3D printing has been making waves in the engineering industry. With its countless advantages, the technology has eased the process of design. Now designers can create a high quality, real object from a 3d model.
When it comes to technology, different 3D printers use different technologies. Given below are the four most common technologies used in 3D printing:
Stereolithography
One of the oldest 3D printing technologies, the first commercial 3D printer was based on stereolithography – a technique invented by Charles Hull (co-founder of 3D Systems Inc) in 1986.
In this 3D printing technique, a stereolithograph apparatus (a 3D printing machine) is used to convert liquid plastic into real 3D objects. The technology is widely used for jewelry designing today due to its accuracy and fine finish. In addition, it is one of the most costly 3D printing technologies.
Fused deposition modeling
Developed by Scott Crump in the 1980s, this technology enables the printing of prototypes as well as concept models and final products. It creates objects by heating and extruding a filament of plastic material.
The major advantage of this 3D technology is that all parts printed with it can be sued for high-performance and engineering-grade thermoplastic. As a result, mechanic engineers and manufactures can benefit from fused deposition modeling 3D technology.
Selective laser sintering
In the 1980s, a student of Texas University, Carl Deckard, along with his professor Joe Beaman, developed the selective laser sintering 3D printing technique. This particular 3D printing technique uses laser as a source of power to form 3D objects.
As to other 3D printing processes, selective laser sintering does not need to use any support structures. This is primarily due to the fact that the object being printed is surrounded by unsintered powder.
Similar to other 3D printing techniques, the process starts with the creation of a computer-aided design file. Thereafter, this file has to be converted to .stl format by a special software.
The material to print with could be anything, from ceramics and glass to metals, including steel, silver, and more. As this technology requires the use of lasers, it is commonly used by hi-tech manufacturers. On eaghain, the use of high-powered lasers makes it expensive as compared to other methods.
PolyJet /InkJet
The polyjet 3D printing technology works by jetting layers of liquid photopolymer onto a build tray. After jetting, each photopolymer layer is cured by the UV rays. As a result, it produces complete models that can be used immediately.
This 3D printing technology produces smooth, and accurate prototypes. With its 16-micron layer resolution and high accuracy, it can produce thin walls, transparent parts, complex shapes, and inflexible parts using the widest range of materials.
While the technologies used in 3D printing may differ, it is fundamental for businesses to evaluate their specific needs and budget before investing in the right one. CADPrintWax is a renowned name in 3D wax printing services. The company has been using state-of-the-art 3D print technologies to help businesses derive maximum results and at minimum costs. Log on to http://www.cadprintwax.com/ to find out more information.