New 3D printing technology. II. Those who sinter or glue something. Household and amateur use

The main additive manufacturing methods are presented in the table:

Method	Technology	Materials used
Extrusion	Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM or FFF)	Thermoplastics (such as polylactide (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), etc.)
Wire	Freeform production by electron beam melting (EBFȝ)
Powder	Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS)	Almost any metal alloys
		Titanium alloys
		Titanium alloys, cobalt-chromium alloys, stainless steel, aluminum
	Selective Heat Sintering (SHS)	Powder thermoplastics
	Selective laser sintering (SLS)	Thermoplastics, metal powders, ceramic powders
Jet	Inkjet 3D printing(3DP)	Gypsum, plastics, metal powders, sand mixtures
Lamination	Manufacturing of objects using lamination method (LOM)	Paper, metal foil, plastic film
Polymerization	Stereolithography (SLA)	Photopolymers
	Digital LED Projection (DLP)	Photopolymers

Extrusion printing

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM/FFF) was developed by S. Scott Trump in the late 1980s and commercialized in the 1990s by a company co-founded by Trump. Due to patent expiration, there is a large community of open source 3D printer developers as well as commercial organizations using this technology. As a consequence, the cost of devices has decreased by two orders of magnitude since the invention of the technology.

3D printers range from simple homemade devices for printing plastic...
The layer-by-layer fusion printing process involves creating layers by extruding a quick-hardening material in the form of microdroplets or thin jets. Typically, consumables (such as thermoplastic) are supplied in the form of spools, from which the material is fed into a print head called an "extruder". The extruder heats the material to the melting point, followed by squeezing the molten mass through a nozzle. The extruder itself is driven by stepper motors or servomotors, which ensure positioning of the print head in three planes. The movement of the extruder is controlled by manufacturing software (CAM) linked to a microcontroller.
Various polymers are used, including acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (), polylactide (PLA), polyethylene high pressure(HDPE), mixtures of polycarbonate and ABS plastic, polyphenylene sulfone (PPSU), etc. As a rule, the polymer is supplied in the form of a filler made of pure plastic. In the 3D printing enthusiast community, there are several projects focusing on 3D printing materials. Projects are based on the production of consumables using shredders and remelting devices.

FDM/FFF technology has certain limitations on the complexity of the geometric shapes created. For example, creating suspended structures (such as stalactites) is impossible on its own due to the lack of necessary support. This limitation is compensated for by the creation of temporary support structures that are removed upon completion of printing.
Powder printing

One of the additive manufacturing methods is. Layers of the model are drawn (sintered) into a thin layer of powdered material, after which the work platform is lowered and a new layer of powder is applied. The process is repeated until a complete model is obtained. Unused material remains in the working chamber and serves to support overhanging layers, without requiring the creation of special supports.

The most common methods are based on laser sintering: selective laser sintering (SLS) for metals and polymers (e.g. polyamide (PA), polyamide glass fiber reinforced (PA-GF), glass fiber (GF), polyetheretherketone (PEEK) ), polystyrene (PS), alumide, polyamide, carbon fiber reinforced polyamide (Carbonmide), elastomers) and direct metal laser sintering (DMLS).
... to expensive industrial plants working with metals
Selective laser sintering (SLS) was developed and patented by Carl Deckard and Joseph Beeman of the University of Texas at Austin in the mid-1080s under the auspices of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). A similar method was patented by R. F. Householder in 1979, but was not commercialized.

Selective laser melting (SLM) is distinguished by the fact that it does not sinter, but actually melts the powder at the points of contact with a powerful laser beam, allowing the creation of high-density materials that are similar in terms of mechanical characteristics to products made by traditional methods.

Electron beam melting (EBM) is a similar additive manufacturing method for metal parts (such as titanium alloys) but uses electron beams instead of lasers. EBM is based on melting metal powders layer by layer in a vacuum chamber. Unlike sintering at temperatures below melting thresholds, models made by electron beam melting are characterized by solidity with corresponding high strength.

Finally, there is the 3D inkjet printing method. In this case, a binder material is applied to thin layers of powder (gypsum or plastic) in accordance with the contours of successive layers of a digital model. The process is repeated until the finished model is obtained. The technology provides a wide range of applications, including the creation of color models, hanging structures, and the use of elastomers. The design of the models can be strengthened by subsequent impregnation with wax or polymers.

