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Types of 3D Printers, 3D Printing Materials, and Applications
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3D printing or additive manufacturing (AM) technologies create three-dimensional parts from computer-aided design (CAD) models by successively adding material layer by layer until physical part is created.
While 3D printing technologies have been around since the 1980s, recent advances in machinery, materials, and software have made 3D printing accessible to a wider range of businesses, enabling more and more companies to use tools previously limited to a few high-tech industries.
Today, professional, low-cost desktop and benchtop 3D printers accelerate innovation and support businesses in various industries including engineering, manufacturing, dentistry, healthcare, education, entertainment, jewelry, and audiology.
All 3D printing processes start with a CAD model that is sent to software to prepare the design. Depending on the technology, the 3D printer might produce the part layer by layer by solidifying resin or sintering powder. The parts are then removed from the printer and post-processed for the specific application.
See how to go from design to 3D print with the Form 3 SLA 3D printer. This 5-minute video covers the basics of how to use the Form 3, from the software and materials to printing and post-processing.
3D printers create parts from three-dimensional models, the mathematical representations of any three-dimensional surface created using computer-aided design (CAD) software or developed from 3D scan data. The design is then exported as an STL or OBJ file readable by print preparation software.
3D printers include software to specify print settings and slice the digital model into layers that represent horizontal cross-sections of the part. Adjustable printing settings include orientation, support structures (if needed), layer height, and material. Once setup is complete, the software sends the instructions to the printer via a wireless or cable connection.
Some 3D printers use a laser to cure liquid resin into hardened plastic, others fuse small particles of polymer powder at high temperatures to build parts.
Most 3D printers can run unattended until the print is complete, and modern systems automatically refill the material required for the parts from cartridges.
With Formlabs 3D printers, an online Dashboard allows you to remotely manage printers, materials, and teams.
Depending on the technology and the material, the printed parts may require rinsing in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to remove any uncured resin from their surface, post-curing to stabilize mechanical properties, manual work to remove support structures, or cleaning with compressed air or a media blaster to remove excess powder. Some of these processes can be automated with accessories.
3D printed parts can be used directly or post-processed for specific applications and the required finish by machining, priming, painting, fastening or joining. Often, 3D printing also serves as an intermediate step alongside conventional manufacturing methods, such as positives for investment casting jewelry and dental appliances, or molds for custom parts.
The three most established types of 3D printers for plastics parts are stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), and fused deposition modeling (FDM). Formlabs offers two professional 3D printing technologies, SLA and SLS, bringing these powerful and accessible industrial fabrication tools into the creative hands of professionals around the world.
Stereolithography was the world’s first 3D printing technology, invented in the 1980s, and is still one of the most popular technologies for professionals. SLA 3D printers use a laser to cure liquid resin into hardened plastic in a process called photopolymerization.
SLA resin 3D printers have become vastly popular for their ability to produce high-accuracy, isotropic, and watertight prototypes and parts in a range of advanced materials with fine features and smooth surface finish. SLA resin formulations offer a wide range of optical, mechanical, and thermal properties to match those of standard, engineering, and industrial thermoplastics.
Resin 3D printing a great option for highly detailed prototypes requiring tight tolerances and smooth surfaces, such as molds, patterns, and functional parts. SLA 3D printers are widely used in a range of industries from engineering and product design to manufacturing, dentistry, jewelry, model making, and education.
- Rapid prototyping
- Functional prototyping
- Concept modeling
- Short-run production
- Dental applications
- Jewelry prototyping and casting
Learn More About SLA 3D Printers
Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing uses a laser to cure liquid photopolymer resin into solid isotropic parts.
SLA parts have sharp edges, a smooth surface finish, and minimal visible layer lines.
Selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printers use a high-power laser to sinter small particles of polymer powder into a solid structure. The unfused powder supports the part during printing and eliminates the need for dedicated support structures.
This makes SLS ideal for complex geometries, including interior features, undercuts, thin walls, and negative features. Parts produced with SLS printing have excellent mechanical characteristics, with strength resembling that of injection-molded parts.
The most common material for selective laser sintering is nylon, a popular engineering thermoplastic with excellent mechanical properties. Nylon is lightweight, strong, and flexible, as well as stable against impact, chemicals, heat, UV light, water, and dirt.
The combination of low cost per part, high productivity, and established materials make SLS a popular choice among engineers for functional prototyping, and a cost-effective alternative to injection molding for limited-run or bridge manufacturing.
- Functional prototyping
- End-use parts
- Short-run, bridge, or custom manufacturing
Learn More About SLS 3D Printers
SLS 3D printers use a high-powered laser to fuse small particles of polymer powder.
