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Chapter 02 : History of 3D Printing

Chapter 03 : 3D Printing Technology

Chapter 04 : 3D Printing Processes

Chapter 05 : 3D Printing Materials

Chapter 06 : 3D Printing Global E ! ects

Chapter 07 : 3D Printing Bene " ts & Value

Chapter 08 : 3D Printing Applications

Glossary

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Chapter 01 : Introduction: What is 3D printing?


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Welcome to 3DPIs Beginners Guide to 3D Printing. Whether youare new to 3D printing technology or just looking to close a fewknowledge gaps, were glad you stopped by. By now, most of ushave heard, at some level, about the potential of 3D printing. Butwith this guide we are o ! ering insights into the history and thereality of 3D printing the processes, materials and applications as well as measured thoughts on where it might be heading.

We hope youll " nd this to be one of the most comprehensive 3Dprinting resources available, and that no matter what your skill levelis, there will be plenty in here to meet your needs. As an addedbonus, were working on a handy downloadable PDF version of theentire guide, and hope to have that ready very soon.

Are you ready? Lets get started!

3D Printing also known as additive manufacturing hasbeen quoted in the Financial Times and by other sources aspotentially being larger than the Internet. Some believe this istrue. Many others urge that this is part of the extraordinary

hype that exists around this very exciting technology area. Sowhat really is 3D printing, who generally uses 3D printers andwhat for?

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Technology has a ! ected recent

human history probably morethan any other " eld. Think of alight bulb, steam engine or,more latterly, cars andaeroplanes, not to mention therise and rise of the world wideweb. These technologies havemade our lives better in manyways, opened up new avenuesand possibilities, but usually ittakes time, sometimes evendecades, before the trulydisruptive nature of the

technology becomes apparent.

It is widely believed that 3Dprinting or additivemanufacturing (AM) has thevast potential to become one

of these technologies. 3Dprinting has now been coveredacross many televisionchannels, in mainstream

newspapers and across online

resources. What really is this3D printing that some haveclaimed will put an end totraditional manufacturing aswe know it, revolutionizedesign and imposegeopolitical, economic, social,demographic, environmentaland security implications toour every day lives?

The most basic, di ! erentiatingprinciple behind 3D printing is

that it is an additivemanufacturing process. Andthis is indeed the key because3D printing is a radicallydi ! erent manufacturingmethod based on advanced

technology that builds upparts, additively, in layers atthe sub mm scale. This isfundamentally di ! erent from



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any other existing traditional

manufacturing techniques.

There are a number oflimitations to traditionalmanufacturing, which haswidely been based on humanlabour and made by handideology rooting back to theetymological origins of theFrench word for manufacturingitself. However, the world ofmanufacturing has changed,and automated processes such

as machining, casting, formingand moulding are all (relatively)new, complex processes thatrequire machines, computersand robot technology.

However, these technologiesall demand subtractingmaterial from a larger block

whether to achieve the end

product itself or to produce atool for casting or mouldingprocesses and this is aserious limitation within theoverall manufacturing process.

For many applicationstraditional design andproduction processes impose anumber of unacceptableconstraints, including theexpensive tooling asmentioned above, " xtures, and

the need for assembly forcomplex parts. In addition, the

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subtractive manufacturing

processes, such as machining,can result in up to 90% of theoriginal block of material beingwasted.

In contrast, 3D printing is aprocess for creating objectsdirectly, by adding materiallayer by layer in a variety ofways, depending on thetechnology used. Simplifyingthe ideology behind 3Dprinting, for anyone that is still

trying to understand theconcept (and there are many),it could be likened to theprocess of building somethingwith Lego blocks automatically.

3D printing is an enablingtechnology that encouragesand drives innovation with

unprecedented design

freedom while being a tool-lessprocess that reducesprohibitive costs and leadtimes. Components can bedesigned speci " cally to avoidassembly requirements withintricate geometry andcomplex features created at noextra cost. 3D printing is alsoemerging as an energy-e # cient technology that canprovide environmentale # ciencies in terms of both

the manufacturing processitself, utilising up to 90% ofstandard materials, andthroughout the productsoperating life, through lighterand stronger design.

In recent years, 3D printing hasgone beyond being an



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industrial prototyping and manufacturing process as the

technology has become more accessible to small companies andeven individuals. Once the domain of huge, multi-nationalcorporations due to the scale and economics of owning a 3Dprinter, smaller (less capable) 3D printers can now be acquired forunder $1000.

This has opened up the technology to a much wider audience,and as the exponential adoption rate continues apace on allfronts, more and more systems, materials, applications, servicesand ancillaries are emerging.