Lamination



3D printers using FDM technology are the most popular among hobbyists and enthusiasts
Some printers use paper as a material for building models, thereby reducing the cost of printing. Such devices experienced a peak in popularity in the 1990s. The technology consists of cutting out layers of a model from paper using a carbon dioxide laser while simultaneously laminating the contours to form the finished product.

In 2005, the company developed a version of the technology that uses regular office paper, a tungsten carbide blade instead of a laser, and selective application of adhesive.

There are also variants of devices that laminate thin metal and plastic sheets.

Photopolymerization


3D printing allows you to create functional monolithic parts with complex geometries, like this jet engine injector
Stereolithography technology was patented by Charles Hull in 1986. Photopolymerization is primarily used in stereolithography (SLA) to create solid objects from liquid materials. This method differs significantly from previous attempts, starting with the sculptural portraits of François Willem (1830-1905) and ending with the photopolymerization method of Matsubara (1974).

Digital projection (DLP) uses liquid photopolymer resins that are cured by exposure to ultraviolet light emitted by digital projectors in a coated build chamber. After the material hardens, the working platform is immersed to a depth equal to the thickness of one layer, and the liquid polymer is again irradiated. The procedure is repeated until the model is completed. An example of a rapid prototyping system using digital LED projectors is.

Inkjet printers (for example, Objet PolyJet) spray thin layers (16-30 microns) of photopolymer onto the build platform to produce a solid model. Each layer is irradiated with an ultraviolet beam until it hardens. The result is a model that is ready for immediate use. The gel-like support material used to support components of geometrically complex models is removed after the model is completed by hand and washing. The technology allows the use of elastomers.

Ultra-precise detailing of models can be achieved using multiphoton polymerization. This method comes down to drawing the contours of a three-dimensional object with a focused laser beam. Thanks to nonlinear photoexcitation, the material freezes only at the focusing points of the laser beam. This method makes it possible to easily achieve resolutions above 100 μm, as well as build complex structures with moving and interacting parts.

Another popular method is polymerization using LED projectors, or “projection stereolithography.”

Projection stereolithography

This method involves dividing a three-dimensional digital model into horizontal layers, converting each layer into a two-dimensional projection, similar to photo masks. Two-dimensional images are projected onto successive layers of photopolymer resin, which cure according to the projected contours.

In some systems, projectors are located at the bottom, helping to level the surface of the photopolymer material as the model moves vertically (in this case, the build platform with the applied layers moves up rather than sinking into the material) and reduces the production cycle to minutes instead of hours.

The technology allows you to create models with layers of several materials with at different speeds solidification.

Some commercial models, such as the Objet Connex, apply resin using small nozzles.

3D printers

Industrial installations

The industrial implementation of additive manufacturing is proceeding at a rapid pace. For example, the joint American-Israeli company Stratasys supplies machines for additive manufacturing costing from $2,000 to $500,000, and General Electric uses high-end devices for production
Household devices



LOM technology raises papier-mâché quality new level 3D printers for home use are being developed by a growing number of companies and enthusiasts. Much of the work is done by hobbyists for their own and public needs, with help from the academic community and hackers.

The oldest and longest-lived project in the desktop 3D printer category is RepRap. The RepRap project aims to create 3D printers that are free and open source (FOSH), provided under the GNU General Public License. RepRap devices are capable of printing plastic components from their own design, which can be used to build clones of the original device. Selected RepRap devices have been successfully used in production printed circuit boards and metal parts.

Due to open access to RepRap printer drawings, many of the projects are adopting technical solutions analogues, thus creating a semblance of an ecosystem consisting mostly of freely modifiable devices. The widespread availability of open source designs only encourages variations. On the other hand, there is a significant variation in the level of quality and complexity of both the designs themselves and the devices manufactured based on them. The rapid development of open source 3D printers is leading to the rise in popularity and the emergence of public and commercial portals (such as Thingiverse or Cubify) offering a variety of printable 3D designs. In addition, technology development contributes to sustainable development local economies thanks to the possibility of using locally available materials for the production of printers.

