3D Printing And Support Materials
3D Printing And Support Materials
3D Printing is a digital technology that can produce complex physical objects such as jewelry and airplane parts. As a gross simplification, think of 3D printers as an inkjet printer. Instead of ink, the printer deposits successive layers of materials to form an actual object. Many experts believe that this technology is a game changer in manufacturing with revolutionary implications for retailing models, international trade and global supply chain.
3D printing is a seriously cool technology that exists to help us manufacture the very odd things in the design world. CNC cutting and various machining methods can't make anything. Mold manufacturing methods can't make anything. I'm not going to say that 3D printing can make everything either, however it can make quite a bit more. When it comes down to using 3D printing for manufacturing purposes, there are so many more possibilities.
If you don't know already, 3D printing is the layer by layer creation of pretty much whatever you're interested in making. A machine will lay down layers of material in accordance to a 3D design. A designer, artist, architect, product developer, engineer, or whatever you'd like to call him or she will have to design a file on the computer. This file will then serve as the blueprint for 3d printing processes. The extruders within the actual 3D printer themselves will work with this design to create a final piece.
How do these materials help when it comes down to manufacturing complex parts? Well, essentially - material is laid down like it normally would be. When there is a hollow space or a groove to where material couldn't have been previously, a layer of support material will be laid down. There are various forms of support material out there. Some support material may be a slightly hard gel. Others may be made out of the actual material itself. Other types of support material will simply be dissolved away when exposed to a chemical, leaving the final product.
3D printing is a pretty interesting form of manufacturing technology in my opinion. It gives designers, artists, engineers, computer graphic artists, or whatever - a chance to design and create products. These "products" can do pretty much whatever you need them to in a sense. 3D printing is a form of manufacturing that involves the use of over 100 materials, thus giving designers a chance to produce a product out of almost any material. Think about that: with 3D printing, a designer can create a product out of almost any material necessary. Whether you're making jewelry, or you're making a product, 3D printing will have a material that can get the job done when it finally comes down to rapid prototyping!
Through 3D printing, a machine will lay down very small layers of material down in accordance to the design. Sometimes the detail level is a fraction of a millimeter. Think about this city being constructed from 3D printing. Small buildings, stop signs, cars, and various landmarks are being made.25 millimeters at a time, all while laying down material for the ball which encompasses the city. The end product will result in a ball with a miniature city inside of it. This is very possible through Thailand 3d printing; other forms of manufacturing simply cannot do this. There are so many possibilities with this technology that I can't even count them! 3D printing is, and will continue to change the world.