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History of 3D Printing

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The earliest 3D printing technologies " rst

became visible in the late 1980s, at whichtime they were called Rapid Prototyping(RP) technologies. This is because theprocesses were originally conceived as afast and more cost-e ! ective method forcreating prototypes for productdevelopment within industry. As aninteresting aside, the very " rst patentapplication for RP technology was " led by aDr Kodama, in Japan, in May 1980.Unfortunately for Dr Kodama, the fullpatent speci " cation was subsequently not" led before the one year deadline after the

application, which is particularly disastrousconsidering that he was a patent lawyer! Inreal terms, however, the origins of 3Dprinting can be traced back to 1986, whenthe " rst patent was issued forstereolithography apparatus (SLA). This

patent belonged to one Charles (Chuck)Hull, who " rst invented his SLA machine in1983. Hull went on to co-found 3D SystemsCorporation one of the largest and most

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proli " c organizations operating in the 3Dprinting sector today.

3D Systems " rst commercial RP system, theSLA-1, was introduced in 1987 and followingrigorous testing the " rst of these systemwas sold in 1988. As is fairly typical withnew technology, while SLA can claim to bethe " rst past the starting post, it was notthe only RP technology in development atthis time, for, in 1987, Carl Deckard , whowas working at the University of Texas, " leda patent in the US for the Selective LaserSintering (SLS) RP process. This patent was

issued in 1989 and SLS was later licensed toDTM Inc, which was later acquired by 3DSystems. 1989 was also the year that ScottCrump , a co-founder of Stratasys Inc. " led apatent for Fused Deposition Modelling(FDM) the proprietary technology that is

still held by the company today, but is alsothe process used by many of the entry-levelmachines, based on the open source

RepRap model, that are proli " c today. The FDM patent was issuedto Stratasys in 1992. In Europe, 1989 also saw the formation of

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EOS GmbH in Germany,

founded by Hans Langer . Aftera dalliance with SL processes,EOS R&D focus was placedheavily on the laser sintering(LS) process, which hascontinued to go from strengthto strength. Today, the EOSsystems are recognized aroundthe world for their qualityoutput for industrialprototyping and productionapplications of 3D printing.EOS sold its " rst Stereos

system in 1990. The companysdirect metal laser sintering(DMLS) process resulted froman initial project with a divisionof Electrolux Finland, whichwas later acquired by EOS.

Other 3D printing technologiesand processes were also

emerging during these years,

namely Ballistic ParticleManufacturing (BPM) originallypatented by William Masters,Laminated ObjectManufacturing (LOM) originallypatented by Michael Feygin,Solid Ground Curing (SGC)originally patented by ItzchakPomerantz et al and threedimensional printing (3DP)originally patented by EmanuelSachs et al. And so the earlynineties witnessed a growing

number of competingcompanies in the RP marketbut only three of the originalsremain today 3D Systems,EOS and Stratasys.

Throughout the 1990s andearly 2000s a host of newtechnologies continued to be

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ntroduced, still focused wholly

on industrial applications andwhile they were still largelyprocesses for prototypingapplications, R&D was alsobeing conducted by the moreadvanced technology providersfor speci " c tooling, casting anddirect manufacturingapplications. This saw theemergence of newterminology, namely RapidTooling (RT), Rapid Casting andRapid Manufacturing (RM)

respectively.

In terms of commercialoperations, Sanders Prototype(later Solidscape) andZCorporation were set up in

1996, Arcam was established in1997, Objet Geometrieslaunched in 1998, MCP

Technologies (an established

vacuum casting OEM)introduced the SLM technologyin 2000, EnvisionTec wasfounded in 2002, ExOne wasestablished in 2005 as a spin-o ! from the Extrude HoneCorporation and Sciaky Inc waspioneering its own additiveprocess based on itsproprietary electron beamwelding technology. Thesecompanies all served to swellthe ranks of Western

companies operating across aglobal market. The terminologyhad also evolved with aproliferation of manufacturingapplications and the acceptedumbrella term for all of the

processes was AdditiveManufacturing (AM). Notably,there were many parallel

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developments taking place in

the Eastern hemisphere.However, these technologies,while signi " cant in themselvesand enjoying some localsuccess, did not really impactthe global market at that time.

During the mid noughties, thesector started to show signs ofdistinct diversi " cation with twospeci " c areas of emphasis thatare much more clearly de " nedtoday. First, there was the high

end of 3D printing, still veryexpensive systems, which weregeared towards partproduction for high value,highly engineered, complexparts. This is still ongoing

and growing but the resultsare only now really starting tobecome visible in production

applications across the

aerospace, automotive,medical and " ne jewellerysectors, as years of R&D andquali " cation are now payingo ! . A great deal still remainsbehind closed doors and/orunder non-disclosureagreements (NDA). At the otherend of the spectrum, some ofthe 3D printing systemmanufacturers weredeveloping and advancingconcept modellers, as they

were called at the time.Speci " cally, these were 3Dprinters that kept the focus onimproving conceptdevelopment and functionalprototyping, that were being

developed speci " cally as o # ce-and user-friendly, cost-e ! ectivesystems. The prelude to



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todays desktop machines.

However, these systems wereall still very much for industrialapplications.

Looking back, this was reallythe calm before the storm.

At the lower end of the market the 3D printers that todayare seen as being in the midrange a price war emergedtogether with incrementalimprovements in printing

accuracy, speed and materials.