Stereolithography 3D printers are often used in dental prosthetics

The cost of 3D printers has been falling at a significant rate since around 2010: devices that cost $20,000 at the time now cost $1,000 or less. Many companies and individual developers already offer budget RepRap kits costing less than $500. An open source project led to the development of printers general purpose, capable of printing anything that can be extruded through a nozzle - from chocolate to silicone putty and chemicals.
Printers based on this design have been available in the form of assembly kits since 2012 at a price of about $2,000. Some 3D printers, including and, are initially designed for maximum affordability - for example, the device is designed to cost about $100.
Professional printers developed with public funding on Kickstarter often show excellent results: the devices are quiet and free of harmful fumes at a price of $1,499. The “3D printing pen” has raised $2.3 million. in donations on Kickstarter, with the selling price of the device itself being $99. True, it’s difficult to call the 3D Doodler a full-fledged 3D printer.

3D Systems Cube - a popular household 3D printer

As costs fall, 3D printers are becoming increasingly attractive for consumer manufacturing. In addition, household applications of 3D printing technologies can reduce the environmental damage caused by industry by reducing the volume of materials consumed and the energy and fuel costs of transporting materials and goods.

In parallel with the creation of home 3D printed devices, devices are being developed for processing household waste into printed materials, the so-called. . For example, the commercial model Filastrucer was designed to convert plastic waste (shampoo bottles, milk containers) into inexpensive consumables for RepRap printers. Such household recycling methods are not only practical, but also have a positive impact on the environment.

The development and customization of RepRap 3D printers led to the emergence of new category semi-professional printers for small businesses. Manufacturers such as , offer kits at prices below $1,000. The printing accuracy of such devices is between industrial and household printers. Recently, high-performance printers using a delta-shaped coordinate system, or the so-called “”, have been gaining popularity. Some companies offer software to support printers made by other companies.

Application

The use of LED projectors helps reduce the cost of stereolithography printers. The illustration shows a Nova DLP printer

3D printing makes it possible to equalize the cost of producing a single part and mass production, which poses a threat to large-scale economies. The impact of 3D printing may be similar to the introduction of manufacturing. In the 1450s, no one could predict the consequences of the introduction of the printing press; in the 1750s, no one took seriously the advent of steam engine, and transistors in the 1950s seemed like a curious innovation. But the technology continues to evolve and is likely to have an impact on every scientific and manufacturing industry it touches.

The earliest application of additive manufacturing can be considered rapid prototyping, aimed at reducing the development time of new parts and devices compared to earlier subtractive methods (too slow and expensive). Improvements in additive manufacturing technologies are leading to their spread in a variety of areas of science and industry. The production of parts previously only possible through machining is now possible through additive processes, and at a much lower cost.
Application areas include layout, prototyping, casting, architecture, education, cartography, healthcare, retail trade and etc.
Industrial Application:
Rapid prototyping: Industrial 3D printers have been used for rapid prototyping and research since the early 1980s. As a rule, these are quite large-sized installations using powdered metals, sand mixtures, plastics and paper. Such devices are often used by universities and commercial companies.

Advances in rapid prototyping have led to the creation of materials suitable for the production of final products, which in turn has contributed to the development of 3D manufacturing of finished products as an alternative to traditional methods. One of the advantages of rapid production is the relatively low cost of producing small batches.

Fast production: Rapid production remains a fairly new method whose capabilities have not yet been fully explored. However, many experts tend to consider rapid production a technology of a qualitatively new level. Some of the most promising rapid prototyping trends for adaptation into rapid manufacturing are selective laser sintering (SLS) and direct metal sintering (DMLS).
Mass customization: Some companies offer services for customization of objects using simplified software, followed by the creation of unique 3D models to order. One of the most popular areas has become the manufacture of cases cell phones. In particular, Nokia has made its phone case designs publicly available for user customization and 3D printing.
Mass production: The current low printing speed of 3D printers limits their use in mass production. To combat this disadvantage, some FDM devices are equipped with multiple extruders, allowing you to print in different colors, different polymers, and even create several models at the same time. Overall, this approach increases productivity without requiring the use of multiple printers—one microcontroller is enough to operate multiple print heads.

Devices with multiple extruders allow you to create several identical objects using only one digital model, but at the same time allow the use different materials and flowers. Printing speed increases in proportion to the number of print heads. In addition, certain energy savings are achieved through the use of a common working chamber, which often requires heating. Together, these two points reduce the cost of the process.

Many printers are equipped with dual print heads, but this configuration is only used for printing single models in different colors and materials.

Household and amateur use

Today, consumer 3D printing mainly attracts the attention of enthusiasts and hobbyists, while practical use quite limited. However, 3D printers have already been used to print working mechanical watch, gears for woodworking machines, jewelry, etc. Websites related to home 3D printing often offer hook designs, door handles, massage instruments, etc.

