Probably, each of us once dreamed that the desired thing could simply be printed at home. Wanted - printed. This fantasy has visited every child and more than one adult. And with the advent of conventional 2D printers, many thought about the possibility in the future to recreate objects just as easily. And the inexorably developing science has finally presented us with this opportunity. 3D printers have appeared on which you can create the most real physical objects. With their help, you can do anything you want: musical instruments, prostheses, shoes, cars, furniture, and even human organs. Science has not yet reached such a high level to create organs with a life span of more than 4 months, but it is still ahead.
How does a 3D printer print?
There are already many ways to print this way. But the basis is always creation in layers. The object is "grown" layer by layer. This is possible, but the type of material, as well as the way of printing, may vary.
1. The cheapest way to print .
Stereolithography .
Products that are created in this way are relatively inexpensive. This made stereolithography one of the most popular. The platform on which the object is grown is covered with liquid FPC, up to 0.15 mm thick. During printing, a laser is applied to the polymer, which promotes its solidification. This happens in those places where the walls of the product should be. Then the platform drops a little lower and everything is repeated. This creates a three-dimensional object layer by layer.
2. Even metal?
Laser sintering of powder materials.
This technology made it possible to produce metal molds for casting: metal and plastic.
Materials may include metal, plastic powder, ceramics. The technology, described in detail here, consists in baking powder materials to a solid state with a laser, which are applied layer by layer to the desktop.
3. Plastic.
Ultraviolet irradiation.
An interesting technology in which objects are created using photosensitive plastic. After it is applied in a thin layer on the worktable, the UV treatment begins. This happens through a special photomask, on which the image of the next section is placed. The finished product is filled with wax, which serves as a support for subsequent layers.
These are not all technologies that exist in our time. And it's safe to say that there will be even more of them soon.
