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3d printing or additive manufacturing is an advanced manufacturing method that lets anyone print three-dimensional items from a digital file. It is an additive process in which the object is manufactured in a layer-by-layer fashion. The printed object's every layer is visible as a thin-sliced cross-section.
This process is the opposite of traditional processes which follow 'subtractive manufacturing' in which an object is made hollowing or cutting out a plastic or metal filament block. 3d printing is widely employed in various industries and it's especially used for rapid prototyping. This technology allows on-demand design printing without requiring a heavy production setup.
There are several types of 3D printing methods available, but there are nine basic types of printing methods that are widely popular. These 3d printing technologies are Stereolithography (SLA), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Digital Light Processing (DLP), Electron Beam Melting (EMB), Selective Laser Melting (SLM), Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM), Binder Jetting (BJ), and Material Jetting.
All these technologies are widely used for rapid prototyping and various online 3d print applications. Every 3d printing method has its distinctive 3d print design characteristics that are suitable for multiple industrial applications. FDM and SLA are the most popular additive manufacturing techniques.
First, the engineer uses 3d software to prepare the design that is going to come out as the final product. The CAD software generates an STL file that contains all data related to the design. Once the STL file is ready, a 3d printer reads the data and initiates the 3d printing process.
Depending on the material (filament), printing technology, and 3d model, the final object starts printing in a layer-by-layer manner. The layered printing continues till the final product is prepared completely. Once the 3d-printed object is ready, it goes through post-production work to get its final touches.
Rapid prototyping is a fast-paced design method that involves ideation, prototyping, testing, and finally building utilizing CAD software. The manufacturing process is performed using a 3d printer in which the object is printed in a layer-by-layer fashion. Rapid prototyping services are quite popular for testing out new design ideas and functional geometries.
On the other hand, the rapid manufacturing process does not produce the design but the final products that will be used under real-life scenarios. Rapid manufacturing involves multiple additive manufacturing methods including solid freeform manufacturing, stereolithography, direct digital manufacturing, and more. This process is helpful in testing the functionality of a prototype.
3d printing technology is transforming the entire manufacturing industry and there are several 3D printing advantages to count on. Some of the vital pros of 3D Printing are:
- 3d printing allows the manufacturing of complex designs that are not possible with traditional manufacturing.
- Rapid prototyping is much faster and cost-effective with additive manufacturing.
- It's easier to 3d print lightweight and strong parts with 3d printing.
- The turnaround time is much faster than traditional processes.
- Material wastage is minimum in 3d printing.
Industries using 3D printing applications include automotive, aerospace, construction, healthcare, manufacturing, education, and many more.
There are several additive manufacturing techniques that cater to different purposes and performances. Below are the types of popular 3D printing processes:
- Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) - It is the most popular and affordable 3D printing technology and it uses production-grade thermoplastics to print objects.
- Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) - In this additive manufacturing technology, tiny particles of filaments are fused by producing heat using a high-power laser to form a solid object.
- Stereolithography (SLA) - This 3d printing process uses a high-power laser to harden liquid resin to produce final products.
- PolyJet - In this method, the 3d printer sprays drops of photopolymer that get solidified when they come in contact with UV light.
There are several options available for 3D printing materials that are used to create objects of different properties and textures. Some of the popular materials used to 3d print objects are:
- ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
- PLA (Polylactic Acid)
- Nylon
- Resin
- Stainless steel
- Carbon fiber
- Ceramics
- PET/PETG
- HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene) and many more
Stereolithography or SLA 3D Printing is the oldest 3D printing process that is used to manufacture objects of high tolerances and excellent smooth finish. SLA printing is used to produce parts with greater detailing and functional applications.
The biggest utility of this industrial 3D printing is in the healthcare industry and some of the popular SLA applications are producing snap-fit assemblies, moulds & casting patterns, jigs & fixtures, and much more. In the medical industry, this 3d printing technology is used for creating anatomical models. Common benefits of SLA are accurate prototypes creation, faster turnaround, smooth product finishing, and more.
Selective Laser Sintering or SLS 3D Printing utilizes a powder bed fusion process to produce 3D parts. SLS 3d printed parts are produced from thermoplastic filaments and are ideal for functional testing. Parts made up from this additive manufacturing have rough surface texture and it doesn't need support structures.
SLS's biggest utility is that it can produce multiple parts into a single build hence it is suitable for printing parts in multiple quantities. The SLS process is ideal for small and medium batch parts production with complex geometries.
