3D printing wiki


3D printing - Wiki | Golden

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing or additive layer manufacturing, is the construction of a three-dimensional object from a digital 3D model. The name additive manufacturing comes from the differentiation of 3D printing, which adds material layers upon each other to build an object, from the more traditional process of subtractive manufacturing, which removes material through milling, machining, carving, and shaping to create an object.

Traditionally, subtractive manufacturing has been used for high production volume manufacturing, while additive manufacturing has been reserved for prototyping and rapid tooling. However, the increased cost-effectiveness of additive manufacturing, the reduction of material waste, and the increased mainstream adoption of 3D printing systems has increased the use of additive manufacturing systems. These, along with the increased precision, repeatability, and material range of 3D printing, have increased the use of the technology for higher volume production.

In the case of most 3D printers, a user creates a design using computer aided design software or by scanning an object to print. Software translates the design into the printed layers and framework for the machine to follow. The plan is sent to the printer, which begins creating the object. The materials capable of being printed include polymers, metals, ceramics, foams, gels, and biomaterials.

Processes

Material extrusion

Material extrusion printing, or fused filament fabrication, also known by the trademarked term "fused deposition modeling," is a 3D printing process using a continuous filament of a thermoplastic material. Through this method, filament is fed through a moving, heated printer extruder head and deposited on a growing work. Printers using this method use a computer to control the printed shape. And printers of this type layer the printed object one horizontal layer at a time before making a small vertical move to start the next layer. The extruder head speed can be controlled to start and stop deposition in order to form an interrupted plane without stringing or dribbling between sections. Fused filament fabrication is the more popular printing process (by number of machines) for hobbyist-grade 3D printing.

The fused deposition modeling technique was developed by S. Scott Crump, the co-founder of Stratasys, in 1988. The patent on the technology expired in 2009 and presented the beginning of people using the type of printing without paying rights to Stratasys. This allowed commercial, hobbyist, and open-source 3D printer applications to grow.

The materials capable of being extruded by fused filament fabrication machines include thermoplastics, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polylactic acid (PLA), high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and aliphatic polyamides (nylon).

Stereolithography (SLA)

Stereolithography (SLA), also known as optical fabrication, photo-solidification, VAT photopolymerisation, or resin printing, is a 3D printing technology that prints parts in a layer-by-layer fashion using photochemical processes. SLA uses light to cause chemical monomers and oligomers to cross-link and form polymers that, in turn, make the body of a three-dimensional solid. The process is fast and can produce almost any design, but can be cost prohibitive. The main fields of application include products in development, medical models, and computer hardware.

The materials used in SLA printing are referred to as resins and are thermoset polymers. These resin materials can be soft or hard, filled with secondary materials such as glass and ceramic, or imbued with mechanical properties such as heat deflection or impact resistance. In the post-process of SLA manufacturing, parts need to be removed from a support structure, and alcohol and water rinses are used to remove excess resin. At times, post processing can include scrubbing to remove additional material, and some processes use ultraviolet light for a post-cure process.

Stereolithography was first developed in the early 1980s by Hideo Kodama, who used ultraviolet light to cure photosensitive polymers. French inventors Alain Le Mehaute, Oliver de Witte, and Jean Claude Andre filed an early patent for technology that was later abandoned. The final patent, which gave the process the name "stereolithography," was filed by Chuck Hull in 1984 and granted in 1986. Chuck Hull later founded 3D Systems to commercialize the patented technology.

Powder bed fusion

The powder bed fusion manufacturing process includes the printing techniques of direct metal laser sintering, electron beam melting, selective heat sintering (SLS), selective heat sintering, and selective laser melting (SLM). All methods use either a laser or an electron beam to melt and fuse material powder together. The methods involve spreading the powder material over previous layers, using either a roller or a blade while a hopper or reservoir provides fresh material supply. In all methods, a layer, typically 0.1 millimeters thick, of material is built over the platform and the laser or electron beam fuses new material in layers or cross-sections. Materials capable of being used in powder bed fusion manufacturing processes include nylon, stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, cobalt chrome, steel, and copper.

In direct metal laser sintering, metal powders are sintered layer by layer with a range of metals available.

In electron beam melting (EBM), layers are fused using an electron beam to melt metal powders. In the EBM process, a vacuum is required with a pressure of 1×10-5 mba, and electromagnetic coils are used to control the beam. The EBM process also produces better strength properties due to even temperature during fusion. These strength properties with the high quality and finish of the product suits it to manufacturing of parts for aerospace and medical applications.

