3D Printing & Robotics

 Traditional manufacturing methods have witnessed disruptions in the recent decades, in the form of either robotics or 3D printing (3DP). A convergence of these disruptive technologies, however, promises to change the future of Robotics & other industries as well.

Companies engaged in manufacturing robots stand to benefit greatly from the inclusion of 3DP, in their business processes. Since most robots are required for unique applications, the ability of 3DP helps by speeding-up prototyping. This rapid prototyping helps designers, test new models faster & customize them according to customer or application requirement faster. The result, customized robots can be made available in the market faster, due to a faster product design process. 3DP can also help mass produce customized robot designs & meet the rising demand for higher personalization with relative ease.

Robots, being often used for specific applications, require special tools for manufacturing them as well. This requirement of special tools to manufacture robotic parts with complex geometries, is readily fulfilled by 3D printing them. Different custom parts, for varied applications of the same robot can hence be easily created, by 3D printing them. Design engineers can not only 3D print tooling & fixtures for the robotic assembly process, but also use Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) for new manufacturing methods. 

DfAM methods of making tools help reduce overall costs, by reducing the overall number of parts required because of hybrid machinery & processes. Using DfAM in robotic manufacturing helps reduce waste of raw materials, while increasing overall strength & durability of parts by eliminating potential failure points in robot designs. DfAM can also help fabricate entire robots or major parts of robots. With no prerequisite for molds, robots & robotic parts can be produced in smaller volumes, in rapid & economical fashion. 

Savings in time & money resulting from incorporating 3DP in assembly & manufacturing, can be diverted towards research & innovation to develop better robots. 3DP can also help repair robots with ease. By printing parts that need replacement ‘on-site’ or reverse engineering parts that are expensive to reproduce, repairing damaged robots is made efficient by 3DP. Robotic parts can also be re designed with ease, helping to build & improve on earlier designs. 

Including 3DP methods in robotic design & manufacturing helps turbocharge the entire supply chain, while making maintenance & repair robots easier. The convergence of these disruptive technologies promises a future of automation & efficiency for a host of industries.  

3D Printing & the Marine Industry

 3D Printing has been a disruptive force across a wide range of industries for almost a decade. From the Automobile to Aerospace industry, 3D printing has inspired a rethink & reimagination of traditional ways of design, prototyping & manufacturing methods. This disruptive breach can also be seen in the Marine Industry.

New Product Development, as usual, is the first victim of this disruption caused by 3DP in the marine industry. Whether it is the design of a ship’s interior or the shape of its hull, virtually designed models of these, can be rapidly 3D printed. Showcasing new designs of a ship’s interior or exterior, based on a certain operational profile, can also be achieved using the speed of 3D printing. 3DP also helps in fabrication of new tools, that can be used in making the actual manufacturing process faster. 3D printed sand molds can be used to make casted impellers, turbines & pump casings.

Unleashing the creative side of making ships is not the only advantage 3DP brings to the marine industry. The clinical & rapid manufacturing of parts, using just the right amount of raw material makes it economical, to make custom designs, which under traditional methods would be economically unfeasible. This is particularly relevant in marine operations, where different ships are needed for unique climates & applications, making customization in terms of design & build material paramount. For example, ships intended for long voyages can be built with parts & designs that ensure minimum energy consumption, decreasing overall energy consumption of the ship. This is particularly relevant to aircraft carriers that rely on several nuclear reactors to fuel their voyages. 

3D printing is known to reduce weight of parts, by printing whole them whole & making them lighter & stronger in the process. Reducing the weight of ships, by 3D printing major parts whole, allows them to carry more cargo, increasing their utility in a wide range of fields like shipping & defense. 

Wear & tear is a common occurrence in the marine sector, where ships are exposed to some of the harshest conditions on the planet. 3DP provides the advantage of repair services that are time & application sensitive. Parts of a ship that need replacement, can be 3D printed, in port, in a timely manner, facilitating longer service lives for ships that endure heavy wear & tear.

Last but not the least, reproducing parts that have been made obsolete, due to high costs associated with high traditional methods, is an easy thing to achieve with 3D printing. By scanning existing models of such parts, 3D printing can reproduce these at a fraction of the original cost & in a faster time frame. 

Although, 3D printing whole ships is still a distant reality, the infancy of 3D printing in the marine sector is poised to change it forever, upon maturity. The time when fleets will be 3D printed on demand is not far away.   

Advantages of 4D Printing

 4D printing, a technology based on 3D printing models using smart, programmable materials has the potential to disrupt multiple industries. In our last blog, on 4D printing: The Technology of the Future, we outlined the differences between 3D & 4D printing. We now will explore the advantages 4D printing promises, across different fields, if applied & implemented successfully

One clear advantage provided by 4D printing is computational folding. Models or parts, too large for a 3D printer to print, can be printed in their secondary forms, thanks to the smart & programmable materials used in 4D printing methods. Smart materials like Shape Memory Polymers, Shape Memory Alloys, Hydrogels, are few amongst a host of new materials being researched & developed, promising models that adapt forms in response to different stimuli of light, moisture, magnetic & electric currents. In some cases, especially where programmable Hydrogels are used, 4D printing promises an almost 90% of reduction in volume. 

Shape Memory Effect (SME), a phenomenon that enables materials to remember their shape under certain conditions, helps & promises, objects that can remember & assume their programmed shapes for a given set of conditions. Parts & models printed with the SME are bound to revolutionize the medical industry. Implants that fit any body structure are a well awaited addition. 4D printing can also create devices that will release medicine under preprogrammed conditions. Any rise in temperature of the body can trigger these devices to intelligently determine the person has contracted fever & administer doses of relevant drugs.  

printing applications get more complex than above examples. We can imagine pipes, that carry water, the most important life supporting material on the planet, 4D printed to perform various adaptations. Using smart materials can enable dynamic pipes, to be 4D printed, adjusting their diameters to flow rates & water demand in a certain region. These can also be programmed to ‘heal’ themselves, in case of damage, ensuring minimum wastage of water.

The Furniture industry is currently facing a barrier in adoption of 3D printing, as many of the objects involved are huge in comparison to 3D printer sizes. 4D printing, can enable simple shapes to be printed, that can change form & shape by adding light or water. Thus, a simple plain piece of ‘smart’ wood, 4D printed, can become a sofa, a chair, or a bed, by adding water or light to it. 

4D printing also promises to change the face of the fashion industry. Clothes that adapt to weather conditions, are being researched. Shoes that can shape based on the activity being undertaken, can promise custom levels of comfort & ergonomics. 