3D printing is also used in amateur veterinary medicine and zoology - in 2013, a 3D printed prosthesis made it possible to raise a duckling to its feet, and stylish 3D printed shells are popular with hermit crabs. 3D printers are widely used for household production of costume jewelry - necklaces, rings, handbags, etc.

The open source project Fab@Home aims to develop general-purpose household printers. The devices were tested in a research setting to use the latest 3D printing technologies to produce chemical compounds. The printer can print any material that can be extruded from a syringe as a liquid or paste. The development is aimed at making it possible to produce medicines and household chemicals at home in remote areas.

Student project OpenReflex led to the design of an analog SLR camera, suitable for 3D printing production.

Cloth

3D printing is becoming widespread - couturiers are using printers to experiment with creating swimsuits, shoes and dresses. Commercial applications include rapid prototyping and 3D printing of professional athletic shoes - the Vapor Laser Talon for football players and the New Balance for track and field athletes.

3D bioprinting

Titanium medical implants created using EBM technology

Research is currently underway in the field of 3D printing by biotech companies and academic institutions. Research is aimed at exploring the possibility of using inkjet/droplet 3D printing in tissue engineering to create artificial organs. The technology is based on the application of layers of living cells onto a gel substrate or sugar matrix, with gradual layer-by-layer buildup to create three-dimensional structures, including vascular systems. First production system for 3D tissue printing, based on NovoGen bioprinting technology, was introduced in 2009. A number of terms are used to describe this research area: organ printing, bioprinting, computational tissue engineering, etc.

One of the pioneers of 3D printing, the research company conducts laboratory research and develops the production of functional 3D human tissue samples for use in medical and therapeutic research. For bioprinting, the company uses a NovoGen MMX 3D printer. Organovo believes that bioprinting will speed up the testing of new medical supplies before clinical trials, which will save time and money invested in drug development. In the long term, Organovo hopes to adapt bioprinting technology for the creation of grafts and applications in surgery.

3D printing of implants and medical devices

3D printing is used to create implants and devices used in medicine. Successful surgeries include examples such as implantation, as well as. Most wide application 3D printing is expected in the hearing aid and dental industries. In March 2014, surgeons in Swansea used 3D printing to reconstruct the face of a motorcyclist who was seriously injured in a road accident.

3D printing services

Some companies offer online 3D printing services available to individual customers and industrial companies. The customer is required to upload a 3D design to the website, after which the model is printed using industrial installations. The finished product is either delivered to the customer or is subject to pickup.

Research of new applications

3D printing allows the creation of fully functional metal products, even weapons.
Future applications of 3D printing may include the creation of open source scientific equipment for use in open laboratories and other scientific applications - reconstruction of fossils in paleontology, creation of duplicates of priceless archaeological artifacts, reconstruction of bones and body parts for forensic examination, reconstruction of severely damaged evidence collected from crime scenes. The technology is also being considered for use in construction.

In 2005, academic journals began publishing materials on the possibility of using 3D printing technologies in art. In 2007, the Wall Street Journal and Time magazine included 3D design in their list of the 100 most significant advances of the year. At the London Design Festival in 2011, the Victoria and Albert Museum presented an exhibition by Murray Moss entitled “Industrial Revolution 2.0: How the Material World is Rematerializing,” dedicated to 3D printing technologies.

In 2012, a pilot project at the University of Glasgow showed that 3D printing could be used to produce chemical compounds, including previously unknown ones. During the project, vessels were printed for storing chemical reagents, into which “chemical ink” was injected using additive installations, followed by a reaction. The validity of the technology was proven by the production of new compounds, but specific practical application was not pursued during the experiment. The Cornell Creative Machines laboratory has confirmed the feasibility of creation using hydrocolloid 3D printing. Professor Leroy Cronin from the University of Glasgow proposed using "chemical inks" to print medical products.

The use of 3D scanning technologies makes it possible to create replicas of real objects without the use of casting methods, which are expensive, difficult to perform and can have a destructive effect in the case of precious and fragile cultural heritage objects.

An additional example of 3D printing technologies being developed is the use of additive manufacturing in construction. This could allow the pace of construction to be accelerated while reducing costs. In particular, the possibility of using technology to build space colonies is being considered. For example, the Sinterhab project aims to explore the possibility of additive manufacturing of lunar bases using lunar regolith as the main building material. Instead of using binding materials, the possibility of microwave sintering of regolith into solid building blocks is being considered.

