3D Printing is a process whereby physical, three-dimensional objects are created by a machine, known as a 3D printer, using designs created in CAD.
Selective Laser Sintering
Type: Powder melted with LASER, Requires post processing
Material: Nylon, metal
Powder Binding
Type: Binder jetting
Full color fragile
Material: Talcum powder
Stereo Lithography
Type: LASER cured resin High resolution, Fragile
Material: Resin
Polyjet
Type: UV cured photopolymer High resolution, Multi material
Material: UV cured photopolymer
Laminated Object Manufacturing
Type: UV cured photopolymer High resolution
Material: Plastic, paper and metal
laminates
Lets discuss some popularly used 3D printing technologies
Fused deposition modeling
- Stl file of the design is fed into the printer.
- Raw material is heated up to its melting point in the extrusion head.
- Model or part is produced by extruding thermoplastic used.
- The part is created layer by layer – Additive Manufacturing.
- Material layers hardens immediately after extrusion from the nozzle.
- The finished product is removed easily.
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
- The technique that uses a laser as the power source to sinter powdered material.
- Laser automatically points in space defined by a 3D model and binds the material together to create a solid structure.
- A recoater blade is used to move new powder over the build platform.
- The technology fuses metal powder into a solid part by melting it locally using the focused laser beam.
PolyJet Printing
It works by jetting photopolymer materials in ultra-thin layers onto a build platform. Each photopolymer layer is cured by UV light immediately after it is jetted, producing fully cured models that can be handled and used immediately, without post- curing. The gel-like support material, designed to support complicated geometries, is subsequently removed by water jetting.
Materials used
PLA (Polylactic Acid):
It is a biodegradable thermoplastic aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources, such as corn starch, tapioca roots, chips or starch, or sugarcane. In 2010, PLA had the second highest consumption volume of any bioplastic of the world.
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene):
It combines the strength and rigidity of acrylonitrile and styrene polymers with the toughness of polybutadiene rubber. It is considered superior for its hardness, gloss, toughness, and electrical insulation properties.
LAYWOOD:
Laywood is a wood based filament that can be used in most desktop 3D printers. The wood filament prints easily, similar to PLA, and has a wood smell when printing. This filament comes in a 0.25kg coil and has a cherry wood color.
Other materials…
- PRO series PLA: They are commercially used PLA material which are a higher grade of the same.
- PRO series ABS: These are commercially available ABS material.
- LAYBRICK: These are materials with grey contrast which resembles as a brick.
- PVA (Polyvinyl Acetate)
- Poly Carbonate (PC), etc.
Parts of 3D Printer
Stepper Motors
To control the movement of extruder in x,y,z directions based on the G-codes.
Inductive Sensor
These are the sensors used for automatic bed levelling.Microcontroller
Microcontroller is used to guide the STEPPER MOTORES and to control the process
Shafts
To hold and move the extruder by sliding through.
SYNCHRO BELT :
To move the extruder in x,y,z directions based on the feed from the stepper motor.
Temperature Indicators
To indicate the temperature of the material(s) used for the printing.
Hope this article make you to understand the gear concept better. Please checkout our other posts too. Thank You.
