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EBOOKS BY ZEAL 3D
Source : Zeal 3D
Source : Zeal 3D
Source : Zeal 3D
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November 17, 2023 By Sam in 3D Printing in Automobile Industry, 3D Printing Services, Automobile Industry, Metal 3D Printing
The Rise of Metal 3D Printing in the Australian Automotive Industry
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November 7, 2023 By Sam in 3D Printing Services, 3D Printing Technology, CNC Machining Services
Hybrid Manufacturing Solutions: Integrating 3D Printing and CNC Machining in Brisbane
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October 17, 2023 By Sam in 3D Printing News, 3D Printing Technology
Additive Manufacturing in Space Exploration: NASA’s Vision for 3D Printing
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October 3, 2023 By Sam in 3D Printing in Automobile Industry, 3D Printing in Manufacturing Industry, 3d printing materials
Materials Matter: Exploring the Range of 3D Printing Materials for Automobiles
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September 23, 2023 By Sam in 3D Printing in Manufacturing Industry, Industry 4.0
Rapid Tooling: Its Processes, Advantages, and Applications
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September 21, 2023 By Sam in 3d printing materials, 3D Printing News
Exploring the Marvels of Carbon Fibre: An In-Depth Exploration of an Extraordinary Substance
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August 21, 2023 By Sam in 3D Printing Services
Enhancing Productivity and Efficiency with 3D Printing Services for Engineers
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July 10, 2023 By Sam in 3D Printing News
Authentise Unveils Free Integration of 3D Printing and ChatGPT
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June 26, 2023 By Sam in 3d printing materials, 3D Printing Services
A Comprehensive Guide to Carbon Fiber in 3D Printing
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March 17, 2023 By Sam in 3D Printing Miniatures, 3D Printing Services
Transforming Your Imagination into 3D Reality: Miniature Models for Exhibitions
3D printing is a technique of building three-dimensional things utilising modern printing and production technology taking design reference from a digital file called STL file. The printing works in a layer-by-layer system and the object's layers are visible if seen closely. Modern additive manufacturing has allowed the whole industry to print complicated geometries without compromising the product's quality.
The additive manufacturing process is entirely in contrast to conventional production methods. An item produced by a 3D printer can be highly personalized in terms of materials, colours, and surface texture. On the other hand, the conventional manufacturing method uses subtractive fabrication techniques for the same manufacturing purpose.
Additive manufacturing can be divided into various ways of usabilities, but there are nine varieties of 3D printing. These nine types of 3D Print are Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Stereolithography (SLA), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Electron Beam Melting (EMB), Digital Light Processing (DLP), Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM), Selective Laser Melting (SLM), Material Jetting, and Binder Jetting (BJ).
The additive manufacturing method is subdivided into three major parts. The first section is where engineers design 3D models using 3D CAD software. There are many CAD and 3D software available in the market that offer professional designing features. This designing software creates an STL file of the finalized design, which is understandable by a 3D printer.
In the later phase, the 3d printing machine starts composing objects in a layer-by-layer fashion. After all of the layers are printed, then the last phase consists of post-production finishing work to give the desired look to the printed object.
Rapid prototyping is a method in which a rapid design is made to examine the overall design and make needed improvements in the final product. Rapid prototyping allows engineers to conduct various tests for multiple factors. The rapid prototyping method is commonly employed to test new concepts at the primary stage.
Rapid manufacturing is slightly different from rapid prototyping because here the final object is produced using solid freeform manufacturing, direct digital manufacturing and more. In rapid manufacturing, not only the design but also the usage patterns of the item is considered under testing.
The whole manufacturing industry is transformed with 3D printing. Almost every sector is utilizing the pros of 3D printing. Following are some of the major 3D printing advantages.
• 3D printing machines have made complex design manufacturing easier.
• Higher prototyping and manufacturing cost optimization.
• Wide range of materials available for printing as compared to the traditional processes.
• Faster turnaround with superior quality
• On-demand product manufacturing has become much more proficient.
• Lower material wastage as compared to the traditional method.
Most industries are leveraging the potential of additive manufacturing for accomplishing various tasks. Some of the major industries are Healthcare, Robotics, Aerospace, Education, Textiles, Manufacturing, Automobile.
Various methods are employed under the main additive manufacturing technology & some of these technologies are mentioned below.
Stereolithography (SLA)
It is the most-used and oldest 3D printing method which was invented in 1986. Vat Polymerization is the process used to produce objects with this method. Photopolymer resin filament is used which is cured by a light source.
Digital Light Processing (DLP)
The DLP process is similar to the SLA technology and the DLP machines used are also similar to the SLA technology. However, here a light source is projected to the layers via LED screens.
