3D Technology—what is it exactly?

By Margaret.

More and more often do we hear about 3D technology. It is conquering the market, our homes and the world. What is it then and what does it offer?

3d printing

3D printing is without a doubt an innovative and prospective solution to printing. It was invented by Charles Hull in 1984. The main purpose of any Rapid Prototyping technologies is to prototype objects very fast. Prototyping is creating any possible object by adding new layers of material from the 3d printer to it.

Types of 3D printing

There are many ways of 3D printing. One of them is FDM (Fuse Deposition Modelling). This technique uses melted plastic to print. This makes possible to create any size objects that are resistant to fracture. Another type of 3D printing is SLA (Stereolitography). This type is based on a process of photopolymerization, which is a process of linking molecules by hitting them with a chain of light. The technique is very precise and creates high quality products. Alternate type is SLS (Selective Laser Sintering), which is used and developed the most. The material used in this sort of printing is a powder, that is sintered by a laser. Due to the complex shapes often made using 3D printing, specialist 5 axis machining, or even more, is needed to create the objects. The created material is very resilient and durable.

What is the use?

3D printers are able to produce a great variety of objects, you can also change the shape of items already existing. Products of 3D printing are used in medicine, space exploration, army, even fashion and in everyday life. An example of such products can be air pollution masks (you can get them on sinterit.com). These masks are a response to high level of air pollution in the cities all over the world. They exists designs as for adults as for children, for the pollution is a greater threat to them.

Another product may be an exoskeleton, that helps people, for example, who suffer from SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy). The exoskeleton makes it possible for these people, especially children, to use their hands.

There are also data glasses, voting pilots used in conferences to count votes (sinterit.com) and many other inventions that every day ease our struggles and simplify our life.

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Techology News and Events
Published
Mar 02, 2018