There are 6 types.
1, FDM: Fused deposition rapid prototyping, the main material ABS and PLA.
Materials for the Fused Extrusion (FDM) process are generally thermoplastic materials such as wax, ABS, PC, nylon, etc., and are fed in filament form. The material is heated and melted in a nozzle. The nozzle moves along the cross-sectional contour of the part and the filling trajectory while extruding the melted material, which solidifies rapidly and bonds to the surrounding material. Each layer is stacked on top of the previous layer and serves to position and support the current layer.
2, SLA: light-curing molding, the main material photosensitive resin.
Light curing is the earliest rapid prototyping technology. It is based on the principle of light polymerization of liquid photosensitive resin. In a certain wavelength (x = 325nm) and intensity (W = 30MW) of ultraviolet light irradiation, the liquid material undergoes a rapid photopolymerization reaction, its molecular weight increases dramatically, and the material is transformed from a liquid to a solid state.
Light curing is currently the most researched and mature technology. The general layer thickness is between 0.1 and 0.15mm, and the precision of molded parts is relatively high.
3, 3DP: three-dimensional powder bonding, the main material powder material, such as ceramic powder, metal powder, plastic powder.
Three-dimensional printing (3DP) process was invented by MIT's EmanualSachs et al. In 1989, e.m. Sachs applied for a patent for three-dimensional printing, which is one of the core patents in the field of amorphous micro-droplet printing.
The 3DP process is similar to the SLS process, which is formed by ceramic powders, metal powders and other powder materials.
4, SLS: selective laser sintering, the main material powder material.
The SLS process, also known as selective laser sintering, was developed in 1989 by C.R. of the University of Texas at Austin-DeHaard.The SLS process is formed from powder materials.
The material powder is applied to the upper surface of the molded part and scraped smooth; a high-intensity CO2 laser is used to scan the cross-section of the part on the newly laid layer. The material powder was sintered together under high-intensity laser irradiation to obtain a cross-section of the part, which was bonded to the molded part below; after one of the sections was sintered, a new layer of material powder was laid down and the next section was selectively sintered.
5, LOM: divided into solid manufacturing, the main material paper, metal film, plastic film.
LOM process is called layered entity manufacturing (layeredentitymanufacturing), was developed in 1986 by the United States Helisys Michael Feygin (MichaelFeygin). The company introduced two types of molding machines, lomo-1050 and lomo-2030. the LOM process uses thin film materials, such as paper and plastic film. The surface of the sheet is pre-coated with a layer of hot-melt adhesive.
6, PCM: moldless casting manufacturing technology
PCM (moldless casting manufacturing) is developed by the Laser Rapid Prototyping Center of Tsinghua University. The rapid prototyping technology is applied to the traditional resin sand casting process. First, the CAD model of the casting is obtained from the CAD model of the part. The section profile information is obtained from the STL file of the casting CAD model, and then the control information is generated from the layer information.