In 2007, the market saw the" rst system under $10,000from 3D Systems, but thisnever quite hit the mark that it

was supposed to. This waspartly due to the system itself,but also other market

in$ uences. The holy grail at

that time was to get a 3Dprinter under $5000 thiswas seen by many industryinsiders, users andcommentators as the key toopening up 3D printingtechnology to a much wideraudience. For much of thatyear, the arrival of the highly-anticipated Desktop Factory which many predicted wouldbe the ful " llment of that holygrail was heralded as the

one to watch. It came tonothing as the organizationfaltered in the run up toproduction. Desktop Factoryand its leader, Cathy Lewis,were acquired, along with the

IP, by 3D Systems in 2008 andall but vanished. As it turnedout though, 2007 was actually



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the year that did mark the

turning point for accessible 3Dprinting technology eventhough few realized it at thetime as the RepRapphenomenon took root. DrBowyer conceived the RepRapconcept of an open source,self-replicating 3D printer asearly as 2004, and the seedwas germinated in thefollowing years with someheavy slog from his team atBath, most notably Vik Oliver

and Rhys Jones, whodeveloped the concept throughto working prototypes of a 3Dprinter using the depositionprocess. 2007 was the year theshoots started to show

through and this embryonic,open source 3D printingmovement started to gainvisibility.

But it wasnt until January 2009

that the"

rst commerciallyavailable 3D printer in kitform and based on the RepRapconcept was o ! ered for sale.This was the BfB RapMan 3Dprinter. Closely followed byMakerbot Industries in Aprilthe same year, the founders ofwhich were heavily involved inthe development of RepRapuntil they departed from theOpen Source philosophyfollowing extensive investment.

Since 2009, a host of similardeposition printers haveemerged with marginal uniqueselling points (USPs) and theycontinue to do so. Theinteresting dichotomy here is

hat, while the RepRapphenomenon has given rise toa whole new sector ofcommercial, entry-level 3D



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printers, the ethos of the

RepRap community is all aboutOpen Source developments for3D printing and keepingcommercialization at bay.

2012 was the year thatalternative 3D printingprocesses were introduced atthe entry level of the market.The B9Creator (utilising DLPtechnology) came " rst in June,followed by the Form 1(utilising stereolithography) in

December. Both werelaunched via the funding siteKickstarter and bothenjoyed huge success.

As a result of the market

divergence, signi " cantadvances at the industrial levelwith capabilities andapplications, dramatic increase

in awareness and uptake

across a growing makermovement, 2012 was also theyear that many di ! erentmainstream media channelspicked up on the technology.2013 was a year of signi " cantgrowth and consolidation. Oneof the most notable moves wasthe acquisition of Makerbot byStratasys.

Heralded as the 2nd, 3rd and,sometimes even, 4th Industrial

Revolution by some, whatcannot be denied is the impactthat 3D printing is having onthe industrial sector and thehuge potential that 3D printingis demonstrating for the future

of consumers. What shape thatpotential will take is stillunfolding before us.



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3D Printing Technology

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The starting point for any 3D

printing process is a 3D digitalmodel, which can be createdusing a variety of 3D softwareprogrammes in industry thisis 3D CAD, for Makers andConsumers there are simpler,more accessible programmesavailable or scanned with a3D scanner. The model is thensliced into layers, therebyconverting the design into a " lereadable by the 3D printer. Thematerial processed by the 3D

printer is then layeredaccording to the design andthe process. As stated, thereare a number of di ! erent typesof 3D printing technologies ,which process di ! erent

materials in di ! erent ways tocreate the " nal object.Functional plastics, metals,

ceramics and sand are, now, all

routinely used for industrialprototyping and productionapplications. Research is alsobeing conducted for 3Dprinting bio materials anddi ! erent types of food.Generally speaking though, atthe entry level of the market,materials are much morelimited. Plastic is currently theonly widely used material usually ABS or PLA, but thereare a growing number of

alternatives, including Nylon.There is also a growing numberof entry level machines thathave been adapted forfoodstu ! s, such as sugar andchocolate.

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The di ! erent types of 3D

printers each employ adi ! erent technology thatprocesses di ! erent materials in di ! erent ways. It isimportant to understand thatone of the most basiclimitations of 3D printing interms of materials andapplications is that there isno one solution " ts all. Forexample some 3D printersprocess powdered materials(nylon, plastic, ceramic, metal),

which utilize a light/heatsource to sinter/melt/fuselayers of the powder togetherin the de " ned shape. Othersprocess polymer resinmaterials and again utilize a

light/laser to solidify the resinin ultra thin layers. Jetting of" ne droplets is another 3D

printing process, reminiscentof 2D inkjet printing, but with

superior materials to ink and abinder to " x the layers.Perhaps the most commonand easily recognized processis deposition, and this is theprocess employed by themajority of entry-level 3Dprinters. This process extrudesplastics, commonly PLA or ABS,

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in " lament form through a

heated extruder to form layersand create the predeterminedshape.

Because parts can be printeddirectly, it is possible to

produce very detailed andintricate objects, often withfunctionality built in and

negating the need for

assembly.

