What is 3D Printing?
3D Printing is an ideal compliment to computer aided design (CAD). 3D Printers offer fast, low-cost alternative for building concept and working models. Designed for workstation and network access much like a standard laser printer, 3D printing is growing in usage with the unprecedented growth of CAD solid modeling. 3D Printers are used to communicate ideas much like a printer or plotter, however you have an actual three dimensional part to hold in your hand for testing or visualization. • Save Time and Money “Sending one relatively simple part per week to an outside service provider could, by comparison, pay for a 3D Printer in a matter of months – and maintain control and confidentiality.” • Gain a Competitive Advantage “Studies show that a product six months late to market will have already lost up to 33% of its gross profit potential, 3D printing can help trim days, weeks, and months off the typical design cycle.” • Make More Design Iterations Faster “A Wholers Industry Report note
Listen to industry expert Terry Wohlers of Wohlers Associates, Inc. describe 3D printing. Click Here (3.9 megabytes). [Back to Top] 2) How does the Dimension process work? Based on the patented Stratasys FDM process, Dimension builds functional 3D models from the bottom up, one layer at a time of with tough, durable acrylnitrile butadene styrene (ABS) plastic. STL files are imported into Catalyst software which automatically slices and orients the parts and creates any necessary support structures. The software automatically plots a precise deposition path for Dimension to follow. ABS plastic (in filament form within auto-loading cartridges) is fed into an extrusion head, heated to a semi-liquid state and accurately deposited in layers as fine as 0.010-inch (0.254 mm) thick. After completion of the build, support structures are simply removed.
3D printing, otherwise known as rapid prototyping, is a manufacturing method whereby 3D objects are quickly made on a reasonably-sized machine connected to a computer containing blueprints for the object. The basic principles are like that of a 2D printer – materials cartridges, flexibility of output, translation of code into a visible pattern. 3D printing enthusiasts hope that home “fabbers” will usher in a custom manufacturing revolution, and eliminate (or greatly reduce) the need for centralized manufacturing. Instead of going to Walmart to pick up a set of dishes, you’d buy the plans online, and print them out from simple materials. The technology of 3D printers is something that appeared in the mid-90s. After their arrival, futurists immediately predicted we’d soon see them in every home. But the expense of the parts, which includes numerous flexible manufacturing tools, has kept the cost over about $20,000 US Dollars (USD). Current 3D printers are fancy machines for use by profes
3d Printing is the less costly process of rapid prototyping which turns the 3D CAD data to quickly produce a three dimensional model for conceptual evaluation. Where an ordinary printer lays down a single 2D layer of ink on a sheet of paper, these printers add the extra dimension by printing layer after layer until you have a real, 3d object similar to your CAD model. Manufacturers report enormous productivity gains from using 3d printed parts.