Construction of structures like buildings, bridges & roads that build themselves is a dream application of 4D printing. Reduction in labor cost, time involved in building projects, is a foreseeable advantage here. Add the ability to ‘self-repair’ thanks to innovative constriction materials & 4D printing may lead to indestructible transport systems that are immune to various physical & natural disasters.  

4D printing is now a technology that is being considered with serious thought, by experts in various fields. From shape changing furniture, to implants that fit any body type & selfhealing pipes, self-adapting clothing to bridges that build themselves, 4D printing promises real life magic with discernable advantages in terms of cost, material & time efficiencies. 

4D Printing (4DP): Technology of the future

Additive Manufacturing or 3D Printing has evolved into a viable, trusted & tangible, technological alternative to a host of traditional manufacturing & fabrication methods. However, lurking in the shadows of this technology, a new development is slowly & steadily acquiring shape & potential to disrupt major industries in a far more radical way than 3D Printing has done so far. Adding the ‘fourth’ dimension of ‘Time’ to the usual three dimensions of length, breadth & height, in an additive manufacturing process has resulted in the discovery of ‘4D Printing’.

The question of ‘what is 4D Printing?’ can hence be answered as follows: Printing, manufacturing or fabricating objects, tools, parts, in a way that allows them to alter shape, size, form & structure, due to external influences in form of energy, like light, temperature or other environmental stimuli, is known as 4D Printing. Majority of research in 4DP is dedicated to combining ‘technology & design’, aimed at inventing self-assembling & programmable material technologies, which have the potential to revolutionize Construction, Manufacturing, product performance & assembly.

Differentiating between 3DP (3D Printing) & 4DP is hence simple. 3DP works by printing layer upon layer of material of a 2D structure, in a path from the bottom to the top, generating a 3D volume or object. 4DP repeats the same process, however, the difference is the materials used to print these objects. 4DP requires advanced & specially programmed materials that change shape & structure, in response to any changes in their environments.  

One example of these advanced & programmable materials is a Shape Memory Polymer (SMP). SMPs have the ability of large-scale elastic deformation, in response to environmental stimuli. Figure 1 shows us an example of this phenomenon. When a certain change in temperature is induced, the 4D printed inanimate flower object; made of SMP material, changes shape in response to rising temperatures. As is evident in Figure 1, different levels of temperature changes, induce different deformations of the structure.

Different smart printing materials can be used to deliver desired changes in model structures. SMPs as shown in Figure 1, work on the mechanism of the Shape Memory Effect (SME). They fall under the category of Thermo Responsive Materials: materials that change size, shape when thermal energy is applied as a stimulus. Various such materials are currently being developed, namely Shape Memory Alloys (SMA), Shape Memory Hybrids (SMH), Shape Memory Ceramics (SMC), and Shape Memory Gels (SMG). SMPs are currently the preferred materials for 4DP, as they are currently far easier to develop & print with.  

3D Printing & Auto Industry

Automobile industry has been an early industrial adopter of 3D printing. Over the span of a

decade, the Automobile industry has witnessed 3D printing technology transform from a

useful alternative to an indispensable tool. Initially, focused on making prototypes, 3D

printing now is responsible for creating complex parts, speeding up tooling cycles,

enhancing measurement & testing, while also providing customized solutions.

Miniature 3D printed designs of cars are easy to test. With advances in 3D printing &

compatible materials, designers can test various forms & practical functions. This helps in

finalizing optimum design ideas faster, as life size designs of parts & models can be printed

immediately upon approval.

Rapid tooling is growing at an enormous pace within the industry. 3D printing is responsible

for shrinking the tooling process & making it easier to develop task specific tools. Designing

custom tools & 3D printing them saves time, material cost & machine time, making it

profitable for automakers in every way.

Customization for select vehicle models can be an expensive affair for automakers. From the

interior of a car to the essential functional parts, customizing & mass-producing custom

parts in low volume proves costly. Using 3D printing, customized parts can be easily

produced, while lowering cost of customization to OEMs & the end user alike. This is

especially true for EMVs, which require lightweight & specially designed parts to be

produced in low quantity.

Measuring & validating accuracy of parts & fixtures, on demand, is now possible thanks to

3D printing. Using FDM technology, designers can print special tools that last longer & are

lighter as well as mobile. This makes it easy to carry them to any point in the assembly line.

Using rubber like materials also helps avoid scratches & other type of damage on end parts,

making measurement & validation cheaper, faster & more efficient.

Using FDM, SLS or SLM technologies for 3D printing, automakers can test various iterations

of a model rapidly. This also extends to the ability of being able to use multiple materials in

making one model & testing the outcome right away. This helps validate complex part

designs & make designers aware of parts that may not be functional in the real world as

well.

With 3D printing making it easier to design new models, make complex parts with ease, the

automobile industry is on its way to a complete revolution. Shorter lead times in design,

fabrication, testing & validation are helping the industry cater to the varied consumer &

environment needs with ease.

3D Printing & Rockets

3D printing is revolutionizing the Aerospace & Aviation industry. As we outlined in our blog on the topic of “3D Printing in Space” (https://3ideatechnology.blogspot.com/2021/04/3d-printin-in-space.html), 3D printing is crucial to driving down the cost per kilogram of putting payloads in space. One of the most important ways 3D printing achieves this, is by making the process of manufacturing ‘rockets’, faster, cheaper & efficient. 

Modern era requirements of space travel, scientific research, military reconnaissance & broad coverage offerings by mobile & broadband networks to name a few, require space launches of humans &/or satellites into space. This is where launch vehicles or rockets, as they are most commonly known, come into the picture. Launching any payload into space with a rocket, however, is an expensive & risky affair. On average a rocket used to put payloads into space has more than 100,000 parts, drastically raising the probability of errors & mistakes, which may lead to a mishap. To add to this risk, rockets require huge amounts of fuel &have a comparatively low payload carrying capacity in terms of weight. Hence, the heavier the payload, higher the cost of launching it into space. This is where 3D printing changes things. 

Traditional rockets designs like the Titan rockets, which powered the Apollo missions to the Moon, have more than a 100,000 parts. These need to be fastened together with nuts & bolts, specials glues, which have to withstand enormous pressure during launch. 3D printing can help manufacture rockets & rocket parts, ‘whole’, using novel methods of Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) or Selective Laser Melting (SLM). This leads to an almost 100x reduction in the number of parts & components. This not only makes the rockets stronger in terms of withstanding external pressures, but also lighter. 

Using 3D printing to manufacture rockets, drastically reduces lead times. Designing 3Dmodels in proprietary virtual modelling software & printing these models takes a short time of only 60 days, in some cases. This is a 10x reduction compared to traditional methods, where it would take more than two years to manufacture a new rocket that is ready for space launch. 