SLS parts have a slightly rough surface finish, but almost no visible layer lines.
Fused deposition modeling (FDM), also known as fused filament fabrication (FFF), is the most widely used type of 3D printing at the consumer level. FDM 3D printers work by extruding thermoplastic filaments, such as ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), PLA (Polylactic Acid), through a heated nozzle, melting the material and applying the plastic layer by layer to a build platform. Each layer is laid down one at a time until the part is complete.
FDM 3D printers are well-suited for basic proof-of-concept models, as well as quick and low-cost prototyping of simple parts, such as parts that might typically be machined. However, FDM has the lowest resolution and accuracy when compared to SLA or SLS and is not the best option for printing complex designs or parts with intricate features. Higher-quality finishes may be obtained through chemical and mechanical polishing processes. Industrial FDM 3D printers use soluble supports to mitigate some of these issues and offer a wider range of engineering thermoplastics, but they also come at a steep price.
- Basic proof-of-concept models
- Simple prototyping
Learn More About FDM 3D Printers
FDM 3D printers build parts by melting and extruding thermoplastic filament, which a printer nozzle deposits layer by layer in the build area.
FDM parts tend to have visible layer lines and might show inaccuracies around complex features.
Having trouble finding the best 3D printing process for your needs? In this video guide, we compare FDM, SLA, and SLS technologies, the most popular types of 3D printers, across the most important buying considerations.
Each 3D printing process has its own benefits and limitations that make them more suitable for certain applications. This video compares the functional and visual characteristics of FDM, SLA, and SLS printers 3D printers to help you identify the solution that best matches your requirements.
Do you need custom parts or prototypes fast? Compared to outsourcing to service providers or using traditional tools like machining, having a 3D printer in-house can save weeks of lead time.
In this video, we compare the speed of FDM, SLA, and SLS 3D printing processes.
Comparing the cost of different 3D printers goes beyond sticker prices—these won’t tell you the full story of how much a 3D printed part will cost. Learn the three factors you need to consider for cost and how they compare across FDM, SLA, and SLS 3D printing technologies.
As additive manufacturing processes build objects by adding material layer by layer, they offer a unique set of advantages over traditional subtractive and formative manufacturing processes.
With traditional manufacturing processes, it can take weeks or months to receive a part. 3D printing turns CAD models into physical parts within a few hours, producing parts and assemblies from one-off concept models to functional prototypes and even small production runs for testing. This allows designers and engineers to develop ideas faster, and helps companies to bring products more quickly to the market.
Engineers at the AMRC turned to 3D printing to rapidly produce 500 high-precision drilling caps used in drilling trials for Airbus, cutting the lead time from weeks to only three days.
With 3D printing, there’s no need for the costly tooling and setup associated with injection molding or machining; the same equipment can be used from prototyping to production to create parts with different geometries. As 3D printing becomes increasingly capable of producing functional end-use parts, it can complement or replace traditional manufacturing methods for a growing range of applications in low- to mid-volumes.
Pankl Racing Systems substituted machined jigs and fixtures with 3D printed parts, decreasing costs by 80-90 percent that resulted in $150,000 in savings.
From shoes to clothes and bicycles, we’re surrounded by products made in limited, uniform sizes as businesses strive to standardize products to make them economical to manufacture. With 3D printing, only the digital design needs to be changed to tailor each product to the customer without additional tooling costs. This transformation first started to gain a foothold in industries where custom fit is essential, such medicine and dentistry, but as 3D printing becomes more affordable, it’s increasingly being used to mass customize consumer products.
Gillette's Razor Maker™ gives consumers the power to create and order customized 3D printed razor handles, with the choice of 48 different designs (and counting), a variety of colors, and the option to add custom text.
3D printing can create complex shapes and parts, such as overhangs, microchannels, and organic shapes, that would be costly or even impossible to produce with traditional manufacturing methods. This provides the opportunity to consolidate assemblies into less individual parts to reduce weight, alleviate weak joints, and cut down on assembly time, unleashing new possibilities for design and engineering.
Nervous System launched the first-ever 3D printed ceramic jewelry line, consisting of intricate designs that would be impossible to manufacture using any other ceramic technique.
Product development is an iterative process that requires multiple rounds of testing, evaluation, and refinement. Finding and fixing design flaws early can help companies avoid costly revisions and tooling changes down the road.
With 3D printing, engineers can thoroughly test prototypes that look and perform like final products, reducing the risks of usability and manufacturability issues before moving into production.
The developers of Plaato, an optically clear airlock for homebrewing, 3D printed 1,000 prototypes to fine tune their design before investing in expensive tooling.
