What is 3D Printing? How does a 3D Printer work? We explain in detail this amazing futuristic technology.
Want to mend that broken handle? Why not print it with a 3D printer? Items break every day, and we usually have to replace them with a new one due to the unavailability of the broken parts. In such a situation, we often wonder about something that could create things when needed. Well, 3D printing technology gives us the tool to bring our imagination to reality. Not limited to modeling broken parts only, the applications of 3D printing technology are limitless. 3D printers are reshaping the manufacturing process across numerous sectors, be it technology, medicine, or architecture.
So, want to learn more about 3D printing technology? Read through this post and discover in-depth everything about 3D printing technology.
What is 3D Printing?
In simple terms, 3D printing involves a device or a machine generally referred to as a 3D printer to print a three-dimensional model of a digital image. How does it all work, you may ask? Well, a 3D printer deposits layer after layer of material according to a set pattern based on the 3D image of the object. The 3D printer keeps piling layers till the object takes its shapes exactly as the digital image. Since the object is modeled layer by layer, the procedure is also referred to as an additive process. It’s distinct from the subtractive process as the latter involves cutting or hollowing an object to give it the desired shape.
Why 3D Printing?
3D printing technology is a paradigm-shifting approach to how we perceive and handle the manufacturing process. As such 3D printing holds tremendous potential to reshape the manufacturing process. Among its numerous benefits, the first is its extreme flexibility. A 3D printer can print a solid object using plastics or flexible objects using a combination of plastic and rubber powder. Moreover, it can also print industry-grade extremely strong objects using metallic powder and carbon fiber. Another advantage of 3D printings is its accuracy. Machine control process combined with computer-aided design produces a 3D model with extreme precision and accuracy, making it a promising tool to employ in prototyping, modeling healthcare machinery parts, and industrial manufacturing.
3D Printing: A Growing Industry
The adoption of 3D printing has seen a major spurt in recent years, mainly due to its huge application in almost every sector. While 3D printing was limited to specific prototyping in its early days, it is now rapidly replacing traditional manufacturing.
While the demand for 3D printing is still mainly from the industrial sector, it’s expanding rapidly to other sectors too. According to Acumen Research and Consulting, the numbers are promising, and by 2026, the global 3D market will grow to about $41 billion.
3D printing technology fulfills our dream of building things from our imagination. As it expands its reach, 3D printing technology will transform the way we make, design, and manufacture.
