3D printing was first called "rapid prototyping" and "additive manufacturing", which is a manufacturing method based on three-dimensional model files, using different printing techniques to make specific materials make objects by stacking and stacking layer by layer. 3D is an abbreviation of the English "three-dimensional", which means dimension, and 3D means 3 dimensions.
The printer we usually use is a two-dimensional printer, the print head moves back and forth is one-dimensional, the paper moves back and forth to fill the screen is two-dimensional, which is actually the movement of the X axis and the Y axis of two dimensions, 3D printing adds an upward dimension that is, the Z axis, so that a three-dimensional model can be printed, and the printing material has also changed from ink to ABS plastic, PLA plastic, photosensitive resin, metal powder and other 3D printing materials. The essence of 3D printing technology is to repeatedly print in two dimensions. In real life, there has long been 3D printing, for example, writing with chocolate on birthday cakes, soluble glue guns, glass glue guns, the only difference is that these are controlled by the human brain rather than computer control.
Our common 3D printing process technologies are melt stacking (FDM), selective area light transmission (LCD), digital light processing (DLP), stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), three-dimensional printing technology (3DP) and several types.
At present, 3D printing materials include engineering plastics, metal materials, ceramic materials, photosensitive resins and so on.
Overall, 3D printing helps to reduce product production costs, production times and complexity barriers in the production process, with the advantage that manufacturing complex items does not increase costs, product diversification does not increase costs, design space is unlimited, waste by-products are reduced, and accurate physical reproduction is not increased.
Manufacturing complex items does not increase costs. In traditional manufacturing, the more complex the shape of the object, the higher the manufacturing cost. For 3D printers, the cost of making complex projects does not increase. The time, skill, or cost of making a gorgeous, complex project will no more than printing a simple box. Manufacturing complex products without increasing costs will disrupt traditional pricing models and change the way we calculate manufacturing costs.
Product diversification does not increase costs. While traditional manufacturing equipment has fewer functions and a limited number of shapes, 3D printers can print many shapes, making different shapes like craftsmen each time. 3D printing saves money on training mechanics or buying new equipment, and a 3D printer only requires different digital blueprints and a new batch of raw materials.
Unlimited design space. Traditional manufacturing techniques and products made by craftsmen are limited in shape, and the ability to produce shapes depends on the tools used. For example, traditional woodworking lathes can only produce round objects, rolling mills can only process parts assembled with milling cutters, and mold making machines can only produce molded shapes, while 3D printers can break through these limitations and open up huge design space.
Reduce waste by-products. Compared to traditional metal manufacturing techniques, 3D printers produce fewer by-products when manufacturing metal. Traditional metalworking waste is staggering, 90% of the metal raw materials are discarded on the factory floor, while 3D printing reduces the waste of metal manufacturing, with the development of printed materials, "mesh" manufacturing may become a more environmentally friendly process.
Precise entity replication. Digital music files can be copied endlessly without degradation in audio quality. In the future, 3D printing will extend digital precision to the physical world. Scanning technology and 3D printing technology will work together to improve the resolution of morphological transformation between the physical and digital worlds. We can scan, edit, and duplicate solid objects to create accurate copies or optimize the original objects.
At present, 3D printing technology has been widely used in industrial modeling, machinery manufacturing, aerospace, military, architecture, film and television, home appliances, light industry, medicine, archaeology, culture and art, carving, jewelry and other fields have been widely used, and with the development of this technology itself, its application field will continue to expand, in the future we will find that many of the items around us are made with 3D printing.
The author is the general manager of Beijing Chengyuanda Technology Co., Ltd
Source: Popular Science Times
Author: Ren Le
Editor: Wu Tong
Review: Wang Fei
The image comes from the Internet
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