In addition to making the process of manufacturing rockets faster, 3D printing also helps in making them efficient. Fuel tanks & engines make up for the heaviest parts of a rocket. By designing fuel tanks in one piece using novel metal alloys (carbon fiber, titanium aluminide, graphene), 3D printing can help make fuel tanks leak proof & lighter. Engines also benefit greatly due to unique & efficient thruster & combustion chamber designs. Rockets manufactured using 3D printing have been proven to provide almost 98% more thrust, at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods of making them. This means more lighter, powerful & efficient rocket engines & more space for carrying items in the payload to be delivered. 

As the Human race slowly approaches the dream of inter-space & inter-planetary travel, rockets & their indispensable utility in space launches remain paramount to realizing this dream. Luckily, for all of us who dream of travelling to the stars, 3D printing is here to expedite this voyage into the star-studded highways of space, by making rockets faster, cheaper & more efficient than ever before. 

3D Printing & Batteries

Batteries have become indispensable tools in the battle against fossil fuels & the rise of the EMVs (Electric Motor Vehicles) has highlighted the curial role they play in this struggle. The revolution in energy storage has also brought us Electric Boats & Airplanes in addition to EMVs. As usual 3D printing is playing a pivotal role in making batteries cheaper, efficient & compatible with a wide array of applications across the Automobile, Aviation & Marine industry. 

3D printing is known to provide a capacity for rapid prototyping & the ability to achieve economies of scale at a blazing speed. Batteries produce energy in different cells that are put together inside them. Traditional methods of manufacturing require these to be produced separately & put together to form a single battery unit. With 3D printing methods, custom batteries with suited shapes of cells can be printed ‘whole’, eliminating extra time & improving the speed at which large amounts of batteries can be produced. This greatly reduces the cost of manufacturing batteries. 

In addition to reducing the price of manufacturing for batteries, 3D printing, also helps in raising the efficiency of batteries, in terms of the amount energy being stored. Porous electrodes in a battery help raise energy density. 3Dprinting can produce such electrodes that are porous at a ‘nano’ level, using a three dimensional ‘lattice’ structure. This lattice structure helps in exposing more surface area of the electrodes, where the chemical reactions that make a battery work are achieved. Hence the battery produces more energy. 

3D printing also aids in fabricating batteries of various shapes & sizes. As a battery can be 3D printed ‘whole’, battery makers do not have to glue together different cells that make up a battery. 3D printed batteries hence can be fashioned into desirable shapes & are lighter than their traditional counterparts. This helps product designers in the EMV, Aviation & Marine industries design vehicles, planes & boats, respectively, with a higher level of freedom & concern for accommodating cumbersome battery shapes. 

With 3D printing disrupting & revolutionizing manufacturing methods of batteries, a cleaner future, free of fossil fuels has dawned & the time when mankind achieves net zero emissions is on the horizon.

3D Printing & Jet Engines

3D printing has made inroads into various industries as an efficient & trusted alternative to traditional methods of design & fabrication. Aviation & Aerospace industries are amongst the ones that stand to gain most from advantages 3D printing brings to New Product Development & Advanced Manufacturing. An area ripe for revolution & currently witnessing a metamorphosis, due to 3D printing technologies, is the design of the jet engine itself. When the first jet engine for civilian use was designed for mass production, humans had yet to land on the moon. However, since 2016, steady progress has been made towards a redesign & re-imagining of the traditional jet engine design. 

One way 3D printing helps, is by providing the ability to have lighter & fewer components. 3D Printing parts whole, makes them not only tougher to resist extreme wear & tear experienced in jet engines, but also lighter due to advances in metal 3D printing & material science. This helps jet engines consume less fuel while providing more efficiency & power while doing so. 

3D Printing allows complex geometries & hence new technologies to be adopted by engineers. A great example is the new RISE jet engine system announced by GE Aviation. RISE stands for Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines. The engine uses new fuel nozzles that provide ‘Lean burn combustion’. This new technology is sustainable as it can function with 100 percent Sustainable Hydrogen & gives a higher power output as compared to traditional combustion methods for jet engines. Newer designs being pioneered are helping jet engines be even more productive & powerful. Newer design concepts like, ‘open rotor form’, mean the engine blades need not be hidden, helping it to be less dependent on fuel being burnt in the core by drawing in more air. 

Jet engines, now being manufactured with 3D printing, have almost 90 percent fewer parts. This allows easier & faster replacement of malfunctioning parts, which can be 3D printed on-site if required. OEMs are also shifting to 3D printing a major chunk of jet engine components, because it is cheaper & faster to produce these parts using 3D printing. This is predicted to lower costs of jet engines in the coming future & also helping make air travel affordable. 

The future of air travel looks set to be changed forever, thanks to 3D printed jet engines. Adoption of this technology for manufacturing jet engines, however, still has a lot more to offer if you ask experts in Aviation & Aerospace.

How to Make 3D Printing More Eco-Friendly ?

 

3D Printing is one of the fastest growing industries of this era.  As every coin has its two sides, 3d printing also has its disadvantages. As people are becoming aware of carbon and plastic waste there is need to find out ways to make 3D Printing more “Eco-Friendly”. There are different ways to make 3D Printing Eco-Friendly

In spite of the fact that ABS plastic isn't biodegradable, it is conceivable to reuse it. Since ABS could be a “thermoplastic” (vs a “termoset”) you're able to re-heat it once more to utilize it as fiber after it’s been warmed. Fiber recyclers can pound up family squander made of plastic and failed prints and turn them into fiber. The Filamaker is one fiber processor which can break down your utilized prints and the Filabot, and Recyclebot are two fiber extruders that will repurpose your utilized fiber and make unused fiber. One company ReDeTec propelled a campaign where they made the ProtoCycler which both grinds your ancient prints and extrudes fiber with one machine. This can be an extraordinary way to re-use your scrap fiber from failed prints or little bits of fiber that wouldn’t be valuable.  When you are using a fiber recycler, it’s vital not to blend diverse sorts of fibers.

Try employing water dissolvable fiber your prints. PVA (Polycinyl Liquor) fiber will break down when exposed to water & isn't sent to our landfills. PVA works well to support both ABS or PLA prints but you may require a dual extrusion printer for this to work successfully. HIPS (High Affect Polystyrene Sheet) is an awesome biodegradable substitute for other types of filaments. There are a number of fibers that are more economical than the ABS choices. Fibers like Willow Flex are compostable by both EU and USA compostability benchmarks and others are made from reused fabric like 3DBrooklyn ‘s line of fibers made from reused potato chip sacks and drain cartons. 3DOM USA contains a line of brew fiber made from squander byproduct of beer-brewing prepare.

Metal powder cleared out over from a print can be recovered. In numerous high-tech businesses, such as aviation, particular and unquestionable metal qualities are required, which cannot be met by fibers.

