What Is 3D Printing?
3D printing, which is also called rapid prototyping, is a manufacturing technology in which 3D objects are made by a machine that is linked to a computer where specifications for the printed object are stored. The principles that govern this technology are the same as those for 2D printing, and it is hoped that this will soon spur a marketing revolution that eliminates or at least minimizes the need for centralized manufacturing. Rather than going to a shop to purchase a box, for example, a person can simply buy a plan and print out a box from the 3D printing machine, as long as the materials and the required equipment are available.
This technology began to appear around the middle part of the 1990s. There are details of this history if you visit website. Back then, futurists predicted that 3D printers would soon find their way into each modern home. However, because of the sophisticated parts and manufacturing tools, these machines are still too expensive for domestic use. However, many companies with rich capital have begun to use them. Professional product engineers are the ones who mainly use them in creating prototypes that they routinely present to their clients. Currently used devices function with the use of different glue, sawdust and other feedstocks which may be molded into 3D structures, as long as the design allows incremental layer application.
The youngest generation of 3D printers is making use of a laser as well as metallic dust in the creation of 3D objects straight out of metal. Refer to the definitions at http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1962291/3D-Printing-Year-In-Review-2013 to learn more. This has made the technology all the more attractive, not only to people who are involved in relevant industries, but also to enthusiast. Such machines have already been employed in certain countries such as the US in the production of unmanned airborne vehicles. At present, research is ongoing on the possibility of 3D printers being capable of creating communication devices in the military.
According to early predictions, these machines will likely work through lasers and special polymers. Some polymers solidify with a particular light mixture, and this characteristic can be leveraged on with the use of two lasers which are not functional separately, but can work together to produce useful results. As both layers cross, they solidify. With a structure built from the ground going up, a stable product could be produced as the liquid polymer drains out. This technique proved to be extremely costly though, and there are more technically convenient methods being used nowadays.
