The process of creating three-dimensional objects from a digital file is known as additive manufacturing or 3D printing. Additive processes are used to create a 3D-printed object. In an additive process an object is created by laying down successive layers of material until the object is created. The object can be seen as a thinly sliced cross-section of each of these layers. There is one exception though, and it’s called volumetric 3D printing. Without the need for layer-by-layer fabrication, volumetric printing allows for the simultaneous formation of entire structures. It’s worth noting, however, that as of now, volumetric technology is primarily in the research phase.
Subtractive manufacturing, in which a block of material is cut out or hollowed out using a machine like a mill, is the opposite of 3D printing. With 3D printing, you can create intricate shapes with less material than with other types of manufacturing.
The 3D Printing Sector Those who have not yet incorporated additive manufacturing into their supply chain are now in a shrinking minority, indicating that 3D printing has reached critical mass. Where 3D printing was only suitable for prototyping and one-off manufacturing in the early stages, it is now rapidly transforming into a production technology.
Most of the current demand for 3D printing is industrial in nature. Acumen Research and Consulting forecasts the global 3D printing market to reach $41 billion by 2026.
As it evolves, 3D printing technology is destined to transform almost every major industry.
Examples of 3D Printing
3D printing encompasses many forms of technologies and materials as 3D printing is being used in almost all industries you could think of. It’s important to see it as a cluster of diverse industries with a myriad of different applications.
Several examples: • – consumer products (eyewear, footwear, design, furniture)
• – industrial products (manufacturing tools, prototypes, functional end-use parts)
• – dental products
• prosthetic limbs • Maquettes and architectural scale models • Fossil reconstruction • Making copies of ancient artifacts • – reconstructing evidence in forensic pathology
• Theatrical props Rapid Prototyping & Rapid Manufacturing
Companies have used 3D printers in their design process to create prototypes since the late seventies. Using 3D printers for these purposes is called rapid prototyping.
Why use 3D Printers for Rapid Prototyping?
In short: it’s fast and relatively cheap. From idea, to 3D model to holding a prototype in your hands is a matter of days instead of weeks. Iterations are easier and cheaper to make and you don’t need expensive molds or tools.
Besides rapid prototyping, 3D printing is also used for rapid manufacturing. Businesses use 3D printers for short-run or small-batch custom manufacturing in a new manufacturing method called rapid manufacturing. Aviation
A lot of aviation’s enthusiasm for additive manufacturing stems from its promise of lightweight and stronger structures through 3D printing. We’ve seen a whole bunch of innovations in the domain of aviation lately, with the appearance of more critical parts being printed.
Turbine Center Frame
The turbine center frame, which was printed by GE as part of the EU Clean Sky 2 initiative, was one such large component that was printed this year. The Advanced Additive Integrated Turbine Centre Frame (TCF) is a 1 meter diameter part printed in nickel alloy 718 by GE and a consortium from Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), TU Dresden (TUD) and Autodesk. It is one of the largest single-piece metal printed parts for the aviation industry.
However, did you know that lenses can also be printed in 3D? Because they are cut from a much larger block of material known as a blank, about 80% of traditional glass lenses are discarded. When we consider how many people wear glasses and how often they need to get a new pair, 80% of those numbers is a lot of waste. On top of that, labs have to keep huge inventories of blanks to meet the custom vision needs of their clients. Finally, however, 3D printing technology has advanced enough to provide high-quality, custom ophthalmic lenses, doing away with the waste and inventory costs of the past.
The Luxexcel Vision Engine 3D printer uses a UV-curable acrylate monomer to print two pairs of lenses per hour that require no polishing or post-processing of any kind. The focal areas can also be completely customized so that a certain area of the lens can provide better clarity at a distance while a different area of the lens provides better vision up close.
What is 3D printing and what is additive manufacturing?
3D printing or additive manufacturing enables you to produce geometrically complex objects, shapes and textures. It often uses less material than traditional manufacturing methods and allows the production of items that were simply not possible to produce economically with traditional manufacturing.
If you’re new to 3D printing technology, it might be helpful to compare it to traditional methods of manufacturing.
The two principal traditional methods of manufacturing are:
• The controlled removal of material, like milling, is Subtractive Manufacturing (SM). • Formative Manufacturing (FM) takes a material, usually a plastic, and reshapes it to create a final product.
Compare these to 3D printing or additive manufacturing, which involves adding material in layers to create the final product.
What is additive manufacturing? Though it has been around for decades, additive manufacturing is still a relatively new technology compared to traditional manufacturing. In this guide, we hope to answer some of the most fundamental questions about 3D printing and additive manufacturing and give you all the information you need to begin harnessing the power of this exceptional technology.
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What is 3D printing?
The term 3D printing is typically used to refer to all types of additive manufacturing. However, this is not quite accurate. Strictly speaking, 3D printing refers only to the transformation of a digital CAD (Computer-Aided Design) file into a three-dimensional physical solid object or part.
This object is produced by a 3D printer, which “translates” the CAD file into a 3D model. It typically does this by depositing material layer by layer in precise geometric shapes using a printhead, nozzle, or other printing technology. Each layer can be considered a thinly sliced cross-section of the final object being built.
Though it is most common to 3D print plastics, as you’ll see in our Complete Guide to 3D printing materials, this is just the beginning.
