3D PRINTING AND PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT

3D printing

3D printing is an additive technology used to manufacture parts. It is ‘additive’ in that it doesn’t require a block of material or a mold to manufacture physical objects, it simply stacks and fuses layers of material. It’s typically fast, with low fixed setup costs, and can create more complex geometries than ‘traditional’ technologies, with an ever-expanding list of materials. It is used extensively in the engineering industry, particularly for prototyping and creating lightweight geometries.

3D printing and additive manufacturing

3D printing’ is commonly associated with maker culture, hobbyists and amateurs, desktop printers, accessible printing technologies like FDM and low-cost materials such as ABS and PLA (we’ll explain all those acronyms below). This is largely attributable to the democratization of 3D printing through affordable desktop machines that sprung from the RepRap movement, like the original MakerBot and Ultimaker, which also led to the explosion of 3D printing in 2009.

3D printing and rapid prototyping

Rapid prototyping’ is another phrase that’s sometimes used to refer to 3D printing technologies. This dates back to the early history of 3D printing when the technology first emerged. In the 1980s, when 3D printing techniques were first invented, they were referred to as rapid prototyping technologies because back then the technology was only suitable for prototypes, not production parts.

In recent years, 3D printing has matured into an excellent solution for many kinds of production parts, and other manufacturing technologies (like CNC machining) have become cheaper and more accessible for prototyping. So while some people still use ‘rapid prototyping’ to refer to 3D printing, the phrase is evolving to refer to all forms of very fast prototyping.

3D printing technology

With so many different 3D printing technologies on the market, it can be hard to understand the whole landscape. The International Organization for Standardization created the ISO/ASTM standard 52900 to standardize the exploding terminology around 3D printing and we’ve pulled together the most-used language into this glossary of 3D printing terms.

3D printing processes

There are seven main 3D printing processes. Within each type of process there are unique technologies, and for every unique technology there are also many different brands selling similar printers.

How does it work?

First, a virtual design of the object is made. This design will work like a blueprint for the 3D printer to read. The virtual design is made using computer-aided design (CAD) software, a type of software that can create precise drawings and technical illustrations. A virtual design can also be made using a 3D scanner, which creates a copy of an existing object by basically taking pictures of it from different angles.

How are things printed?

The 3D printer will begin printing the layers of material in a process known as material extrusion. Depending on the type of 3D printer and material being used, there are several methods of material extrusion.Most commonly, the 3D printer will have a nozzle ejecting a semi-liquid material, like molten plastic, metal, or cement. The extrusion nozzle can move in both horizontal and vertical directions as it precisely places the material, following the blueprint of the digital model layer by layer.

What sorts of things can be made with 3D printers?

Nearly anything you can imagine can be turned into a design that can be 3D printed. 3D printers are helping designers, engineers, and even everyday people create complex objects in ways previous manufacturing methods weren’t capable of.
3D printers are being used to create toys, phone cases, tools, clothing, tables, lamps, pottery, art, and even cars.

The medical field is also finding new ways to use 3D printing to help patients. Doctors are now able to print 3D medical models that are so accurate that surgeons can essentially do a practice run on a patient’s 3D model before actually operating on that patient. 3D printed models are also being used to create less expensive, more durable, and better-fitting prosthetics for individuals who have lost limbs.