What is 3d Printing
Understanding 3d printer details nowadays has become incredibly trendy and extremely necessary for general and professional development. Indeed, this technology is the future!
Don't believe it? And if we say that it is used now in technology and programming, dentistry, surgery, automobiles, and shipbuilding? It is just a small list of occupations and businesses where 3d Printing has already come in handy for humanity, and how many more discoveries are hidden under the tip of the iceberg!
Now we will cut to the chase because there is a vast amount of information, and they are all amazing. Let's walk this path hand in hand!
What exactly is 3D Printing?
So, let's first answer a natural question that has arisen for you: "what is 3d printing?". This, by definition, is the process of forming material objects (not flat, but full-scale) from electronic data using special equipment and programming.
Additive processes are the primary and key component in the creation of products of this kind. If this explanation is not completely clear to you, then imagine how a sculptor sculpts his work, applying material ball by ball, extruding it, and improving it. Likewise, specialists layer by layer imposes one by one dimension of the future object.
Although we compared the process of producing objects using printing 3d with sculpting a sculpture, it is precisely the opposite of hollowing out stone, metal, and plastic to give it a specifically intended shape.
Traditional manufacturing methods require more raw materials and more financial and human resources. And at the same time, as a result, the customer receives much more complex shapes of objects. For example, we can now create a kidney, a lung, and even a heart thanks to this technology.
What is 3D Printing used for?
Now that you know the basics, it's time to let the cat out of the bag and reveal to you the variations of its use in different spheres of activity.
At this stage, technologies are developing most actively in industrial production, although initially, only individual models, elements, etc. were created with their help in a single copy. Very soon, as you will see, world production will be completely and completely sharpened in compliance with the 3d printing process.
This innovation has been changing the rules of the game in our world for a long time. Let's take a look at examples where it is applied:
1) In the production of household items, light, and furniture industries.
Even your favorite sweatshirts, boots, and comfy home chair are likely already in large print runs. And the company Adidas, in general, on an ongoing basis produces sneakers with soles made on a 3D printer.
2) In the manufacture of fasteners, structures, and instruments of a dental profile.
3) If necessary, print a building model, a housing plan, or a restaurant and hotel complex.
4) In the field of prosthetics for people with disabilities.
5) By the way, with the help of 3D Printing, you can make these devices much cheaper and more affordable.
6) When making copies for valuable relics, archaeological finds, and masterpieces of art.
7) If it is necessary to restore the missing fragments of the found fossils.
8) When filming, or rather when creating scenery and props.
9) In shipbuilding, automotive, and aviation, the manufacture of large and labor-intensive parts.
A striking example is a recent case when one of the well-known companies printed about three dozen elements for their engines on these devices.
It should also be mentioned that the invention finally made it possible, without much difficulty, to produce spare parts for cars that have already been discontinued. In factories with traditional methods, such details would cost a vast amount, and with 3D Printing, just a penny.
This method turns out to be much more environmentally friendly, and therefore both safe and far-sighted.
10) In building houses.
Many companies are putting up houses for sale, which were printed with the help of 3d technology.
11) In the field of health care and surgery.
It is already possible to produce organs with this technology, put in the organism's missing components, and so on.
How does 3D printing work?
Now is the time to answer the question that has arisen about how does 3d printing work. To produce any detailed or full-fledged object, you must first come up with and implement it on a computer in the form of an appropriate model.
To use 3D Printing, you first need to think about the appropriate software. If you are going to start doing this and delve into the topic, we advise you to try Tinkercad. It does not require absolutely any financial investment, as well as a unique separate installation. Moreover, this service provides you with training materials and the ability to translate your work into a document suitable for 3d printing uses.
Next, you need to familiarize yourself with a process called slicing. It is an initial stage to divide your layout into many possible layers. It doesn't sound easy, but it won't take much time and effort if you use good software in practice.
Now is the final stage when you understand how to do 3d printers work successfully. All you have to do is send your file to print to the printer. In doing so, you can use any tools you like, both a wired connection via USB or Wi-Fi and a mobile network.
Different 3D printing technologies
Now that you know what do 3d printers do in the hands of a programmer, we can briefly describe for you the main types of technologies for this production, namely:
1) Material Jetting
The starting material is poured ball by ball onto the surface of a platform specially designed for assembling the object. And then, it is held together with ultraviolet radiation. The technology vaguely resembles the work of an office inkjet printer, hence the name.
2) Binder Jetting
In this method, essential ingredients such as base (powder) and binder (liquid) are used as "ingredients". All these elements are gradually glued together into a single whole.
3) Vat Photopolymerisation
It has the properties of creating volumetric objects due to a photopolymer resin in a particular container, which takes on a solid form due to UV treatment.
It is divided into several subspecies:
• Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP)
• Stereolithography (SLA)
• Digital Light Processing (DLP)
They differ mainly in light sources since the latter uses arc lamps, and the other two use an ultraviolet laser. The fastest way to make something is DLP.
4) Material Extrusion (FDM)
A distinctive feature of technology is using a plastic thread, which, when heated, melts and fills in the parts, moving as programmed.
5) Sheet Lamination
This method is as simple as possible for the average person to understand. In fact, there is a process of welding separate sheets of different materials into a single whole using ultraviolet radiation. Then they will be ground on a machine.