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What is 3D printing

3D printing (3DP) is a kind of rapid prototyping technology, also known as additive manufacturing[1], it is a kind of digital model file based on the use of powdered metal or plastic and other bondable materials, printed layer by layer Ways to construct the technology of objects.
3D printing is usually realized by using digital technology material printers. It is often used to make models in mold manufacturing, industrial design and other fields, and then gradually used in the direct manufacturing of some products. There are already parts printed using this technology. The technology has applications in jewelry, footwear, industrial design, architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries, education, geographic information systems, civil engineering, guns, and other fields. [2]
On January 14, 2019, the University of California, San Diego used rapid 3D printing technology to create a spinal cord stent that mimics the structure of the central nervous system for the first time, successfully helping rats restore their motor function. [3]
On May 5, 2020, China's first successful Long March 5B carrier rocket was equipped with a "3D printer." This is China's first space 3D printing experiment and the first international 3D printing experiment of continuous fiber reinforced composite materials in space.

 

Application field

• Medical field
• IT industry
• Automobile industry
• Housing construction industry
• Aerospace Technology industry

 

Advantages of 3D printing technology

(1) Save materials. There is no need to remove scraps, which improves the utilization rate of materials, and reduces the cost by abandoning the production line;

(2) It can achieve high precision and high complexity, and can manufacture very complicated parts that cannot be manufactured by traditional methods;

(3) No need for traditional tools, fixtures, machine tools or any molds, you can directly generate physical products from 3D CAD graphics of any shape from the computer;

(4) It can automatically, quickly, directly and accurately convert the three-dimensional design in the computer into a physical model, and even directly manufacture parts or molds, thereby effectively shortening the product development cycle;

(5) 3D printing does not require a centralized and fixed manufacturing workshop, and has the characteristics of distributed production;

(6) 3D printing can take shape within a few hours, which allows designers and developers to achieve a leap from floor plan to entity;

(7) It can print assembled products. Therefore, it can reduce assembly costs and even challenge mass production methods.