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In 3D printing or additive manufacturing, a three-dimensional object is made from a digital CAD file where materials are added in successive layers until the object is created. 3D printing is becoming popular widely due its ability to produce complex shapes, compatibility with a range of materials to produce high-volume products for different industries. Examples could be toys, footwear, eyewear, furniture, movie props, prosthetics, dental products, making replicas of ancient artefacts, etc.
The different types of 3D printing technology are:
• Stereolithography (SLA)
• fused deposition modeling (FDM)
• selective laser sintering (SLS)
• digital light processing (DLP)
• multijet fusion (MJF)
• Polyjet
• Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS)
• Electron beam melting (EBM)
For evaluating the online 3D print options, it is always a good idea to consider the factors like budget, mechanical requirements, material, complexity of geometry and cosmetic appearance.
First, the object is designed in a 3D model using CAD. CAD software helps in designing even the intricate, tiniest details with precision and accuracy.
Second, the model is sliced into layers, and the slicing software scans each layer of the model and tells the printer how to move to recreate that layer.
The process of 3D printing involves three steps:
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- 3D modeling software: The object is designed with intricate details in the 3D model using CAD software. The software has the ability to allow for the tiniest, and precision designs. The CAD file is then converted into STL format.
- Slicing the model: Next, the model is sliced into hundreds or thousands of layers with a slicing software and sent off to the 3D printer via USB, WiFi or SD.
- Final process: In a 3D printer, a nozzle moves back and forth while dispensing the material layer-by-layer waiting for a layer to dry before adding the next.
3D printers are extremely flexible, accurate and fast to print rigid materials, and even strong industrial products.
Rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing are often confused with each other. But both are different.
In engineering and manufacturing context, prototypes are a preliminary version or model of a product. Prototypes are made before the mass production to evaluate the designs, and test the working principle. As the name suggests, rapid prototyping is the process of creating prototypes quickly to evaluate the product for design and functionality. Based on the degree of accuracy or fidelity, prototypes are classified into high fidelity and low fidelity.
Rapid manufacturing encompasses different methods of manufacturing to produce parts quickly. Unlike rapid prototyping, rapid manufacturing is not used to produce models but the final end products. With methods like selective laser sintering, stereolithography, laser melting, rapid tooling, etc. 3D objects are created from CAD files. This method is popularly called direct digital manufacturing.
Some of the benefits of 3D printing are:
Lesser environmental impact: 3D printing needs only a few parts to be outsourced bringing in less of transportation; it generates minimal wastage that can be recycled; and there is no need to maintain an energy-consuming factory.
Cost: In contrast to traditional manufacturing that requires expensive equipment, skilled technicians and operators causing huge labour costs, 3D printing is very much economical. There is no need for additional tooling too.
Strong and lightweight parts: The best 3D applications lie in its ability to produce lightweight, strong and sturdy parts especially for aerospace and automotive industries for fuel efficiency.
Complex designs: With 3D printing, manufacturers and designers get better design freedom to design and print complex, intricate geometries with no restrictions and limitations.
These days many industries such as aircraft, construction, mechanical engineering, jewelry, healthcare, children franchises, dentistry, education, robotics, fashion, and much more.
There are several 3D printing technologies such as:
• Stereolithography (SLA)
• Digital Light Processing (DLP)
• Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) or Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)
• Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
• Electronic Beam Melting (EBM)
• Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM)
• Selective Laser Melting (SLM)
• Material Jetting (MJ)
• Sand Binder Jetting
• Metal Binder Jetting
• Digital Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS)
• Continuous Liquid Interface Production
The 3D printing process differs for each one of these additive manufacturing technologies.
Of all the 3D printing materials, plastic is the most widely used one. However, 3D printing is compatible with a range of materials like nylon, resin, gold, powdered materials like polyamide, alumide, bronze, gold, nickel, stainless steel, titanium, carbon fiber, graphene, graphite, paper, high impact polystyrene, polycarbonate, PVA, nitinol, and more.
