In fact, additive manufacturing is the exact opposite of the traditional way of making objects. Instead of machining or “subtracting” material to form a piece — the way a sculptor molds clay — the technique builds an article by printing layers of raw material in three dimensions.
The process is therefore very different from subtractive manufacturing technologies, such as CNC machining, or formative technologies, such as injection molding.
Three-dimensional printing is done from a virtual model and the raw material can be quite varied. Polymers are the most common, but the technology also includes photopolymers, epoxy resins and metals.
Then there are next-generation bioinks, inks composed primarily of human cells and gelatin used to 3D print complex living tissue models. And even edible materials, such as chocolate, are being used in additive manufacturing .
Thus, there is virtually no limit to the parts and objects morocco whatsapp data that can be produced, with a wide range of specific physical properties, ranging from optically transparent objects to malleable or elastic parts.
What are the additive manufacturing technologies?
Additionally, additive manufacturing is also quite fast compared to other manufacturing methods, but printing time varies depending on the complexity of the product and the technology used.
There are several technologies that can be used for 3D printing and that respond to specific projects. The best known are:
Stereolithography - Uses liquid materials (such as polymers) that solidify when they come into contact with ultraviolet radiation. Created in 1986, it was considered revolutionary in rapid prototyping;
Laminated Object Manufacturing - Layers of material are coated with adhesive, which join together to form the object. The technique uses paper as the raw material;
Selective Laser Sintering - 3D objects are produced by sintering granular materials such as ceramics, polymers and metals;
Fused Deposition Modeling - Uses polymer filaments as raw material;
PolyJet - Creates objects by injecting photopolymer, a substance that solidifies when exposed to ultraviolet light.
Applications of additive manufacturing
Applications of additive manufacturingThe first three-dimensional printers appeared in the 1980s, but the machines were expensive and slow - an object just 10 centimeters across took a whole day to print.
Today, technology has taken off, bringing several benefits . The same object can now be printed in less than an hour, and investment by large companies and universities has helped make the technology much faster and cheaper.