FDM 3D Printing or Fused Deposition Modeling is among the most popular plastic 3d printing technologies. In this desktop 3D printing technology, the plastic filament is extruded from the nozzle and it builds the objects layer-by-layer. FDM is a widely employed technology in several industries as it's highly cost-effective and produces objects in a faster turn-around.
FDM technology can also be used for producing certain functional plastic parts for testing and demonstration purposes. The objects produced by this additive manufacturing have rough surface texture and the objects are of limited strength. This technology is perfect for personal 3d printing hands-on as it's easy to operate.
PolyJet 3D printing method manufactures parts by jetting photopolymer droplets on the 3d printing bed and the droplets are then solidified leveraging a strong UV light. Polyjet is among the fastest additive manufacturing processes that produces accurate geometries. This method also follows a layer-by-layer manufacturing process and the layers are of photopolymer.
Also known as MultiJet 3d printing, this technique offers higher repeatability and accuracy which makes it an ideal choice for small and medium-sized batch production. This additive manufacturing can deliver accuracy up to 0.004” on every part. PolyJet 3D printing is suitable for printing prototypes at a faster turnaround.
Metal 3d printing is the most advanced and modern additive manufacturing technique which is used to produce complex 3d metal parts. With this technology, engineers can produce complex robust tooling parts that can be used in traditional manufacturing. Metal printing helps in reducing lead times and offers high-grade quality.
The 3d metal parts produced with this technology are both functional and non-functional which can be employed in various industries. 3d metal printing technologies used for this operation are Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Selective Laser Melting (SLM). This technology offers robust design flexibility along with the functional mechanical properties of the metal.
There are several robust benefits of 3d metal printing that are transforming the entire industrial manufacturing paradigm. Some of the key advantages of opting for metal 3d printing are:
Highly Customizable - Metal 3d printing allows engineers to accomplish complex geometries without compromising the strength of the object.
Shorter Lead Times - As compared to the conventional manufacturing processes, metal 3d printing can deliver final products with a shorter turnaround time.
Less Material Wastage - The material wastage while manufacturing 3D printed metal parts is significantly lower as compared to the traditional subtractive methods.
There are several popular types of 3d metal printing that are widely employed in industrial work which are:
Powder Bed Fusion
- Selective Laser Melting (SLM)
- Electron Beam Melting (EBM)
Direct Energy Deposition
- Powder DED
- Wire DED
Binder Jetting
Bound Powder Extrusion
There are several advanced uses of 3d metal printing in multiple industries and these applications are much more capable than the traditional manufacturing methods. Some of the advanced 3d metal printing applications are:
- Manufacturing production tools
- Fully functional prototypes
- Manufacturing of tooling equipment
- Rigid housings
- Spare parts manufacturing
- Ductwork
- Heat exchangers & heatsinks
There are majorly four types of metal 3d printing materials available in the market but engineers can produce custom filament by the combination of more than two materials. The popular metal 3d printing materials are:
- Aluminium
- Titanium
- Stainless steel
- Inconel
All these materials have their distinctive properties and are used in different industrial applications.
The 3d metal printing uses powder bed technologies in which the metal is in powdered form and is fused to create complex parts. In another process, the 3d printing machine uses a strong laser which heats up the powder and finally creates a solid form of the object.
The printers produce the metal parts in a gradual way and once the objects are made, they are sent for post-production work. Depending on what material and technology are used for printing, the turnaround time also changes.
Metal 3d printing is among the most promising advancements of additive manufacturing. This technology can be majorly classified into two categories. The first category is the powder bed technologies and the second category is Laser Metal Deposition technologies. Both types of metal 3D printing technologies have distinctive properties used suitable for various industrial operations.
In powder bed 3D technology, the metal powder is fused over a bed and then the parts are created additively. On the other hand, the laser metal deposition technologies, the machine heats up the metal powder to form an object. Along with these two popular categories, Binder Jetting, and casting are also widely used metal 3d printing technologies.
Selective Laser Melting (SLM) 3d printing technology is widely used for producing metal alloys. In this printing technology, a sharp laser sinters the metal in a layer-by-layer fashion and prepares the shape as per the 3d model. In SLM, the metal powder is completely melted during the printing process.
This process uses inert gases like nitrogen and argon. Selective Laser Melting is ideal for pure metals like aluminium and it can produce robust metal parts. This technology does require supports to strengthen small angles and hangovers. Once the 3d printing is completed, the supports are then removed from the main object.