3D Printing is a big boon to the manufacturing industry
3d printing is a manufacturing process which turns the digital 3d model into the tangible 3d object through addictive manufacturing in layers from cad files. But it’s unlike other manufacturing processes which make finished products by removing selective parts from the raw resources. Thus, in a nutshell, 3d printing is made of worlds full of the latest technologies, new methods, and materials which make this process quite easy and fast. Its only because of modern technologies, where one can get directly physical product from a piece of design with the help of printer and a computer.
3d printers are basically made up of 3 important parts:-
Digital file-One of the most important function of a digital file is that it instructs printers to generate 3d objects by dividing it into different layers with full accuracy. Once the digital file gets into printer then once can watch its process of the making of a 3d tangible object
Printing machine-3D printing machine must be calibrated very cautiously as it consists of the basket, box or compartment to work in where the machine gets enough space to construct the object. One of the major tasks of the printing machine is to create replicas of layers as described in a digital file with accuracy and cleanliness.
Printing materials-3d printed objects are made up of single materials but of different substances like ABS plastics, nylon, resin, silver, steel and gold, synthetic sandstones and ceramic materials.
3D PRINTING process
It all starts when we receive digital design file from cad software, then STL standard tessellation language files need to be exported where it gets sliced into thousands of 2D layers. Then its job of the 3d printer to read 2d as building blocks where it layers one atop the other thus creates a three-dimensional object. Before printing, all design files are sliced into different layers.
Types of 3d printing
Stereo lithography (SLA)-It’s the first type of 3d printing which was invented in 1980 where SLA beams a laser at a reactive liquid resin so it immediately hardens which creates more details as compared to FDM but equally considered as a more complex process. In this type of 3d printing, objects are pulled out of a vat of this liquid.
Fusion Deposition Modeling (FDM): This is the cheapest version of 3d printing which requires only nozzle, box and system which can turn digital data into movement. Such printers come in different sizes.
Jetting processes-It’s almost like SLA but with major difference of reactive polymer onto a base instead of a vat of liquid. They are majorly used in industries and its method of printing is quite detailed just like a modern inkjet printer.
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)-Such type of 3d printers is majorly used in mass production of prototypes or in making of functional parts where it uses a powerful laser to speedily blend powdered materials into correct layers thereby making it as a durable object.