3-D printing, also called rapid prototyping, stereolighography or architectural modeling, is a printing process that uses layers to create a three-dimensional object. Prototypes created with 3-D printers can be produced very quickly and are durable enough to use in functional testing.
To print a prototype, the designer first uses a 3-D computer-aided design (CAD) program to create the object he wants to print. Once the file has been transferred to the printer, printer software digitally slices the object into very thin cross-sections called layers. During the print process, the 3-D printer starts at the bottom of the design and builds up successive layers of material until the object is finished. Different 3-D printers use different materials to build layers. Some use liquid polymer or gel; others use resin, which tends to be more expensive.
In the past, the cost of 3-D printing was expensive and the technology was only used by large corporations, but the development of desktop 3-D printers has made the technology more accessible to small and mid-sized businesses as well as some home users. Before 3-D printers existed, creating a prototype was time-consuming and expensive. It required skilled crafts people and specific machinery and materials. Advances in 3-D printing have allowed businesses to bring prototype production in house, rather than having to send modeling instructions to a production company.
Michael Feygen is credited with developing the first 3-D printer in 1985. His Laminated Object Manufacturing method used lasers to cut layers after which heated rollers bound the layers together. This method was effective, but it didn't create smooth or precise prototypes. Since then, several different methods have been developed that changed the look and feel of prototypes created by 3-D printers. Currently, the fastest method is the inkjet printing system. It is also the only method that allows for colored prototypes.
The ZPrinter 450 is an automated 3-D inkjet printer for offices.This commercial demonstrates how it builds prototypes.
Learn more about 3-D printers:
> 3D Printer Lets Robert Downey Jr. Fit Iron Man Like a Gauntlet> Tech Watch: 3-D printer market poised for big growth
The cost of hardware and consumables in the 3-D printer market is dropping.
> PrinterComparison.com provides printer reviews, news, and price comparisons on all types of printers, including inkjet, laser and 3-D printers.
21 Mar 2011