3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital 3D model. It also known as Additive Manufacturing or Rapid Prototyping. 3D Printing is a process in which material is joined under a computer control to create three-dimensional object with material being added together. One of the main advantages of 3D printing is the ability to produce very complex parts, shapes or geometries that would be impossible and hard to construct by hand or machining including hollow parts.
3D printing process is suitable for production or prototypes and used for rapid prototyping. It is one of the popular and best technologies for the production of complex parts, shapes and geometries.
How does 3D printer works?
In 3D printing technology, it’s all starts by making a 3D model. You need to create a 3D model i.e. three-dimensional object from a computer aided design (CAD) model from 3D modeling CAD software.
3D Modeling: A 3D model is design in a CAD modeling software which requires for 3D printing. And there is also a way to create 3D models from 3D scanners. CAD models can be saving in stereolithography file format (STL) for additive manufacturing.
Slicing for 3D Printing: Slicing means slicing up a 3D model file into hundreds of layers from a slicing software to get ready your file for 3D printing.
Applications of 3D Printing:
What can you make with a 3d printer?
What can you do with a 3d printer?
So many questions right!
3D printing technology is widely used in today’s era of technology worldwide. Many of the companies are using 3D printing technology in almost every field. There are so many applications of 3D printing in industries are as follows:
Automotive:
Automotive or car manufacturing companies are using 3D printing technology since long to 3D print their spare parts, tools, mechanical parts, research and development. Automobile companies use 3D printing rapidly to increase their production process.
Aviation:
The aviation industry using 3D printing technology for various purposes to print fuel nozzles for engine parts and it is also used for printing complex parts which are complicated to produce in a machining process.
Architectural:
3D printing also used widely in architecture and in construction to develop 3D printed models or prototypes of houses, layouts of buildings and many projects.
Medical:
In medical field, the 3D printing is used for printing a human body parts. It is still developing and working to make a human body tissue by 3D printing.
Gift Items:
3D printing technology is widely used for printing gift items and printable on demand items for various purposes.
Education:
In educational institutes, students have long been using 3D printers in the classroom. Various schools, colleges and universities are using 3D printing technology for education purposes to understand them topics by creating their subject related prototypes and students also get offers about 3D printing technology courses to increase their knowledge about 3D printing and 3D modeling.