3d printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a manufacturing process in which 3d printers deposit materials layer by layer according to the 3D digital model of objects, thus manufacturing 3D objects.
What can 3d printing be used for?
3d printing allows people like you and me to make complex objects comfortably and easily at home, and it can also reduce manufacturing costs for businesses in various industries, complete complex process production, and meet the individual needs of consumers. It has brought many changes in the fields of medical equipment, aerospace, architecture, automobile and industrial manufacturing.
Many people have installed 3d printers in their homes. So what do they do with it? The result is a lot. Your child wants a new toy? 3d printing! Is your door handle broken? 3 d print a new custom teacup? Of course!
Printing with a 3d printer at home is cheaper, faster and more customizable than buying such miscellaneous things from the store. This technology is quite mature, and the quality of finished products is constantly improving.
How does 3d printing work?
If you are familiar with the operation of ordinary inkjet printers (printers that print documents), it is easy to understand 3d printers. For example, suppose you want to make a mobile phone case yourself. If you have a 3d printer, this is what you have to do:
1. Just as document printers need digital documents (PdF or dOC files) to print, 3d printers also need digital design files of 3d objects (STL files are the most common). Therefore, you first need to create or download a digital file to encode the design of the iPhone case.
2. Once the digital design file is saved, the computer will process the file and prepare for printing. You can change the settings just like in an ordinary inkjet printer.
3. Next, choose a material for the iPhone case and load enough material into the 3d printer. Ordinary inkjet printers need to buy and use ink cartridges. In a 3d printer, you can buy and use consumables made of different materials. Consumables are the "ink" of 3d printers.
4. Ordinary inkjet printers create documents by depositing ink on paper. 3d printers create objects by placing multiple layers of materials on a printing bed. When your 3d printer loads materials, the computer will send instructions to the 3d printer on how to deposit materials layer by layer to create physical objects of digital design files.
Wait a little longer, and the phone case will be printed.
Nowadays, 3d printing technology is developing rapidly, but not everyone knows what 3d printing is, and it is still a long way from popularization. .