're an essential tool for successful 3D printing.

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

s a technology commonly employed by 3D printing services for metallic objects. SLS is a powder bed fusion 3D printing technique that uses a laser to selectively fuse — or sinter — together the granules of successive layers of powder.

. How many 3D printers are there worldwide?

statistics found on Statista.com suggest that in 2016, there are close to 500,000 3D printers in the world. By 2019, the number is estimated to grow to 5.5 million units worldwide.

Filament

the base material that's used to 3D print objects via fused deposition modeling. Filament is usually a thermoplastic — such as ABS or PLA — that's fed to a print head as a solid, then heated to melting point for extrusion through a small nozzle. Filament is commonly available in spools of either 1.75mm and 3 mm diameter widths.