Others
Other methods used in the additive manufacturing process are Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Material Jetting (MJ), Drop On Demand (DOD), Electron Beam Melting (EBM) and more.
There are various additive manufacturing materials that are used in different industries. It depends upon the usage of the final product. Following are some of the most used materials for a 3D print.
• Nylon
• Metals
• Plastic
• Powders
• Resins
• ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
• PLA (Polylactic Acid)
• Ceramics
• HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene)
• Titanium
• PET (Polyethylene terephthalate)
• Stainless Steel
All of these materials have different characteristics and they are utilised for different purposes according to the type of product that is being fabricated. They have various advantages and disadvantages of making a 3D print on them.
SLA 3D printing or Stereolithography is one of the most used additive manufacturing techniques. If we talk about industrial 3D printing practices, then the SLA 3D printing method is the only method that meets industry standards.
Some of the vital advantages of Stereolithography are high tolerance, smooth surface finishing, and higher detailing. From layout to functionality, SLA parts are always a step ahead of other industrial additive manufacturing technologies. Various 3D printers are utilised in the SLA process to produce high quality, flexible and professional-level products.
SLS 3D printing or Selective Laser Sintering is widely used and preferred for producing functionality testing prototypes. In this method, the 3d printing machine uses nylon powders and solid plastic materials to manufacture the final product. As compared to the other technologies like SLS, SLA, the objects are stronger but the surface finish is rough.
That is why the SLS process is preferred more for rapid manufacturing prototypes because it produces durable parts. It makes additive manufacturing easy, because the method doesn't require any support structure, and it can also be utilised to build multiple nested parts at the same time.
In FDM 3D printing which is also commonly known as Desktop 3D printing technology, the object is printed using the same layer-by-layer method. But the only difference is that in FDM a plastic material is used to make the final object. Due to its cost-optimized and easy to use features, this method is most preferred by many small industrial companies.
In many manufacturing units, before producing the final product with the expensive material, FDM 3D printing is used to make plastic parts. It slashes the cost of manufacturing because there is no wastage of the original material.
Polyjet 3D printing is a modern manufacturing method that uses UV light and photopolymer. Both of these are the major elements of this technology used for 3D print. In this method, a photopolymer is utilised to create a 3D print on the printing bed and later on UV light is moved over the design to solidify it.
Like other additive manufacturing technologies, it also produces 3D models in a layer-by-layer pattern. PolyJet technology is popular for higher accuracy and design precision. Most of the time PolyJet printing is used for manufacturing quick prototypes.
Metal printing was the most difficult practice that traditional technologies were facing in the business. However, additive manufacturing has now reduced the complexity and now engineers have more flexibility. With the help of this 3d printing, it is easier for various industries to manufacture 3D metal parts.
From functional to non-function prototypes, metal parts demand high quality and durability. But conventional manufacturing was not capable of producing high-end 3D metal parts easily. That is why 3D metal printing is in tremendous demand in various businesses including defence, automotive, aerospace, and more.
There are numerous benefits of additive manufacturing for industrial applications. From cost optimization to accurate manufacturing and ease of operation, everywhere you will find that 3D printed metal parts are performing well as compared to the traditional technologies. The first benefit is superior build quality of the end product as the quality is never compromised while printing using 3D technology.
Other than this, there is minimum wastage of the filament while creating 3D printed metal parts. Complexity is never an issue in 3D metal printing and intricate designs can be easily created with the help of this technology.
There are several additive manufacturing technologies used for producing objects of distinctive characteristics. Some of the most common additive manufacturing techniques are:
Direct Energy Deposition
A metal block and a laser are used in this type of 3d metal printing.
Powder Bed Fusion
In this process, a powder bed layer is spread and then a laser is used to make 3d prints.
Binder Jetting
For rapid production, Binder Jetting is a preferred choice among all the other 3D metal printing technologies.
Bound Powder Extrusion
In this process, the powder is extruded in a bound form with the help of polymers.
There are several applications of 3D metal printing in different industries. Manufacturing industries are the biggest users of additive manufacturing technologies. There are several benefits of 3D metal printing that manufacturing units get from this advancement. Some of the major 3D metal printing applications.
• Manufacturing fully-functional prototypes
• Production of highly accurate manufacturing tools.
• Mass production of custom spare parts.
• Manufacturing heat sinks and heat exchangers.
• Jewellery & decorative items.
• Production of surgical and dental implants.
There are several additive manufacturing filaments used for metal 3d printing. The usage of material depends upon the usage pattern of the object in the real world. Below are some of the most employed metal 3D printing filaments.
