3D printers staples

Features of 3D printers

Three-dimensional printers are equipment for printing a physical object based on its digital 3D model. The operation of most devices is based on the layer-by-layer deposition of the material or the gradual solidification of the photopolymer resin. As "consumables" they use all kinds of plastic, metal powder, building mixtures, glass powder and other raw materials. nine0006

There are several types of printing technologies that differ in the principle of operation, the properties of materials, the software used:

• powder melting or sintering;
• photopolymerization;
• extrusion;
• laser stereolithography;
• lamination.

Using printers, you can create models of any shape and complexity of execution. 3D printing allows you to reduce the cost of manufactured products and speed up the production process. nine0006

Use of 3D printers at home

3D modeling technology has been used for various purposes in everyday life. It is easy to print a hook for the hallway, a case for a smartphone, a tablet, a toy for a child at home on a printer. To do this, you need to perform a number of tasks:

• make a digital model of the object on a computer or download a ready-made template;
• divide the workpiece into many transverse layers using special software; nine0163
• start the device for printing - layer-by-layer build-up of the product.

The printer will become an assistant in the house. Let's be clear: we are surrounded by numerous plastic parts that often fail or get lost. It’s not at all by the way that the handle of the washing machine may break, the blender gear will fall apart, or some fragile button will crack. Using a 3D printer to recreate a broken polymer element is not a problem, but an exciting creative process. nine0006

Devices for 3D modeling allow you to print household items or decor in any room in the house:

• for the kitchen - towel hooks, napkin holders, spice rack, kitchen utensils;
• in the bathroom - soap dishes, shelves for shampoos, shower gels;
• in the bedroom - shades for lighting fixtures;
• in the study - organizers, pencil holders;
• in the living room - vases, figurines, photo frames, flower pots and much more. nine0163

If you wish, you can organize "your own business" from home. Using a printer to produce original Christmas and children's toys, souvenirs, bags for phones, tablets for sale is a profitable idea.

In the space industry

Three-dimensional modeling is a promising technology in the aerospace industry. And it is already actively used. Manufacturer SpaceX announced the Dragon v2 spacecraft, its engine is assembled using printed parts. nine0006

3D printing is also used in space. In 2016, NASA sent an industrial printer to the ISS that can operate in a vacuum. With it, astronauts will be able to print the desired item or part, thereby reducing the time to wait for delivery from Earth.

Aviation

Additive technologies have found a place in the aviation industry. Boeing and Lockheed Martin Corporation of America have developed laser-sintered engine parts, load-bearing components and ventilation systems. nine0006

Architectural

The ability to create virtual and then printed three-dimensional models is a breakthrough in the field of architecture and design. With the help of printers, it is easy to make a model of a future building for accurate visualization of its features, presentation to investors or buyers. Layouts have been used in architecture for a long time, but it is printing that leads to the acceleration and simplification of project development.

Weapons

Three-dimensional technologies are not always used for good. Weapon printing is a prime example of this. Even budget printers can print a functional plastic gun. From one shot, it will collapse, but even a single pull of the trigger can cost a person his life. nine0006

However, it is believed that people should be able to self-defense. So, employees of Defense Distributed posted 3D models of the Liberator pistol online. They also manufacture spare parts for the Kalashnikov assault rifle and the AR-15 rifle. With them, it is possible to assemble weapons using a printer and available consumables.

Clothing

Polyamide powders are suitable materials for clothing and underwear. Nylon printed items have an unusual shape, they combine high strength with elasticity. nine0006

New York-based design lab Continuum Fashion presented printed clothing at a fashion show. The announced models are non-experimental and can be purchased from the Shapeways website.

Art

Create a wax replica of Donatello's David or Venus de Milo - why not? If desired, copies of famous wax sculptures can be purchased, but they will be expensive, and they are not sold everywhere. A 3D printer will help out art lovers: load a digital model into the device, select the material for printing and start making a replica. A three-dimensional image of the original can be obtained from a regular photo with its subsequent conversion to 3D. Or use a handheld 3D scanner with the ability to capture overall products. nine0006

Medicine

Three-dimensional modeling is used in various medical areas.

