3d Printer

3D printing is considered a marvel of technology in various domains, including the manufacturing industry and the academe. This process expedites the development of models and prototypes of products or specimens that are used to identify design flaws and key improvement areas. 3D printers have been around since the 1980s, but back then, people do not have sufficient skills and tools to optimize their usage.

Types of 3D printers

3D printers are classified into three:

Fusion Deposition Modeling (FDM) printers – FDM printers are the commonly used type of 3D printer at the consumer level. These printers are suitable for simple printing requirements, such as the printing of rough prototypes or small individual parts of a bigger assembly. However, FDM printers have relatively low accuracy and are not ideal for printing intricate components.

Stereolithography (SLA) printers – Invented in the 1980s, SLA is considered the first 3D printing technology. SLA resin printers and metal 3D printers are used in rapid prototyping, functional prototyping, concept modeling, short-run production, dental applications, and jewelry casting. SLA printers can produce high-accuracy works due to the flexible formulation of resin and other composite raw materials.

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) – SLS printers utilize high-power laser technology to create accurate model printouts. Most 3D laser printers belong to this printer family. The foremost distinction of SLS printers from the other types of 3D printers is that they use nylon instead of resin.

How do 3D printers work?

The first step to 3D printing is to develop a computer-aided 2D design that will serve as the guide for the 3D printer. After finalizing the structure of the design, it can then be fed to the printer system. Depending on the complexity of the design, the 3D printer will require a certain number of hours to continuously fuse 3D printer filaments (e.g., molten resin, nylon, or other composites) to create a physical model of the 2D design.

Different models of 3D printers produce outputs of different quality. Fortunately, the extensive options for 3D printers online make it possible to find 3D printers for specific uses. Most 3D printing services opt to acquire industrial 3D printers due to their durability and robust features. Nevertheless, small businesses or educational organizations can freely take their pick among the affordable 3D printers in the market to better manage printing costs.