3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing technology, in which three-dimensional objects are created through a continuous physical layer. Compared with other additive manufacturing technologies, 3D printers have the advantages of fast speed, low price, and high ease of use. A 3D printer is a device that can "print" real 3D objects. The function is the same as the laser forming technology. It adopts layered processing and superimposed forming, which means that 3D entities are generated by adding materials layer by layer, which is the same as traditional material removal processing. The technology is completely different. It is called a "printer" in reference to its technical principles, because the process of layered processing is very similar to inkjet printing.
3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing technology, in which three-dimensional objects are created through a continuous physical layer. Compared with other additive manufacturing technologies, 3D printers have the advantages of fast speed, low price, and high ease of use. A 3D printer is a device that can "print" real 3D objects. The function is the same as the laser forming technology. It adopts layered processing and superimposed forming, which means that 3D entities are generated by adding materials layer by layer, which is the same as traditional material removal processing. The technology is completely different. It is called a "printer" in reference to its technical principles, because the process of layered processing is very similar to inkjet printing.
In recent years, the price of 3D printers has made it affordable for small and medium-sized enterprises, so that the prototype manufacturing process of heavy industry can be completed in the office environment, and different types of raw materials can be put in for printing.
Because rapid prototyping technology occupies a dominant position in the market, 3D printers have huge potential in production applications. 3D printing technology can be widely used in jewelry, footwear, industrial design, architecture, automotive, aerospace, dentistry and medical.
The printing process of each layer is divided into two steps. First, a layer of special glue is sprayed on the area to be formed. The glue droplets are small and not easy to spread. Then spray a uniform layer of powder. When the powder encounters glue, it will quickly solidify and bond, while the area without glue remains loose. In this way, under the alternate layer of glue and layer of powder, the solid model will be "printed" and formed. After printing, the model can be "planed out" by sweeping away the loose powder, and the remaining powder can be recycled.
Printing consumables are transformed from traditional ink and paper to glue and powder. Of course, glue and powder are processed special materials, which not only require the curing reaction speed, but also have a direct impact on the strength of the model and the resolution of "printing". The current 3D printing technology can achieve 600dpi resolution, and each layer has a thickness of only 0.01 mm. Even if there are text or pictures on the surface of the model, it can be printed clearly. Of course, limited by the principle of inkjet printing, the printing speed is bound to not be very fast. At present, more advanced products can achieve a vertical speed of 25 mm per hour, which is 10 times higher than that of earlier products, and can use colored glue to achieve color printing. The color depth is up to 24 bits.
Due to the high printing accuracy, the quality of the printed model is naturally good. In addition to showing the design on the contour curve, the structure and moving parts are also not a problem. If it is used to print mechanical assembly drawings, gears, bearings, tie rods, etc. can be moved normally, and the position of morphological features such as cavities and grooves is accurate, and can even meet the assembly requirements. The printed entities can also be polished, drilled, and electroplated. And other methods for further processing. At the same time, powder materials are not limited to sand materials, and other materials such as elastic expansion, high-performance composite, investment casting, etc. are available.