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(PDF) An Overview on 3D Printing Technology

   

Added on  2021-04-17

9 Pages3299 Words82 Views
3D printing 03D Printing for the Built Environment- Feasible?

3D printing 1Introduction3D printing is the process of manufacturing an object in three dimension formations with material layer by layer. 3D printing is one of the additive layer fabrication processes, this technology uses a computer-based system to make a 3D model of the object and manufacture it by adding a layer at a time. This technology has enhanced and significantly upgraded into agreat instrument for various fields. Merging various fields in single product formed 3D printer as it involves design, electronics, manufacturing, materials and business. 3D printing is known as additive manufacturing, as it is not like subtractive manufacturing and it adds material with lot of layers instead of removing material (Hager, Golonka and Putanowicz, 2016). This is beneficial for many fields such as researchers, manufacturers, designers, engineers and scientists. The 3D printing technology is revolutionising the procedure of manufacturing in various industries. It entirely modifies not only the manufacturing field, but also entire life of people in the future as 3D printer makes feasible to complete model in a single process. 3D printing is an advancement of printing technologies which can manufacture or reproduce elegant structures in one piece. This technology offers direct manufacturing as through a printer, physical product can be generated directly by inputting a design from an idea. 3D printing is an innovative technology, it started in the 80’s and namedas “rapid prototyping”. Today, 3D printers offer to manufacture a physical object from digitalmodel as per the imagination.In order to use 3D printer, firstly preparation is mandatory before printing, like designing a 3D file of the object that has to be printed. To design 3D model or file there are many ways such as through CAD software, websites like Blender and Google SketchUp or it can be simply downloaded from online marketplace for pre made designed models (Kellens, et. al., 2017). When the 3D model is ready for printing then the printing process has to be done. For printing process, initially material has to be decided which would be required for the object. 3D printing provides vast variety of materials such as plastics, resins, sand, ceramics, metals, textiles, biomaterials, glass, food and also lunar dust (Peng, 2016). After deciding the materials for manufacturing and finishing of the object for the accurate result of design, the object has to be printed and if it has not been sanded, lacquered or painted to finish it as deliberated then usually it cannot be directly used or delivered. Printing methods depend on material selected for the project.

3D printing 2Printing techniques of each material are described; if plastic or alumide has to be used during manufacturing then fused deposition modelling technology (FDM) and SLS technology would be best suitable. FDM is the most frequently used printing technique because of the number of printers accessible in the market. In this technique the material is being melted andemitted with the help of a nozzle by each layer at a time to 3D print the object. Thickness of the layer is influenced by the quality of 3D print (Sculpteo, 2018). As compared to other 3D printing technologies, FDM is an affordable 3D printing process. SLS technology is a laser sintering 3D printing technique which includes fabrication of an item by melting layers of powder collectively to manufacture an object. If the materials are resin or wax during the additive manufacturing then there are four methods of 3D printing such as Stereo lithography (SLA), Digital light processing (DLP), Continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) and Multi jet printers. A tank is used of remediable photopolymer resin in SLA method. The build plate goes down and where UV laser creates cross section layer by layer then the liquid polymer is exposed to light. DLP method is similar as the SLA method, the difference is that in DLP method a safelight is usedinstead of UV laser to cure the photopolymer resin (Sculpteo, 2018). DLP method can be used for silver and brass 3D printing. CLIP method is used with a continuous sequence of UVimages which are produced by a digital light projector, with the help of an oxygen permeable,UV transparent window under a liquid resin bath. Multi Jet printers are similar to SLA method, in this method UV light is used by poly jet and multi jet 3D printing techniques to link a photopolymer. A printer jet pours tiny droplets of the photopolymer in the shape of the first layer and not scan laser to cure layers.When metal has to be used as material, then the methods would be DLP, Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) and Electron beam melting (EBM). DLP can be used for silver and brass 3D prints. Primarily a wax model is 3D printed then lost was casting technique is used as before the wax is melted the pattern has to be made around it to create the object. In DMLS method laser is used as primary source to sinter metal powder through laser cross section layer by layer of the object (Sculpteo, 2018). In EBM method laser is not used during 3D print, instead of laser and electron beam is used to 3D print the metal. This electron beam melts the metal powder layer by layer and has ability of full melting of the metal powder. When multicolour is required during the 3D printing, then the methods used are Binder jetting, Selective deposition lamination (SDL) and Triple jetting technology (Poly jet). Binder

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