The advent of 3D Printing has fascinated many, yet few know the inner workings of 3D Printing. Sometimes referred to as ‘additive manufacturing,’ 3D Printing is comprised of a printer used to create a solid, three dimensional object from an electronic or digital file.
It takes time for the printer to churn out the object, as layer upon layer of material is added. Materials that can be used by a 3D printer are plastic, metal, and many other substances.
Now in order to construct a fully realized object using a 3D printer, a virtual outline of the object is needed. There are specific modelling programs for 3D printers, or another option would be to utilize a 3D scanner to make a copy of an object that already exists.
A 3D scanner copies an item digitally and renders it capable for further duplication. The program then breaks down the digital file into many horizontal thin layers; after which, these very thin layers are then uploaded to a 3D printer. The 3D printer then joins each layer in order to create a three dimensional object.
3D Printing Techniques
However there are different methods toward 3D printing. For instance, a technique developed in the 1980s known as the selective laser sintering method is comprised of laser fusing with the help of a powder to join the layers of material.
Furthermore, a second technique that was also developed in the 1980s, is fused deposition modeling, which utilizes a metal wire or a plastic fiber that melts material in order to fuse an objects layers. A third method is stereolithography which involves creating a solid from a liquid in order to set layer on top of one another in order to create the object. An ultraviolet laser light is then used to solidify the layers.
Having access to such a device in the professional world can go leaps and bounds passed a business’s imagination. In the world of medicine, doctors can create models of human organs that can be donated and used for research.
Businesses can also manufacture the necessary industrial equipment they need, not to mention consumer products. This revolutionary change in obtaining industrial pieces could most certainly lead to a major reduction in a company’s costs and alter the way they produce the parts needed to help make their products.
3D Printing at Home
Yet while 3D printing is still a costly endeavor, in recent years it has become less and less expensive. Prices on 3D printers are coming down to a more reasonable range in which businesses and everyday consumers can partake in such an advanced technology.
As of today the price range for the equipment needed to experience such an innovative device starts around $250 and can go as high as $2,500 depending on the printer.
If however, your company does not have the capital to purchase such a device; there is always the possibility of creating a digital file on a desktop or laptop then taking that file to a 3D printing service to create the object. Consider how much a 3D printer can help embolden your business to new heights and most importantly, new possibilities.