In selective laser sintering (SLS), machines are made up of three components: a heat source, a method to control the heat source, and a mechanism to add new layers of materials. The SLS process requires no additional support structure for the product being printed. In the SLS chamber, nitrogen is often used to maximize the oxidation and end quality of the model. A cool-down period is also required to ensure high tolerance and quality of fusion. Some SLS machines monitor the temperatures layer by layer and adapt the power to improve quality. SLS processes use plastic powders, rather than metal powders used in direct metal laser sintering.

Selective heat sintering uses a heated thermal printhead to fuse powder material. Layers are added with a roller between fusion of layers. The use of a thermal printhead reduces the heat and power levels required for printing. Selective heat sintering systems use thermoplastic powders and require support materials in the process of printing. The process is often used to create concepts prototypes rather than structural components.

Selective laser melting (SLM) is similar to selective laser sintering, except it is faster while requiring the use of an inert gas and requiring higher energy use with poor overall energy efficiency. Through the process, a roller or blade is used to spread new layers of powder over previous layers. In cases when a blade is used, the blade is often vibrated to encourage a more even distribution of powder.

Material jetting

Material jetting, also known as multi-jet modeling, creates objects in a similar method to an inkjet printer. The process uses droplets to build a material on a support structure, while ultraviolight light or heat cures the droplets to create a 3D object. In the technique, droplets are selectively deposited on an X, Y, and Z axis controlled by computer and based on computer-aided designs. Common materials used in material jetting machines include polymers and waxes, due to their viscous nature that can form droplets. Overall, the materials suitable for use in material jetting machines are limited. And the parts printed through material jetting printers are mainly suitable for non-functional prototypes, as the printed parts often have poor mechanical properties.

The types of material jetting technologies include PolyJet technology, NanoParticle Jetting, and Drop On Demand. PolyJet technology jets thin layers of photopolymer material onto a build tray, in which each layer is cured by ultraviolet light. PolyJet technology was the first material jetting technology introduced. The PolyJet process was developed by Object and was later bought by Stratasys.

NanoParticle jetting technology was developed by XJet and uses a dispersion methodology to deposit solid nanopoarticles suspended in a liquid and jetted onto the build tray. In the system, two printheads and thousands of nozzles spray ultrafine drops that both build and support materials onto the build trays, while high temperature in the build area evaporates the liquid jacket around the nanoparticles. The remaining nanoparticles are sintered and the support material is removed, with a thin and smooth surfaced product capable of fine details remaining.

Drop on demand (DOD) technology is a process typically used for viscous materials, and consists of deposits tiny dots of material instead of continuous lines. The printers consist of two heads for each build and support material and are often used for make wax patterns for investment casting. In the printing process, wax material is printed in layers with the support material automatically laid down and eliminating the need for designers to create support structures. The finished part is placed in a liquid bath which dissolves the support material away.

Binder Jetting

Binder jetting is a manufacturing technique in which a binding liquid is selectively deposited to join powder material to form a 3D part. The process does not require heat during the printing process. Exon, an early developer of the binder jetting technique, uses furan binder, silicate binder, phenolic binder, and aqueous-based binder for their binder jetting printers. Regardless of binder, the process of a binder jetting printer sees the application of a layer of material powder, followed by a printhead depositing the binder adhesive on the powder where required until a 3D model is finished. The unbound powder remains until it is removed.

Binder jetting processes can manufacture in a range of different colors and in a range of metal, polymers, and ceramics. The two-material process allows for many different binder-powder combinations with various mechanical properties. However, often, through the use of specific binder materials, binder jetting printed materials are not always suitable for use as structural parts.

Sheet Lamination

Sheet lamination is a process of building a 3D object by stacking and laminating thin sheets of material. The lamination method can be bonding, ultrasonic welding, or brazing while a final shape is achieved through laser cutting or CNC machining. Sheet lamination produces parts with the least additive resolution compared to other additive manufacturing processes; however, it is a low cost and offers fast manufacturing times from easily available low-cost material.

