Is 3D Printing the Future?
Remember the Avengers' scene: Age of Ultron where the Avengers called Dr. Cho to print up living tissue for Hawkeye’s damaged torso? Most would claim printing technology like that is purely science fiction. But what if I told you that there are 3D printers in the world right now that can print up living tissue? 3D printing technology has various applications, but you must first understand what 3D printing is for someone to understand these applications.
We have been using conventional printers for centuries now. Printing becomes sophisticated each time something is printed. Are we entering an era where we can advance printing into anything we desire? Short answer: YES!
What is 3D Printing?
3D Printing is where an object can be printed from the X, Y, and Z-Axis. The technology was first introduced about 42 years ago but has started becoming relevant rather recently. The popularity it has attracted over the past years is from people being able to afford these. They used to cost thousands of dollars. However, people can afford printers with the Creality Ender 3 really changing the game. At its $200 price tag, it can produce quality prints that were only achievable previously by printers that cost thousands.
FDM
FDM stands for Fused Deposition Molding. FDM Printers are the most common type of 3D Printer (they are also the cheapest type). They require reels or spools of material that are fed into the extruder. The material usually comes in diameters of 1.75mm or 3.00 mm. The extruder then extrudes layers of the material to build up layer by layer. The layers stick to each other, which causes the print to actually be durable. When durability is measured, it is actually the adhesion between materials. PLA, PETG, ASA, and ABS are the most common types of filament for these printers. FDM printers also offer a larger build size than the next type of printer.
SLA
Stereolithography or SLA 3D printing works. A pioneering company, formlabs, states that “SLA 3D printers use light-reactive thermoset materials called “resin.” When SLA resins are exposed to certain wavelengths of light, short molecular chains join together, polymerizing monomers and oligomers into solidified rigid or flexible geometries.” This means that resin (the material) is poured into the printer, and then the light is shot precisely at the resin, forming shapes and forms the object desired. SLA printers are usually a bit more expensive and have less build area, but the prints that come out the look of the best quality.
What parts go into a common 3D Printer?
Although there are many variations of 3D Printers, FDM has the greatest capabilities to evolve. Some FDM printers are different but many follow an open-source format called the Prusa i3 design.
This model shows the main parts of how an FDM 3D printer works. The XYZ servo motors control the dimensional accuracies of the prints. The heated bed ensure adhesion. The extruder has gears in which plastics are extruded to form the layers. The power supply powers the whole printer. The PCB or Printer Control Board communicates with the printer and computer-based on the code loaded onto it by the computer.
How long do 3D Printers take to make an object?
The time that a print takes to complete varies mainly depending on Slicer Settings and type of printer. A Slicer is a program in which a .stl file is converted into code in which the printer reads as commands. One example of a commonly used code is gcode. This code is often standard for any Marlin software running machine. The time it takes to execute the commands is directly proportional to the time it takes to complete the print. A way to expedite the speed of printers through slicer settings is to up the print speeds. For FDM printers, 100 mm/s is usually considered really fast. 20mm/s is considered slower than normal.
The catch to printing fast is that the quality will be much, much, much worse.
Okay, this is cool, but are the major advantages?
3D printing may be a cool gimmick and may be limited to the build volume, usually smaller than a foot cube. Well, that's where industrial use comes in. Industries are revolutionizing this technology to make it extend out of just a plastic printing machine.
There are already experiments for 3D printed houses happening. These houses are very affordable, considering the production cost really includes materials and electricity. The affordability of house construction is one of the major anticipations for 3D printing.
Another major industry shift may actually be in restaurants. Restaurants create intricate dishes, with the use of 3D Printers, food is also printable in industrial printers. These printers are designed to create food in unique shapes, sizes, and designs.
In Summary…
3D Printing is only starting to get popular among the industries and hobbyists. The community of 3D printers keeps growing by the day. The entry-level 3D Printer barrier keeps reducing every day with companies trying to reduce costs to offer a greater platform to consumers. In just a few years, this technology will be nothing short of a disrupting revolution of technology. The affordability combined with convenience will attract many towards the revolution.
Who knows, one day, the fictional material we saw created in Avenger’s Age of Ultron may be a reality in the near future.
Key Takeaways:
- 3D Printing is a technology that prints in the XYZ.
- Has two main types of printing methods, FDM printers, and SLA printers.
- The speed of the sprinter mainly depends on the type of printer. FDM usually prints faster than SLA. Quality usually comes with slower printing times. Another account for speed depends on slicer settings.
- A slicer converts .stl files into gcode or any code that the printer can read.
- The industrial aspect of 3D printing is already experimenting with building houses and food. Reducing the overall cost.
Thanks for reading my article! For more discussion or review on this topic, please contact me by email or LinkedIn at harshb9331@gmail.com.
