3D printing (or additive manufacturing) creates three-dimensional objects from a digital file. It is a radically different process from other traditional manufacturing techniques. Contact By3Design now!
It allows designs to be modified quickly and easily, reducing time to market. This is also known as rapid prototyping.
This process can also be used for on-demand production, which has led to less inventory and shorter design cycles.
Material
The material used in 3D printing can vary dramatically, from thermoplastics such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA) to metals like titanium and carbon fiber. These different materials are used for a wide range of purposes, from industrial machine components to customized consumer goods.
The first 3D printers were designed for rapid prototyping, allowing designers to test and perfect prototypes before investing in a full production run. This process minimizes manufacturing lead times and is ideal for products that require iterative changes, making them more cost-effective than traditional injection-molded production models.
In addition to standard plastics, 3D printing can also be used with many different types of powders, resins, ceramics, and metals. The types of materials used in a 3D print depend on the type of printer and the needs of the final product.
For example, a hobbyist-level 3D printer can use standard plastic filaments such as PLA or ABS, while a more professional print requires higher-temperature printing and a closed frame to protect the object from drafts. More advanced 3D printers can even produce complex, interconnected designs without the need for support structures.
Other types of printed materials include ceramics, which are ideal for medical applications such as dental models and surgical guides, and organic living cells, which can create a variety of biologically accurate structures including organs and tissues. Another popular printed material is concrete, which can be made into useful objects and building elements such as supports or walls.
With advancements in 3D printing technology, it’s now possible to print with nearly any type of material. Whether it’s food, organic living cells or concrete, the possibilities are endless.
Metals are a popular choice for industrial-grade 3D printers due to their strength, durability and heat resistance. Unlike plastics, which are melted and extruded, metals start as a powder that’s sintered together to form the finished part. This process makes it easier to create complex, intricate parts and can be used in a wider range of industries.
A number of different materials are available for metal 3D printing, including aluminum, titanium and nickel-based alloys. Titanium is one of the most commonly used metals in manufacturing, as it’s highly temperature-resistant and has a low weight for its strength. It’s also durable enough for aerospace applications, which is why it’s often found in jet engines and car frames.
Design
Often referred to as additive manufacturing (AM), 3D printing makes parts from a CAD file by adding layer after layer of material until the part is complete. The process can be used to make a number of different materials including plastics, metals, and carbon fiber. 3D printers are highly versatile and are capable of producing a wide range of complex shapes.
The most common 3D printing method is Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), which uses a hot-melt extruder to lay down melted plastic in layers. Other types of 3D printers include Stereolithography — which uses a laser or light source to solidify photosensitive resin point by point, layer after layer — and Digital Light Processing, which produces prints using a large LCD screen to project UV-curable light at varying angles and masks.
In healthcare, 3D printing is helping to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. It’s being used to create patterns for casting metal dental crowns, making custom-made surgical guides for specific procedures and creating knee and hip implants. It’s also being used in the construction industry to produce bespoke housing and architectural-scale models, as well as the first pedestrian bridge (12 meters long, 1.75 meters wide) that was made from micro-reinforced concrete.
It’s important to design for 3D printing, ensuring that your final product will be structurally sound and visually appealing. There are a variety of tools available to help, such as generative design and topology optimization, which are particularly helpful for lightweight geometric objects that need to be strong. Using these tools can cut down on design time and help you achieve the best possible result for your particular application.
In addition, a good 3D printing workflow requires the use of a dedicated CAD software. Many are designed to work with triangle meshes and offer functions that are specifically tailored for printing, such as hollowing models to save on print materials or generating supports for overhangs. For example, the Autodesk 3D modeling software Meshmixer works with triangular meshes and offers sculpting tools for artistic freedom, as well as analysis functions to identify potential issues before printing.
Hardware
3D printing isn’t just about the 3D printer itself; it also requires the right hardware. This includes a 3D scanner to create the model; software to convert that into an STL file, which your 3D printer will understand; and the printer itself.
The 3D printers themselves vary, but they all work by building up a layer of material on top of one another to create the desired object. Generally, these printers act a lot like traditional 2D inkjet printers, using a heated nozzle to dispense plastic or other polymer layers on top of each other until you get your final product.
Most 3D printers use a thermoplastic or thermoset polymer. This makes them suitable for creating strong and durable parts, such as replacement gears or components for machines or tools. They are often used for rapid prototyping, where designers can quickly design a prototype and then produce it.
For a higher level of detail, or for parts that need to be functional, some 3D printers can use metal powder. This process, known as direct metal laser sintering or direct metal fabrication, creates parts with very fine features. However, these parts can be brittle and require support structures to maintain their shape. This makes them less suited for high-performance applications, but good for producing detailed prototypes that would be difficult to create with other manufacturing methods.
Other 3D printing processes include Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), Stereolithography, and Selective Laser Sintering. Each of these produces a different kind of part, with the choice typically down to cost and build speed.
All of these technologies have been developed over the last few decades by manufacturers such as 3D Systems and Stratasys at the unicorn level, and small startups such as Desktop Metal at the SME level. Their competition has driven technologies forward and prices down, enabling widespread adoption for both professional and personal use.
Once the modeling and slicing are complete, it’s time for the 3D printer to take over. The most common 3D printers are FDM or FFF printers, which use a hot print head to melt a plastic filament into a solid model, layer by layer. Other printers use a laser to solidify photosensitive resin, a process called Stereolithography.
Software
3D printing software refers to a broad category of computer programs designed to support the entire process of creating and preparing three-dimensional digital models for use with 3D printers. This includes computer-aided design (CAD) software, slicing software, and STL editing software. CAD and slicing software are important for making precise designs, while editing software allows users to modify existing models. These software tools are crucial for industries like dentistry and aerospace, where precision designs are key to a successful product.
CAD software is used to create a virtual design for an object, which works like a blueprint for the 3D printer to follow during the manufacturing process. This software can be used to create complex, precise shapes that aren’t possible with traditional techniques. For example, dentists use 3D software to design teeth aligners that fit their patients precisely, while aerospace engineers use it to design parts and components for the most intricate parts of a rocket ship.
Once a 3D model has been created, it needs to be “sliced” into multiple layers to prepare it for printing. Slicing software converts the model into instructions that the printer can understand. The slicing software will also tell the printer how much of the model to fill with material, which gives the finished print strength and shape.
A wide variety of slicing and editing software is available, including free programs like Blender and open-source applications such as FreeCAD. Autodesk Fusion 360 is a professional software solution that provides a combination of CAD, computer-aided engineering, and computer-aided manufacturing features, and it’s suitable for both hobbyists and professionals. Mango 3D’s Lychee Slicer is a more advanced third-party program that is specifically designed for resin 3D printers and comes in three different pricing plans.
Another option is OpenSCAD, which takes a programming approach to 3D modeling. This is a powerful, free software that offers a wide range of features, including 3D sculpting, mesh mixing, 3D lattices and patterns, and more. It can be used on Windows, Linux, and macOS computers.