3D printing technology is mainly a prototyping process in which a three-dimensional object is created from a 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) data. 3D printing is also called Additive Manufacturing due to the procedure in which the three-dimensional objects are fabricated, which is often done in an additive manner. Much like the traditional manufacturing procedure, 3D printing can be used to create quite a number of things from jewelery to vehicle parts, shoes, guns, smartphone covers, prosthetics and even food. This technology is quickly becoming famous not only because of the myriad of things that it can be used to make but also because of the simplicity of the process as compared to traditional manufacturing.
The main essence of 3D printing technology is to give individuals the power and ability to manufacture everything they would like. This will greatly encourage creativity and innovation because people will be able to customize whatever products they imagine possible or have a need of and sell them to the rest of the world. Some of the things that you can fabricate at home through additive manufacturing include stuffed dolls, figurines, statues and even clothes. At the moment however, the technology is primarily being used to create prototypes as opposed to real final products. Nonetheless it is anticipated that in the near future, 3D printing will be used to manufacture real products that can be sold to consumers in the market. It is also expected that 3D printing will soon be used to manufacture advanced products in many different fields such as aircraft parts, human artificial body parts and weaponry.
How It Works
When planning on creating any three-dimensional object through this technology you will first be required to have a 3D design of that particular object. The creation of this design will be done from your computer and you will need to use 3D modelling tools or software to do so. While it may require quite some practice to be able to use these modelling tools, you don’t necessarily have to be a design expert to do so. A little practice should be enough to hone your 3D designing skills. Once you have created the 3D design of the object you want to create, ensure the design is then saved in STL format before sending it to your 3D printer. 3D printers are computer-controlled printers that can print a three-dimensional object from CAD data. A 3D printer usually prints objects using 3D printing materials which often include ABS plastic and PLA plastic filaments. When the CAD design is sent from the designer’s computer to the printer, the printer heats the plastic filaments to their melting point letting them ooze out layer by layer in quick succession until the final layer that completes the design of the object. The materials quickly solidify after every layer is printed and one layer is added onto the other in an additive manner formulating the object.
When choosing the filaments you are going to use for 3D printing, you should always go for those that have the same colors you intend the object you’d want to create to have.
3D Printing vs Traditional Manufacturing
There are many benefits of 3D printing technology over conventional manufacturing methods. First and foremost, through the use of modelling software and tools; 3D printing allows individuals to optimally use their creativity to fabricate 3D objects. The end result is fully customized 3D objects which can guarantee more satisfaction to users than conventional mass production. As a result, a business that uses 3D printing will be in a much better position to produce customized products to its clientele than a company that’s fully relying on classical manufacturing techniques. On the other hand, 3D printing will encourage entrepreneurship and help many individuals to start their own businesses. You only need to have a 3D printer and you are good to go. Provided you have ideas on unique 3D products that you can design, you simply use your printer to fabricate these objects and sell to the public. This might sound overly simplistic but that is how things will be when 3D printing finally gets mainstream. Starting a business will be very easy to say the least!
Not to mention, since 3D printing involves additive manufacturing; there is often less wastage in the manufacturing process unlike the classical mass production methods. This is because most traditional manufacturing techniques are subtractive for example sawing and machining, which eventually lead to wastage of a lot of materials unlike the case with 3D printing.
Why It Hasn’t Gone Mainstream Yet
Regardless of the blatant benefits of 3D printing, there are a number of reasons why it hasn’t gone mainstream yet. For instance, the price of most 3D printing machines is still too high for the common folk to afford. Currently you may need to spend at least $2000 to get yourself a consumer-oriented 3D printer.Although the price of these printers has been subsiding fast in the recent years, they need to be lowered further to make them affordable to a majority of consumers.
Additionally, many consumers lack the knowledge of how additive manufacturing works due to the fact that the technology is still quite new to the market. Hopefully with word about its boons spreading fast, many people in the foreseeable future will understand its significance and how to use it.
Team DainikDisha