Additive manufacturing makes it possible to create waveguides, couplings and bends in terahertz devices. The high geometric complexity of such products could not be achieved using traditional production methods. A commercially available professional setup was used to create structures with a resolution of 100 microns. The printed structures were electroplated with gold to create a terahertz plasmonic device.

China has allocated almost $500 million. for the development of 10 national institutes for the development of 3D printing technologies. In 2013, Chinese scientists began printing living cartilage, liver and kidney tissue using specialized 3D bioprinting printers. Researchers from Hangzhou Dianqi University have even developed their own 3D bioprinter for this complex task, called Regenovo. One of Regenovo's developers, Xu Minggen, said the printer takes less than an hour to produce a small sample of liver tissue or a four- to five-inch sample of ear cartilage. Xu predicts the first fully printed artificial organs will appear within the next 10 to 20 years. That same year, researchers from the Belgian University of Hasselt had success for an 83-year-old woman. After implantation, the patient can chew, talk and breathe normally.

In Bahrain, 3D printing sandstone-like materials has created unique structures to support coral growth and restore damaged reefs. These structures have a more natural shape than previously used structures and do not have the acidity of concrete.

Intellectual property

A section of liver tissue printed by specialists from Organovo, a company working to improve 3D printing technologies for the production of artificial organs
3D printing has been around for decades, and many aspects of the technology are subject to patents, copyrights and protections brands. However, from a legal perspective, it is not entirely clear how intellectual property laws will be applied in practice if 3D printers become widespread.
distribution and will be used in the household production of goods for personal use, non-commercial use or for sale.

Any of protective measures may negatively impact the distribution of designs used in 3D printing or the sale of printed products. Use of protected technologies may require permission from the owner, which in turn will require the payment of royalties.

Patents cover certain processes, devices and materials. The duration of patents varies from country to country.

Often, copyright extends to the expression of ideas in the form of tangible objects and lasts for the life of the author, plus 70 years. Thus, if someone creates a statue and obtains the copyright, it would be illegal to distribute the designs to print an identical or similar statue.

Impact of 3D printing

Additive manufacturing requires manufacturing companies flexibility and continuous improvement of available technologies to maintain competitiveness. Additive manufacturing advocates predict growing opposition to 3D printing and globalization as home production will displace trade in goods between consumers and major manufacturers. In reality, the integration of additive technologies into commercial production serves as a complement to traditional subtractive methods rather than complete replacement the latter.

Space research

In 2010, work began on the use of 3D printing in conditions of weightlessness and low gravity. The main goal is to create hand-held tools and more complex devices "as needed" rather than using up valuable cargo volume and fuel to deliver finished products into orbit.

Even NASA is interested in 3D printing
At the same time, NASA is conducting joint tests with Made in Space aimed at assessing the potential of 3D printing to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of space exploration. NASA additive manufactured rocket parts in July 2013: Two fuel injectors performed on par with conventionally produced parts during performance tests that exposed the parts to temperatures of around 3,300°C and high levels pressure. It is noteworthy that NASA is preparing: the agency is going to demonstrate the possibility of creating spare parts directly in orbit, instead of expensive transportation from the ground.

Social change

The topic of social and cultural change as a result of the introduction of commercially available additive technologies has been discussed by writers and sociologists since the 1950s. One of the most interesting assumptions was the possible blurring of the boundaries between everyday life and workplaces as a result of the massive introduction of 3D printers into the home. The ease of transfer of digital designs is also indicated, which, in combination with local production, will help reduce the need for global transportation. Finally, copyright protection may change given the ease of additive manufacturing for many products.

Firearms

In 2012, US company Defense Distributed published plans to create "functional plastic weapon designs available for download and reproduction by anyone with access to a 3D printer." Defense Distributed has developed a 3D printed version of an AR-15 rifle receiver that can withstand more than 650 rounds, and a 30-round magazine for the M-16 rifle. The AR-15 has two receivers (lower and upper), but legal registration is tied to the lower receiver, which is stamped with a serial number. Shortly after Defense Distributed created the first working drawings for the production of plastic weapons in May 2013, the US State Department demanded that the instructions be removed from the company's website.