Stereolithography is based on vat photopolymerization or commonly referred to resin 3D printing. In this process, SLA 3D printers print 3D objects using a light source, that is a laser or projector to cure the liquid resin into solidified plastic.
The benefits of SLA 3D printing are:
• SLA parts have high accuracy and intricate details
• Smooth finish surface
• High resolution and accuracy and more versatility
• SLA materials are clear, flexible and castable
SLA applications: visual prototypes, rapid tooling molds, casting patterns, ergonomics tests, marketing validation, visual tests, and more.
SLS is a powder based 3D printing technology in which a high-powered laser sinters the particles of polymer powder into a 3D object.
Because of its high design freedom, accuracy and the ability to produce durable SLS parts that have excellent tensile strength and isotropic mechanical properties. This technique is used in jigs and fixtures, injection mold inserts, foundry patterns, investment casting patterns, electronics, military hardware, homeland security, and much more.
The SLS process has a variety of material options like nylon, glass-filled nylon, aluminium-filled, impact-resistant nylon and more. The finishing options are also more like bead blasting, painting, CA Dip Coated, and more.
Fused Deposition Modeling or Fused Filament Fabrication is a popular 3D printing technology. Here, the material, that is, a spool of thermoplastic filament is loaded into the printer, and fed to the nozzle and gets melted at the right temperature. The melted material is then extruded in thin layers to get cooled and solidified.
The two most common materials of this plastic 3D printing are PLA and ABS which are known to have good strength, visual quality, temperature resistance and are easy to print with. However, other materials like TPU, PEI, PETG, are also used in FDM 3D printing. FDM is cost effective with shorter lead times.
Similar to inkjet printers, PolyJet 3D printers work by jetting thousands of liquid photopolymer droplets onto a build platform. These droplets are then solidified with UV light to create objects. It is one of the fastest and accurate technologies capable of producing highly detailed parts in just hours.
One of the best features of PolyJet is that it can be printed with multiple materials making the product more diverse, colourful and aesthetic.
Metal 3D printing works on a metal powder bed in which high-powered laser beams bind the particles on the powder bed and the 3D printer distributes even layers of the powder to make the object. The metal 3D printers fall into categories of powder bed fusion, binder jetting, direct energy deposition, and material extrusion.
The best reasons to choose metal 3D printing could be:
• It is easy to produce ultra complex 3D metal parts and cavities with strong and robust finish
• Capable of customizing or modifying designs
• The lightweight and complex designs make it suitable to several applications
The most common types of metal 3D printing are:
• Powder Bed Fusion
• Selective Laser Melting (SLM)
• Electron Beam Melting (EBM),
• Direct Energy Deposition or also called Laser Material Deposition,
• Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing,
• Binder Jetting,
• Bound Powder Extrusion
The opportunities that lie for 3D metal printing are high. Some their applications are listed here:
• Making functional metal prototypes for easy design and functionality tests and changes
• Complex bracketry
• End-of-arm tooling
• End use parts for low volume production
• High-security cylinder locks and keys
• Bone implants
Materials used in metal 3D printing are:
• Stainless steel
• Cobalt
• Aluminium
• Titanium
• Iconel 625
Each of these 3D printing materials have their own characteristics like chemical-resistant, strength, corrosion-resistant, temperature-resistant, mechanical properties, dynamic properties and more.
Metal 3D printing technology uses powder bed technology where the laser pulses heat up the powder creating solid 3D objects. The process is also called Direct Metal Laser Sintering or Selective Laser Melting (SLM).
Metal 3D printing consists of technologies like powder bed fusion, laser cladding, direct energy deposition (DED), wire DED, powder DED, and metal binder jetting and bound powder extrusion.
Selective Laser Melting is the best 3D printing technology for manufacturers who are looking to get near net shape parts with relative density up to 99.9%. In this manufacturing technique, high-powered laser beams melt and fuse metallic powder in additive layers to produce the part. Once the SLM parts are removed from the build plate and the supports are removed, the surface finish might be rough. Some post-processing work may also be needed based on the requirements to get that fine tolerance and features.