3D Printing Materials

 

Market demand for 3D printing & 3D printers continues to expand, with a wide range of industries from Medicine to Aerospace adopting 3D printing in their operations. This market expansion & the need to cater diverse product & design requirements across industries has resulted in a host of new 3D printing materials to be discovered. From plastics, resins & metals, Carbon Fibre & Nitinol are also being used for 3D printing based on specific project requirements. 

Plastics remain the most common 3D printing material to be used today. Plastics offer the advantage of multiple applications for products from ranging from utensils, toys & action figures to household fixtures. Plastics are the most affordable 3D printing material, a major reason for them being the choice of creators & consumers as well. Polysastic Acid or PLA filaments are eco-friendly, as they are sourced form natural products. Found both in hard & soft forms they are expected to be the most common material for 3D printing, with hard PLA being ideal for a broad range of products. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or ABS is another plastic that is commonly used in home-based 3D printers. Available in various colours, ABS is used mostly for making Toys, Jewellery, due to its high flexibility & firmness. Some other plastics used for 3D printing are Polyvinyl Alcohol Plastic or PVA & Polycarbonate or PC. PVA & PC however do not offer the range of applications provided by PLA or ABS due to lower strength & are often low-cost alternatives. 

Resins are also used as 3D printing materials, but have less flexibility & strength as compared to plastics. High detail resins are used for models that require intricate details, while paintable resins are used for smooth surface 3D prints. Transparent resin is the strongest resin material & is suitable for a large range of 3D printed products. 

Manufacturers of air-travel equipment & makers of aircraft use metals to 3D print parts & aircraft, using a method called Direct Metal Laser Sintering or DMLS. The technique is also used for a diverse range of everyday items like utensils & even jewellery items like bracelets, among others. Metals are also used for 3D printing medical tools & devices, prototypes of metal instruments and even automobile parts. Stainless steel, Bronze, Nickel, Titanium, Gold, Aluminium are the most commonly used metals for 3D printing. 

Exotic materials like Carbon Fibre, Graphite, Graphene are used to print parts with requirements of higher strength & integrity. Combination of carbon fibre over plastic is used as a fast & easy alternative to metal 3D printing. Graphene & Nitinol (a combination of Nickel & Titanium) provide the highest amount of strength & flexibility of any 3D printing material. Advances in application Graphene in 3D printing of solar panel equipment & Nitinol in medical equipment is bound to revolutionize a host of industries including electronics & medicine. 

All these various applications of diverse materials for 3D printing are bound to expand the market for 3D printing through new levels of adoption & application in varied industries.

3D Printing In Food Industry

Steady progress has characterized 3D printing since its invention in the 1980s. From printing thermoplastics to metals, 3D printers can now print your favourite food. 

One way of 3D printing food involves depositing the ‘build material’ of the food item involved, layer by layer using a nozzle, that extrudes food of even consistency & proper viscosity. It is important for the food item being printed, that the build material should emerge smoothly from the nozzle & it must maintain its shape upon deposition. This method of direct deposition allows creation of intricate & detailed designs of food, as opposed to traditional tools like moulds, which are cost effective for quantity production, but offer little to no design intricacy. 

However, when it comes to foods that start out as liquids, like flavoured gelatin for example, deposition methods of 3D printing are incompatible. In such cases, moulds created using stereolithography or SLA, can be used. Due to the amazing detail SLA brings to 3D printing, it is possible to add detail & customization to foods that was once only possible for skilled artisans. 

3D printing brings a high level of customization to food production. A 3D printer can help determine the exact quantity of vitamins, carbohydrates, fats as per the user’s age & health requirement. It also helps people with no cooking skills to cook highly accurate recipes while saving time & energy, often demanded by traditional cooking methods. 3D printing food can also aid creativity & innovation, as it is easy to experiment with different types of food dishes by customizing ingredients & modifying compositions. 3D printing food is also sustainable, as 3D printers only use the required amount of raw material to make food. Reproducing food is also easier with 3D printing as the same materials are used, minimizing waste & helping in efficient use of raw materials. 

Food safety however, remains a concern in 3D printing food. 3D printed food is developed in minimal time, restricting the cooking of food at certain temperatures. This might help microbes that can contaminate the food grow, requiring adherence to standard practices & guidelines. Also, different cooking ingredients have different storage & cooking requirements. Thus, they cannot be placed together in one container when 3D printing food. Food manufacturers also must consider the skill & training required to operate 3D printers. Stringent food safety standards & training needed to operate 3D food printers, make 3D printing food a high cost investment for FMCG companies. 

With advances in materials & 3D printing technology; however, higher adoption of 3D printing in food manufacturing is on the horizon. This will not only revolutionize the food industry but also have a positive impact on the environment by reducing wastage of raw materials.
 

3D Printing In Construction

 

3D printing in Construction remains a unique & rather new approach to an industry characterized & influenced by traditional approaches. A few examples of 3D printed houses & offices do exist, but 3D Construction is a long way from being the default technique of constructing houses or structures. 

3D construction of a structure, whether a house or any other building, is achieved using a 3D printer attached to an arm used to build a project onsite. 3D printers may also print or pre-fabricate parts of a building in a factory which can then be put together later at the construction site. 3D printers used in construction are unlike other 3D printers, as they require materials that dry/cool rather quickly, forming the intended structure.

3D printing can help the Construction embrace the ‘lean’ concept of manufacturing. A good amount of waste is generated at construction sites, often because excess material is ordered. This makes construction ineffective & expensive as a process. 3D printers on the other hand only use materials required to print the structure, drastically reducing cost & generating zero waste. 

 

3D printers can work 24x7, meaning a colossal reduction in time required to construct buildings. This can also result in a reduction of costs generated by avoiding the need for low-skilled labour. 

 

3D printers are known for their ability to print unusual shapes & objects. The same applies to construction where buildings with unique architecture can be 3D printed, something traditional methods may find challenging.

 

Although the idea of 3D printing houses or buildings sounds appealing, the technology is still at a nascent stage in the industry & wide-scale adoption remains mired with several hurdles. Building firms operate on a thin profit margin. The huge amount of investment needed for 3D printing houses presents an enormous barrier to the adoption of 3D building designs. 

 

Cultural attachment to traditional construction methods also remains a barrier to the adoption of 3D construction. The majority of people conceive traditionally built houses & construction methods as more reliable than 3D construction, presenting a challenge for building firms from a sales point of view.

3D Construction also raises the issue of compatibility with various construction techniques. Although some houses & types of buildings have been successfully constructed using 3D printers, building designs with various architectural components may not be easily achieved. Factors like plumbing, insulation, electrical fittings, and security of the inhabitants remain as challenges that 3D Construction must overcome. 

