5. 3D printing and scanning¶

What is 3D printing?¶

3D printing is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file. It’s created by laying down successive layers of material until the object is created. Each of these layers can be seen as a thinly sliced cross-section of the object.

3D printing is also perfectly suited to the creation of complex, bespoke items, making it ideal for rapid prototyping.

Materials used in 3D Printing¶

There are a variety of 3D printing materials, including thermoplastics such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), metals (including powders), resins and ceramics.

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Types of 3D Printers¶

MATERIAL EXTRUSION¶

A nozzle is used to extrude material. Most of the time, that substance is a plastic filament melted by being pushed through a heated nozzle. The material is deposited on a build platform along a preset path by the printer, after which the filament cools and solidifies to produce a solid object. Metal paste, biogels, concrete, chocolate, and a variety of other materials can also be extruded, but plastics are the most popular.

Types of 3D Printing Technology: Fused deposition modeling (FDM), sometimes called fused filament fabrication (FFF)

VAT POLYMERIZATION¶

Types of 3D Printing Technology: Stereolithography (SLA), masked stereolithography (MSLA), microstereolithography (µSLA), and more.

POWDER BED FUSION¶

Types of 3D Printing Technology: Selective laser sintering (SLS), selective laser melting (SLM), electron beam melting (EBM), multi jet fusion (MJF)

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What is 3D scanning¶

3D scanning is the act of studying an object in the real world and gathering all of the data necessary to digitally reconstruct its shape and look. The object can become a 3D model as a result of this procedure, which can be used as a foundation for the 3D project you’re working on, but it can also be used to reconstruct, analyze, or simulate ideas.