However, another importantpoint to stress is that none ofthe 3D printing processescome as plug and play optionsas of today. There are manysteps prior to pressing printand more once the part comeso ! the printer these areoften overlooked. Apart fromthe realities of designing for 3Dprinting, which can be

demanding, " le preparationand conversion can also provetime-consuming andcomplicated, particularly forparts that demand intricatesupports during the build

process. However there arecontinual updates andupgrades of software for these

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3D Printing Processes

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Stereolithography (SL) is widely recognized as the " rst 3D printingprocess; it was certainly the " rst to be commercialised. SL is alaser-based process that works with photopolymer resins, that

react with the laser and cure to form a solid in a very precise wayto produce very accurate parts. It is a complex process, but simplyput, the photopolymer resin is held in a vat with a movableplatform inside. A laser beam is directed in the X-Y axes across thesurface of the resin according to the 3D data supplied to themachine (the .stl " le), whereby the resin hardens precisely wherethe laser hits the surface. Once the layer is completed, theplatform within the vat drops down by a fraction (in the Z axis)and the subsequent layer is traced out by the laser. Thiscontinues until the entire object is completed and the platformcan be raised out of the vat for removal.



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Because of the nature of the SL process, it requires support

structures for some parts, speci"

cally those with overhangs orundercuts. These structures need to be manually removed.

In terms of other post processing steps, many objects 3D printedusing SL need to be cleaned and cured. Curing involves subjectingthe part to intense light in an oven-like machine to fully hardenthe resin.

Stereolithography is generally accepted as being one of the mostaccurate 3D printing processes with excellent surface " nish.However limiting factors include the post-processing stepsrequired and the stability of the materials over time, which canbecome more brittle.



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DLP or digital light processing is a similar process tostereolithography in that it is a 3D printing process that workswith photopolymers. The major di ! erence is the light source. DLP

uses a more conventional light source, such as an arc lamp, with aliquid crystal display panel or a deformable mirror device (DMD),which is applied to the entire surface of the vat of photopolymerresin in a single pass, generally making it faster than SL.

Also like SL, DLP produces highly accurate parts with excellentresolution, but its similarities also include the same requirementsfor support structures and post-curing. However, one advantageof DLP over SL is that only a shallow vat of resin is required tofacilitate the process, which generally results in less waste andlower running costs.



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Laser sintering and laser melting are interchangeable terms thatrefer to a laser based 3D printing process that works withpowdered materials. The laser is traced across a powder bed oftightly compacted powdered material, according to the 3D datafed to the machine, in the X-Y axes. As the laser interacts with thesurface of the powdered material it sinters, or fuses, the particlesto each other forming a solid. As each layer is completed thepowder bed drops incrementally and a roller smoothes thepowder over the surface of the bed prior to the next pass of the

laser for the subsequent layer to be formed and fused with theprevious layer.



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The build chamber is completely sealed as it is necessary to

maintain a precise temperature during the process speci"

c to themelting point of the powdered material of choice. Once " nished,the entire powder bed is removed from the machine and theexcess powder can be removed to leave the printed parts. One ofthe key advantages of this process is that the powder bed servesas an in-process support structure for overhangs and undercuts,and therefore complex shapes that could not be manufactured inany other way are possible with this process.

However, on the downside, because of the high temperaturesrequired for laser sintering, cooling times can be considerable.Furthermore, porosity has been an historical issue with thisprocess, and while there have been signi " cant improvements

towards fully dense parts, some applications still necessitatein" ltration with another material to improve mechanicalcharacteristics.

Laser sintering can process plastic and metal materials, althoughmetal sintering does require a much higher powered laser and

higher in-process temperatures. Parts produced with this processare much stronger than with SL or DLP, although generally thesurface " nish and accuracy is not as good.



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3D printing utilizing the extrusion of thermoplastic material iseasily the most common and recognizable 3DP process. Themost popular name for the process is Fused Deposition Modelling(FDM), due to its longevity, however this is a trade name,registered by Stratasys, the company that originally developed it.Stratasys FDM technology has been around since the early 1990sand today is an industrial grade 3D printing process. However, theproliferation of entry-level 3D printers that have emerged since2009 largely utilize a similar process, generally referred to as

Freeform Fabrication (FFF), but in a more basic form due topatents still held by Stratasys. The earliest RepRap machines andall subsequent evolutions open source and commercial



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employ extrusion methodology. However, following Stratasys

patent infringement"

ling against A"

nia there is a question markover how the entry-level end of the market will develop now, withall of the machines potentially in Stratasys " ring line for patentinfringements.

The process works by melting plastic " lament that is deposited,via a heated extruder, a layer at a time, onto a build platformaccording to the 3D data supplied to the printer. Each layerhardens as it is deposited and bonds to the previous layer.

Stratasys has developed a range of proprietary industrial gradematerials for its FDM process that are suitable for someproduction applications. At the entry-level end of the market,

materials are more limited, but the range is growing. The mostcommon materials for entry-level FFF 3D printers are ABS andPLA.