 

3D printing in construction has certainly arrived on the scene. Wider adoption of the technology however, remains something that can only be achieved with advances in materials & further R&D in 3D printing itself.

3D Printing In Space

 

Dawn of the commercial space age has now heralded the eventual and inevitable dawn of commercial space-based ventures. With 3D printing already playing a crucial role in the production of low-cost satellites and lighter, efficient rockets, its role in future human space travel & interplanetary colonization is critical, to say the least. Space is the not the ultimate frontier for humans anymore, inter-planetary travel is. Here are some ways in which 3D printing can assist in human endeavours to conquer the frontier of inter-planetary travel in space:

Cost of putting a kilogram of payload in space currently ranges anywhere from $3000 USD to upwards of $54,000 USD based on the type of launch vehicle, launch agency and type of payload. This makes overcoming the high per kilogram cost of required to escape Earth’s gravity a barrier for most launches. 3D printing or Additive Manufacturing can highly reduce this cost. This can be achieved by printing lighter parts for launch vehicles by using weight optimized geometries and printing parts in space itself at the point of need, like in the International Space Station.

With 3D printing already revolutionizing the space industry, increased process automation for batch series or single item production will help reduce the overall cost and production time for making satellites, rockets and other space gears like probes and drones. This also extends to the manufacturing of space faring aircraft as well, in addition to in-space platforms, ground equipment, launch services and independent space R&D.

Inter-planetary travel demands the construction of human habitats on alien worlds. Carrying bulky pre-fabricated parts for such habitats in to space will not only inflate the budget for such inter-planetary missions, but also delay their completion. The availability of constriction materials like minerals, water on comets and surfaces of other planets like Mars, the Moon, makes it possible to additively build human settlements, habitats and other infrastructure required to support inter-planetary missions.

In the future, once humans successfully setup colonies across the vast distances between the Moon and Mars and probably beyond, carrying hi-tech equipment across such distances will be a great challenge. 3D printing can successfully enable future space farers to manufacture complex parts at the point of need and help distribute technology across vast distances in the galaxy. This will help human habitats and settlements in distant locations gain access to critical technologies that will aid in sustaining the human way of life on alien worlds.

Of course, 3D printing can help in many more ways when it comes to space travel and inter-planetary missions. We have selected the above advantages it brings to space missions as we believe they are crucial given the time we live in, where humans still have not setup a habitat on the Moon, our closest space destination.

Components Of STEAM Lab

 

STEAM Lab is a game changer for modern education. With features like the Skriware Academy, modular robots, programming tools and much more STEAM Lab is a perfect solution to modernize your classroom.

Skriware Academy is the paradigm around which STEAM Lab is designed. It has a built in e-course base for teachers & multimedia aids for children, made easy to navigate with an intuitive design. With ideas & scenarios ready to be deployed in a classroom, a search engine helps teachers & students convert traditional learning experiences into modern ones. With intuitive software and powerful hardware Skriware 2 3D printer provides users with the best of both worlds. The easy to use interface and remote monitoring with a live camera feed means you can easily track your prints remotely. Dual extruders make it easy to mix colors and materials, while a heated PEI bed allows you to remove printed models without a hitch. The Skribot construction kit gives students an opportunity to explore and learn about robotics, electronics & programming simultaneously. This provides students a chance to apply their knowledge in the real world.

STEAM Lab’s SkriKit comes equipped with 273 elements. Students can use these to learn the basics of mechanics and develop spatial thinking. SkriKit is a superb addition to physics & engineering lessons, helping students with creativity and manual skill development.

Interactive tools help teachers build interest amongst students and keep them engaged. They also help them work with Skribots and the Skrikit.

Designing is made easy with design tools included in STEAM Lab. Kids have the freedom of designing their own robots and test their designs by 3D printing them

STEAM Lab is equipped with two block programming applications, Skribots & Creator, to help students learn programming from the get go Skrimarket truly makes STEAM Lab a game changer. Loaded with a host of 3D models that can be downloaded, it also allows you control your Skriware 2 printer using a single account. Teachers and students can search for models created in other programs as well. All this is made easy by an intuitive interface that lets you navigate with ease. Contact 3Idea Technology today to know more about STEAM Lab and the Skriware Academy.

3D Printing Trends In 2021

 

3D printing has gained more equity as a sustainable solution to immediate and custom manufacturing needs during the COVID crisis. Innovations like Block chain, IOT, hi-speed 3d printers and metal 3D printing are some of the key drivers of growth in the 3D printing field. These along with integrated software and automation of standardized processes have paved the way for new trends to emerge in the 3D printing arena. In this blog we will try and outline a few major trends that are expected in the 3D printing industry in 2021.

Growth incentivized by application driven approach

An estimated 20% of global consumer goods are expected to use 3D printing for custom made products. This projection is based on the amazing transformative power of 3D printing that can be harnessed by applications and software tailor made to specific 3D printing needs.

Reduced Operator Intervention

Advances in 3D printing help manufacturers to focus on processes in the post and pre-production phases. As the models to be printed can be designed virtually, simulation and automation software in tandem with 3D printing will enable better designs with minimal human intervention, while speeding up the manufacturing process.

Assimilation of 3D printing in Supply Chains

3D printing has great potential to handle resource-intensive tasks. With shorter lead times and fewer equipment needs it has already revolutionized the manufacturing supply chain. In 2021 3D printing is predicted to smoothen the operation of manufacturing supply chains, by harnessing IOT and Industry 4.0 to build a digital supply chain from the ground up.

Higher customization

With the ability to create custom parts, models and design, 3D printing is expected to help consumers and goods providers alike. Virtual designs are easier to customize and can be tailor made to various requirements. The ability of 3D printers to print complex 3D designs will make it possible to realize the production of offerings that cater to unique demands of various industries.

Metal 3D printing

Advances in metal 3D printing are already revolutionizing the Aerospace and Aviation industry. It is estimated that by the end of 2021, 75% of aircrafts will use components that are 3D printed. 3D printing in metals can deliver more complex parts with ease, helping designers to innovate and solve unique problems.

3D Printing in Scientific Research

3D printing uses computer models to print objects layer by layer. Laboratories around the world are deploying this technology to speed up traditional research methods and make them more productive.

One way 3D printing helps researchers is by reducing the cost of equipment involved in research. 3D printing plastic parts and components is cheaper and faster than waiting for them to be made and delivered by an outside vendor. Hence they can be used as consumable items, that are put to use once and discarded without the need for clean ups.

3D printing and printers are becoming a standard tool for scientific research, helping scientists to fabricate parts custom made for an experiment. They also help in replacing damaged parts of a certain apparatus in a clean, cheap manner. 3D printers also make it easy to make life size models of molecules and atoms, helping researchers to better understand the materials involved in their experiments.

