What is Additive Printing, and How Does It Work?
Building a prototype, model, or end-use part used to be tedious as it involved manual methods. As technologies evolved, newer solutions like CNC machining and injection molding emerged and advanced prototyping and manufacturing. Today, we have automated and cutting-edge manufacturing processes like additive printing, which you may know as 3D printing or additive manufacturing. With 3D printing, you can make three-dimensional solid objects out of a digital file, and that is possible with an additive process. How does it work? 3D printing is an additive manufacturing process where layers of material are laid out in a build chamber and cured by a focused laser beam to create an object one layer at a time. On a close look, every layer appears as a thinly sliced cross-section of that object. The process is the opposite of subtractive manufacturing methods like CNC machining, which hollows or cuts out plastic or metal parts with drill bits and tools to create the piece. That makes 3D printing more versatile and capable of producing complex shapes with minimal waste. The future of prototyping and manufacturing Additive printing is suitable for prototyping and low-volume end-use part manufacturing. You’ll find a good selection of 3D printing technologies these days, such as stereolithography (SLA), which uses a precise laser to cure the liquid resin in a build chamber to craft parts accurately, one layer at a time. SLA 3D printing is preferred for rapid prototyping and building aesthetic models. Selective laser sintering (SLS) is another commonly used additive manufacturing method that is cost-effective and reliable for building functional and articulated prototypes and low-volume enduse parts. This time, a laser fuses powdered nylon one layer at a time to craft strong and accurate parts. More benefits for your project Additive printing produces custom products based on CAD with excellent surface finishes. Various technologies can deliver robust prototypes and end-use parts with complex geometries and details.