• Titanium
• Aluminium
• Stainless Steel
• Inconel
There are multiple metal additive manufacturing methods used for several industrial uses. All the metal 3d printing works differently but most of the time, 3D metal parts are produced using powder beds. The metals are used in powder form and they are extruded on beds to form up the final product. The metal additive manufacturing method can be different for different materials and technologies. Laser lights or UV lights are employed while producing the metal 3D print.
Additive manufacturing has transformed the manufacturing industry and the biggest role player in this transformation is metal 3D print technology. The most commonly leveraged technologies are powder bed technologies. In this type of 3d printing, the metals are employed in powder form. After a UV rays projection process, the powders are converted into a solid metal product. In some cases, laser lights are applied and in some cases, other filaments are used while preparing the powder form of metals. Binder Jetting and laser metal deposition methods are also widely used in 3D metal prints.
Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is employed to print alloy metals and this method is a popular one in metal printing methods. Like other metal printing techniques, the metal is in the melted form of powder. A laser is projected on the element and it goes on the piece of metal to turn it in the form of the final 3D model layer by layer. Inert gases like Argon and Nitrogen also play an important role in SLS. Support structures are employed in this technology while composing 3d models, SLM is more suitable for metals like aluminium.
DMLS or Direct Metal Laser Sintering is related to the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) method. In DMLS, there is a laser sintering method used on printing powder beds. The only difference between this additive manufacturing technology and SLM metal printing is the powder. In DMLS 3D technology there is no fully melted metal so it also takes less time to get to the normal temperature. It is good to use DMLS metal 3D printers for manufacturing mechanical parts.
The basic work mechanism of both Directed Energy Deposition (DED) and Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) metal 3D printing techniques are similar. But still, some factors make both of these methods differ from each other.
In DED additive manufacturing technology, the metal block is fused through the printing nozzle and the powder is melted to create the final object. After the powder is melted, lasers are used in this method for consolidations. For more complex shapes and geometries, the position of the substrate can be displaced from 3-axis systems to 5+ axis systems.
Same as other metal additive manufacturing method, powder metal is employed to make 3D print objects in Binder Jetting. The only difference is that there is a binding agent used in this method. An inkjet head is used to project a liquid binding agent on the powder metal. This entire process continues till the model is not manufactured according to the CAD file.
Binder Jetting 3D printing technology is completely different from other technologies, requiring a different consolidation process after production. This process is needed to remove the risk of porosity. Also, it is necessary to conduct such a process to make the metal achieve its mechanical characteristics.
The metal casting method is a type of additive and subtractive manufacturing. As its name suggests, in this type of production, metals are cast into different designs. From manufacturing master models to plaster moulds, this technique has multiple steps before the final model manufacturing.
Also called Lost-wax casting in which a master figure is built up using wax. This master design model is a perfect copy of the final required product. After the master model is ready in this process, there are plaster moulds discharged into this original model. Now the final stage is where the filament is inserted into the form which is 3D printed in wax to make the end product.
A 3D model is a digital file saved on a computer that carries the digital data of a 3D print output. The file format used to store a 3D model on a computer is STL. An STL file contains all the numerical details related to a 3D model of the object. These designs are produced using different CAD or 3D printing software.
The G-code files part of CAD software let you upload 3D files. Click on the “upload G-code file” & a button will open up the file explorer, and then you will have to choose your 3D design file. After uploading the file, it's ready to print.
STL file is a computer file that consists of 3D design and its related information. This file is created and readable by CAD software. 3D CAD software is used to create and read such file types. Standard Tessellation Language files are used to read by this software and then they are uploaded to 3D printing machines. Almost every machine out there in the 3D print industry uses STL files for 3D printing. These files don't consist of any colour details of the 3D model, but all the other details are there. Machines use these 3D STL files to print 3d models.
MJM additive manufacturing or modelling is the process to make 3D prints or models using a head full of multijet nozzles. In most cases, MJM 3D printing is used for prototyping. The material which is used in this type of 3D print technology is wax. There are several nozzles arranged linearly in the machine head. These nozzles throw out the melted material on the machine bed to make a 3D model. When it comes to rapid prototyping, then multi jet modelling is the best-known technology.
PLA is simply a natural plastic. We can call it natural plastic because it is manufactured using different natural or plant-based extractions. The best thing about PLA plastic is that it is most widely used in 3D print technology. 3D print technology has become more advanced and costs effective with the use of different materials such as ABS. but most of the materials used are harmful to nature. But when it comes to PLA material, then it is made up of plants that are their parts only. Industries with environmental awareness, choose PLA 3d printing from ABS or PLA plastic options.