Direct Metal Laser Sintering is popular to print rapid prototypes quickly. In this method, an object is made using a laser that sinters each layer of the metallic powder. First, a CAD model is created and sliced. Once the model is sent to the printer, the printer is filled with the particular metal powder and heated to the desired temperature. Next, very thin layers of metal powder are dispensed which the laser then sinters into solid forms. The process repeats until the final end product is made.
DMLS is suitable for mass production of accurate, quality parts and complex geometries and shorter manufacturing times.
Direct Energy Deposition is generally used for repairing or adding more material to existing components. Here, material in wire or powdered form is melted and deposited onto the surface in layers through a nozzle. The melted material is then solidified. The materials which are usually metals and ceramics are melted with a laser or electron beam or plasma arc.
This additive manufacturing technology is called by different names like directed light fabrication, 3D laser cladding, laser deposition welding, rapid plasma deposition, and more.
Highly popular for printing sand molds and casts patterns, Binder Jetting (BJ) is one of the fastest manufacturing techniques. With BJ, manufacturers can get quick, affordable, complex, and accurate geometries. An object is made by depositing a liquid binding agent or binder into the powder bed, bonding the particles to form a solid one layer at a time. The commonly used materials are sand, metal or ceramics.
Due to its ability to produce coloured 3D parts, binder jetting is used to print 3D figurines, topographical maps, etc.
In its simplest terms, metal casting is a process of pouring hot liquid metal into a mold that has a cavity of the desired geometrical shape. The end product is achieved by removing it once the metal is cooled and solidified.
Additive manufacturing and subtractive manufacturing could be said as a complementary technology for metal casting as 3D printing is ideal for low-volume casting jobs, facilitating greater design freedom.
Think of animation, graphics, video games, architecture, illustration, advertising, and other creative careers. The primar, integral element of all these are 3D models. A 3D model is a three-dimensional representation of any object created using CAD software or 3D scanning.
To upload a 3D model design for 3D printing:
• Convert 3D file into STL format
• Slice the model with any slicing software
• Use your 3D printer
Another best alternative would be to choose an online professional 3D printing service depending on your need and budget.
The acronym STL stands for STereoLithography or Standard Tessellation Language. Any product before going for 3D print must be designed in CAD and converted into STL format. sTL describes the surface geometry of a 3D object and uses a series of triangles to reproduce the surface geometry of the model.
As the name suggests, in multi-jet modelling (MJM) the material thermoplastics are jetted as drops and polymerized by UV light with the help of a print head and several nozzles. Thermoplastics are more like a wax with a resolution of 300 dpi. The model is created in layers directly from the 3D CAD file.
MJM 3D printing produces excellent surface quality with short production times, no geometrical restrictions and with high resolution and fine details.
Polylactic acid commonly called PLA plastic or bioplastic is obtained from renewable sources like cornstarch and sugarcane. It is highly cost-efficient and makes it one of the best choices of material for fusion deposition modelling 3D printing. PLA plastic comes in different colors, shades and styles making it ideal for several applications.
Plastic Injection molding or injection molding is used in producing high volume plastic parts. In this method, a molded product is formed by injected melted material pellets into a mould where the liquid is cooled and solidified.
Benefits of injection molding are:
• Low scrap rates: Unlike CNC machining and other traditional manufacturing processes, the 3D printing technique generates less waste making it more economical.
• Suitable for high volume: As the second part is going to be identical to the first one there is no way of missing out on consistency even if there are more than a thousand parts at a time.
• Material choice: Multiple plastic materials could be used simultaneously.
• No need of skilled technicians: the entire process is automated reducing any labour costs
The injection molding process undergoes three stages: Product Design, Mold Design and the final Manufacturing process. Let’s break them down into small steps.
• The product is designed by a skilled professionals with CAD software
• Once the design is tested, the mold is designed with either hardened steel, aluminium or copper alloy.
