3D
PRINTERS - SCI & TECH
News:
India’s first 3D printed
post office is now open for business in Bengaluru
What's
in the news?
● 3D
printing technology was adopted to build this building as it saves cost by 30%
and time when compared with conventional construction methods.
3D
Printing:
● 3D
printing uses computer-aided design
(CAD) to create three-dimensional objects through a layering method.
● The
creation of a 3D printed object is achieved using additive processes.
a. In
an additive process an object is created by laying down successive layers of
material until the object is created.
● Each
of these layers can be seen as a thinly sliced cross-section of the object.
● 3D
printing enables us to produce complex shapes using less material than
traditional manufacturing methods.
Working
of a 3-D Printer:
● A
typical 3D printer is very much like an inkjet printer operated from a
computer.
● It
builds up a 3D model one layer at a time, from the bottom upward, by repeatedly
printing over the same area in a method known as fused deposition modelling (FDM).
● Working
entirely automatically, the printer creates a model over a period of hours by
turning a 3D CAD drawing into lots of two-dimensional, cross-sectional
layers—effectively separating 2D prints that sit one on top of another.
Raw
materials:
The most common 3D printing raw materials are the commodity thermoplastic polymers:
● Acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene (ABS)
● Polylactic
acid (PLA)
● Polyethylene
terephthalate glycol-modified (PETG)
Applications:
● Prosthetic
limbs and other body parts
● Homes
and other buildings
● Food
● Medicine
● Firearms
● Liquid
structures
● Glass
products
● Acrylic
objects
● Movie
props
● Musical
instruments
● Clothing
● Medical
models and devices