The materials involved in sheet lamination include paper, plastic, metal, and woven fiber composites. Forming methods include CNC milling, laser cutting, and aqua blasting. And the lamination techniques include adhesive bonding, thermal bonding, and ultrasonic welding. The process either follows a form then bond process, in which sheet material is cut into shape and then bonded layer on layer to create a 3D object. Or it follows a bond then form process, in which the material layers are bonded and then cut into the desired shape. Sheet lamination types, each offering some kind of variation of the above methods, can be categorized into seven types:

  • Laminated object manufacturing (LOM)
  • Selective lamination composite object manufacturing (SLCOM)
  • Plastic sheet lamination (PSL)
  • Computer-aided manufacturing of laminated engineering materials (CAM-LEM)
  • Selective deposition lamination (SDL)
  • Composite based additive manufacturing (CBAM)
  • Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM)

Directed Energy Deposition

Directed energy deposition is an additive manufacturing process that forms 3D objects by melting material as it is deposited using focused thermal energy such as laser, electron beam, or plasma. Both energy source and the material feed nozzle are manipulated using a gantry system or robotic arm. Due to the nature of direct energy deposition, even though it is possible to create 3D objects from scratch, the process is generally used for adding to an existing part or repairing existing parts. Direct energy deposition systems are used in hybrid manufacturing, in which a substrate bed is moved to create complex shapes.

Direct energy deposition systems can be used to make metal, ceramic, and polymer parts, although they are primarily used to make metal parts. The types of systems include laser-based systems, such as Optomec's laser engineering net shape system, which uses a laser as the main energy source. An electron beam based system, such as Sciaky's electron beam additive manufacturing system, uses electron beams to melt the powdered material feedstock. And the plasma or electric arc based system, such as Wire's arc additive manufacturing process use electric arcs to melt wire.

The suitable materials for direct energy deposition systems include niobium, titanium and titanium alloys, inconel, stainless steels, hastelloy, aluminum alloy, tantalum, zinc alloy, tungsten, and copper-nickel alloys. Direct energy deposition systems are used in industries such as aerospace, defense, oil and gas, and the marine industry.

Applications

The applications for 3D printing are various across industries and for hobbyist uses with the introduction of lower cost printing technology.

Housing

3D printing is being explored as a construction method that reduces the costs of on-site construction and time-to-build of a home. The application of 3D printing in home construction has been explored as an affordable housing solution for urban areas.

3D printing companies in housing industry

Aerospace

Additive manufacturing systems are capable of producing lightweight parts with complex geometric designs useful for the aerospace industry. In 2013, NASA tested SLM-printed rocket injector during a hot fire test generating 20,000 pounds of thrust. In 2015, the FAA cleared 3D-printed parts for use in commercial jet engines. In the 2017 Paris Air Show, the Boeing 787 displayed FAA-certified structural parts fabricated from 3D printing of titanium wire.

3D printing companies in aerospace industry

Automotive

The automotive industry has used 3D printing processes for rapid prototyping. As manufacturing techniques have advanced, 3D printing has been used for developing automotive parts. This includes the McLaren Formula 1 racing team using 3D printed parts in their race cars, including a rear wing replacement that took ten days to produce using 3D printers, instead of the five weeks subtractive manufacturing can take. In 2014, Koenigsegg, Swedish supercar manufacturer, used 3D printing for many components. Most of the manufacturing processes extend to the bodywork and related elements, but do not extend to the powertrain.

Healthcare

Additive manufacturing has been used in the healthcare industry to produce medical items and prosthetics. This has included medical device manufacturing company Stryker using additive manufacturing technology to create surgical implants for patients suffering from bone cancer. A clinical study done by the New York University School of Medicine is looking into the use of patient-specific, multi-colored kidney cancer models and whether they can effectively assist surgeons with pre-operative assessments.

There have been studies into the viability of 3D bio-printing for use in tissue engineering applications, including the printing of organs and body parts. In the process, layers of living cells are deposited onto a gel medium or sugar matrix to build a three-dimensional structure, including vascular systems. In May 2018, a 3D printing system was used for a kidney transplant to save a three-year-old boy.

In the pharmaceutical industry, 3D printing systems are being used by researchers as a new way to develop formulations of materials and compounds not possible with conventional techniques such as tableting or cast-molding. One of the possible uses of 3D printing in pharmaceuticals is to print personalized dosages to better target patient needs.

3D printing companies in healthcare industry

Clothing

In the clothing and fashion industry, designers and manufacturers have experimented with 3D printed clothing items, including Nike using 3D printing to prototype and manufacture their 2012 Vapor Laser Talon football shoes and New Balance 3D manufacturing custom-fit shoes for athletes.