Surgical planning

Careful preparation is the key to a successful operation. With the help of scanners, an image of the necessary area of ​​the body is obtained, a copy is printed from the virtual model. It makes it easier for surgeons to simulate an operation: try out different scenarios, perform instrument testing, and calculate timing.

Manufacture of prostheses

3D printers are used in prosthetics. They allow you to create prostheses that correspond to the anatomical features of the patient. Swedish manufacturer Arcam is developing devices for electron beam melting. Their task is the execution of solid metal structures, including titanium ones. They are used in prosthetics to replace joints, bones or limbs.

Bioprint

Engineers are developing organic imitators that are similar in properties and structure to natural tissues. Printing vessels, muscles or whole organs - all this has become possible. The matter has not yet reached the transplantation of printed organs, but work is underway. In parallel, methods are being developed to restore damaged bones and cartilage. In medicine, “3D biopens” have found application, with which living cells are applied to injured tissues for their healing. nine0006

Dentistry

Dental braces made of plastic, crowns, dentures, jaw implants - all this can be quickly and profitably produced on a 3D printer. Align Technology engineers have developed a technique in which the oral cavity is scanned and the subsequent manufacture of individual prostheses. Here, liquid resin polymerization technology is used, it provides a high degree of accuracy of finished structures.

Food

Print minced meat, sugar syrup, melted chocolate - fiction? Not at all! Food printers have ceased to be the prerogative of fairy tales and science fiction films. They are able to produce food of unusual shape.

British company Cadbury uses 3D printers to make molding stencils and candy prototypes that require a complex production line. Italian Barilla uses machines for making pasta, German Biozoon Food Innovations uses dishes for the elderly. nine0006

A popular food production device is the Foodini. The printer works with any pasty raw material. Its disadvantage is poor temperature processing of food, but it may soon be eliminated.

Characters

Creating a collection of movie characters, comics, games, figurines of famous personalities has become possible with 3D printers. Want a small replica of the giant robot, Hulk, Iron Man? They can even be printed on a compact desktop printer. Collecting a collection of favorite characters is available to everyone. nine0006

Domestic robots

Arduino, a low-cost board company, has allowed users to design various electronic devices. Many have taken the idea into service for the equipment of the "smart home" system. All you need to do is print the case, install the servo, board and get your home robot.

To help people who do not understand soldering or programming, specialists from the Massachusetts Institute are developing a project to automate the construction of robots. According to the plan, you will need to set the functions of the future device, choose a design - the system itself will send the necessary details for printing. nine0006

Musical instruments

Printers can print drums, guitars, flutes, violins. Yes, professional musicians may doubt their quality, since valuable pieces are designed for years, and they serve for decades. The printed tool will not be able to become a worthy alternative. But no one says that it should be all plastic. The printer can be used to print individual parts, such as the neck or soundboard. Due to three-dimensional machines, it will be possible to make tools that are unusual in shape and design. nine0006

Shoes

Printers can print sandals, boots, shoes, slates or individual parts of shoes: insoles, heels, soles. Nylon or other flexible materials (Ninjaflex, FilaFlex) are suitable for this. The advantages of printed shoes are conformity to the anatomical features of the foot, comfort, wear resistance. A nice bonus is the possibility of producing products that are unique in appearance with openwork heels that wrap flowers around a thin hairpin.

Printed footwear has already become the hero of fashion shows, but the time is not far off when it will become available to the mass consumer. nine0006

Medicines

3D printing has proven promising in the pharmaceutical industry for printing drugs. Her virtues:

• up to 50% better product retention than standard production;
• exact dosage of the substance;
• reduction of drug manufacturing time;
• the ability to produce drugs according to an individual prescription.