3D printing also helps researchers in medicine to print life like models of a body part or organs to study and practice complex surgical procedures. 3D scans of a patient’s body parts help in creating 3D models of a certain organ. Once printed they can be studied to design novel techniques of treatment and surgery.

3D printing is revolutionizing research in the oil industry by helping researchers to map and build 3D models of rocks. Printed 3D models of rocks provide researchers access to minute details of the various physical properties of a rock. This helps them understand how various mechanical, physical and natural forces affect rocks, paving the way for new drilling and oil extraction methods.

Three Major Types Of 3D Printing Technologies

 

3D printing is on course to change manufacturing forever, among other sectors like healthcare, defense, education and construction to name a few. Better detail, more efficient use of materials resulting in less waste, effortless modelling are just some of the advantages that make 3D printing a fitting alternative to current manufacturing practices.

Adoption of 3D printing on a wide scale across the industrial and domestic spectrum however, has been fueled largely by three major technologies. Fused deposition modelling, Stereolithography and Selective Laser Sintering, respectively, are the most widely used 3D printing technologies today.

Fused Deposition Modelling OR FDM as it’s also known, is a process where parts are built by extruding heated filament on the build tray. This done layer by layer until the model acquires the desired shape, following which the layers are fused together. FDM’s biggest advantage is the wide variety of filament or 3D printing materials it supports. A wide range of plastics, metals and composites can be used to print objects using FDM, making it the most widely adopted 3D printing technology today.

Stereolithography was one of the first 3D printing technologies to be used. Invented in the 1980s, Stereolithograhy (SLA) produces parts with high resolution, smooth surface finish and accuracy. SLA uses a technique known as ‘photo-polymerization’ to print 3D models. The process uses lasers to cure liquid resin into hardened plastics. Due to the high resolution output provided by this method, it is frequently used for industrial applications in manufacturing, jewelry and healthcare industries.

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), is a 3D printing technology frequently used in addictive manufacturing. SLS uses lasers to fuse together small particles of polymer powder using high powered lasers. SLS is uniquely suited to 3D printing ‘strong’ parts or models that have a complex geometry. SLS parts however have a rough surface finish. Moreover, the limited number of materials available for printing using SLS present a big barrier to wider adoption of this technology.

In conclusion, the type of 3D printing technology to be used, depends on the industry and type of 3d models that need to be printed. With new innovations being devised in the construction and healthcare industry, novel 3D printing technologies are on the horizon. It is predicted that doctors will soon be able to 3D print organs suited to patient and procedural requirements. Experiments in 3D printing houses and structures are already being conducted, paving the way to a less labor intensive future.

What Is FDM 3D Printing Technology ?

 Additive manufacturing or 3D printing as it is known these days, uses one of three technologies to print 3D models:

1. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

2. Stereolithography (SLA)

3. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) is the focus of this particular blog.

3D printing using FDM essentially implies that the object being printed is fused together by printing layer after layer in a certain pattern.

Objects are created by extruding layer upon layer of the heated material on the build tray or printing bed of the 3D printer. FDM 3D printers use a filament of certain material, usually plastic, which is passed through a hot end, to melt. The melted filament material is used to make layers which are then fused together to give the object its final shape. A wide variety of materials can be used for FDM 3D printing like plastics, pastes and some metals as well.

FDM 3D printers can be fitted with a wide variety of extrusion systems or extruders like filament extruders, pellet extruders, chocolate extruders and paste extruders depending on the required model to be printed. Scalability is the biggest advantage of using the FDM technique for 3D printing. None of the other available 3D printing techniques like SLS and SLA, can be scaled like FDM, without major issues propping up. This means FDM 3D printers are continually being made less expensive and bigger, owing to low cost of parts and the simple designs used.

Another advantage of FDM 3D printing is the wide variety of materials that can be used for this technique. FDM printers support many thermoplastics and changing the filament material requires few upgrades and modifications, which can be an issue when using SLS or SLA 3D printing techniques.

FDM’s notable disadvantage is the lack of detail and low quality of the printed models. This can be attributed to the fact that material is extruded in layers. Moreover, the thickness of layer is predefined by the type of extrusion nozzle being used, again limiting the detail that can be produced for a given model. As models are printed layer by layer, they are also prone to developing weak points where the layers are joined, making them unsuitable for certain applications.

Despite the above disadvantages FDM remains by far the most popular 3D printing technique that is used to print 3D models.

A Brief History Of 3D Printing

3D printing has now become an omnipresent technology due to the wide media coverage it receives and the fact that it has successfully entered the market for consumer use. The origins of 3D printing can however be traced back to over 30 years ago during the 1980s. Contrary to popular belief 3D printing has been widely available for industrial use for a while, but has only recently penetrated the end user market for private consumers.

What we refer to as 3D printing today was appropriately called Additive Manufacturing or Rapid Prototyping in the late 1980s, a time when the technology was in its nascent stages. One of the first patents filed for rapid prototyping was by Dr. Kodama in Japan. Dr. Kodama however was unable to obtain a patent due to some delays. On the other hand, Charles Hull, who co-founded the company 3D Systems, successfully filed a patent for a technology known as Stereolithography Apparatus or Stereolithography as it is known today, in 1986. He is thus considered the father of 3D printing.

Large amounts of research was conducted in the 1990s, to build items which were readily applicable in manufacturing. However, the research only yielded processes that were good for prototyping purposes and hence the technology was limited when it came to printing original 3D models.

Early 2000s saw the rise of industrial 3D printers, which were suited to building complex parts, with high value and complex geometry. Around the same time, low cost 3D printers useful for concept modelling and functional prototyping arrived on the scene. These were however, not yet suited for use in the end user market and remained exclusive for industrial applications. In 2004, Dr. Bowyer successfully invented an open source 3D printer that used a deposition process for printing models. This was the origin of ‘Desktop 3D printing’. The BfB RapMan 3D printer, was the first commercial printer to use this concept. By 2012, Fused Deposition Modeling or FDM became the most popular 3D printing method and many new 3D printers were launched using this technology.

Today the 3D printing technology and 3D printers are being used across a wide range of industries like Aerospace, Healthcare, Defense, Education, Construction & Civil Engineering; to name a few. As the technology and processes concerned with 3D printing continue to mature, concerns are being raised about the effect it will have on employment of low skilled workers around the world. Needless, to say with emphasis on reducing pollution and efficient waste management the technology is here to stay.

