3D printer is a candidate to be one of the technologies that make daily life easier! The convenience provided by these technological devices, whose capabilities and areas of use are increasing day by day, is one of the most important reasons for preference. With the emergence of models suitable for home use, 3D printers have become for everyone. You can use 3D printing systems to turn your home into a small manufacturing workshop or to develop a new product and step into the business world. So how will you do this? You can find all the details about the 3D printer in the continuation of our article.
What is a 3D Printer?
Devices that transform digital designs prepared in a computer environment into physical objects are called 3D printers. The models to be printed are prepared with special software or with the help of three-dimensional scanners. With the printer, concrete objects are created in layers. For this reason, 3D printers are also referred to as additive manufacturing or additive manufacturing.
3D printing was first invented by Charles Hull in 1984. The purpose of this discovery is to prototype a product before it goes into mass production. 3D printers, which have a deep-rooted history, have developed with technology and today offer the possibility of use in an almost unlimited area.
What are 3D Printer Types?
Three-dimensional printer types are classified according to the material to be used, printing technology, resolution, production speed, surface quality and printing dimensions. The most important material is the material used in the products prepared with a 3D printer. This material, called filament, is a thermoplastic raw material. Plastics, resins, ceramics, foodstuffs, metal alloys, textile materials and biological tissues are the main filaments.
The printing technologies used in 3D printer types vary according to the way the layers are created. Today, there are different types of printing such as MFJ, CLIP, DLP, DMLS, EBM. As technology advances, different 3D printing techniques emerge. Accordingly, the most commonly used 3D printer types and areas of use are as follows:
- FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling): One of the most widely used printing technologies is the FDM model. In this model, the material is in the molten liquid state. It does not require reprocessing on the output product. FDM type 3D printers are used in homes and small businesses.
- Stereolithography (SLA) Technology: Layers are formed by hardening liquid resin or gel material with laser. It is an efficient technology for products with fast, high resolution and complex details. Jewelery is one of the areas where it is used.
- Selective Laser Sintering (SLS): This time, three-dimensional objects are produced from powder materials, not gel, with laser. The printing technique SLS, also called laser sintering, is used in industrial production.
- DLP (Digital Light Processing): This technology, also called digital light processing, is one of the oldest 3D printer technologies. It is similar to SLA and works in the same logic. Here, by using a special projector instead of laser as a light source, smooth surfaces are obtained with fast drying.
What Does a 3D Printer Do?
The advent of the 3D printer is to develop a practical method for obtaining a small number of samples in product development. Thus, it was ensured that better products were designed with trial in product development, corrections were made faster and costs were reduced.
Another of its most important features is that 3D printer models provide flexibility and freedom in product development. In traditional production methods, molds, equipment and machines are needed for the product to emerge. This limits the production of detailed, small detailed figures. However, with a 3D printer, you have the chance to give the details you want. Other uses and advantages of 3D printers are as follows:
- The 3D printer offers the possibility of personalization and customization on the product. For example, it facilitates the development of products that are compatible with the patient in dental prostheses.
- It provides a cost advantage as it is produced with less labor and machinery compared to traditional production. For example, a house produced with a 3D printer in the construction industry minimizes the equipment and labor in the construction process.
- 3D printers are an opportunity for a small number of orders or personalized work, as they allow only one product in number. It facilitates the production of bespoke products for small businesses or home sellers.
- The resulting product is the same as the size and design details you specified. Therefore, the possibility of faulty production does not exist as long as you provide the correct recipe.
- 3D printers are more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly than traditional industrial machines in terms of energy and waste.
- It eliminates the need for overstocking as it offers faster production.
- It makes sample production faster and more efficient before going into mass production.
- In terms of delays in international shipments in the supply of spare parts, the possibility of production with a 3D printer helps to eliminate such difficulties.
- The usability of 3D printers in every field has gradually brought it to an accessible point.
How Does a 3D Printer Work?
The working principle of 3D printer is basically similar to normal printers. In traditional printers, a document or design is prepared in the computer environment and sent to the printer for output. The system works in the same way in 3D printers. However, since the resulting product is 3-dimensional, a more comprehensive study is in question. The working logic and process sequence of three-dimensional printers are modelling, adjusting the printing machine, printing stage and finally surface cleaning for certain products.
3D design programs are used in the modeling, that is, in the design phase. These programs are commonly referred to as CAD. A model is created in the computer environment through these programs. Another option is three-dimensional scanning. The detailed scanned image of the product to be printed is loaded into the appropriate 3D printer model.
Since the design prepared before printing will be printed in layers, it is again sliced through a computer software. It is possible to do this automatically with the help of software. In a sense, the design of the object that will emerge is divided into layers. This software creates a detailed coding for the printer to pour which raw material and how much at which stage.
It is necessary to make special adjustments according to the printer model and raw material type you use during the preparation for printing. These adjustments are especially useful when you want to reproduce exactly the same product. Just as cartridges are used as material in normal printers, filament material is placed in the printer’s chamber here. In the 3D printing phase, all you have to do is watch your design, which is formed layer by layer.
The printer starts production by using the raw material step by step in line with the commands coming from the design file according to the printing technique it uses. Production speed varies depending on the printer model, product dimensions, details and material. When the printing process is finished, if there are roughnesses on the surface, they are cleaned and the product is ready for use.
What Can Be Done With 3D Printers?
It is possible to see 3D printers in every field today. Three-dimensional printer models, which are increasingly used, are successfully applied in certain industries such as manufacturing, health, construction, automotive, clothing, education, mold industry, defense industry and space studies. However, the single use is not limited to these. Household 3D printers are also candidates for being a valid production model for those who want to spice up their daily life or earn money from home.
For example, you can make chocolate at home with a 3D printer and develop your own business. You can also consider making toys for your children or three-dimensional models that will contribute to their homework. With home type 3D printers, you can design decorative products such as vases, flower pots, coffee cups and key chains and make unique accessories according to your taste. The fact that there is an unlimited source of raw materials for the 3D product allows you to make the productions you want by using your imagination.
Small size 3D printers are also an ideal solution for developing and producing practical consumer goods. It is a technology suitable for different products such as cable organizer, zipper, screwdriver, lampshade, slippers, hangers, glasses, sunglasses and phone accessories. The important thing is to decide what you want to produce and choose the appropriate printer type.
In the health sector, tooth and prosthesis production is also frequently done with three-dimensional printers. In addition, studies on three-dimensional organs are also carried out for medical students. In order to work on new surgical techniques, one-to-one prototypes produced with three-dimensional printers are used as aids to get realistic results.
The automotive industry receives support from this technology in the production of modified vehicles, spare parts and assembly tools. NASA provided the astronauts with the necessary products for their own needs with the 3D printer it sent to space. Thus, it gains the advantage of reducing the material load carried by the spacecraft from the world.
In the architecture and construction sector, project development and architectural model mock-ups can be produced in a short time with 3D printers, and it also provides the advantage of presenting details in the design. At the same time, it is possible to see houses produced entirely with 3D printers, albeit in a small number, in the world.
The clothing industry is among the sectors that have started to use this technology widely in shoes, tracksuits and clothes under the leadership of giant brands. Products manufactured with 3D printers in the energy sector, aviation and electronics are becoming increasingly common. Battery, antenna and solar energy devices are the main examples.