• In the final stage, thermostat or thermoplastic material in pellet form is fed into a heating barrel where it is heated to a predetermined temperature. The molten material is then injected into the mold quickly
• Once it cools and solidifies into the desired shape, the part is ejected from the mold.
Plastic injection molding PLC machine is used to produce plastic parts through injection molding method. It is categorized into: hydraulic injection molding, electric injection molding and hybrid injection molding.
• Hydraulic Injection Molding: It is easier to operate and has excellent clamping force. With better injection rates, this holds good for valve gates, ejectors, thick walled parts, etc. .
• Electric Injection Molding: These machines have less down time and energy efficiency. The production is faster without any supervision required.
• Hybrid Injection Molding: It is flexible with lesser downtimes, combining the superior camping force of hydraulic machines with precision and repeatability and the reduced noise of electric machines, the hybrid model is highly energy efficient.
CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining is a subtractive manufacturing process in which a product is created by removing material layers from the workpiece with the help of software. CNC makes it an ideal choice for low to medium volume production for materials like glass, foam, plastic, composites, etc.
There are three different types of CNC machining operations:
• CNC drilling: Drilling is the act of making holes in unbroken surfaces with a hand drill machine. CNC drilling is done on CNC milling machines and lathes.
• CNC milling: Milling is the process of machining using cutters to shape a workpiece, usually metal or wood. In the CNC milling process, computerized controls to operate and manipulate machine tools.
• CNC turning: Turning is a subtractive process. CNC turning is a manufacturing process in which material bars are held in a chuck and rotated while a tool is fed to the piece to remove material to create the shape.
CNC machining is used to manufacture many products like signage, musical instruments, cabinets and furniture, aluminium and brass machining, computers, motherboards, firearms, engraving systems, and more. It is used by both industries and home hobbyists. CNC services are hugely popular due to the technology’s efficiency, versatility and precision.
As stated above, CNC can produce parts with utmost accuracy and precision, faster, efficient and contributes to cost savings.
• Cost effective: there is less skilled workforce training for operation and lesser number of mistakes in the end product
• Productivity: CNC machines need no out-of-hours, hugely increasing the production.
• Safety: Unlike conventional manufacturing, there are no machining errors like jams.
Vacuum casting or thermoforming is a casting method for elastomers polymers that use vacuum to draw liquid material into the mold. With this reproduction technology, it is easy to produce flexible, rigid parts that are of different textures and colours.
Following are the steps involved in vacuum casting process:
• First, a master model is created by stereolithography or laser sintering. Next, a two part silicone rubber mold is made and the master model is fixed in it. The mold is then cured under high temperatures for durability.
• Once the mold is cured, there would be a cavity at the centre with the same dimensions as the master mold.
• Next, the mold is filled with the material and placed in the vacuum chamber to remove air bubbles. The mold is cured and removed to make further copies or replicas.
Vacuum casting machine uses a vacuum to suck the molten metal into the silicone mold. A steady, constant pressure, force is needed to overcome the surface tension of the molten metal else the metal would blob. The tool is then placed inside the vacuum casting chamber and when it is at the right temperature, the resin is poured through a funnel into the tool. Once the part is cured and cooled, the tool is separated and part is removed.
The uses of VC (Vacuum casting) are aplenty. To name a few:
• Product marketing
• Medical devices
• Plastic prototypes
• Home decor items
• Concept models
The most common materials compatible with vacuum casting are:
• Polypropylene (PP): widely used and easy to mold
• ABS: suitable for low cost production
• Wax: easy to form in any forms or shapes
• Polycarbonate: known for high impact resistance
• Glass-filled materials: increase rigidity and structural strength
• Rubber: tough with good tear strength
A host of benefits using vacuum casting are that there is a good choice of material selection with mechanical performance, there is not much post processing work required, it is a flexible method for high-quality prototypes and master patterns can be tweaked with no special tooling.
Vacuum casting is employed in several industries. For example, lenses for automotive and aerospace industries, household products, housings and casing for consumer white goods, IOT products, flexible medical parts, enclosures, and more.
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