So what is a 3D printer?

The ordinary printers used in our daily life can print the plane objects designed by the computer, and the so-called 3D printers work in the same principle as ordinary printers, except that the printing materials are somewhat different. The printing materials of ordinary printers are ink and paper, and the 3D printer contains Different printing materials such as metal, ceramics, plastics, sand, etc. are tangible raw materials. After the printer is connected to the computer, the printing materials can be superimposed layer by layer through computer control, finally changing the blueprint on the computer In kind. In layman's terms, a 3D printer is a device that can print' real 3D objects, such as printing a robot, printing a toy car, printing various models, and even food. The reason why it is commonly called a printeru0026rdquo; is based on the technical principles of ordinary printers, because the process of layered processing is very similar to inkjet printing. This printing technology is called 3D stereo printing technology. 3D printing technology mainly includes SLA, FDM, SLS, LOM and other processes. Below we briefly introduce three mainstream technologies: 　　1. Stereo Lithography (SLA): Netizens can imagine cutting a cucumber into thin slices. Then slice the slices into a whole. First, the software cuts the 3D digital model into several planes, which forms many sections. When working, there is a platform that can be lifted. There is a liquid tank around the platform, and the tank is filled with The liquid that can be cured by ultraviolet radiation, the ultraviolet laser will start from the bottom layer and cure the bottom layer, then the platform will move down to cure the next layer, and so on, until the final shape.　　 Its advantage is high precision, can show accurate surface and smooth effect, the precision can reach 0.05mm to 0.15mm per layer thickness. The disadvantage is that the materials that can be used are limited and multi-color molding is not possible.　　2. Fused deposition molding technology also requires the thinning of 3D models, but the principles of molding are different. Friends who have studied advanced mathematics know integration. Fused deposition molding technology is to melt the material into a liquid at a high temperature, and then squeeze out small spherical particles through a nozzle. These particles solidify immediately after being ejected, and pass through these particles. The arrangement and combination in the three-dimensional space form a physical object.　This technology has higher molding accuracy, higher physical strength, and color molding, but the surface is rough after molding.　　3, selective laser sintering (abbreviated as SLS) powders of different materials as raw materials 　　 SLS process is also called selective laser sintering, which was successfully developed in 1989 by C.R. Dechard of the University of Texas at Austin. The SLS process is formed using powdered materials. Spread the material powder on the upper surface of the formed part and scrape it flat; use a high-intensity CO2 laser to scan the section of the part on the newly laid layer; the material powder is sintered together under the high-intensity laser irradiation to obtain The cross-section of the part is bonded with the formed part below; when the cross-section of one layer is sintered, a new layer of material powder is laid, and the cross-section of the lower layer is selectively sintered.　　 Today, when 3D printing technology can print organs, cars, and airplanes, it is still creating endless possibilities. The famous 'The Economist' recently described the prospect of 3D printing technology as a new type of production method that can promote a new industrial revolution. It has broad market prospects.　　First of all, 3D printing technology can process parts that are difficult to manufacture by traditional methods. In the past, the traditional manufacturing method is a blank, which is multi-dimensional processing by cutting off the unnecessary parts, or using abrasive tools to melt and pour in the metal and plastic to obtain such parts. This is very processing for complex parts. difficulty. Three-dimensional printing technology has advantages for complex parts, and three-dimensional printing technology can print very complex things.　　Secondly, the net shape forming of the parts is realized, so that the amount of auxiliary processing in the later stage is greatly reduced, and the data leakage and time span of outsourcing processing are avoided. It is especially suitable for some high-confidential industries, such as military industry and nuclear power. Once again, the time for manufacturing preparation and data conversion is greatly reduced, which reduces the cycle and cost of single-piece trial production and small-batch production, which is particularly suitable for the development of new products and the production of single-piece small-batch parts.　　 These advantages such as fast speed and high ease of use make 3D printing a trend, and it has been applied in many fields. Nowadays, 3D printers have been applied to a certain degree in the fields of architectural design, medical assistance, industrial models, complex structures, spare parts, and animation models. Especially in industries that use heavy machinery and high-end precision machinery, such as aircraft, nuclear power, and thermal power, the products printed by 3D printing technology are naturally and seamlessly connected, and the stability and connection strength between structures are much higher than traditional methods.　　 In fact, it will take time for 3D printing technology to become a mainstream manufacturing technology.　　 The current actual use of 3D printers still belongs to the category of rapid prototyping, which is to provide enterprises with the manufacture of product prototypes before they produce formal products. The industry also refers to such prototypes as prototypes. According to statistics, 80% of the products produced by 3D printers are still prototypes, and only 20% are final products. Although 3D printer technology has made considerable progress in recent years, such as the increase in materials and the gradual decline in the price of printers and raw materials, it is still a young technology. Large-scale adoption by enterprises. (The above is edited by laser cutting machine on the Internet, please indicate the source in this reprint.)