Shoes

In 3D printing for shoes, the additive manufacturing techniques offers a chance for creators and designers in the fashion industry to create designs and collections with shapes or designs that could be otherwise unable to create in subtractive manufacturing methods. As well, there are many projects launching to develop new speakers, futuristic lightweight footwear, and customer printed shoes for specific athletes.

Food

Additive manufacturing systems, or analogues, are also being used in the manufacturing of food. The foods printed have included chocolate, candy, crackers, pasta, and pizza. NASA has pursued research into the technology to reduce food waste and design foods to fit astronauts' dietary needs. And in 2018, Giuseppe Scionti developed technology to generate fibrous plant-based meat analogues using a custom-built 3D bioprinter.

Often 3D printing in foods describes an additive manufacturing process, such as an automated pizza vending machine that is capable of extruding dough, topping the dough with tomato sauce and cheese, and sending that to an oven. Food can, especially in the case of viscous foods, be printed fairly easily. 3D printing has been used for decorating and deserts where the accuracy of the printer can create complex designs. However, in the case of other types of food, 3D printing can be more restrictive. As well, in the case of 3D printing new or novel foods, the technology is further behind its peers, as the technology can be prohibitively expensive and often is not scalable.

Firearms

Additive manufacturing has been used in the firearms industry to offer a new manufacturing method for established companies, and has produced possibilities for the do-it-yourself manufacturing of firearms.

All 3D printing companies

3d Printer Tips and Mods Wiki

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    Encyclopedia of 3D printing

    Welcome to the help section of our portal!

    As you can see, the world of 3D printing deserves the title of "mysterious". The rapid development of technology gives rise to a lot of all kinds of terms, concepts and designs, whose essence is far from obvious to a simple layman. The main task of our site is to acquaint you with the latest news from the world of 3D printing, tell you about technological innovations and help you with the purchase of the necessary equipment. nine0009 The task is complicated by the fact that currently in Russia there is no official standard for terms related to 3D printing. As a result, many of them are differing translations of the originals, somewhat confusing to the reader. In addition, 3D printer manufacturers themselves often try to monopolize parts of the market by making fairly minor changes to existing technologies in order to obtain a patent, and supplying “new” products with new names, thereby only exacerbating the confusion. nine0009 But don't despair. In this section, we will try to explain all the nuances of the world of 3D printing: the technologies used, how they work, terminology options, and so on. Keep in mind that the world of 3D printing does not stand still, and therefore we will constantly update and supplement our help section with new information.

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    3D Printing Technologies



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    3D Printer Consumables



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      • We bought a 3D printer and decided to make money. What's next?
      • Cheap 3D printers for every taste
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      • nine0020 Metal 3D printing on a home 3D printer. Technology Today and Immediate Prospects
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      3D printing is a multi-step process, because you first need to design a 3D model, check it for errors, convert it to machine code, and only then into it's a 3D printer. In this article, we will share examples of programs that can help at every stage of preparatory work and directly during 3D printing.

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      "G-Code Basics: Basic Command Reference for FDM 3D Printers"

      G-code or Gcode is machine code, that is, a sequential set of commands for 3D printers generated by slicers. At the same time, the G-code often has to be edited manually if the slicer does not have the appropriate functionality or the user simply needs to change the behavior of the 3D printer. In this article, we will share a list of the most widely used commands.

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      "First steps in FDM 3D printing: a guide for a novice user"

      Especially for those who are just starting to comprehend the basics of 3D printing, we offer a selection of useful tips to solve the most common problems when working with FDM 3D printers.

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      "The best programs for 3D modeling for 3D printing"

      the most popular free and commercial programs of different levels of complexity and functionality. nine0005

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      "The most popular slicers for FDM 3D printing and more"

      What is a "slicer"? This is a program that converts digital 3D models (usually in STL, OBJ, or M3F formats) into machine code (G-code), a series of commands that a 3D printer understands. Do not even try to make the 3D printer figure out what is required of it from the 3D model. Instead, use one of the solutions on our list, especially since most of them are free. nine0005

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      "PrusaSlicer: overview of the program, functionality and basic settings"

      PrusaSlicer is a free, feature rich slicer from Prusa Research based on the Slic3r system by Alessandro Ranellucci. The slicer was originally called Slic3r PE (Prusa Edition), but as it moved more and more away from the source, Prusa officially renamed it in May 2019 to avoid confusion. Since then, PrusaSlicer has continued to evolve and be updated every few months. nine0005

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      "Who makes money on 3D printing and how"

      Ready to make money with direct hands and a 3D printer? Okay, but before diving head first into the business, it would be nice to understand exactly how 3D printing is changing the face of the industries around us in order to find its niche. Let's watch.