3D printing accelerates innovation and supports businesses across a wide range of industries, including engineering, manufacturing, dentistry, healthcare, education, entertainment, jewelry, audiology, and more.
Rapid prototyping with 3D printing empowers engineers and product designers to turn ideas into realistic proofs of concept, advance these concepts to high-fidelity prototypes that look and work like final products, and guide products through a series of validation stages toward mass production.
Applications:
- Rapid prototyping
- Communication models
- Manufacturing validation
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Manufacturers automate production processes and streamline workflows by prototyping tooling and directly 3D printing custom tools, molds, and manufacturing aids at far lower costs and lead times than with traditional manufacturing.
This reduces manufacturing costs and defects, increases quality, speeds up assembly, and maximizes labor effectiveness.
Applications:
- Jig and fixtures
- Tooling
- Molding (injection molding, thermoforming, silicone molding, overmolding)
- Metal casting
- Short run production
- Mass customization
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3D printers are multifunctional tools for immersive learning and advanced research. They can encourage creativity and expose students to professional-level technology while supporting STEAM curricula across science, engineering, art, and design.
Applications:
- Models for STEAM curricula
- Fab labs and makerspaces
- Custom research setups
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Affordable, professional-grade desktop 3D printing helps doctors deliver treatments and devices customized to better serve each unique individual, opening the door to high-impact medical applications while saving organizations significant time and costs from the lab to the operating room.
Applications:
- Anatomical models for surgical planning
- Medical devices and surgical instruments
- Insoles and orthotics
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High definition physical models are widely used in sculpting, character modeling, and prop making. 3D printed parts have starred in stop-motion films, video games, bespoke costumes, and even special effects for blockbuster movies.
Applications:
- Hyper-realistic sculptures
- Character models
- Props
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Jewelry professionals use CAD and 3D printing to rapidly prototype designs, fit clients, and produce large batches of ready-to-cast pieces. Digital tools allow for the creation of consistent, sharply detailed pieces without the tediousness and variability of wax carving.
Applications:
- Lost-wax casting (investment casting)
- Fitting pieces
- Master patterns for rubber molding
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Hearing specialists and ear mold labs use digital workflows and 3D printing to manufacture higher quality custom ear products more consistently, and at higher volumes for applications like behind-the-ear hearing aids, hearing protection, and custom earplugs and earbuds.
Applications:
- Soft silicone ear molds
- Custom earbuds
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The market for 3D printing materials is wide and ever-growing, with printers for everything from plastics to metals, and even food and live tissue in development. Formlabs offers the following range of photopolymer materials for the desktop.
Standard 3D printing materials provide high resolution, fine features, and a smooth surface finish ideal for rapid prototyping, product development, and general modeling applications.
These materials are available in Black, White, and Grey with a matte finish and opaque appearance, Clear for any parts requiring translucency, and as a Color Kit to match almost any custom color.
Explore Standard Materials
3D printing materials for engineering, manufacturing, and product design are formulated to provide advanced functionality, withstand extensive testing, perform under stress, and remain stable over time.
Engineering materials are ideal for 3D printing strong, precise concept models and prototypes to rapidly iterating through designs, assess form and fit, and optimize manufacturing processes.
Explore Engineering Materials
Medical resins empower hospitals to create patient-specific parts in a day at the point of care and support R&D for medical devices. These resins are formulated for 3D printing anatomical models, medical device and device components, and surgical planning and implant sizing tools.
Explore Jewelry Materials
Jewelry resins are formulated to capture breathtaking detail and create custom jewelry cost-effectively. These resins are ideal for jewelry prototyping and casting jewelry, as well as vulcanized rubber and RTV molding.
Explore Jewelry Materials
Specialty Resins push the limits of 3D printing, featuring advanced materials with unique mechanical properties that expand what’s possible with in-house fabrication on our stereolithography 3D printers.
Explore Specialty Materials
In recent years, high-resolution industrial 3D printers have become more affordable, intuitive, and reliable. As a result, the technology is now accessible to more businesses. Read our in-depth guide about 3D printer costs, or try our interactive tool to see if this technology makes economic sense your business.
Calculate Your Savings
New to 3D printing? Explore our guides to learn about the key terms and specific characteristics of 3D printing to find the best solution for your business.
For further questions,
Explore 3D Printing Resources
Resin Library and 3D Printing Materials
Advanced 3D printing materials designed to deliver beautiful results.
Need help selecting the right material from our catalog? Try our interactive material wizard.
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General Purpose
Outstanding performance.
Excellent detail.
Custom-formulated to deliver the highest-quality output, our Standard Resins capture astonishing detail without sacrificing strength.
