A boon for digital DIYers, 3D printers, which print an actual prototype based on cross-sections from a digital file, are a central part of both the new maker's garage toolkit and larger manufacturers' prototype testing processes. These printers translate digital files into "real" elements to create objects that can be used in small- and large-scale manufacturing projects.
How these layers are created and fused varies widely. Such processes as selective laser sintering (SLS) and fused deposition modeling (FDM) melt materials to create the layers.
Another method uses an inkjet printing system that spreads a powdered layer of plastic or resin, which is then covered with a binding agent, and this is repeated layer by layer until the object is complete.
Still another process, digital light processing (DLP), exposes liquid polymer material to light that hardens it layer by layer.
3D printing processes come under a general label "additive manufacturing," in which material is added to make a shape, as opposed to "subtractive manufacturing," which involves carving away material. Because of its additive nature, 3D printing can be used to create anything from a simple cellphone case to a one-piece object with internal ducts, tubes or barriers.
"3D printing has built up an awareness of what's possible with additive manufacturing," said Scott McGowan, director of marketing
with the 3D printing company, Solid Concepts.
"The freedom of design realized when using additive manufacturing for end-use products opens up design possibilities not available with traditional manufacturing methods," he pointed out. "It's also allowed designers and engineers to embrace the prototyping process more fully than ever -- giving them the opportunity to go through more design iterations and develop a better product."
As the technology has improved, the speed, accessibility, and cost of 3D printing have dropped dramatically, and it's quickly becoming a part of our everyday lives.
"The name of the game is making the machinery more powerful and more accessible," said Joe Titlow, vice president of product management for Z Corporation, which sells 3D printers that range in price from US$14,900 to $59,900.
"The goal is to make 3D printing as fast and as easy as printing on paper," he told TechNewsWorld.
Maybe the "printer" part of "3D printer" is not exactly the right word, since printing has so long been thought of as a two-dimensional process of applying ink to paper. But the term, like the 3D printing process itself, seems to be here to stay.
3D printers, which use a wide range of technologies to produce actual objects from digital files, are being used by individual inventors as well as small and large manufacturers, and they are revolutionizing what it means to conceive of, design and make things.How It Works
All 3D printing begins with a CAD design, usually saved in STL format and sent to the printer, which is essentially a manufacturing machine. With most 3D printing, layers or cross-sections are built one on top of another, usually using some form of plastic, polymer, metal or other material.How these layers are created and fused varies widely. Such processes as selective laser sintering (SLS) and fused deposition modeling (FDM) melt materials to create the layers.
Another method uses an inkjet printing system that spreads a powdered layer of plastic or resin, which is then covered with a binding agent, and this is repeated layer by layer until the object is complete.
Still another process, digital light processing (DLP), exposes liquid polymer material to light that hardens it layer by layer.
3D printing processes come under a general label "additive manufacturing," in which material is added to make a shape, as opposed to "subtractive manufacturing," which involves carving away material. Because of its additive nature, 3D printing can be used to create anything from a simple cellphone case to a one-piece object with internal ducts, tubes or barriers.
"3D printing has built up an awareness of what's possible with additive manufacturing," said Scott McGowan, director of marketing
with the 3D printing company, Solid Concepts."The freedom of design realized when using additive manufacturing for end-use products opens up design possibilities not available with traditional manufacturing methods," he pointed out. "It's also allowed designers and engineers to embrace the prototyping process more fully than ever -- giving them the opportunity to go through more design iterations and develop a better product."
As the technology has improved, the speed, accessibility, and cost of 3D printing have dropped dramatically, and it's quickly becoming a part of our everyday lives.
"The name of the game is making the machinery more powerful and more accessible," said Joe Titlow, vice president of product management for Z Corporation, which sells 3D printers that range in price from US$14,900 to $59,900.
"The goal is to make 3D printing as fast and as easy as printing on paper," he told TechNewsWorld.
