{"id":6019,"date":"2021-06-04T16:28:07","date_gmt":"2021-06-04T16:28:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.softwaretools.tech\/?p=6019"},"modified":"2021-06-04T16:28:10","modified_gmt":"2021-06-04T16:28:10","slug":"3d-printing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.softwaretools.tech\/3d-printing\/","title":{"rendered":"What is 3D Printing and How Does It Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The world of 3D printing is rapidly growing and has become a component of the larger manufacturing ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3D printing is going to become a mainstream technology for serial production in future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let’s learn about what is 3D printing? How does it work? What are its benefits and about 3D printers and other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is 3D Printing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

3D printing is an automated procedure that involves adding material to a three-dimensional item rather than removing it (as in drilling or machining). The method is also called additive manufacturing and was developed in the late 1980s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was originally commercially employed in the aerospace and automotive sectors as a rapid prototyping method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3D printing enables the creation of complex shapes with far less material than traditional manufacturing methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Engineers, designers, educators, manufacturers, medical professionals, and amateurs all make use of the technology in a wide variety of ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is 3D printing used for?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is used in the field of Aerospace and Defence for producing air ducts (SLS), wall panels (FDM) and structural metal components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is used in the field of medicine for producing metal orthopedic implants, pharmaceutical testing, prosthetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the construction industry for extrusion, powder bonding and additive welding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are various other industries where three-dimensional printing is used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What are some examples of 3D Printing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Some of the examples are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Prosthetic Limbs & Body Parts<\/li>
  2. Bioprinting in Health Science<\/li>
  3. Manufacturing<\/li>
  4. Musical Instruments<\/li>
  5. Firearms & Military<\/li>
  6. Drawing<\/li>
  7. Homes and Buildings<\/li>
  8. Dentistry<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    Who Invented 3D Printing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Charles (Chuck) Hull, the cofounder of 3D Systems, pioneered stereolithography, the solid imaging technology that is being used today (SLA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This was the first commercially available method of doing 3D printing. He came up with the concept in the year 1983 while working with UV light to harden tabletop surfaces. He was granted a patent for the process in the year 1986.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Charles Hull is also credited with inventing the .STL file format, which is the most widely used format for 3D printing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    How does 3D printing work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    To make a three-dimensional printed item, an “additive process” is used. The three-dimensional item is constructed by layering material until the object is completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To create a 3D print, a digital file is required that specifies the location of the material to be printed. The most often used file format for this is G-code. This file effectively provides ‘coordinates’ that govern the printer’s horizontal and vertical movements – often referred to as the X, Y, and Z axes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Three-dimensional printers may print these layers at varying thicknesses, referred as layer height. Similar to pixels on a screen, adding layers to print results in a higher “resolution”. This will provide a more attractive product but will take longer to print.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    What Are the Benefits of 3D Printing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The benefits are plenty – below are few worth noting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Customizable Design<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    3D printing enables the creation and production of more complicated designs than is possible with the use of conventional manufacturing processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Traditional technologies put a lot of design constraints that get eliminated when 3D printing is used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Print-On-Demand<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    As the 3D design files are produced using a 3D model as either a CAD or STL file, they are all kept in a virtual library that makes them easily accessible and printable whenever required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Altering designs may be accomplished at a cheaper rate by editing individual files and avoiding the waste of out-of-date inventories and investing in tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Rapid\u00a0Prototyping<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    3D printing can create items in a matter of hours, which expedites the prototyping process and this enables each stage to be completed more quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Strong\u00a0and Lightweight Components<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Even though plastic is the most often used material for 3D printing, various metals may also be used. However, plastics have numerous benefits over metals due to their light weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is especially very critical in business industries such as automotive and aerospace, where light-weighting is an issue and can\u00a0result in increased fuel efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5. Fast\u00a0Production<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    3D printing is fast and can create products in hours – depending on the design and complexity of the item to be produced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Not only can 3D printing speed up the manufacturing process, but it can also speed up the design process by producing STL or CAD files that are ready to print.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    6. Cost Effective<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Being a one-step manufacturing method, it eliminates the time and related expenses involved while producing various tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Although purchasing 3D printing equipment might be costly, you can reduce this expense by outsourcing your project to a 3D printing service provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    7. Accessibility<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    3D printers are becoming more and more accessible these days. Due to the easy access, it reduces time and avoids the high costs associated with more traditional manufacturing processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    8. Eco-Friendly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    As it reduces waste so it simply means it is beneficial for our environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    What are some of the disadvantages of 3D printing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Some of the limitations are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. It takes a long time to 3D print something that can be made just as easily using traditional manufacturing methods.<\/li>
    2. The size of the 3D printer is also a limitation of 3D printing.<\/li>
    3. And finally, the majority of 3D printers can only print using a single material at a time.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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      What is the difference between additive manufacturing and 3D printing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      There isn’t any distinction between the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cAdditive manufacturing\u201d is simply a more technical term for 3D printing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      What are different types of 3D printing technologies?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      1. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a technique for depositing thermal plastic filaments in a specified pattern using the melt extrusion method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      2. Stereolithography (SLA)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Stereolithography (SLA) is a Vat Photopolymerization family of additive manufacturing processes. An item is made with SLA by layering a polymer resin and curing it with an ultraviolet (UV) laser beam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      3. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) is a technique used in additive manufacturing. It makes things additively by fusing small polymer powder particles together locally by sintering them. Your plastic part will be built layer by layer, using your 3D model as a guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      4. Selective Laser Melting (SLM)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      SLM that is\u00a0also known as direct metal laser melting (DMLM) or laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), is a rapid prototyping, 3D printing, or additive manufacturing (AM) technology that involves melting and fusing metallic powders together using a high-power-density laser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      5. Binder Jetting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Binder Jetting is a process in which a binder is selectively placed into the powder bed, bonding these regions together one layer at a time to make a solid object. Metals, sand, and granular ceramics are among the most typical materials utilized in Binder Jetting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      What is a 3D Printer?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      3D Printers are capable of printing nearly anything into a physical form. They can be used to create interactive or static models for use in projects or other purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      How does a 3D Printer work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      A common 3D printer is fairly similar to an inkjet printer that is controlled by a computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      \"3d<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      It constructs a three-dimensional model one layer at a time, from the bottom up, using a technique called fused depositional modeling (FDM).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The printer builds a model fully autonomously over the course of many hours by converting a three-dimensional CAD drawing into several two-dimensional cross-sectional layers\u2014effectively independent two-dimensional prints that stack one on top of the other, but without the paper in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Rather than utilizing ink, which would never build to a significant volume, the printer deposits layers of molten plastic or powder and employs adhesive or ultraviolet radiation to fuse them together (and to the existing structure).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      What Can 3D Printers Make?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      3D printers can make a variety of goods such as shoe designs, furniture, wax castings for jewelry, machine tools, tripods, gift and novelty items, pencil holders, planters, earbud cases, and toys for babies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      What are some of the best 3D printers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Some of the best printers for home and professional use are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n