3D Printer in Mechanical Design: Applications and Techniques

3D printer in mechanical design 1
3D PRINTER IN MECHANICAL DESIGN
By Name
Course
Instructor
Institution
Location
Date

3D printer in mechanical design 2
3D PRINTER IN MECHANICAL DESIGN
Introduction
3D printing refers to the process of creating 3D solid objects from digital files. The development
of a 3D printed object is usually obtained by use of the additive process. In this process an object
is developed by laying down successive layers of material until the object is created. All this
layers can be seen as individual thinly sliced horizontal cross-section of the eventual object.
How 3D printer works
The process usually starts with the development of the 3D model in the computer. The digital
design can be the Computer Aided Design (CAD) file. A 3D model is either created from the
ground up with 3D modelling software or based on the data generated with a 3D scanner. With
the 3d scanner it is possible to create a digital copy of an object (Wimpenny, 2014, p. 45).
Applications of 3D printers
The technology of 3D printing has a wide range of applications in various industries such as
rapid prototyping, architectural scale models and maquettes, 3D printed prosthetics and movie
props, reconstruction fossils in paleontology.
i) Rapid prototyping
Many manufactures have for long used the 3D printers in their design process to create
prototypes. When the 3D printers are used for this purpose it is referred to as rapid prototype.
The 3D printers are widely used in rapid prototyping since they are relatively fast and cheap. Lot
of cost have been cut off in those industries that have adopted this technology in their systems to
produce prototypes (Chua, 2015, p. 521).

3D printer in mechanical design 3
ii) Application of 3D in architecture
Architects were among the earliest adopters of the 3D printing technology. In the situations
where the architects are required to present their projects as physical models, the 3D printing
usually is a quick and very efficient to have the job done within a very short time. In architecture
it has been observed that 3D printing has greatly assisted in cutting the manpower and time when
it comes to visualizing designs for clients.
iii) 3D printing in Aerospace
This technology of 3D printing has been widely applied in the field of aerospace from the
materials to the concepts this technology has played a very important role. (Pandey, 2018, p.
620).Travelling in Space need an ultra-durable exterior. Many organizations such as the NASA,
have been using this technology to shield their shuttles.
3D printing in mechanical engineering
Rapid prototyping is key to improve project management times, and it therefore offers greater
competitiveness among industrial businesses. Moreover, it allows companies to better study the
prospective market and physically verify both the behavior and functionality of each part even
before the existence of the preliminary molds.
Product design is an important field that greatly depends on mechanical engineers’
contributions. A products design determines the functionality, production, and marketability
of a product. Mechanical designers are capable with changing a simple product idea to a
successful marketable end product. They design the interior structure of a product, carry