Difference between SLA & SLS 3D Printing

 

Stereo-lithography, also known as SLA, is a 3D printing process where, prototypes are built layer by layer using light from a laser. Photo polymer resins like clear resin, standard resin, to name a few, are used to make prototypes in SLA. These resins, or ‘build materials’ as they are called are in a liquid state. The 3d printer’s build tray is submerged in a basin of photosensitive material. The depth to which a build tray is submerged depends on the strength of the laser being used, type of material and required tolerances. A part’s entire cross section is traversed by the laser as it builds up each layer.

SLA is better suited to printing parts with small and well defined features. The SLA process works with polymers & resins, not metals. When printed using SLA, parts generally yield higher dimensional tolerances a better surface finish.

SLA presents a challenge when printing larger parts, as they need support during the printing process. This becomes a major hindrance when printing parts with complex geometries.

Selective Laser Sintering or SLS, is when prototypes are 3D printed using powdered building materials. The technique uses polyamide and polystyrene powders as building materials. The materials are binded together to create desired structures. Layers of the materials are carefully on the build tray using a leveler or roller. Cross sections of the prototype are then sintered layer by layer by a laser. Just like SLA, thickness of the layers being printed depends largely on the strength of laser being used, type of material and required tolerances.

SLS can work with metals like steel, titanium and nickel in addition to polymers. Parts built using SLS are generally tougher than the ones built using SLA.

Once printed, the parts need to be cooled down. Efforts to speed up the cooling process may result in variations from the intended designs. When using metals in the SLS process, one has to take extra caution not to breathe in the fine particles that may be harmful.

Liquid photopolymers required for SLA cost around $80 to $100 per liter, whereas SLS powders cost somewhere between $300 to $600 per kilogram. SLS requires high peak energies as compared to SLA to compress metal powders, making it a costlier alternative. When it comes to surface finish, SLA parts are preferred due to their mold like finish, however, SLS is more suited to printing parts with higher tolerances.

How can we lower our 3D printing cost?

 

1. Choose a reliable printer with an upgraded room

What factors will a Newbie consider before he/she is going to get started to do 3D printing? Practicability, reliability, and affordable price are factors worth being considered.

Starting with a pre-assembly process, makers can get a comprehensive understanding of 3D printers and their accessories.

2. Scale down or hollow out your model

If it doesn’t necessarily require a big size or solid structure for your prints, scaling down or hollowing out your model will substantially decrease the cost.

3. Eliminate unnecessary support structure

It is commonly known that prints can’t stand naturally on the hotbed if the model is designed with some angles. Support is necessary for FDM printing, but cost materials and more time, even additional post-processing for further smoothness and polish.

What if 3D-printing goes 100X faster?

 

3D printing as known as additive manufacturing, has been developing at rapid speed to exert more convenience in various industries. However, due to certain limits, it always takes a long time to get prints out from the printing machine. As Joseph DeSimone, the CEO of Carbon3D, said “3D printing always takes forever. There are mushrooms that grow faster than 3D prints.”

With two-year research collaborated with his partner on the 3D printing area, Joseph DeSimone shared the research findings at TED talks. He considered that 3D printing is a misnomer, which in fact is a repetitive 2D printing process. Let’s imagine ink-jet printer making letters on papers, and continue doing it over and over again, layer and layer added, thus taking a long time to build up a 3D object. Besides, the layer by layer process leads to defects properties. Moreover, material choices are far too limited. If we could use self-curing material, more breakthroughs can be pulled off.

They pondered over all those questions and problems faced by 3D printing when they got inspired by a Terminator 2 scene from T-1000. Why couldn’t a 3D printer be operated in this fashion? We had an object arising out of the liquid with essentially real-time completion and no waste to make great objects. Whether we could get this to work would be our true challenge.

The approach they applied in the research was to use standard knowledge in the field of polymer chemistry to harness light and oxygen for uninterrupted manufacturing. Light and oxygen work in different ways. Light converts the liquid resin into a solid, which converts the liquid into a solid. Oxygen can inhibit this process. Therefore, from a chemical point of view, the effects of light and oxygen are opposite to each other. If we can control light and oxygen three-dimensionally, we can control the production process (CLIP).

CLIP has three functional components. The first is a container for storing liquids, just like the robot T-1000 in Terminator 2. There is a special window at the bottom of the container. Component 2 is a platform that can be lowered into the container to pull the object straight out of the solution. The third part is a digital light projection system located below the container to provide illumination in the ultraviolet light area. The key is the window at the bottom of the container. A very special window is not only transparent but also oxygen permeable. Nature is similar to contact lenses.

With the special window, we can let oxygen enter from the bottom. When the light hits oxygen, oxygen will inhibit the reaction and form a dead zone. The dead zone is about a few tens of microns thick, about two or three times the diameter of the red blood cell, and it can still remain liquid at the window interface. Then we pull the object out. The thickness of the non-sensitive area can be changed by changing the oxygen content.

The result was very staggering, which was 25 -100 times faster than traditional 3D printers. In addition, with the improved ability of the control interface liquid adjustment, he believed that the printing speed can be 1000 times faster. As a result, water-cooled 3D printers may appear in the future because printing is too fast. Because of our growing manufacturing method, the traditional laminate manufacturing is abandoned, the integrity of the components is improved, and you can't see the surface layer to the structure.

A smooth surface at the molecular level can be obtained. When you print in a growing manner, the characteristics of the object do not change due to the orientation of the print. These look more like pour parts, which is quite different from traditional 3D manufacturing. In addition, we can use the knowledge of the entire polymer chemistry textbook to design the right chemical materials to create the characteristics you really expect in a 3D printed part.

In this way, we can produce ultra-high-strength materials, high strength to weight ratio, true ultra high strength materials, and truly super elastic materials. These are great material properties.

The immediate opportunity is that if the results produced can be the final product and can be transformed at the speed of the industry, it can really change the face of manufacturing. In the current manufacturing industry, the so-called "digital line" is being applied in the field of digital manufacturing. We range from CAD drawing and design to prototyping to manufacturing.

It is often the case that digital line production is stuck in the prototyping process because it cannot be manufactured directly because most of the components do not have the characteristics of being the final product. Now we can connect every step of the digitization line from design and prototyping to manufacturing. This opportunity really opens up the possibility of making all kinds of items. For example, it is possible to reduce the fuel consumption of a car by using a high-strength weight ratio mesh type material, a new turbine blade, and many other superior parts.

In a word, this real-time manufacturing technology that makes parts manufacturing a finished product really opens the door to 3D manufacturing. For us, this is very exciting because it really realizes the interaction between hardware, software, and molecular science.

