Explaining What 3D Printing Is
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- Ginger Arnold
- August 18, 2021
- Computing
By layering materials, a 3D printer can produce a physical prototype. This is commonly known as additive manufacturing (AM).
AM allows designers to quickly prototype and test their ideas, often for less money than traditional methods. This process reduces production costs by eliminating the need for expensive tooling.
What is 3D printing?
3D printing is a process of creating three-dimensional objects through additive manufacturing. www.technix3d.com uses the latest software, powder-like material and precision tools to create parts in layers. The most common 3D printers include FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling), SLA, (Selective Laser Sintering), DLP and DLP.
With the wide array of available materials, the possibilities for products crafted through this printing method are endless. Plastics, which are versatile and easy to print, are the most popular material for industrial parts. But durable materials like concrete and metals are also used. Specialty materials like water-absorbing plastic, nitinol and gold allow for innovative characteristics that boost product functionality, while composites and ceramics open doors for niche applications.
3D printing is not only incredibly versatile but also provides an unprecedented level quality control. Due to digital validation, errors in CAD designs are detected and corrected in the printing process. This streamlined process also reduces the need to send printed models out for prototyping, further reducing production time and costs.
As a result of this high-quality manufacturing, 3D printing is ideal for industries that demand meticulous detail. Medical and aerospace manufacturing, for example, use 3D printing to create prototypes of complex mechanical components that require precision fit and finish. Additionally, consumer goods such as eyewear and jewelry can be printed with intricate designs, making them more unique and personalized than traditional mass-production methods.
3D printing’s ability to personalize is perhaps its most revolutionary feature. Custom prosthetics and medical tools that match the exact dimensions of a patient’s body can dramatically improve patient outcomes, while bioprinting organs could eventually shorten wait times for transplants.
The localized production that 3D printing allows has the potential to reduce the environmental footprint of global distribution chains. Traditional manufacturing requires shipping parts across countries, which leads to increased freight costs and associated emissions. With 3D printing, businesses can produce closer to the point of need, drastically cutting transportation costs and reducing waste.
How does 3D printing work?
Unlike traditional manufacturing methods, 3D printing doesn’t use a block of material or a mold to build objects; it instead builds parts layer by layer. This allows for complex geometries which would be impossible or unpractical to create with other methods. 3D printers are also faster and have lower fixed costs than traditional technologies.
Using computer-aided design software (CAD), the designer creates an object model that will be printed. The file is then sent to the printer, which builds the object by depositing layers of melted or cured material onto a platform or bed. The machine then moves to a new location and repeats the same process until it has completed the desired object. Printing can last from minutes to several hours depending on the type and material of printer. Modern systems automatically refill their cartridges with new material and many can run unattended.
Most 3D printers can print a variety of files, ranging from high-resolution polymer powder to low-cost photopolymer. These printers are used in industrial and professional settings, as well as at home. Formlabs Pro Series and other consumer-level printers use fused filament fabrication technology. This involves melting and fusing small particles colored plastic to produce objects. Professional 3D Printers, like the SLA machines of SLM Automation, cure liquid photopolymer material into solid plastic using UV light.
One of the main purposes of 3D printing is to speed up product development through rapid prototyping. This helps engineers and designers test their ideas in high-fidelity prototypes that look and function like real products, reducing the risk of expensive revisions and tooling changes down the road. For example the developers of Plaato – an optically transparent airlock for homebrewing – 3D printed 1,000 protoypes to fine tune their design before moving on to production.
The medical industry also uses 3D printing extensively, from creating surgical guides to replicas of organs, blood vessels, and tissues that are patient-specific. Physicians are even using 3D printers to print drugs and bone implants, which have already been approved for human testing.
What are the benefits of 3D printing?
3D printing provides many benefits over traditional manufacturing methods. One major benefit is cost efficiency. The production process eliminates multiple manufacturing operations, set-ups and energy consumption resulting in a lower manufacturing cost. It can also produce parts that have multiple components in a single piece, saving labor and assembly costs. Finaly, 3D printing produces lighter parts which reduces equipment and transport costs. Another benefit of 3D printers is their speed. It reduces time for prototyping and development, reducing project risks and speeding market launch.
The design freedom that 3D printing offers is another benefit. The ability to create complex geometries, which would be impossible or prohibitively costly with subtractive methods like CNC machining, can be achieved as a single lightweight component. It can also be used to print several parts that were previously manufactured separately. This reduces cost and complexity. The ability to print internal voids and cavities allows for the manufacture of objects with lattices or structures that can be used to increase strength without compromising the size.
In addition, 3D printers can be configured to use a wide range of materials from rigid plastics such as ABS to flexible rubbers or metallic powders for high-performance industrial applications. This versatility allows you to create a wide variety of products, from simple prototypes to complex functional parts and products that can be used in the field.
Lastly, due to the versatility of printing technology, you can produce products and parts on demand, as required, rather than maintaining large inventories that need to be shipped across the world to meet customer needs. This is a major shift in global logistics that can reduce shipping costs and impact on the environment.
In addition, the 3D printing process is more labor efficient than other manufacturing technologies. Traditional manufacturing requires skilled workers to do a wide range of tasks from operating machines and post-processing. A 3D printer, on the other hand requires only one or two machines and fewer operators. This can reduce labor costs and free up storage space.