The FDM/FFF processes require support structures for anyapplications with overhanging geometries. For FDM, this entails a

second, water-soluble material, which allows support structuresto be relatively easily washed away, once the print is complete.Alternatively, breakaway support materials are also possible,which can be removed by manually snapping them o ! the part.


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Support structures, or lack thereof, have generally been a

limitation of the entry level FFF 3D printers. However, as thesystems have evolved and improved to incorporate dual extrusionheads, it has become less of an issue.

In terms of models produced, the FDM process from Stratasys isan accurate and reliable process that is relatively o # ce/studio-friendly, although extensive post-processing can be required. Atthe entry-level, as would be expected, the FFF process producesmuch less accurate models, but things are constantly improving.

The process can be slow for some part geometries and layer-to-layer adhesion can be a problem, resulting in parts that are notwatertight. Again, post-processing using Acetone can resolve

these issues.



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There are two 3D printing process that utilize a jetting technique.

Binder jetting: where the material being jetted is a binder, and isselectively sprayed into a powder bed of the part material to fuseit a layer at a time to create/print the required part. As is the casewith other powder bed systems, once a layer is completed, thepowder bed drops incrementally and a roller or blade smoothesthe powder over the surface of the bed, prior to the next pass ofthe jet heads, with the binder for the subsequent layer to beformed and fused with the previous layer.



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Advantages of this process, like with SLS, include the fact that the

need for supports is negated because the powder bed itselfprovides this functionality. Furthermore, a range of di ! erentmaterials can be used, including ceramics and food. A furtherdistinctive advantage of the process is the ability to easily add afull colour palette which can be added to the binder.

The parts resulting directly from the machine, however, are not asstrong as with the sintering process and require post-processingto ensure durability.



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Material jetting: a 3D printing process whereby the actual buildmaterials (in liquid or molten state) are selectively jetted throughmultiple jet heads (with others simultaneously jetting supportmaterials). However, the materials tend to be liquidphotopolymers, which are cured with a pass of UV light as eachlayer is deposited.

The nature of this product allows for the simultaneous deposition

of a range of materials, which means that a single part can beproduced from multiple materials with di ! erent characteristicsand properties. Material jetting is a very precise 3D printingmethod, producing accurate parts with a very smooth " nish.



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SDL is a proprietary 3D printing process developed andmanufactured by Mcor Technologies. There is a temptation tocompare this process with the Laminated Object Manufacturing

(LOM) process developed by Helisys in the 1990s due tosimilarities in layering and shaping paper to form the " nal part.However, that is where any similarity ends.

The SDL 3D printing process builds parts layer by layer usingstandard copier paper. Each new layer is " xed to the previouslayer using an adhesive, which is applied selectively according tothe 3D data supplied to the machine. This means that a muchhigher density of adhesive is deposited in the area that willbecome the part, and a much lower density of adhesive is applied



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in the surrounding area that will serve as the support, ensuring

relatively easy weeding, or support removal.

After a new sheet of paper is fed into the 3D printer from thepaper feed mechanism and placed on top of the selectivelyapplied adhesive on the previous layer, the build plate is movedup to a heat plate and pressure is applied. This pressure ensuresa positive bond between the two sheets of paper. The build platethen returns to the build height where an adjustable Tungstencarbide blade cuts one sheet of paper at a time, tracing the objectoutline to create the edges of the part. When this cuttingsequence is complete, the 3D printer deposits the next layer ofadhesive and so on until the part is complete.

SDL is one of the very few 3D printing processes that can producefull colour 3D printed parts, using a CYMK colour palette. Andbecause the parts are standard paper, which require no post-



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K7J

The Electron Beam Melting 3D printing

technique is a proprietary processdeveloped by Swedish companyArcam. This metal printing method isvery similar to the Direct Metal LaserSintering (DMLS) process in terms ofthe formation of parts from metalpowder. The key di ! erence is the heatsource, which, as the name suggests isan electron beam, rather than a laser,which necessitates that the procedureis carried out under vacuumconditions.

EBM has the capability of creating fully-dense parts in a variety of metal alloys,even to medical grade, and as a resultthe technique has been particularlysuccessful for a range of productionapplications in the medical industry,

particularly for implants. However,other hi-tech sectors such asaerospace and automotive have alsolooked to EBM technology formanufacturing ful " llment.



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processing, they are wholly safe and eco-friendly. Where the

process is not able to compete favourably with other 3D printingprocesses is in the production of complex geometries and thebuild size is limited to the size of the feedstock.



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3D Printing Materials

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The materials available for 3D printing have come a long way

since the early days of the technology. There is now a wide varietyof di ! erent material types, that are supplied in di ! erent states(powder, " lament, pellets, granules, resin etc).

Speci " c materials are now generally developed for speci " cplatforms performing dedicated applications (an example wouldbe the dental sector) with material properties that more preciselysuit the application.

However, there are now way too many proprietary materials fromthe many di ! erent 3D printer vendors to cover them all here.Instead, this article will look at the most popular types of materialin a more generic way. And also a couple of materials that stand

out.



