3D printing - a production method with a future
It is now undisputed that these additive production methods have great potential for the future. But what exactly this future will look like and how big a share 3D printing will have in the traditional manufacturing process is still questionable. The question remains as to what exactly 3D printing actually is and why it can be so interesting for so many branches of industry and manufacturing, as well as for the healthcare sector.
What exactly is 3D printing?
The term 3D printing is a generic term for various additive printing processes. An additive process is a production process in which an object is created by adding different materials. In a 3D printer, the object to be printed is newly formed during the printing process.
This is the biggest difference to classic production variants such as machining. In these variants, the object to be produced is machined out of an existing block of material. The excess material is removed during the machining process.
In order for a 3D printer to work, a corresponding computer model must first be produced. This is created as a technical drawing using a classic CAD program. Only when the technical drawing is combined with the 3D printer can a corresponding workpiece be produced.
An overview of the various 3D printing processes
The term 3D printing is synonymous with various additive processes. There are three different variants in particular:
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The production of an object by adding viscous material
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The production of an object using liquid photopolymers that are subsequently cured by UV light (stereolithography)
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The production of an object by applying powdered material, which then grows together to form an object through melting processes and chemical reactions
A brief overview - the development of 3D printing
The stereolithography process was developed back in 1984 by Chuck Hill. This was followed by the development of other additive production processes at the end of the 1980s. It was not until 2016 that processes came onto the market that made 3D printing so effective and affordable that mass production made more and more sense.
The fact that this has given the 3D printing market a whole new dynamic has not gone unnoticed by many companies, particularly in the manufacturing industry. This is because 3D printing has a lot of exciting advantages for the production of the future. Depending on the further development of printers in this area, this may also have far-reaching consequences for various other branches of industry.
How production works with a 3D printer
Production with a 3D printer takes place as part of a four-stage production process. This is as follows:
Creation of a 3D model
The preparation for the print
The 3D-Print
Postprocessing
The preparation for the print
Two further steps are necessary before printing can begin. These are summarized in the preparation section.
First, you need to repair the 3D model. This means that you need to check your model for errors using the appropriate software and eliminate them. You can now do this yourself using various software solutions. Alternatively, there are experts who check 3D models accordingly and correct errors.
The next step is the immediate preparation of the model itself. This work step is known as “slicing”. The model is broken down into different layers for printing. These layers determine the subsequent production process in 3D printing. If you do the printing yourself, you also have to do the slicing yourself. The software required for this is usually included with your 3D printer.
If you commission a company to print your objects, slicing is carried out by the printing company.
The 3D-Print
How quickly the printing itself takes place depends on the printing process. Depending on the process used, printing takes between several hours and a few days. Some faster processes are already able to print several cm per hour – others achieve progress of a few mm per hour.
Postprocessing
It is almost never the case that an object can be removed from the 3D printer and used immediately. In fact, some post-processing is required after the actual printing. The exact nature of this post-processing depends primarily on the type of production involved in 3D printing.
The necessary work can range from simple polishing to post-processing as part of a machining process.
Advantages of s 3D-Printer
There are many advantages to manufacturing objects using a 3D printer. For example, the fact that there is very little material loss during production with a 3D printer. This is because, while the machining process involves a block of material from which a lot has to be removed, the object is built up layer by layer virtually from scratch in 3D printing.
This minimizes the loss of material. Unused materials can be used for the next print. A certain amount of material may only be lost during post-processing. If, for example, support structures have to be removed after printing or the surfaces of an object have to be sanded down, there is a minimal loss of material here.
Another important point is the complexity of the objects that can be produced here. For example, 3D printing can be used to produce an object with cavities, cable ducts and complex geometric lines. In the classic machining manufacturing process, this would require several manufacturing steps with the production of different objects. These would have to be joined together in the next step, sometimes at great expense. This in turn makes the finished object more susceptible to defects and damage.
The bottom line is that 3D printing production is more environmentally sustainable and significantly more cost-efficient than the machining process.
At a glance, the advantages are summarized as follows:
The production of components is cost and time efficient
Even complex and intricate geometries can be produced without additional effort
The same applies to internal structures
The material consumption and especially the material loss are very low here
Production is entirely tool-free
Change requests can be incorporated quickly and easily
Change requests can be incorporated quickly and easily
Production is fully automated
Which materials can be used for 3D printing?
Thanks to the various 3D printing processes, a wide variety of materials can be used. From chocolate printing and plastics to ceramic or metal objects, a wide range of materials can be used here.
Areas of application for the 3D printing process
Additive manufacturing processes are now being used in more and more industries. This is happening across all trades and sectors. From education and research to the aerospace industry and tool manufacturing. Here are a few examples from everyday practice.
Medicine
In the field of medicine, 3D printing can justifiably be described as a revolution. Thanks to additive manufacturing processes, it is now possible to produce medically necessary objects on a patient-specific basis. These include, for example
- Dental
- Hearing aids
- Implantates
- Protheses
Particularly exciting here is the seemingly imminent possibility of producing entire organs in a 3D printer and thus saving the lives of people who have to wait a long time for an organ suitable for transplantation.
Science and research
In science and research, the 3D printer enables researchers and engineers to give real shape to things that could previously only be discussed in theory. For example, models of animals that have long been extinct can be produced. The same applies to concrete models of historical cities or regions.
In the field of research, 3D printing allows some theories and approaches to be quickly verified or rejected.
Education
A great deal is also possible in the education sector. For example, the production of illustrative objects for trainees and pupils.
Automotive and aerospace
These three areas in particular benefit from the advantages of 3D printing. There is hardly any other sector that requires such clearly and specifically shaped and planned objects with such a high load-bearing capacity. Above all, the variety of materials that can be used for 3D printing makes this manufacturing method so interesting for the three sectors mentioned.
Industry and construction
In fact, this is the area in which this manufacturing method is used most frequently. Whether large components or important tools for construction – 3D printing can actually be used to produce everything that is needed in industry and construction. All with very little material loss and at a manageable cost.
Art
The creation of new works of art is just as possible as the faithful production of duplicates or the reproduction of works of art that are no longer complete or have been completely destroyed.
Fashion and jewelry
Whether jewelry or fashion components such as belt buckles – thanks to additive manufacturing, things can be produced quickly and easily.
Hobby
A classic example from the hobby sector is model components that can be produced quickly and efficiently using a 3D printer.
Future prospects for 3D printing
The possibilities in the field of 3D printing are huge. From the possible prospect of almost all manufacturing being carried out in this way at some point, to highly selective use in the industries mentioned above, anything is possible. The question will be how 3D printing will develop over the next few years and how much the price spiral for many conventional manufacturing processes will increase in the future.
It is no longer a secret that 3D printing is a good alternative to many other manufacturing methods. The opportunity to benefit from the advantages of highly decentralized production should not be underestimated in the future. If every company can use its own 3D printers to produce all the necessary parts on time, this will not only save a lot of money. It would also drastically reduce the volume of trucks on the roads, which in turn could be an important element in protecting the environment and achieving climate targets.
It also reduces dependence on supply chains. In recent years, many companies have discovered just how unreliable these can be during the coronavirus pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine.