The release of the blueprints by Defense Distributed has fueled debate about the possible impact of 3D printing and digital processing devices on the effectiveness of arms control. However, the fight against the proliferation of digital weapons models will inevitably face the same problems as attempts to prevent the trade in pirated content.

Science fiction writers wrote about the possibility of creating machines that literally “grow” houses back in the 19th century. What can I say, even twenty years ago this technology seemed incredible. But today it has already entered our everyday life. No one will be surprised to see construction site, in which a person and a machine work in tandem: a system operator and a tap with a feeding nozzle construction mixture. The topic of this material from HouseChief.ru is the use of a 3D printer in construction. We will not talk about science fiction, but about real experience in this direction and will give examples of ready-made objects, as well as talk about the possibility of purchasing such a device.

Read in the article

What is a 3D printer and what is it used for?

Modern construction technologies are a very popular product; specialists in this field are welcomed with open arms, luring them away from competitors. The race is almost cosmic - whoever brings an innovation to the market first will receive super benefits. It is not surprising that the hardworking Chinese not only invented, but also began to produce construction printers almost en masse. They showed the world how just one unit built an entire village in 30 days. Other countries are not far behind them; domestic producers have also joined this business and are on their side so far obvious benefit– the construction printer device is quite large.

So what is a 3D printer and how does it work? the main task The mechanism consists of a sequential layer-by-layer supply of the construction mixture to the site. Software controls the servo drive, forcing it to leave space for window and door openings and laying communications. The construction material is ordinary sand concrete, as well as mixtures based on gypsum, fiber fiber and geopolymers.

Device operation requires preliminary preparation site and building design.

And finally, an undoubted advantage is a significant reduction in construction time. Work on a 3D printer can be carried out around the clock; it does not require special lighting or days off.

Before you decide to buy a construction machine, pay attention to its disadvantages:

• It is impossible to use vibrated concrete for construction; mixtures with high speed setting and hardening;
• a clear method for reinforcing structures has not yet been developed;
• it is not possible to remove air using vibration treatment; air cavities may form, which reduces the strength of the structure;
• You can operate a 3D printer only at positive temperatures in dry weather.

Modern technologies and manufacturers of printers for 3D printing houses

Contour Crafting technology was invented by Iranian B. Khoshnevis. Currently, this scientist continues his research under the patronage of the US Navy and NASA. Most of his work is still classified, but the basic principle is known - it involves applying the mixture using an extruder. The scientist is working on the task of completely automating the process, including the installation of fittings.

The Italian Enrico Dini took a different path in his development: he proposes to use not just one extruder, but a set of hundreds of nozzles, which is attached to a movable manipulator. The operation of the machine resembles jet printer, he sprays a mixture of sand and metal oxides with magnesium chloride. The technology is called D-Shape.

Domestic designer Andrei Rudenko took his brainchild, the StroyBot construction printer, to the USA. After several unsuccessful attempts to attract attention to his work, he finally found a great way to advertise his product - he built part of a hotel for a Filipino entrepreneur. He used geopolymer concrete as a working mixture.

The Yekaterinburg company Spetsavia has real experience in production and sales in this area. Today, this domestic manufacturer offers 7 options for construction printers of different sizes and purposes.

Spetsavia's competitor is the Irkutsk concern Apis Cor. He abandoned the idea of ​​​​using a portal structure and focused on telescopic manipulators that move freely on a rotating platform. The unit is very mobile and can be transported in a regular truck. It is already actively used for building houses using 3D printers in Russia.

The most famous manufacturer construction machines– Chinese company WinSun. Khoshnevis accused the Chinese of stealing his technology. Even if this is so, WinSun, unlike the Iranian scientist, has already brought this technology to the masses. They entered into agreements to build housing in war-torn areas of Iraq.

Educational video: what can be done with a 3D printer

A construction machine can create entire objects, such as houses, or produce panels and other building materials. A clear example of how a 3D printer works in this video:

Examples of 3D printing houses in photographs

To better imagine the process and the result, we invite you to see what houses printed on a 3D printer look like in a small photo gallery:

1 out of 10

Where can you buy a construction 3D printer and how much does it cost?

Construction 3D printing is undoubtedly the future. But while these technologies are being improved, it will be another 10 years before such machines appear in all construction organizations or will become available to private developers. A construction 3D printer can be bought in Yekaterinburg from Spetsavia. A construction 3D printer that prints a house has a price of 4.6 million rubles. Agree, it is a little expensive for the construction of one private house. But for a small construction company- quite reasonable price.

