Mastering 3D Printing

Mastering 3D Printing shows you how to really get the most out of your printer, including how to design models, choose materials, work with different printers, and even how to integrate 3D printing to make more traditional prototyping techniques like sand casting more efficient.

Mastering 3D Printing

Mastering 3D Printing shows you how to get the most out of your printer, including how to design models, choose materials, work with different printers, and integrate 3D printing with traditional prototyping to make techniques like sand casting more efficient.

Joan Horvath has been an educator, engineer, author, and startup 3D printing company team member. She shows you all of the technical details you need to know to go beyond simple model printing to make your 3D printer work for you as a prototyping device, a teaching tool, or a business machine.

In this session, Dr. Lisa Alvetro will discuss what are the key factors that will guarantee success implementing the digital workflow for 3D printing indirect bonding trays in the clinical practice. Dr. Alvetro will discuss aspects such as overall workflow administration and delegation, characteristics that the 3D printer should have in order to produce trays in-house, material properties needed of the end printed appliance and important considerations when managing the post-processing protocol and preparing for the patient appointment.

Gambody has compiled this 3D printing guide to help all beginners learn the fundamental theories, essential tools, concepts of how to 3D print. Uncover the history of 3D printing, popular hardware, software and the supplies needed for successful results.

Additive manufacturing has the power to generate complex geometries and valuable parts for medicine, aerospace, defence, automotive and other industries. The 3D printing community is constantly developing, improving 3D printing skills, exploring new 3D printers and finding new applications for innovative technology.

Several years ago, many believed that 3D printing was just technology from Star Wars or another movie. But the more affordable 3D printers become, the more people take advantage of the incredible process of creating physical objects from digital 3D models.

3D printing is basically building a real object out of a digital format by laying down layer after layer of materials (plastic, resin, metal, etc.) at the sub-mm scale. While it is completely different from all other traditional manufacturing processes, a range of techniques could be used to 3D print models, and we will discuss each one in our ultimate guide.

Understanding what is 3D printing is the first step to mastering this innovative production process to create useful household parts, home items, medical casts, collectable figurines, accessories, automotive components and even food.

This new class of machines soon conquered the hearts of hobbyists and homemakers looking for affordable solutions and an opportunity to create open-source desktop machines independently. It was also the rise of the RepRap community that loved the open-source development of 3D printing and the idea of introducing entry-level machines.

Other major turns were 2012 and 2013. The introduction of alternative AM processes (DLP by B9Creator and stereolithography by Form 1) through Kickstarter were a huge success. Stratasys acquired Makerbot, and the 3D printing revolution goes on.

Firstly, many of the original patents granted to 3D Systems, Stratasys and other companies have expired. Thus, the market faces many new players who compete for the customers in professional and hobby fields. Secondly, the high demand for 3D printing led to the creation of service companies that print models and ship them to customers.

As a result, everyone wins. The three companies that pioneered 3D printing, 3D Systems, Stratasys and EOS, are still important players in the market. But the industry also witnesses a growing number of small and big competing companies.

In additive manufacturing, an object is made directly with a machine adding layer by layer of material in numerous ways. To simplify the definition of 3D printing for dummies, it is as if you build a model using Lego blocks. Everything is fast, relatively simple, and each piece fits in its place. Often, you can avoid assembly by tricking the geometry with 3D printing software.

In recent years, 3D printing technology is no longer an industrial-only process. Today, additive manufacturing is accessible to individual hobbyists and small businesses. So, beginners need to learn about 3DP methods and techniques.

The stereolithography 3D printing technology is a complex one. It can build simple and complex models. However, it is necessary to use supports to recreate undercuts and overhangs. They are not a part of the project, and users remove them manually after the whole piece is finished.

SL 3D printing technique requires additional post-processing actions. Objects 3D printed in resin must be cleaned of support structures and cured in a machine that uses intense light to harden the material.

Here is what you should learn about laser-based 3D printing technology. It uses a sealed chamber to work on models. It is an essential requirement because the temperatures are high, and the procedure is rather specific. It has to melt the powdered material, and when the 3D print is finished, you should remove the bed and get rid of excess powder.