Organization Organovo is working with new technologies. Engineers use a gel material to precisely connect the components. 3D printers are not suitable for the serial launch of medicines. But they have found use in the manufacture of medicines for individual prescriptions. nine0006

Automotive

Many car mechanisms can be printed. In the world there are already examples of the use of components made on printers. "Formula 1" distinguished itself, it involved printed parts in fireballs. The American Local Motors announced a car at all, the body of which is made only from printed parts.

So far, the mass production of spare parts for printers is not economically feasible - it is expensive.

Customization and molding

Adding decorative elements to finished products is an original way to update and transform them. Wicker lampshades for sconces, an unusual frame for a bicycle, a car with author's tuning will attract attention, because there are no analogues of our own production.

Furniture

No, we're not just talking about toy items. 3D printers make it possible to produce furniture that is difficult to distinguish from "traditional" products. This result can be achieved through the use of special plastic with the addition of micro-sawdust. For example, Laywoo-D3 has a woody smell. nine0006

You can print anything: tables, stools, shelves, chairs, bedside tables. Products are easy to machine, they can be coated with paint, varnished.

There are examples of metal furniture creation in the world. Dutch designer Joris Laarman designed a machine for 3D printing without the use of a laser and vacuum chambers. 3D machines are used to paint with metal through the air - a great option for getting interesting furniture with an elegant wicker design. nine0006

Jewelry industry

3D printing helps to reduce and speed up the production of jewelry at the expense of cheap consumables. With printers, jewelers can redesign jewelry and quickly produce prototypes.

Advantages of 3D technology:

• simplification of the launch of jewelry production;
• obtaining high-quality jewelry: even, smooth, with high detail;
• efficiency - elimination of risks of waste of precious metals. nine0163

The use of 3D printing is relevant for many brands, including Cityscape Rings, Lace, Radian, Ross Lovegrove and others.

Construction

3D printing of buildings has become achievable. For the construction of structures, a mixture is taken, including cement, filler, plasticizer and other additives. The construction composition is squeezed out of the extruder nozzle in layers, repeating the computer model. 3D printers simplify and speed up the construction of structures, lead to a reduction in waste and manual labor costs. nine0006

There is no ideal machine for 3D construction in the world yet, but developments are underway. The Chinese organization Winsun has released a large-sized apparatus (60x100x400cm) for the production of floors, walls with the necessary holes and niches for utilities. Its minus is immobility (the finished building will need to be moved to another place).

Scientists from Spain, on the other hand, are designing small robotic systems. Their principle of operation is based on fastening to finished building elements and erecting the following parts. Time will tell which of the construction devices will be more preferable. nine0006

Education

3D printers are available not only for large companies and leading research centers. Prices for economy models start from several thousand, which makes them popular in the field of education. They are purchased for the equipment of schools, secondary special and higher educational institutions.

Advantages of 3D printing in education:

1. Visual teaching of the sciences. The teacher will be able to show the section of the engine, human bones or a three-dimensional model of hydrogen - all this will be a good motivation for learning. nine0163
2. Development of students' imagination and creativity. 3D modeling develops spatial thinking, helps to visualize the fruits of the imagination.

Summing up

3D printers are the most amazing technology of recent times. Initially, it was available for researchers, scientists, and now an inexpensive machine can be bought for entertainment. With it, it is possible to create various products and objects, design objects, develop an unusual design for everyday things. In production, the scope of use of devices is amazing: with their help you can print everything from food to architectural structures. Probably, such machines will soon become familiar appliances, like a vacuum cleaner, a refrigerator or a TV. nine0006

However, the widespread use of such equipment in production is still not so rosy. 3D modeling has inherent disadvantages that make mass production unprofitable. Not all installations connect different types of plastic, many of them cannot work with different shades and temperatures. Such opportunities are inherent in expensive machines. With their use, the cost of a printed product will be several tens of times higher than the cost of a conventional item. 3D printing is more efficient to use for the production of unique products, where the accuracy of detailing is important. nine0006

Even with the elimination of all the shortcomings, mass 3D printing does not augur well.

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