3D Printers - 3D Printing

Capture the details of an object with accuracy and precision with a 3D printer that creates objects with strong, individual layers. Most printers come assembled and require resin or filament for printing real 3D objects. Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printers use resin and expose it to laser light that hardens the liquified form to hard plastic, making working 3D models, molds and patterns. Starting with these small desk fabrication printers helps you keep costs down, so you can add more as your company grows. A standard fused deposition modeling (FDM 3D printer melts thermoplastic filament and extrudes it for easy school, hobby and concept designs. Sand, paint and alter the 3D design based on your finish requirements. Look for selective layer sintering (SLS) models for high productivity and making mechanical moving parts. A wireless 3D printer lets everyone on the network access the programs, streamlining the creative process and reducing the need for cables.

Wide Range of 3D Printing Options

Working in the desk fabrication processes and tools, you will come across 3D inkjet printers, which use a wide selection of solid suspensions and liquid materials, giving you high-resolution printouts for each layer of a mechanical model. Like inkjet printers, these machines deposit nanoparticles that create each layer and involves the fusion of plastic or metal materials without post-processing like cleaning or sanding the model. You have the finished product that is entirely functional when taken from the printing machine. The inkjet printing process is low-temperature and low-pressure, enabling the smallest features for manufacturing high-interconnect density PCBs. Using this process lets you add mounting holes and all the interconnectors without additional steps, reducing time and saving production costs from weeks to hours.

Highly Detailed More Accurate Models

An SLA 3D printer uses similar technology to laser printing, capturing the object details from the program and creating the model from resin. The laser printing technique uses a UV light, which cures the resin and turns it into a solid, so you have a duplicate model. Also known as a resin 3D printer, SLA printers use vat polymerization, which produces complex, and highly detailed results for accurate models. Consider an FDM printer for basic modeling and building simple prototypes.

Generate Digital Files

Much like document scanners that capture information, 3D scanners use laser light and copy an existing item into a digital file for duplication. A traditional 3D printer uses software and creates items based on the programs used. A 3D scanner copies an item and creates a point cloud that converts the shape of the item into readable information that the software duplicates. This reverse-engineering process lets you make multiple items with a resin 3D printer with the precise measurements of the original. The point clouds from 3D scanners merge with CAD information for inspections and reproductions, letting users see areas that need adjustments for the final printouts.