3D printing has become a common way to manufacture everything from plastic trinkets to advanced aerospace components. The category of 3D printing covers a wide range of technologies, techniques, and materials. The history of 3D printing, how it works, what to make with 3D printers, the benefits and drawbacks of 3D printing, some examples of 3D printer applications, and some general optimization tips will all be covered in this article.
How does 3D printing work? Everything from plastic toys to cutting-edge aerospace components can now be produced using 3D printing. The category of 3D printing covers a wide range of technologies, techniques, and materials. This article will cover topics all about 3D printing including: 3D printing history, how 3D printing works, things to make with 3D printers, the pros and cons of 3D printing, examples of 3D printer uses, and some general optimization advice to help you print high-quality parts. Invention of 3D Printing According to the generally accepted history of 3D printing, Charles Hull is the inventor of 3D printing. He implemented and patented the process of stereolithography 3D printing in 1986. Charles Hull also co-founded DTM Inc, later called 3D systems, which is a world-leading 3D printing machine manufacturer to this day.
It must be noted that Hideo Kodama first published a paper about using photopolymers to rapidly fabricate plastic parts in 1980 but was unable to secure a patent. 3D Systems was founded in 1986 by Charles Hull to commercialize 3D printers. The SLA-1 was created by 3D Systems in 1987. It is the first 3D printer and was based on his patented stereolithography process. An ultraviolet laser was used to harden the photopolymer to create a final part. FREE SLA 3D Printing Design Guide Get Your FREE Copy Skills are Required for 3D Printing At this point, 3D printing doesn’t require much technical expertise.
You only need to understand the 3D printing basics such as how the machine works and how to add material. 3D models can be downloaded from the internet and imported into the printer’s software. The majority of that model’s transformation into machine instructions can then be completed by this software. The instructions tell the machine how to print the part layer by layer. Most modern machines only require that material be added to the machine’s hopper or reservoir; the user then simply needs to press print. If, on the other hand, you’re designing parts from scratch, it is important to understand DFM (Design For Manufacturing) principles for 3D printing as well as some basic CAD (Computer-Aided Design) skills. How 3D Printing Works 3D printing works by converting a 3D model into a set of computer-generated instructions to incrementally build up a part layer by layer.
Most 3D printing technologies use this same basic premise to manufacture 3D printed items. Types of 3D Printing The majority of 3D printers work by building up a component layer by layer. The way the machine fuses each layer to form the final part and the form of the raw material frequently determine the difference. There are 3 main styles of 3D printers: 1. Stereolithography (SLA) Stereolithography converts a liquid photopolymer into a solid part. It traces a high-powered laser in the shape of the 2D cross-sectional image of the part. This light polymerizes the plastic layer onto the bed plate. After that, the build plate moves slightly, a new layer of photopolymer is applied, and the laser continues to solidify it to the layer that came before it. To learn more, see our Stereolithography (SLA) guide. 3D printed part with SLA in ClearVue material. 2. Sintering with a Selective Laser (SLS) Selective laser sintering starts by placing a thin layer of powder on the build plate.
A laser then traces out the cross-section of the part and melts the plastic or metal powder so that it can harden into a solid shape. A new layer of powder is then placed over the previous one and the process is repeated. To learn more, see our guide on What is SLS Printing. 3. Modeling of Fused Deposition (FDM) Plastic for FDM machines is delivered in the form of filament on a spool. This filament is pushed through a cavity that is hot enough to melt the plastic. The plastic is then pushed through a nozzle which deposits it one layer at a time to build up a solid part. Below is an image of an Fused Deposition Modeling FDM printer: What is the Most Well-Known 3D Printing Technology? The most well-known 3D printing technology is FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling).
It became popular because it’s so common among hobbyists that want to print their own 3D printer creations. FDM printers are also the cheapest, so they present a very low barrier to entry. 3D Printing Software The type of 3D printing software is determined first and foremost by the associated 3D printing technology. Listed below are the most common software packages used for each 3D printing technology:
• Ultimaker Cura: Cura was developed by Ultimaker and is widely used to prepare 3D models for FDM-style 3D printers. This software can be used with any brand of FDM printer.
• PreForm: This software is used to prepare SLA parts for printing on any Formlabs SLA machine.
• 3D Sprint: This software was developed by 3D systems and is designed to prepare parts for a wide array of machines including FDM, SLA, and SLS. Guidelines for Producing High-Quality 3D Printing Your ability to produce high-quality 3D printed goods is largely dependent on adhering to 3D printing DFM guidelines. It’s important to:
• Limit Overhangs: Most 3D printing objects do not come out well if they have large overhangs. Overhanging components need support structures that will later have to be post-processed, thus adding steps and reducing surface uniformity.
• Minimize Layer Height: The layer height will determine the size of each layer in the print. The smaller the layer height, the higher the resolution of the part.
• Reduce Speed: Lowering the printing speed will cause the print to take longer but often results in higher quality parts. • Select Appropriate Materials: Some materials produce better surface finishes and higher quality parts than others. As such, the correct material can make a significant difference.
• Fit the Technology to the Application: Specific printing technologies have significant effects on part quality. FDM, for example, produces relatively low-quality parts when compared to those made using SLA or SLS. Benefits and Drawbacks of 3D Printing 3D printing is widely used in many different industries thanks to its many advantages. However, there are a few issues that have impeded 3D printing’s development into a dominant manufacturing method thus far. Some pros and cons are discussed below: Pros of 3D printing
• Rapid Development: 3D printing aids in rapid product development and lets engineers iterate quickly on prototypes.
• Can be Low Cost: Less powerful machines are available at a very low cost. However, the industrial functionality of the parts produced by these machines is limited.
• Ease of Use: 3D printers have become very accessible and do not need extensive knowledge in order to operate. A slicing software translates the parts into printable layers and the machines are, by default, set up for optimal performance.
