3D printing began in the mid-1990s and the main principles involved include technologies such as light curing and paper lamination. The printer is filled with printing materials such as liquid or powder. These materials are stacked layer by layer through the computer's control, which ultimately turns the printed drawing into a physical object.
After all these years of development, 3D printing technology is becoming more and more perfect, and a variety of 3D printing technologies have appeared on the market. This article will introduce the five main ones.
Also known as FFF, it is the most widely used and least expensive printing method today. In the process, thermoplastic fibers are heated and extruded, then cooled and cured to shape. Parts made using this method have excellent thermal stability, chemical resistance and a good strength-to-weight ratio.
A photopolymer resin is irradiated with UV light during the process, and the resin is cured to form the desired 3D object, repeating each layer until the entire part is completed.
Similar in principle to SLA, both take advantage of the rapid curing of photopolymer materials when exposed to UV light. The difference is that DLP uses a high-resolution digital light processor projector to project UV light, covering one cross-section at a time, so there is an advantage in manufacturing speed.
The most common additive manufacturing technique for industrial applications uses a high-power laser to fuse small particles of polymer powder. The unfused powder supports the part during the printing process, so additional support structures are no longer needed. Parts made with SLS printing technology have excellent mechanical properties and are similar in strength to injection molded parts.
The process uses a laser to completely melt the powder, eliminating the need for binders and providing better molding accuracy and mechanical properties than SLS.
We will choose the most suitable printing method according to the different needs of the specific part.