There is a myth that Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev saw his periodic table chemical elements in a dream.
Chuck Hull, the man who invented 3D printing, also saw his future brainchild in a dream. Of course, such a printer is not a source of eternal youth, but doctors have already come up with a universal use for the printer in the service of society. 3D printers help doctors print bones, teeth, tumors, and sometimes entire organs.

More than 30 years have passed since the invention of this technology. With each generation of printers, the principles of polymer hardening changed, and the print quality changed. The first object that was printed by Chuck Hull himself was a very simple mug, which took several months to create. Nowadays it is fashionable to print beautiful and original things in just a few hours.

By building his first 3D printer and founding 3D Systems, Chuck Hull not only created new object, but became the creator of a whole completely new branch of technology - “additive technologies”. The essence of additivity is that an object is not created from a monolithic piece by cutting off unnecessary fragments, but is created “from scratch” by adding pieces of fresh source material.

Since the options for using such printers great amount, then in appearance they may not at all resemble their “office” counterparts. With the help of 3D printing, absolutely everything is now printed: from houses to cakes.

The current volume of the global market for this group of goods is $3 billion; according to forecasts, by 2020 this figure will have to increase four (!) times.

Despite the fact that this technology is not yet at the peak of its popularity, global aircraft engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce is in full swing printing turbine blades for engines, trusting the latest technologies in people's lives and its name.

What attracts engineers and designers around the world to new technology? First of all, high performance and simplicity. It is enough to have a 3D model and you can already expect to receive a finished copy of the output product. Secondly, the low cost of the product is especially attractive for manufacturers: there is no need to spend extra money on paying for man-hours spent on production, there is no need to completely redo the drawings and make a new part, if something needs to be modified in the prototype, there is no need to manufacture complex forms in several stages, spending a huge amount of raw material on this.

Where to get money to start own business? This is exactly the problem that 95% of new entrepreneurs face! In this article we have revealed the most current ways to obtain starting capital for an entrepreneur. We also recommend that you carefully study the results of our experiment in exchange earnings:

In addition, volumetric printing is a wonderful and logical continuation of fully computerized modern production. Absolutely everything: from idea to implementation, is created using a computer. Development of a sketch, creation of a technical model, processing and projection of the finished model in a computer environment, creation of a special file for the printer... Intervention human factor at all stages of production to be kept to a minimum.
By the way, Chuck Hull also came up with one of the file formats that can be used to interpret commands for a 3D printer.

In addition, the new technology allows not only to create a model from scratch, but also to transfer an existing object into an electronic environment: here the role of a 3D printer is replaced by a 3D scanner.

This feature allows you to quickly adjust the properties of an item to the needs of a specific person: customization and personalization when working with a client at the highest level!

Of course, the new technology has its drawbacks, but they are rather minor. Critics mainly focus on the low print speed and high surface grain. But do not forget that over the past 30 years a breakthrough has already been made in the speed of operation of such printers, and in the future these indicators will only improve. Various versions of printers have already been developed that can print simultaneously with several heads, creating multi-color models, or printers that use continuous printing technology - the photopolymer hardens so quickly that there is no need for layer-by-layer operation of the head.

You can also think about the quality of surface treatment for a long time - not all industries require an ideal surface; for most companies it is much more important to quickly get a new part, test it, modify it and quickly get a real sample. And additive technologies cope with these tasks remarkably well.

Chuck Hull remembers that 30 years from bulky and slow machines to portable devices will pass so quickly. So he is confident that additive technologies will be able to develop in the future.

If now the main material for printing is wide range polymers, then in the near future this place may be occupied by alloys and composite ceramic materials.

There have already been articles on the hub about printing technologies that use 3D printers, but in this article I tried to approach the issue systematically, so that the reader would have a clear picture in his head about what principles are inherent in 3D printing technology, what materials are used and ultimately As a result, what technology is best to use to obtain a certain result, be it a titanium part, or a master model for subsequent replication.
This article is based on the book Fabricated: The New World of 3D printing

I. Those who squeeze or pour or spray something

1) FDM (fused deposition modeling) I won’t go into detail about printers that extrude some material layer by layer through a dispenser nozzle, we know everything about them. All makerbot-like printers + Stratasys printers + various culinary printers (use icing, cheese, dough) + medical ones that print with “living ink” (when any set of living cells is placed in a special medical gel which is then used in biomedicine)