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Nylon, or Polyamide, is commonly

used in powder form with thesintering process or in " lament formwith the FDM process. It is a strong,$ exible and durable plastic materialthat has proved reliable for 3Dprinting. It is naturally white in colourbut it can be coloured pre- or postprinting. This material can also becombined (in powder format) withpowdered aluminium to produceanother common 3D printing material for sintering Alumide.

ABS is another common plastic used for 3D printing, and is widely

used on the entry-level FDM 3D printers in " lament form. It is aparticularly strong plastic and comes in a wide range of colours.ABS can be bought in " lament form from a number of non-propreitary sources, which is another reason why it is so popular.

PLA is a bio-degradable plastic material that has gained traction

with 3D printing for this very reason. It can be utilized in resinformat for DLP/SL processes as well as in " lament form for theFDM process. It is o ! ered in a variety of colours, includingtrans arent, which has roven to be a useful o tion for some



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A growing number of metals and

metal composites are used forindustrial grade 3D printing. Twoof the most common arealuminium and cobalt derivatives.

One of the strongest and therefore most commonly used metalsfor 3D printing is Stainless Steel in powder form for the sintering/melting/EBM processes. It is naturally silver, but can be platedwith other materials to give a gold or bronze e ! ect.

In the last couple of years Gold and Silver have been added to therange of metal materials that can be 3D printed directly, withobvious applications across the jewellery sector. These are both

very strong materials and are processed in powder form.

Titanium is one of the strongest possible metal materials and hasbeen used for 3D printing industrial applications for some time.Supplied in powder form, it can be used for the sintering/melting/EBM processes.



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CeramicsCeramics are a relatively new groupof materials that can be used for 3Dprinting with various levels ofsuccess. The particular thing tonote with these materials is that,post printing, the ceramic parts need

to undergo the same processes as anyceramic part made using traditionalmethods of production namely " ring and glazing.

PaperStandard A4 copier paper is a 3D printing

material employed by the proprietarySDL process supplied by McorTechnologies. The company operates anotably di ! erent business model toother 3D printing vendors, whereby thecapital outlay for the machine is in themid-range, but the emphasis is verymuch on an easily obtainable, cost-e ! ectivematerial supply, that can be bought locally. 3D printed modelsmade with paper are safe, environmentally friendly, easilyrecyclable and require no post-processing.



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Bio MaterialsThere is a huge amount of researchbeing conducted into the potential of3D printing bio materials for a host ofmedical (and other) applications. Livingtissue is being investigated at a numberof leading institutions with a view to

developing applications that include printing human organs fortransplant, as well as external tissues for replacement body parts.Other research in this area is focused on developing food stu ! s meat being the prime example.

Food

Experiments with extruders for 3Dprinting food substances hasincreased dramatically over the lastcouple of years. Chocolate is themost common (and desirable).There are also printers that work

with sugar and some experimentswith pasta and meat. Looking to the future, research is beingundertaken, to utilize 3D printing technology to produce " nelybalanced whole meals.



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OtherAnd " nally, one company that does have a unique (proprietary)material o ! ering is Stratasys, with its digital materials for theObjet Connex 3D printing platform. This o ! ering means thatstandard Objet 3D printing materials can be combined during theprinting process in various and speci " ed concentrations toform new materials with the required properties. Up to 140

di!

erent Digital Materials can be realized from combining theexisting primary materials in di ! erent ways.



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3D Printing Global E ! ects

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3D printing is already havingan e ! ect on the way thatproducts are manufactured

the nature of the technologypermits new ways of thinkingin terms of the social,economic, environmental andsecurity implications of themanufacturing process withuniversally favourable results.

One of the key factors behindthis statement is that 3Dprinting has the potential to

bring production closer to theend user and/or the consumer,thereby reducing the current

supply chain restrictions. Thecustomisation value of 3Dprinting and the ability toproduce small productionbatches on demand is a sureway to engage consumers ANDreduce or negate inventoriesand stock piling somethingsimilar to how Amazonoperates its business.



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Shipping spare parts and

products from one part of theworld to the other couldpotentially become obsolete,as the spare parts mightpossibly be 3D printed on site.This could have a major impacton how businesses large andsmall, the military andconsumers operate andinteract on a global scale in thefuture. The ultimate aim formany is for consumers tooperate their own 3D printer at

home, or within theircommunity, whereby digitaldesigns of any (customizable)product are available fordownload via the internet, andcan be sent to the printer,

which is loaded with thecorrect material(s). Currently,there is some debate aboutwhether this will ever come to

pass, and even more rigorous

debate about the time frame inwhich it may occur.

The wider adoption of 3Dprinting would likely cause re-invention of a number ofalready invented products,and, of course, an even biggernumber of completely newproducts. Today previouslyimpossible shapes andgeometries can be createdwith a 3D printer, but the

journey has really only justbegun. 3D printing is believedby many to have very greatpotential to inject growth intoinnovation and bring back localmanufacturing.



