We all have heard about printing. But, what is 3D printing? Is this a new concept in vogue?

Actually 3D printing is believed to have been here for some decades now but is seeing light in the recent times. The process of making 3D-3 dimensional solid objects from a digital image is called 3D printing technology.

3d printing singapore is done by the process of additive manufacturing. In this process, layers are added (so the name additive) to create an object in 3d mode.

Working of 3d printing:

The first step is the creation of a printable file. To do this you need 3d software. Many types of 3d printing software are available. You have simple ones to those used for industrial needs.

There are apps available that offer free lessons for 3D design, and coding. They also have a feature that enables you to download the printable version.

The CAD software helps in preparing detailed and intricate designs. The software can help in achieving the smallest of details to achieve a realistic model.

Slicing is the next step where the printable file is transferred to a 3d printer. Using slicing software, the design is divided into thousands of slices. After this, it can be fit in a 3d printer and can be printed layer by layer.

A 3d printer also works as any other printer but instead of ink, wax, or plastic-like polymer is spent layer by layer.

A few examples where 3d printing finds application are;

Dental products

Consumer products

Industrial products

Prosthetics

Movie related stuff

Different materials are used in 3d printing like ABS plastic which is easy to shape and hard and maintains shape.

Carbon fibers are used to create the object with minimum weight. Flexible filaments are also used to create tough yet flexible objects.

Wood filament is used, where ground wood powder is mixed with polymer glue to produce objects that resemble wood.

Depending on the project or the type of industry various types of 3d printers are used.

The widely used 3d printer is the FDM, the Fused Deposition Modeling. The model used for printing out delicate details is the Stereolithography (SLA) technology.

UV laser is used here to create objects and that too in few hours. The oldest form of 3d printing is the DLP, Digital Light Processing.

Typically a simple 3d machine costs $500-600, whereas the one used for industrial purposes costs $100,000.

3D is causing a revolution in printing technology and has found its use in many different fields.