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      "The Best Professional Storage Solutions for 3D Printing Plastics"

      3D printing results. nine0005

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      "PEEK: how to print, characteristics and properties"

      Polyetheretherketone (PEEK, PEEK) is a special polymer with outstanding properties, which in some cases can replace metals, for example in the production of aircraft parts or implants.

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      “How to properly (and not) dry filaments for 3D printers”

      As we found out in the previous article, the best option is not to let the filaments absorb moisture at all, but in practice this is almost unrealistic. So, before 3D printing, it is advisable to play it safe and start drying the plastic. We'll talk about this under the cut. nine0005

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      "Post-processing of 3D FDM printed products"

      In most cases, 3D printed models do not need post-processing, but this applies mainly to functional products. In many cases, surfaces are required to be processed to a finished look using various tools, and in this article we will look at the basic techniques.

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      "The most common extrusion 3D printing problems and solutions"

      FDM/FFF A 3D printer is a complex mechanism, and plastics for 3D printing can vary greatly in properties. As a result, it may be difficult for a novice user to identify the causes of defects in printed products. Especially for such cases, we have prepared a guide with a list of the most common problems and solutions.

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      "How to properly store 3D printer filaments"

      When it comes to storing 3D printing plastic, it's better to be safe than sorry. If you protect filaments for FDM 3D printers from moisture and dirt, you can count on better and trouble-free 3D printing, and this is not at all difficult to do. We tell you how and why. nine0005

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      "Resin 3D printing in industry"

      In this article, we will look at the industrial use of extrusion 3D printing technologies with polymers and composites. No whistles and gnomes, only serious application!

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      "Top 10 3D Model Sites for 3D Printing"

      If you already have a 3D printer and 3D printing plastic, all you have to do is find digital models. Do-it-yourself 3D modeling is interesting, but mastering this skill will take a lot of time. In the meantime, we suggest looking for something interesting on the sites in our selection. nine0005

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      Selecting 3D Printing Plastics: A Guide to REC Materials and Applications

      This article provides basic information on REC branded commercial 3D printing plastics and composites.

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      REC Multi-Material 3D Printing Guide

      Especially for those who practice 3D printing of composite products and soluble supports on FDM 3D printers, we have prepared a handy guide to help predict results in terms of adhesion and shrinkage when working with two different materials at the same time. nine0005

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      "Composite materials for 3D printing"

      Over the past few years, the intensive development of additive technologies has allowed the introduction of 3D printing in most industries, and this, in turn, has led to new requirements for 3D printers and the emergence of brand new, customized consumables. The expansion of the line of consumables mainly affected the most popular and affordable 3D printing technology — FDM/FFF. nine0005

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      "Adhesion and 3D printing: everything you need to know"

      @media screen and (min-width: 991px){ . mobil{ display: none; } Many 3D printer owners experience parts coming off the table during 3D printing. Let's take a look at the causes and solutions.

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      "X-Line UltraX - printing parameters, characteristics and material properties"

      UltraX is an engineering thermoplastic capable of withstanding high loads. This composite material is based on structural polyamide-6 filled with short carbon fibers.

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      "PETG Biocide - material description, print settings and properties"

      REC Biocide PETG is a special composite material that has disinfecting properties due to additives in the form of special nanoparticles distributed over the polymer matrix. nine0005

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      "X-Line FormaX - print parameters, material properties and tips"

      Formax is an engineering thermoplastic based on ABS with the addition of carbon fibers (up to 15%), capable of withstanding heavy loads and high temperatures.

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      “Flex to flex: what are flexible filaments and how to work with them on a 3D printer”

      Flex is just a general name for 3D printing materials with a characteristic flexibility. This group includes a variety of filaments with a wide variety of compositions, so disputes on the topic “which flex is better” are often meaningless. We decided to approach the practical side of the matter and collect in one article useful information on the options that are produced under our brand, that is, REC, and at the same time explain how to work with them. nine0005

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      "REC PP+: print parameters, performance and properties"

      REC PP+ is a modified polypropylene filament that allows you to print strong and durable products with high chemical and impact resistance. Continue reading → Main advantages and disadvantages of REC PP+ Polypropylene is one of the most common polymers due to a number of positive characteristics.


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