You’ve likely heard a lot of buzz about 3D printing lately. That’s because this technology is growing like wildfire. Although it employs a high-tech process, 3D printing really isn’t that difficult to understand. Read on to learn more about the nitty gritty.
In short, 3D printers use technology to create a three-dimensional object by building it layer upon successive layer until the entire object is complete. Each of these printed layers is a thinly-sliced, horizontal cross-section of the future product. Lost? Here’s an analogy: Think of a multi-layered cake, with the baker laying down each layer one at a time until the entire cake is formed. 3D printing is rooted in that same concept.
Speaking of concepts, 3D printing relies on files to produce the end product. The file — a Computer Aided Design (CAD) file — is created with the use of a 3D modeling program, either from scratch or beginning with a 3D model created by a 3D scanner. From here, the program creates a file to be sent to the 3D printer. In the process, the software slices the design into hundreds, or more likely thousands, of horizontal cross-sections. These layers are printed one on top of the other until the 3D object is done.
One little-known fact about 3D printing is that it has been used by manufacturers to create prototypes for quite some time. But slow speeds and cost have been impediments. Today companies can produce prototypes in a matter of hours at a considerably lower cost. For example, Nike uses 3D printers to create multi-colored prototypes of shoes. In the past, the company had to invest thousands of dollars in a prototype and wait weeks for it. Now, the cost is minimal, and changes can be made on the spot and the prototype reprinted on the same day.