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Engineering Resins
Functional prototyping materials.
Our library of versatile, reliable Engineering Resins is formulated to help you reduce costs, iterate faster, and bring better experiences to market.
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Dental Resins
Professional materials for digital dentistry.
Formlabs Dental Resins enable high precision, low-cost digital production of a range of dental products in-house, including surgical guides, orthodontic models, retainers, and aligners.
Learn More
Jewelry Resins
High-detail materials for jewelry design and clean investment casting.
Prototype impressive concept models and manufacture distinctive pieces with sharp resolution and the best surface finish on the market, from idea to fitting to casting.
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Medical Resins
3D Printing Materials for Healthcare.
Access a library of over 20 materials available on one powerful desktop 3D printer, the Form 3B+. Our technology has been validated in FDA-cleared workflows and we develop and manufacture our own biocompatible materials in an ISO 13485 certified facility.
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Production-Ready Materials for the Fuse 1 generation printers.
Balancing strength and detail, our powders for selective laser sintering (SLS) are highly capable materials for both functional prototyping and end-use production of complex assemblies and durable parts with high environmental stability.
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Our interactive material wizard helps you make the right material decisions based on your application and the properties you care the most about from our growing library of materials.
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Handling & Safety
Handling & Safety
Resin should be handled with care. Proper handling will ensure safe printing and efficient use. Our resins have been designed to be similar or safer to handle as other household chemicals or adhesives. Formlabs materials do not contain volatile solvents so special ventilation is not required. Skin contact should be avoided.
The Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are up to date for every resin product and follow the latest government guidelines. Always consult the SDS as the primary source of information to understand safety and handling of Formlabs materials. For more information about handling resin, learn more tips for resin maintenance in our Help Center.
Technical Data
Technical Data
Plastics are complex materials, and finding the right one for your specific application requires balancing multiple attributes.
Our library of resins is ideal for product development, rapid prototyping, and a variety of specialized applications. Download our Technical Data Sheets to explore the mechanical properties of each material.
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RotFront - dental laboratory in St. Petersburg +7 (962) 714-8175
Dentistry is undergoing a revolution and it seems that in the near future only those clinics and laboratories that implement digital technologies will remain competitive, wherever they are superior in quality old, familiar ways of working.
Following the principle of continuous learning and technology update, in the spring of 2018, the RotFront laboratory bought a Form2 stereolithographic 3D printer from FormLabs.
We are just starting to work with 3D printing, so we will share the results when we gain experience, and today we will talk about the principles and capabilities of 3D printing using the example of a FormLabs SLA printer.
Principles and possibilities of 3D printing
3D printing is the creation of a physical object from its digital model by adding materials layer by layer.
3D printing refers to additive technologies, when an object is created by adding layers, as opposed to a subtractive method, when an object is obtained by removing “extra” material (for example, milling).
Along with computer modeling, 3D printers are used to design buildings, machine parts and of course in medicine. You can print on 3D printers a house and a model of a piece of jewelry.
The scope of 3D printing is expanding as equipment improves and materials are invented that allow printing products with certain properties.
Laser stereolithography (SLA printing)
Laser stereolithography is one of the 3D printing technologies. Today it provides the most accurate reproduction of three-dimensional objects, and a variety of photopolymer resins (printing materials) allows the use of SLA printers in dentistry.
The first stereolithographic printers appeared in 1986. They were bulky and expensive. Modern models of desktop SLA printers are already affordable for small businesses.
The consumable in SLA technology is a resin that polymerizes and hardens under the influence of an ultraviolet laser.
The printing process looks like this: the working platform is immersed in a bath of liquid resin to a certain depth and the laser polymerizes the material layer in accordance with the given shape of the 3D model. After curing one layer, the next is formed and the product is, as it were, pulled out of the liquid resin.
The model is suspended on supports (printed from the same resin). The number and position of supports are set at the stage of computer simulation, and after printing is completed, the supports are removed.
The video review shows SLA printing principles and the capabilities of the Formlabs Form 2 printer that our lab just purchased.
What can be printed on the Formlabs Form 2 SLA printer
FormLab offers several types of resins for printing. Of particular interest to the dental practice are materials suitable for use in the oral cavity and completely burnable resins, from which patterns can be printed for casting.
Form 2 printer prints with high precision:
- Prototypes clasp-retained denture frameworks, veneers, single crowns and bridges made of press-ceramic
- Surgical guides
- Mouthguards and aligners
- Temporary crowns
- Diagnostic, control and training models
- Mock-up
- Occlusal and Disconnect Splints
- Individual spoons
- Removable dentures
Replacing wax with computer modeling, combined with the accuracy of SLA printing, allows you to work faster, with a more accurate fit and the possibility of additional trying on a prototype product before manufacturing a permanent expensive design.
