This is how 3D printing technology works

It is not just science fiction, we have now innovated the technology to the extent that printing food or a necklace is no more a dream. As the technology trends have risen in the recent days 3d printing technology has evolved and become possible. We are heading to a level of technology where we can imagine printing anything that we see. In this article, we will learn more about this evolving innovation and how we can use this technology for advancements in our lives. 

What is 3d printing technology?

3D printing is a group of additive manufacturing technologies capable of creating a 3D object by superimposing successive layers of a certain material. It is a process in which a physical object is created in three dimensions through a digital object or models employing a 3D printer that can be used by different technologies and materials to superimpose layers until creating a perfect replica.

Additive manufacturing is the other name for 3D printing. It consists of producing objects through the addition of material in layers that correspond to the successive cross-sections of a 3D model. As the technology evolves gradually we will learn to use any material in the future, from stone chips to living tissue for printing 3D objects.

2D printing has been a part of our lives for many years. During this time, there were many technologies used for printing, but the truth is that today 3D printing is already a reality. It is difficult not to have currently heard of 3D printing, even having seen some of the creations, however, it is still a world quite unknown to most people.

Materials used for 3D printing

The materials that we use for making 3D printing are nylon, resin, and ceramics, in common. Check what other materials that we can use for 3D printing here.

1. Resin – A material that is used by SLA or stereolithographic type printers to carry out their impressions. 
2. Nylon – It is the printing of a nut with a technical material such as Nylon 618 from the Tauman brand in FDM technology
3. ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) – This is one of the materials used in 3D printers, they tend to be rigid, hard, and tenacious plastics, with great stability and resistance to impacts or vibrations, even at low temperatures.
4. PLA (Polylactic Acid) – It is a biodegradable material is made out of corn starch and is used in FDM 3D printing technology.
5. Ceramics – This is one of the newly introduced materials and is used in FDM and SLA 3D printing technologies.
6. PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) – It is a form of plastic and is used in the thermoforming process.
7. Metal – Metals like gold, silver, aluminum, and steel are mostly used for jewelry printing and other industrial-grade products 

3D printing process

The process of printing in 3D consists of creating the objects in layers superimposed from bottom to top. Before starting printing, the software divides the 3D graphic into layers as thin as the diameter of the output plastic. For each layer, the printer moves on the plane to release the plastic at the appropriate coordinates. Finally form a three-dimensional figure, an object that you can touch and use in real life. A 3D printer is a three-axis numerical control machine and an extruder. The extruder is the component that heats and presses the plastic cable (the ink) so that it comes out as a fine thread and remains in the desired shape.

1. Stereolithography is also known as SL or SLA is one of the processes for 3D printing
2. Digital Light Processing, also known as DLP, functions similarly to that of SL and works with photopolymers.
3. Extrusion, Stratasys‘ FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling), and FFF (Freeform Fabrication) are types of Extrusion 3D Printing technology. It is one of the most common and recognizable 3d printing processes utilizing the extrusion of thermoplastic.
4. Inkjet 3D printing, Binder Jetting, and Material Jetting are the two different types of Inkjet 3d Printing.
5. The selective Deposition Lamination (SDL) process is developed and manufactured by Mcor Technologies. It is a layer-by-layer part-building process using a standard copier paper.
6. EBM, the Electron Beam Melting 3D printing technology. It was developed by a Swedish company Arcam 

Furthermore, you can break down the 3D printing technology into the following 3 processes.

1. Software
   A good deal of software is accessible to create printable files. Tinkercad is free software that we can use for 3d printing. It does not require any installation process to work on it, and Tinkercad provides a guidebook for step-to-step guidance. It has a superb quality to transport printable files in STL or OBJ format.
2. Slicing
   After getting your printable file, the next step is slicing. Slicing can be done with slicing software, it cuts the 3d object into thousands of layers. After the slicing process, you can get a file that is ready to print. Sliced files can be through USB, Wi-Fi, and SD cards.
3. Printing
   Printing is the last step of this process. After getting the printable file into USB, SD, and Wi-Fi, you can gain it through the printer. It demands high-level skills to make any 3d object.

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Time required for a 3d printing 

There is no fixed time to make 3d printing products. The type of material affects the time. It may be prepared within minutes to several hours.

Uses and applications of 3d printing technology in various industries

It is a high-demand and evolving technology, and many industries are already using it and gaining benefits from it. Here are some of the industries that are continuously bringing 3D printing technology into their line of business to make the whole business process work more efficiently and be more detailed. 

1. Safety industry 
2. Medical industry
3. Food industry
4. Transportation industry
5. Fashion industry
6. Heritage preserver industry
7. Educational industry
8. Aerospace and defense industry

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Ease of designing 

3d printing technology is the easiest way to make 3d products. There is no tooling feature required for its design. The products can be manufactured according to the users’ demand, and every user can get a product according to his choice.

Time analysis 

It is the best timesaving technology. It does not require several days to make 3d objects, and it only takes a few minutes to prepare a printing file for a 3d printer.

Eco-friendly 

It is safe to use to make 3d products because of its eco-friendly quality. It is the opposite of the subtractive manufacturing method which wastes a lot of carbon. 3d printing does not trash any material that could become the cause of pollution.

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Conclusion

3d printing is an excellent addition to technology. It not only fixes our problems to make 3d products on time but also provides budget-friendly services. Shortly, it will be more popular on a global level.

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