Demystifying 3D printing: what is 3D printing (1)
(1) What is 3D printing
Using a 3D printer is like printing a letter: tap the "print" button on the computer screen, and a digital file is transferred to an inkjet printer, which sprays a layer of ink onto the surface of the paper to form a pair Two-dimensional image. While in 3D printing, the software completes a series of digital slices through computer-aided design (CAD) and transmits the information of these slices to a 3D printer, which will stack successive thin layers until a solid object is formed. The biggest difference between a 3D printer and a traditional printer is that the "ink" it uses is a real raw material.
There are various forms of stacked thin layers. Some 3D printers use the "inkjet" method. For example, an Israeli 3D printer company called Objet uses a printer nozzle to spray a very thin layer of liquid plastic material on a mold tray. This coating is then placed under ultraviolet light for processing. Then the mold tray is lowered by a very small distance for the next layer to be stacked. Another company, headquartered in Minneapolis, USA, uses Stratasys, a technique called “swell moldingâ€. The entire process is to melt the plastic in the nozzle and then form a thin layer by depositing plastic fibers.
Other systems use powder particles as printing media. The powder particles are sprayed on the mold tray to form a very thin powder layer, and then solidified by the sprayed liquid binder. It can also be cast into specified shapes using a technique called "laser sintering". This is also the technology used by the German EOS company on its stacking process manufacturing machine. The Swiss Arcam company uses electron flow in a vacuum to melt powder particles. The above mentioned are just some of the many molding methods.
When encountering complex structures such as holes and cantilevers, gels or other substances need to be added to the medium to provide support or take up space. This part of the powder will not be cast, and finally only need to wash the support with water or air flow to form pores. There are a variety of media available for printing today, from a wide variety of plastics to metals, ceramics, and rubber-like substances. Some printers can also combine different media, making the printed object hard at one end and soft at the other.
Scientists are using 3D printers to make simple living tissues such as skin, muscle and blood vessel fragments. It is likely that one day we will be able to make large human organs like kidneys, livers and even hearts. If the bioprinter can use the patient's own stem cells, the rejection after organ transplantation will be reduced. People can also print food. For example, scientists at Cornell University have successfully printed cupcakes. Almost everyone believes that the killer app in the food world will be machines that can print chocolate.
Shantou Oudaya Packaging Co. Ltd. , https://www.imloudaya.com