2) Polyjet technology, was invented by the Israeli company Objet in 2000. They were bought by Stratasys in 2012. The essence of the technology: photopolymer is fired in small doses from thin nozzles, as in inkjet printing, and immediately polymerizes on the surface of the manufactured device under the influence of UV radiation. An important feature that distinguishes PolyJet from stereolithography is the ability to print with a variety of materials.
Advantages of the technology: a) layer thickness up to 16 microns (blood cell 10 microns) b) prints quickly, since the liquid can be applied very quickly. Disadvantages of the technology: a) prints only using photopolymer - a highly specialized, expensive plastic, usually sensitive to UV and quite fragile.
Application: industrial prototyping and medicine

3) LENS (LASER ENGINEERED NET SHAPING)
The material, in powder form, is blown from a nozzle and struck by a focused laser beam. Part of the powder flies past, and the part that falls into the focus of the laser is instantly sintered and layer by layer forms a three-dimensional part. This is the technology used to print steel and titanium objects.
Since before the advent of this technology it was possible to print only objects made of plastic, no one took 3D printing particularly seriously, and this technology opened the door for 3D printing to the “big” industry. Powders various materials you can mix and thus obtain alloys on the fly.
Application: e.g. titanium blades for turbines with internal cooling channels. Equipment Manufacturer: Optomec

4) LOM (laminated object manufacturing)
Thin laminated sheets of material are cut using a knife or laser and then sintered or glued together into a three-dimensional object. Those. a thin sheet of material is laid, which is cut along the contour of the object, thus creating one layer, the next sheet is laid on it, and so on. After this, all sheets are pressed or sintered.
This is how 3D models are printed from paper, plastic or aluminum. To print aluminum models, thin aluminum foil is used, which is cut along the contour layer by layer and then sintered using ultrasonic vibration.

II. Those who sinter or glue something

1) SL (Stereolithography) Stereolithography.
There is a small bath with liquid polymer. The laser beam passes over the surface, and at this point the polymer polymerizes under the influence of UV. After one layer is ready, the platform with the part is lowered, the liquid polymer fills the void, then the next layer is baked, and so on. Sometimes the opposite happens: the platform with the part rises up, the laser is accordingly located below...
After printing using this method, post-processing of the object is required - removal of excess material and support, sometimes the surface is ground. Depending on the required properties of the final object, the model is baked in the so-called. ultraviolet ovens.
Photopolymer is often toxic, so when working with it you need to use protective equipment and respirators. Maintaining and maintaining such a printer at home is difficult and expensive
Advantages: fast and accurate, accuracy up to 10 microns. To sinter the photopolymer, a laser from a Blu-ray player is sufficient, thanks to which cheap and precise printers working using this technology (e.g. Form1) appear on the market.

2) LS (laser sintering)
Laser sintering. Similar to SL, but instead of liquid photopolymer, powder is used, which is sintered by laser.
Advantages: a) it is less likely that the part will break during the printing process, since the powder itself acts as a reliable support b) materials in powder form are quite easy to find on sale, including: bronze, steel, nylon, titanium
Disadvantages: a) the surface is porous b) some powders are explosive, so they must be stored in chambers filled with nitrogen c) sintering occurs at high temperatures, so the finished parts take a long time to cool, depending on the size and thickness of the layers, some objects can cool down to one day .

3) 3DP (three dimensional printing)
The technology was invented in 1980 at MIT by student Paul Williams, the technology was sold to several commercial organizations, one of which was zCorp, now absorbed by 3D Systems.
An adhesive is applied to the material in powder form, which binds the granules, then a fresh layer of powder is applied on top of the glued layer, and so on. The output, as a rule, is sandstone material (similar in properties to gypsum)
Advantages: a) since glue is used, paint can be added to it and thus printed colored objects b) the technology is relatively cheap and energy efficient c) can be used in the home or office c) you can print using glass powder, bone powder, recycled rubber, bronze and even sawdust. Using a similar technology, you can print edible objects from sugar or chocolate powder, for example. The powder is glued together with a special food glue; dye and flavoring can be added to the glue. As an example, new 3D printers from 3D systems, which were demonstrated at CES 2014 - ChefJet and ChefJet Pro
Disadvantages: a) the output is a fairly rough surface, with low resolution ~ 100 microns b) the material must be post-processed (baked) to give it the necessary properties.

I hope the material will be useful to you.
Additions are accepted.

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