The use of an intraoral scanner in the clinic further automates the workflow and reduces the number of courier trips between the clinic and the laboratory.
In the following articles we will continue the Digital Lab theme and describe how the use of 3D printing changes the process of manufacturing specific products.
If you are interested in more information about 3D printing technologies, be sure to visit the 3D Printing Encyclopedia
3D Printing Lab - All about plastics - education, technology, perspectives
Prototyping and modeling using 3D printers has recently become more widespread Spread. This is due not only to the development and cheapening of equipment for creating three-dimensional models, the emergence of new polymeric materials for three-dimensional printing, but also the emergence of the need for such modeling for medical products, aircraft parts, instrumentation, automotive and aircraft manufacturing, as well as souvenirs.
and other areas. The use of polymeric materials for structural purposes for prototyping made it possible to produce not only models, but also small batches of technical products.
According to the recent study “3D Printing Market (2013-2020)” published by Markets and Markets (“M&M”), between 2013 and 2020, the annual growth of the 3D printing market will be 23%, resulting in will grow to 8.4 billion US dollars by 2020 (http://www.orgprint.com/wiki/3d-pechat/obzor-tehnologij-3D-pechati).
3D printing is a technology for creating three-dimensional objects from a digital sample (CAD) by layer-by-layer application of additive materials. 3D printing methods include stereolithography (SLA), powder laser sintering (SLS), electron beam melting (EBM), layer-by-layer printing with molten polymer thread (FDM), formation of three-dimensional models from layer-by-layer sheet material (LOM) and others.
Initially, 3D printing was used exclusively for prototyping objects, but recently a radical step has been taken towards production.
Automotive, aerospace, medical, and consumer products are among the industries that are actively embracing 3D printing. According to M&M, 3D printing in medicine and aerospace will grow exponentially in the near future. 3D printing has significant growth potential, it is indispensable where piece production of personalized products is needed.
This article touches upon some aspects of 3D printing, which is carried out by layer-by-layer printing with a melted polymer thread (rod).
Layer-by-layer printing with molten polymer thread , also known as Fused Deposition Modeling or simply FDM, is used to obtain single products that are close in their functional characteristics to serial products, as well as for the manufacture of investment molds for casting metals.
The main polymer materials used in FDM technology in Russia are ABS plastic, PLA (polylactide), to a lesser extent polyamide (PA-12 or PA-11), TPU, PET-G and a number of other polymers. Almost all polymeric materials are imported.
High impact polystyrene (HIPS) is used as support polymers. This material is used for printing ABS plastic, PMMA, PET-G. Polyvinyl alcohol PVA (PVOH, PVA or PVAL) is also used as a support polymer, however, due to the water solubility of this polymer, it is more difficult to obtain a thread from it, modification of the standard technology is required.
At the Interplastica-2018 exhibition, work was announced on the synthesis of special grades of structural polymer materials for 3D printers at the Kabardino-Balkarian State University (PSU, PFS, etc.). In the report of KNRTU (Kazan), the topic of using PP filament for 3D printing was mentioned, which is not surprising, since in the Republic of Tatarstan a wide range of PP grades is produced by Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC. The problem with polyolefins in printing is associated with poor adhesion to the 3D printer substrate and high shrinkage when cooled.
FDM printing technology is as follows: a polymer thread is fed into a heated head with a controlled temperature, in the head it is heated to a melt state and the resulting thermoplastic modeling material is fed with high precision in thin layers onto the working surface of a 3D printer.
The layers are applied on top of each other, joined together and cooled, gradually forming the finished product.
The diameter of the nozzle through which a thread with a diameter of 3 or more often 1.75 mm is fed is 0.3-0.4 mm in the first case, and 0.1-0.3 mm in the second case. Therefore, the requirements for a polymer thread should be quite stringent in terms of sizing (thickness variation), stability of rheological properties (melt flow), melt purity (presence of impurities or contaminants).
1 shows the scheme of printing polymer thread FDM
1. Flow chart of 3D printing by FDM polymer filament printing.
The production of thread (rod) for FDM technology is carried out on extrusion plants for extruding rod, including a dryer, an extruder, usually a single-strand extrusion head, a calibrator (if necessary), a cooling bath, a gauge for the thickness (diameter) of the thread, 2 (rarely 4 -x positional) bar winder on the coil. There is a lot of information on the Internet about homemade filament extruders, as a rule, of low productivity and low quality filament.
