In fact, the scientific name for 3-D printing is "three-dimensional printing", which is an additive manufacturing technology. Based on a three-dimensional online payment providersdigital model file, objects are built layer by layer using adhesive materials such as plastic or metal powder.

The 3D printing process

Principles and Uses of 3D Printing

The following is a more authoritative classification of the 3D printing process by the American Standards Committee.

Light Curing

Liquid photosensitive resins may undergo a curing reaction after a period of light exposure, solidifying into the shape of the product structure.

Laser Sintering

Powdered raw materials (metal, plastic, plaster, etc.) are melted and formed layer by layer by irradiation with a beam of energy (laser or electron beam, etc.), or bonded and formed into a powder by some kind of adhesive.

Lamination

An ancient 3D printing technique, first used in archaeology whatsminer m31to make models of dinosaur fossils or human skulls by cutting cardboard.

Fused Deposition

A common process, benchtop is a machine based on an extrusion process. A variety of materials are used, not only plastics, but also some foods such as chocolate and bean paste, and even construction materials such as cement and mud in paste form.

Directional energy deposition

The metal powder or wire directly on the surface of the product melt curing, suitable for repair parts, but also in the unified parts using a variety of different materials. This kind of information technology development in our country is still a relatively leading, won some national social science and cultural progress of the first prize Wang Huaming team from Beihang, is the students use their own education technology to make about four meters of aircraft parts, and used in the aerospace company related industries.

Hybrid Additive Materials

This is a relatively new technology, CNC machine tools are supporting the addition of material manufacturing package, typical materials are metal powder, wire and ceramic. Because almost all 3D printing is not completed, post-processing is required. Therefore, this additive and subtractive material technology can solve the post-processing problem at the same time.

Applications of 3D printing can be broadly classified 3d molding into three categories: conceptual modeling, prototype testing, and direct digital manufacturing.

Concept modeling and prototype testing are the two traditional uses. Simply put, they are making models. Their primary function is verification, such as structural verification, cosmetic verification, functional verification, and assembly verification. Digital manufacturing is a popular trend nowadays, i.e. the finished printed product can be used directly to the end point as a final product or part.

You can give a few examples. For example, the concept of modeling, our own company and Chevrolet cooperation learning to do such a social welfare activities, content is to collect children's imagination of the future development of the car. By raising their brushes to draw car patterns, we turn them into digital economic models, which are then printed and colored later to provide a corporate physical object. This is the process of turning a national dream into a reality, and can turn a relatively primitive idea into a very beautiful sample.

There is also a robotics company that does prototype testing at our company. Initially we printed drawings of their designs, but as soon as there were parts in between that didn't work, we immediately replaced them. Through continuous iteration and repeated verification, we finally printed a complete housing. As you can see in the figure below, the gap between the initial design and the final product is very large.

An example of direct digital manufacturing relates to fashion, which is the work of students at Wuhan University. The bracelet and garment were printed in nylon, and after the designer finished, we printed out the entire concept, and then after wear and tear and toughness testing, the model put it on the runway.

Direct manufacturing tools are generally related to metal, which is still relatively expensive at the moment. Mostly used in defense, aviation and other industries with weight reduction and secrecy requirements. Some key parts of the world's largest observatory telescope under construction in China are designed and manufactured by us through metal printing.

The regular process of 3D printing

The first thing is that we need to have the relevant data, if there is physical management can be established at the same time through 3D scanning technology 3D printing model, if there is a 2D drawing design can choose to be converted into as a 3D model through analysis software. If there is no when there is none, then the only way to model is to start from scratch with software. Then the model with slicing software, after the completion of slicing the teacher can start 3D printing. After printing is completed learning the vast majority of companies in our country also need to do post-processing (polishing, plating, spraying, stretching, etc., coloring is optional), otherwise it may be a semi-finished product.

The main advantages of 3D printing

The first is to save time, compared with traditional processes, the speed of its own construction is honestly still a bit slow. The second is material savings, with almost no waste generated. The second is accuracy, especially with surface repair and complex technology. And finally, there's individuality, which allows for increasingly personalized designs and complex prototypes. So as a whole, 3D printing is well suited for prototyping personalized, complex, low-volume, non-standard parts.

But its biggest advantage is that as the complexity of the part increases, the difficulty and cost of the manufacturing process does not increase. That is, the designer only needs to think about the implementation of the part's functionality and does not need to be too concerned about how the manufacturing process will be used to produce it.

3D printing technology offers great advantages in manufacturing complex parts and is still used primarily in industrial manufacturing. This brings us to the level of 3D printing applications, which is why we don't feel that 3D printing is directly changing our lives.

Levels of 3D Printing Applications

"Prototyping" is the lowest level of 3D printing, such as making individual things like models and prototypes, but it is also the most traditional application of 3D printing.

The second level is "replacement". Making a replacement for one of our current parts. However, the application research is not extensive because traditional Chinese design and manufacturing techniques are well suited for mass production and 3D printing is not an advantage.

Third, "part integration". Single-part 3D printing may not be advantageous, but if multiple parts can be integrated into a single part to be printed, the overall value will rise.

The most advanced applications not only integrate multiple parts, but also optimize them. This is because 3D printing can do a very complex process that is not possible with other processes. An iconic case in point is General Aviation's previous use of 3D printing to make an aero-engine fuel injector. This nozzle integrated more than 20 parts, as well as very complex cooling and lubrication tubes. Not only did it improve fuel efficiency, but it also lasted five times longer without having to produce more than 20 parts to assemble it.

So, how 3D printing affects everyone may require some mental adjustment. At some point in the future, when we design, we don't need to think about what tools to produce or even how the design process will change. Simply consider the design goals, give boundary values, and get optimized results through mathematics and computer simulation. Last year, for example, one of the top design awards in the UK gave an example of this. A topologically optimized aerospace tool, less than half the weight of the original, but more than twice as strong, was manufactured using 3D printing. The advantages are therefore obvious.

Analysis of the economization of 3D printing

The number of products within a second is still obvious, but the range is increasing as the cost of 3D printing decreases. In the case of casting, for example, there is a balance between volume, production time and complexity. In the future we will see more and more oddly shaped objects that are directly determined by math and computers. The increased complexity of the process does not make 3D printing difficult, but it is a nightmare for traditional processes.

Now we are using 3D printing technology process to do the production of companies is more and more important, a while ago General Motors has acquired two 3D printing companies to do metal 3D printing. Many people can think that this may be a major sign of the development of 3D printing into the mainstream of society's manufacturing industry. In addition, 3D printing is also some of the applications in medicine, and people use it to print as well as some with optical devices. In the future, construction, aircraft and other kinds of applications, will affect the involved. 3D printing is actually as a kind of economic basic research tool things, like China's Internet information or through the construction of highways, is everyone will be used to get.

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