3D printers can revolutionise the way things are manufactured. They can replace traditional production lines by cutting costs and speeding up manufacturing. 3D printers have existed for a while but the technology never picked up. However, consumer-friendly 3D printers are becoming affordable. Hobbyists are buying 3D printers to manufacture everything from cups, plastic toys, machine parts, even design edible cakes.
All these objects can be manufactured at your home by using a 3D printer. In fact, some have managed to print bicycles, yachts, and even homes. The applications of 3D printing are only limited by our imagination.
So, how does a 3D printer work?
A 3D printer operates very much like an inkjet printer, but the ink is applied in layers. The process is called additive manufacturing (also known as Fused Depositional Modelling) where an object is created by adding materials layer-by-layer. Think of it like a hot glue gun operated by a computer. Solid material known as filament is pushed through a hot nozzle where it melts and deposits in thin layers. The 3D printing process divides the object into thousands of slices. A printer prints a layer and then it moves its nozzle up, to print another layer. This process is repeated until the three-dimensional object is produced.
The first step in 3D printing is creating a blueprint of the object you want to print. You can use modelling software such as Autodesk AutoCAD and Blender to create your own designs. Websites such as Thingiverse and Shapeways offer downloadable, user-created 3D models. Once you have the finished design, you can send it to a 3D printer for printing.
Most 3D printers use ABS plastics as printing material. The ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastic is a mixture of hard plastic and synthetic rubber. It is considered perfect for 3D printing as it is solid at room temperatures and it melts over 100 degrees Celsius. This means, a 3D printer can print objects without producing much heat and objects
The Tesla Cybertruck
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Raspberry Pi 4 case
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Apple iPhone case
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The use of ABS material is largely done to manufacture toys, tools, computer cases and simple appliances. However, industrial 3D printers use materials such as metals, concreate, ceramics, and even edibles (Example Chocolates, creams) to manufacture products that are way beyond our imagination. Here are some examples of it.
3D printing in food the industry
3D Printing in the construction industry
3D printing in the health care industry
3D printed in the automotive industry
When will 3D printers become affordable?
The first 3D printer was patented in 1986, and their prices have dropped over the decades. However, consumer-friendly printers are still in their development stages. Prices of affordable 3D printers in India start from Rs. 17,999 but their precision and reliability are questionable. A consumer-grade 3D printer from popular brands such as Dremel, Formlabs, and MakerBot are priced well over two lac rupees. You need to import these printers, so they attract import duties that further elevates the price.
A 3D printer unlocks a lot of possibilities. You can design and manufacture toys, tools, and almost anything you can think of. In fact, some people are using 3D printing to manufacture 3D printers. However, consumer-friendly 3D printers are still expensive. Supplies such as ABS filament need to be lowered and then, using a 3D printer should be as easy as using an Inkjet or laser printer.
3D printing technology is becoming faster and accurate. There has been an introduction of new 3D printing techniques such as SLA (Stereolithography Apparatus) which uses ultraviolet light to 3D print objects. With newer and better 3D printing techniques, we might not be very far from affordable consumer-friendly 3D printers in our homes.
