What is a 3D Printer
A 3D printer is a machine that prints 3D data 3D. It can print a designed three-dimensional object (3D model) in 3D form.
Place: Dengiken's club room
Printers that we are familiar with at home and school printers spray ink onto paper and print flat shapes.
The 3D printer builds up flat shapes with a little height by building them up on top of each other, adding "height" to the flat surface.
Place: Dengiken's club room
Imagination is created on The Real World by 3D printer !
What makes 3D printers different from others is that they print from none.
In general, subtractive manufacturingSubtractive manufacturing is a processing method that removes unnecessary portions from existing materials, as opposed to a 3D printer that builds models from scratch. which removes unnecessary parts from material was the main method years ago. However, 3D printers build up the material "where it is needed and how much it is needed".
Therefore, 3D printers can print highly flexible modeling objects “inexpensively and early”.
What are the reasons for the renewed interest in 3D printers over the past few years? It seems that the use of 3D printers is changing !
3D printers have already been introduced into many companies as prototype machines. They can make prototypes in low cost and fast production.
These days, prototype buildings, which used to be contracted out, can be completed in their offices. In addition, since they don’t need to make prototype tools, prototype making can be easily corrected now.
On the other hand, the high cost of materials and the lack of printing types have increased the cost of mass production, so, it has not been used for printing end products.
However…
As consumer needs diversify, there is an increasing demand for multiple-product, low-volume production, in which multiple products can be built on a single production line. 3D printers are attracting attention as the key to this multiple-product, low-volume production because they can create a variety of three-dimensional objects by themselves.
The increasing high precision of 3D printers, the birth of Metal 3D Printer
A metal 3D printer is one that can print with metal materials. Metal 3D printers mainly fall under the powder sintering method., and the low cost of Industrial 3D Printer
Industrial 3D printer is one that is actually used by companies as prototypes or final product printing machines. Industrial 3D printers have better printing accuracy than home-use printers, and some of them are priced over 10 million yen. have accelerated this trend.
3D printers were used for prototypes, however now are used for final productThe final product is one that is actually sold to the consumers, not a prototype or sample. Functionality and durability are required..
Originally, 3D printers were sold for businesses, but these days, many relatively low-priced Home-Use 3D Printer
A home-use 3D printer is one intended for personal purchase. Although home-use 3D printers are less precise than industrial-use printers, they are less expensive, with some printers costing less than 50,000 yen. have also become available.
Especially, methods of Fused Filament FabricationFused Filament Fabrication is a method that draws each layer and stacks them by extruding resin from the heated nozzle and changing the relative position between the stage and nozzle. and StereolithographyStereolithography is a method that draws each layer and stacks it by solidifying liquid resin with a UV laser. are becoming low-cost.
It may not be long before there is a 3D printer in every home, and people will be printing three-dimensional objects as if they were using their smartphones.
You can learn about the history, types, challenges, and research findings of 3D printers. Click to learn more.
Types of 3D Printers
Forty years after the first 3D printer was developed, Stereolithography was the only 3D printing technology available, but now there are a wide variety of 3D printers available. Here, we introduce the types of 3D printers and their mechanisms, which have been evolving more and more in the recent years.
History
3D printers, which have become a hot topic in recent years, are often thought to have been created since the 2000s, but in fact, the concept of 3D printers existed about 50 years ago. Here we introduce the history of the concept from its birth to its current form.