Here’s What Our Customer Say

Lockdown was tough on everyone, but there were some people who were working at home all day.  One of them is Nidhis A D. He is a Gizmo Enthusiast & Engineer. It was his dream to own a 3D Printer. But it was not an easy process. He saved enough money to buy a 3D printer and did lot of research to find a trustworthy vendor. In his research he came to know many retailers and distributors of 3D Printer and contacted them. 3Idea Technologies was one of it. He contacted us and bought a 3D Printer when we were still in lockdown. Here is his journey of buying a 3D Printer in our words and also about us what we are as Distributors of 3D Technologies.

It was a dream for Nidhis A D to buy a 3D Printer and he did achieved it. It took him quite the research from various sources to guide him through the complete process.  He did the quick survey on Amazon in the 3D printing Category in India. Out of which five of top 8 results from 3Idea Technologies. We manage to deliver his required 3D Printer within 7 Days when we were still in Lockdown.

We are glad that we provided Nidhis A D his required 3D Printer and manage to fulfil his dream. We as an authorized retailers and distributors of 3D Printer are one of the fastest growing company in this space. As a company our idea is to bring out the best 3D technologies out there at best affordable prices to our customers. We’ve been in this industry for more than 3years and we have delivered high quality 3D technologies Product at best prices.

We have a wide range of 3D Printers, 3D Scanners, 3D Pens, 3D Printing Consumables and 3D Printing Services. We are one of the known Retailers, Distributors, Wholesalers and Suppliers of 3D Printing Products and Services in this field. We have a team of skilled professionals who have extensive knowledge of 3D Technologies.  Our aim is to become the leading Products & Services provider, continuously adding value to customers & Stakeholders, primarily using innovative 3D technology.

Four Common Causes and Solutions of Nozzle Blockage

The 3D printer features high speed and high utilization rate. Although the digital operation mode has low fault rate, if the fault appears, it will not only affect the printing quality, but also waste time and filaments, and even damage the machine. At present, the most common fault of 3D printer is that the nozzle is blocked and cannot discharge. There are several reasons and solutions about nozzle fault. Given below are some of the reasons for nozzle blockage and their solutions:-

Reason 1

The residual filaments solidify and block the nozzle because the nozzle is not cleaned in time after printing.

Solution 1

First, heat the nozzle to the normal melting temperature of printing consumables; then try to insert the wire into the nozzle manually. Normally, the downward pressure of manual feeding can penetrate the consumable line and bring out the blocked debris;

Finally, if the nozzle still fails to work, try to use a 1.5mm hexagonal wrench to dredge the throat or nozzle.

(Notice: After printing, be sure empty the sprinkler to at the first time to avoid blocking.)

Reason 2

The consumable is broken and stuck in the conduit during the feeding process, which affects the feeding.

Solution 2

Take out the filament and cut off the damaged part of the consumable;

Then put the filament in again, pay attention to keep the smoothness of the filament.

 

Reason 3

The impurity consumables are easy to swell, which affects the normal discharge of the nozzle.

Solution 3

High-quality consumables are recommended to avoid damaging the machine.

 

Reason 4

The heating temperature of the nozzle is not up to the standard temperature, so that the nozzle cannot be worked

Solution 4

Temperature parameters: if the heating temperature is set correctly and the nozzle is not heated normally, check whether the heating rod, heating resistance improper contact of circuit: check whether the nozzle heating temperature matches the consumable melting temperature; (notice: the temperature of ABS printing nozzle is between 210 ℃ - 230 ℃, and that of PLA printing nozzle is between 195 ℃ - 220 ℃.) and other circuits are in poor contact; if the cause cannot be found, it is recommended to turn off the power immediately and contact the after-sales engineer for solution.

(Notice: Different brands have own quality control, and the service life of the nozzle is different)

The rise of full-color 3D printer

 

Much has transformed considering that the initial electronic printer was established in 1968. Within a couple of decades, we have relocated from single color dot matrix printers to full-color inkjet and printer. A comparable advancement is presently happening in the 3D printer market and also it appears to be establishing many times much faster. The majority of 3D print quantities still come from the areas of prototyping and also print-on-demand. Till recently, the process of transforming a 3D printed things right into a ready-to-use item was still laborious belief, for instance, of manually cutting tags or other assistance structures, or sanding, polishing as well as over painting.

The series of applications for 3D printers is becoming even broader. This is why we hear a lot regarding innovative tasks in aerospace, the production market as well as clinical scientific research. Equally as fascinating is the introduction of full-color 3D inkjet technology, which can be used to publish 3D objects in no less than 10 million colors. This enables the capacity to substantially shorten production times and time to market, in addition, to immediately provide a ready-to-use product.

 

1. Printing models in full color

The UV led inkjet print technology advertises the development significantly. The product is equally as hard as ABS, making it ideal for various applications, and similar to traditional inkjet printers, it can also create more than 10 million colors. This might seem evident for a person unknown to 3D printing, but it absolutely isn't. There are indeed numerous 3D printers on the marketplace, however, they mainly differ in facets like the print resolution and sorts of product they sustain. Complete color 3D printing modern technology just came onto the market ten years ago. For the 3D market, this was a crucial action in the direction of making the innovation a lot more obtainable and allowing it to be used for a broader range of purposes. After all, now you can design an object entirely in 3D and color it, and then physically reproduce it one-to-one in a full-color 3D printer. With this advancement, at one dropped swoop, 3D printing has virtually reached the very same status as 2D printing, but for printing physical items. You develop a design on your computer system, which you can after that publish out easily without the requirement of extensive finishing’s, such as over painting or manually eliminating support material.

 

2. 3D art and range models on need

Complete color 3D printing is overcoming the marketplace at a terrific rate. Not just does it reduce time to market, but also supplies far better looking and also higher quality items than a common 3D printer. For many companies, modern technology has actually now come to be extra easily accessible. This enables them to swiftly supply a visually eye-catching prototype without additional therapies. In practice, we are additionally seeing the modern technology being made use of to print scale designs where a lot of information is needed, such as the cabins of a cruise ship, yachts or offshore buildings. It made use of to be a large job for version building specialists to produce these sorts of objects. Currently, it can be done more quickly, and at a much-reduced cost.

 

3. Full color 3D printing is additionally significantly interesting for customers.

More and more 3D scans or data are being shared and also sold online, and can quickly be bought as a 3D print. Artists can therefore market their online productions on-line and print them as needed, ranging from 3D paintings to all type of complicated sculptures and also figurines. Collection agencies as well as version home builders are additionally relying on 3D printing in their look for a different way to get unique or unusual objects.

With full color 3D printing, the 3D designs used can likewise be fully adapted as well as personalized, without the limitations of mass production. This opens up a significant market for firms that want to provide customers access to their small 3D print manufacturing facility in a user-friendly means.

It is clear that full color printing is an essential innovation for the 3D market, which will provide the marketplace with substantial energy over the coming years.