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The use of 3D printing

technology has potentiale ! ects on the global economy,if adopted world wide. Theshift of production anddistribution from the currentmodel to a localizedproduction based on-demand,on site, customized productionmodel could potentially reducethe imbalance between exportand import countries.

3D printing would have the

potential to create newindustries and completely newprofessions, such as thoserelated to the production of 3Dprinters. There is anopportunity for professional

services around 3D printing,ranging from new forms ofproduct designers, printeroperators, material suppliers

all the way to intellectual

property legal disputes andsettlements. Piracy is a currentconcern related to 3D printingfor many IP holders.

The e ! ect of 3D printing on thedeveloping world is a double-edged sword. One example ofthe positive e ! ect is loweredmanufacturing cost throughrecycled and other localmaterials, but the loss ofmanufacturing jobs could hit

many developing countriesseverely, which would taketime to overcome.



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The developed world, would bene " t perhaps the most from 3D

printing, where the growing aged society and shift of agedemographics has been a concern related to production and workforce. Also the health bene " ts of the medical use of 3D printingwould cater well for an aging western society.



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3D Printing Bene " ts & Value

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3D printing, whether at an industrial, local or personal level,brings a host of bene " ts that traditional methods of manufacture(or prototyping) simply cannot.

3D printing processes allow for mass customization the abilityto personalize products according to individual needs andrequirements. Even within the same build chamber, the nature of

3D printing means that numerous products can be manufacturedat the same time according to the end-users requirements at noadditional process cost.

Customisation



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The advent of 3D printing has seen a proliferation of products(designed in digital environments), which involve levels ofcomplexity that simply could not be produced physically in anyother way. While this advantage has been taken up by designersand artists to impressive visual e ! ect, it has also made asigni " cant impact on industrial applications, whereby applicationsare being developed to materialize complex components that are

proving to be both lighter and stronger than their predecessors.Notable uses are emerging in the aerospace sector where theseissues are of primary importance.

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For industrial manufacturing, one of the most cost-, time- and

labour-intensive stages of the product development process is theproduction of the tools. For low to medium volume applications,industrial 3D printing or additive manufacturing can eliminatethe need for tool production and, therefore, the costs, lead timesand labour associated with it. This is an extremely attractiveproposition, that an increasing number or manufacturers aretaking advantage of. Furthermore, because of the complexityadvantages stated above, products and components can bedesigned speci " cally to avoid assembly requirements with intricategeometry and complex features further eliminating the labour andcosts associated with assembly processes.

Tool-less

Complexity



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3D printing is also emerging as an energy-e#

cient technologythat can provide environmental e # ciencies in terms of both themanufacturing process itself, utilising up to 90% of standardmaterials, and, therefore, creating less waste, but also throughoutan additively manufactured products operating life, by way oflighter and stronger design that imposes a reduced carbonfootprint compared with traditionally manufactured products.

Furthermore, 3D printing is showing great promise in terms offul" lling a local manufacturing model, whereby products areproduced on demand in the place where they are needed eliminating huge inventories and unsustainable logistics forshipping high volumes of products around the world.

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Sustainable / Environmentally Friendly



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3D Printing Applications

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The origins of 3D printing in Rapid Prototyping were founded on theprinciples of industrial prototyping as a means of speeding up theearliest stages of product development with a quick andstraightforward way of producing prototypes that allows for multipleiterations of a product to arrive more quickly and e # ciently at anoptimum solution. This saves time and money at the outset of theentire product development process and ensures con " dence aheadof production tooling.

Prototyping is still probably the largest, even though sometimesoverlooked, application of 3D printing today.

The developments and improvements of the process and thematerials, since the emergence of 3D printing for prototyping, sawthe processes being taken up for applications further down theproduct development process chain. Tooling and castingapplications were developed utilizing the advantages of the di ! erentprocesses. Again, these applications are increasingly being used andadopted across industrial sectors.

Similarly for " nal manufacturing operations, the improvements are

continuing to facilitate uptake.

In terms of the industrial vertical markets that are bene " tting greatlyfrom industrial 3D printing across all of these broad spectrumapplications, the following is a basic breakdown:

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The medical sector is viewed asbeing one that was an earlyadopter of 3D printing, butalso a sector with hugepotential for growth, due to thecustomization and

personalization capabilities ofthe technologies and the abilityto improve peoples lives as theprocesses improve andmaterials are developed thatmeet medical grade standards.

3D printing technologies arebeing used for a host ofdi ! erent applications. In

addition to making prototypesto support new productdevelopment for the medicaland dental industries, thetechnologies are also utilizedto make patterns for the

downstream metal casting ofdental crowns and in themanufacture of tools overwhich plastic is being vacuumformed to make dentalaligners. The technology is alsotaken advantage of directly tomanufacture both stock items,such as hip and knee implants,and bespoke patient-speci " c

Medical and Dental



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products, such as hearing aids, orthotic insoles for shoes,

personalised prosthetics and one-o ! implants for patientssu ! ering from diseases such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis andcancer, along with accident and trauma victims. 3D printedsurgical guides for speci " c operations are also an emergingapplication that is aiding surgeons in their work and patients intheir recovery. Technology is also being developed for the 3Dprinting of skin, bone, tissue, pharmaceuticals and even humanorgans. However, these technologies remain largely decades awayfrom commercialisation.



