What is 3D printing?

3D printing is a fabrication process used to build three-dimensional (3D) parts through the layer-by-layer deposition of material. This latest fabrication technology is also referred to as Additive manufacturing (AM) by the manufacturing community. 3D printing can manufacture a complex 3D part through a 3D computer-aided design (CAD) model that instructs the 3D printing machine how to “print,” or deposit, a given material.

Initially, the AM technology was developed for rapid prototyping and now the technology has revolutionized the production of functional structural parts for many industries. The fabrication process used in AM technology is contrary to conventional machining processes, whereby material is cut away — or subtracted — to obtain the final product. A schematic diagram of a simple 3D printing method is shown in the following image.

Benefits of 3D printing

• The primary advantage is the ability to make complex geometric 3D parts in less time and with less effort than that required in conventional machining processes.
• Rapid prototyping, minimal or no material wastage, no extra tooling, no special skills for the operation of 3D printers, efficient design of materials, and the capability of tailoring functionally graded materials.
• AM methods enable freedom in the design of a part and furthermore, make it easier to fabricate a part with tailored microstructure to yield desired mechanical properties.
• AM technologies make it far easier to design a material to tailor the properties of the final 3D printed part. Also, easy to fabricate topologically optimized shapes of the parts.
• AM technologies enable to fabrication of a strong integral product by minimizing the number of loose parts for its assembly.
• The technologies enable product development faster, parts production on demand, and thereby aiding the supply chain of parts.

Different 3D printing methods

A few of 3D printed parts with different AM technologies can be seen below

Are you interested in making a 3D printer? iMaker store parts are perfect for constructing an FDM 3D printer. There is plenty of support from the community and open-source tools to help you get started. Let us know if you need help with your 3D printing project. You can find plenty of open-source FDM 3D printer (material extrusion-based 3D printer) designs online.