Simply as its name suggests, injection molding is a process in which a mould is used to manufacture 3D models. Parts are made of different materials from wax to plastic and metals. The mould is made up of different materials and is known as a master mould. Silicone moulds are also used in plastic injection moulding. The metal or wax is injected into the mould to get it in the desired shape. Various items in various industries are manufactured using this technology.
Fast manufacturing and reduction in the manufacturing cost are the major reasons behind the usage of injection molding. Cost-effectiveness is the major advantage of injection molding. Several industries are being facilitated with these advantages along with the scalability feature that injection molded manufacturing provides. So if an industrial unit is looking for a production system that can deliver cost-effective manufacturing services along with timely production, then injection molding is the best option to choose from.
There are several steps included in the complete injection molding process. From creating a master mould to creating a silicone or plastic mould, everything is simple. But the major step involved in this method of manufacturing is injecting the melted material into the moulds to make it in desired solid shape. Creating the first and master mould is the major step involved. Because the other moulds will be made in the same shape. Accuracy is considered as the major metric while creating moulds.
Different kinds of plastic injection molding machines are there in the market and being used by various industries according to their requirement. The most commonly used machine is the Hydraulic plastic injection molding PLC machine. This machine consists of a hydraulic system in it and is used for complex manufacturing. The other machines used are Electric plastic molding machine and hybrid plastic injection molding machines. These machines are used for different purposes and they have different features as compared to hydraulic molding machines.
CNC is automated or computer-based manufacturing technology. In this technology, all the manufacturing instructions are given to the machines via computer codes. No manual instructions or machine movements are there in CNC machining. Not only for the limited number of machines, but CNC machining technology can be used with any traditional manufacturing machine. The major benefit of CNC is that there are no chances of errors as compared to traditional manufacturing machines.
On a majority basis, CNC machining is used for manufacturing processes, which is completely based on computer instructions. So where there is a requirement of production, CNC service is used to automate the process. However, if we talk about the major CNC machining technology applications then manufacturing automobile parts, musical instruments, complex parts, precise production tool production are the main uses of it.
CNC machining has many advantages and the major one is error-free production. Due to less human intervention, the chances of errors are reduced to a very low level. So if there are no chances of errors, then the production quality automatically increases. Also, there is no production material wastage in CNC machining technology. So cost-effectiveness is also a major point when talking about the benefits of CNC machining technology.
To reduce the production flaws due to air entrapment, vacuum casting is used as a casting technology. In vacuum casting a filament or metal is injected into moulds with the help of a vacuum to manufacture the parts in desired shapes. Vacuum casting metal can be different based on different production tasks. This reproduction technology is widely used in mass production at a low cost in various industries. Also, there are low-cost filaments used such as plastic, rubber, fibre, etc.
As usual, all the casting technologies have, the vacuum casting process also has several steps involved from creating a master mould to substitute mould. After successfully making an accurate and perfect master model a master mould is made. In most cases, stereolithography is used to make a master casting mould. Similar to the other casting technologies a casting silicone mold is also made after making a master mold. Different materials are used for different parts.
Initially, most of the focus in vacuum casting is on creating a master mold. After that various silicone molds are made for the main manufacturing process. The master mould has much more importance and value associated with it. Because the overall quality of the production is going to be dependent upon the master mould. That is why high-end technologies like Stereolithography and laser sintering are used to create master casting moulds. It is just because of the shine, smoothness and accuracy these technologies provide.
Various vacuum casting applications are there for different industries. It is most widely used for creating both design and functional prototypes. It is way cheaper than other casting technologies because less material is wasted in such a type of manufacturing. However, it is not preferred for the production of durable products. That is why in most cases it is used to make products with fewer durability requirements such as artificial metal ornaments, testing parts for automotive and aerospace, demo products, etc.
A variety of materials can be used in vacuum casting and it is one of the major benefits that this technology provides. Vacuum casting materials provide flexibility to choose according to the product requirement. One can use any product based upon its properties. Materials like Polypropylene, Polycarbonate, Rubber, Glass-filled materials, etc. are used as vacuum casting materials.
Quick, reliable, and cost-effective production are the major benefits that encourage any industry to start using vacuum casting technology. There are many other advantages associated with vacuum casting. Listing vacuum casting benefits in a list is quite difficult. But still, it is worth mentioning cost-effective mass production, less time consumption, fast turnaround time, high quality, flexibility on choosing materials, etc. are some common benefits.
Wherever other casting technologies face issues like air entrapment, vacuum casting comes into action. Industries that face such an issue in production should try vacuum casting use. Prototyping is made cost-effective and easy with vacuum casting. Other than this, the production of medical equipment, ornaments, decorative items, demo products, etc are some of the major vacuum casting applications.
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