3D printing is a manufacturing process in which digitally designed three-dimensional models are made into physical products. It is a quick way to turn your computer-aided design models into physical objects and products.
3D printing is done by a 3D printing machine or 3D printer. The 3D printer makes the model into a physical product using materials known as filament. These filaments are of different kinds, some are plastic, some are carbon fiber, and others are metals.
The 3D printer melts the filament into tiny bits, and begins to print them layer by layer upon each other to make the physical product. Just like blocks and bricks are laid in layers to build a house. This is why 3D printing is called an additive manufacturing process, because materials are added to each other to create the product. This is unlike wood carving or milling which are subtractive manufacturing processes where the product is created by removing material from the stock.
3D printing allows you to make products with complex shapes without having to make a mold. This is why 3D printing is wildly used in prototyping.
How 3D printing works
3D printing begins with a computer aided design (CAD) model. After the model is designed using a CAD software, the next step is to put the model into a 3D software or slicing software. The slicing software is used to split 3D models into layers, just like sliced bread, but in this case the slices are much thinner. In the 3D software we also set the printing parameters to determine the scale, geometry, and printing position we want the product to have.
After the model has been sliced into hundreds or thousands of layers, the next thing is to turn this sliced model into a file that the 3D printer can work with. This is usually done by exporting the sliced model from the slicing software. After exporting, the model becomes a G-code file which the 3D printing machine can understand and work with.
The next step is to switch ON your 3D printer, and take the G-code file to the 3D printer. This is done by putting the file on a flash drive and plugging the flash to your 3D printer or by just connecting a USB cord between your computer and the 3D printer.
Finally, you have to do some standard procedures like leveling the bed and heating the nozzle, and also setting your printing parameters. Then you can start printing. The 3D printer will run automatically and continue to make the product until the print is completed. When the print is complete the machine will stop by itself.
Where are 3D printers used?
3D printing is used by various industries for different applications. 3D printing is used in research and development to create prototypes and explore ideas. It makes the process very fast and accurate while saving a lot of money because a mold is not needed for each print.
3D printing is used to make consumer products like phone stand, pen holder, footwear, bangles and beads.
3D printing is used in education to make learning materials, like STEM kits and science lab devices.
3D printing is also used in metal casting make models used in sand casting.
3D printing is used in for making architectural models. These 3D printed models depict and demonstrate the actual house at a smaller scale. It gives the client an opportunity to see what the house would look like when it is finally built. These models are used to woo clients, customers and real-estate investors.
3D printing is used to create replacement parts. Most workshops and offices have had to use 3D printing to quickly re-create broken or worn-out parts. I have had to do this personally to replace a broken part and it is very fulfilling.
3D printing is used in movies production for creation movie props and scale models.
3D printing is used for making lightweight parts for the aviation industry.
3D printing is also used for making toys and figurines for children.
3D printing is used in by dentists the health sector to make artificial gums and teeth for patients. It is also used for making prosthetic hands and legs.
What is the technology behind 3d printing?
The main technologies behind 3D printing are extrusion and CNC (computer numerical control). Extrusion is the process where the right amount of heated filament is pushed through the nozzle of the 3D printer at the right time. Computer numerical control (CNC) is the use of computer system to control movement and operation of machines. The CNC guides the 3D printer to move the nozzle and the printing bed simultaneously in three-dimensions as the machine prints the product. There are some 3D printing technologies that do not use a nozzle, but they all use CNC technology for movement and their method of forming materials are very similar.
Types of 3D printing
Fixed Deposition Modeling (FDM)
This is the most common type of 3d printing technology. It is also the most affordable and the easiest to use. FDM uses a spool of plastic filament which is fed to the extruder. The printing head heats and melts the filament and extrudes it through extrusion nozzle. The CNC mechanism moves the nozzle around geometrically as it drops the molten plastic according to the shape of the desired model.
This is also called Fixed Filament Modeling (FFM) which is a term coined by makers of the RepRap 3D printer.
Stereolithography (SLA)
This is one of the earliest forms of 3 printing. This technology uses a container filled with photopolymer resin. The resin is hardened with an Ultraviolet light. The UV light source move geometrically on the surface to harden the resin. As the UV light source moves on the surface, a layer of the resin is hardened underneath, after the first movement a support system lowers the hardened resin, allowing a new viscous resin to flow on top. The light source moves over the resin again and the new layer of resin is hardened on top of the previous one. This process continues until the model is completely produced.
When and where was 3D printing invented?
The 3D printing revolution that spread around the world started as an open-source initiative called the RepRap Project at led by Dr. Adrian Bowyer in 2005. The outcome of this project was a low-cost 3d printer called RepRap, it was mostly made of plastic parts and therefore could replicate itself. This printer inspired a lot of makers and engineers to get into building open-source 3D printers like the RepRap or making and building their own designs. Through this movement companies like MakerBot, Prusa, Ender, Ultimaker, etc.
But, Chuck Hull invented the 3D printer in 1986 when he filled the first patent for stereolithography (SLA) which is the first commercial rapid prototyping technology. He is considered the inventor of 3D printing.
In 1998, Carl Deckared licensed another 3D printing technology called selective laser sintering (SLS), then in 1989, Scott Crump invented the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM).
Conclusion
3D printing is an amazing technology used in manufacturing to turn three-dimensional CAD models into physical products. It is easier than any other manufacturing process of its kind. There are different kinds of 3D printing technology, and many types of filaments and materials are available for manufacturing.
3D printing has been around for decades, it has been used in various decades, and it has been tested and trusted.
Thanks for reading this article, I hope you now understand what 3d printing is all about. You can find some other articles on this blog related to 3D printing.