FDM and FFF 3D printers have to use supports when 3D printing overhangs and complex geometries. Removing all support materials manually once the 3D print is finished is necessary, and this process could be complicated and time-consuming. However, modern FDM/FFF machines with dual extrusion heads could make many issues nearly unnoticeable.

Modern 3D printing methods allow making food. Binder jetting is such a technology. It uses a powder-based material (food, ceramics, sand, etc.) and a binder that serves as an adhesive between layers of powder. The 3D printer fuses each layer and keeps adding layer after layer until the project is done.

The powder bed helps to eliminate supports working similar to laser-based 3D printing technology. Also, the binder jetting process makes it easy to add different colours to the binder and create full-coloured parts.

In material jetting, liquid photopolymers are usually used to build layers. A UV laser cures them layer by layer once the jet heads jet the 3D printing material. This technology makes it possible to deposit materials with different characteristics simultaneously and create unique products. Finished 3D prints are very accurate and smooth.

The SDL 3D printing process was based on cutting and bonding regular A4 or letter paper layer by layer to make objects. The machines deposited more adhesive material to the main parts of the model and less to the surrounding areas (supports) for simpler removal. Also, pressure was used to bond the layers better together, and a tungsten-tip blade cut a sheet of paper at a time to form the required shape.

SDL was the most eco-friendly 3D printing technology because it only needed standard paper and adhesive material and required no post-processing work. Besides, it relied on CMYK colours and could replicate coloured 3D prints such as maps, buildings, anatomy, etc. Its main limitations were the build volume and the inability to produce complex models.

Different 3D printing technologies use different anatomy for their machines. This mini-chapter focuses on an ordinary FDM 3D printer because the FDM/FFF process is the most popular and affordable today. Most hobbyists who love to 3D print have an FDM machine at home.

Bed level is a measurement of distances between the bed and print head in various platform parts. A 3D printer should understand these measurements to compensate minor differences in the printing area and eliminate errors and failed 3D prints.

A build plate has an essential role in the 3D printing process. As explained by enthusiasts, it is a must for the first layer to adhere well to this sheet. Good bonding with the build plate results in a successful 3D print.

DMLS, SLM, SLS (LS) machines use powder material to 3D print objects, while SLA and DLP 3D printers require resin. When talking about the basics of 3D printing, we must mention the main parts of these 3D printers.

Unlike FDM machines that come with an extruder, powder- and resin-based 3D printers have a vat for 3D printing material. They also come with a light or laser source to fuse or cure molecules and an elevator that moves the build platform.

The development of 3D printing and the popularity of this innovative technology enables different industries to profit from it. It is now possible to apply additive manufacturing in medicine, aerospace, education, the automotive industry, etc.

Besides, 3D printing could make the customisation of products a breeze. Although now its most popular applications are prototyping and product development across industries. But more significant changes are yet to come as the AM processes continue improving and introducing themselves to more and more consumers.

3D printing has been used in aerospace for many years thanks to the precise results and quick production time. This industry is one of the first adopters of the expensive 3DP technology. It benefits from applying it in prototyping and development.

Many aerospace companies helped to push the boundaries of AM through R&D (research and production). For example, Boeing, Rolls-Royce, GE Aviation and other giants understand well that R&D is a critical element of innovation. Still, aerospace uses 3D printing to recreate complex lightweight aircraft parts and develop some space projects.

Just like in the aerospace industry, 3D printing applications in medicine found their way in the early stages of AM development. Thanks to 3D printers, medicine can personalise and customise materials, help people live a better life and ensure that 3D prints meet high medical standards.

Where to 3D print in medical and dental industries? The list of possible applications amazes everyone. The AM technology makes it easy to make prototypes, medical tools, dental aligners, casting a dental crown, etc. Besides, hospitals use 3D printing processes to make implants, shoe orthotic insoles, customised prosthetics, unique products specific to each patient. 041b061a72