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Like the medical sector, theaerospace sector was an earlyadopter of 3D printingtechnologies in their earliestforms for product

development and prototyping.These companies, typicallyworking in partnership withacademic and researchinstitutes, have been at thesharp end in terms or pushingthe boundaries of thetechnologies formanufacturing applications.

Because of the critical natureof aircraft development, theR&D is demanding andstrenuous, standards arecritical and industrial grade 3D

printing systems are putthrough their paces. Processand materials developmenthave seen a number of keyapplications developed for theaerospace sector and somenon-critical parts are all-ready$ ying on aircraft.

Aerospace



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High pro " le users include GE / Morris Technologies, Airbus / EADS,

Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Boeing. While most of thesecompanies do take a realistic approach in terms of what they aredoing now with the technologies, and most of it is R&D, some doget quite bullish about the future.



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Another general early adopterof Rapid Prototyingtechnologies the earliestincarnation of 3D printing was the automotive sector.Many automotive companies particularly at the cuttingedge of motor sport and F1 have followed a similartrajectory to the aerospacecompanies. First (and still)using the technologies forprototyping applications, but

developing and adapting theirmanufacturing processes toincorporate the bene " ts of

improved materials and endresults for automotive parts.

Many automotive companiesare now also looking at thepotential of 3D printing to ful " llafter sales functions in termsof production of spare/replacement parts, ondemand, rather than holdinghuge inventories.

Automotive



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Traditionally, the design andmanufacturing process for

jewellery has always requiredhigh levels of expertise andknowledge involving speci " cdisciplines that include

fabrication, mould-making,casting, electroplating, forging,silver/gold smithing, stone-cutting, engraving andpolishing. Each of thesedisciplines has evolved overmany years and each requirestechnical knowledge whenapplied to jewellerymanufacture. Just one example

is investment casting theorigins of which can be tracedback more than 4000 years.

For the jewellery sector, 3Dprinting has proved to be

particularly disruptive. There isa great deal of interest anduptake based on how 3Dprinting can, and will,contribute to the furtherdevelopment of this industry.From new design freedomsenabled by 3D CAD and 3Dprinting, through improvingtraditional processes for

Jewellery



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jewellery production all the way to direct 3D printed production

eliminating many of the traditional steps, 3D printing has had and continues to have a tremendous impact in this sector.



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Artists and Sculptors are engaging with 3D printing in myriad ofdi ! erent ways to explore form and function in ways previouslyimpossible. Whether purely to " nd new original expression or tolearn from old masters this is a highly charged sector that isincreasingly " nding new ways of working with 3D printing andintroducing the results to the world. There are numerous artiststhat have now made a name for themselves by working

speci " cally with 3D modelling, 3D scanning and 3D printingtechnologies.

Joshua Harker Dizingof Jessica Rosenkrantz at Nervous System

Pia Hinze Nick Ervinck Lionel Dean And many others.

Art / Design / Sculpture



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The discipline of 3D scanning in conjunction with 3D printing also

brings a new dimension to the art world, however, in that artistsand students now have a proven methodology of reproducing thework of past masters and creating exact replicas of ancient (andmore recent) sculptures for close study works of art that theywould otherwise never have been able to interact with in person.The work of Cosmo Wenman is particularly enlightening in this" eld.



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Architectural models have longbeen a staple application of 3Dprinting processes, forproducing accuratedemonstration models of anarchitects vision. 3D printing

o!

ers a relatively fast, easy andeconomically viable method ofproducing detailed modelsdirectly from 3D CAD, BIM orother digital data thatarchitects use. Many successfularchitectural " rms, nowcommonly use 3D printing (inhouse or as a service) as acritical part of their work $ ow

for increased innovation andimproved communication.

More recently some visionaryarchitects are looking to 3Dprinting as a direct

construction method. Researchis being conducted at anumber of organizations onthis front, most notablyLoughborough University,Contour Crafting and UniverseArchitecture.

Architecture



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As 3D printing processes haveimproved in terms ofresolution and more $ exiblematerials, one industry,renowned for experimentationand outrageous statements,has come to the fore. We are of

course talking about fashion!

3D printed accessoriesincluding shoes, head-pieces,hats and bags have all madetheir way on to global catwalks.

And some even more visionaryfashion designers havedemonstrated the capabilitiesof the tech for haute couture dresses, capes, full-length

gowns and even some underwear have debuted at di ! erentfashion venues around theworld.

Iris van Herpen should get aspecial mention as the leading

pioneer in this vein. She hasproduced a number ofcollections modelled on thecatwalks of Paris and Milan that incorporate 3D printing toblow up the normal rules that

no longer apply to fashiondesign. Many have followed,and continue to follow, in herfootsteps, often with whollyoriginal results.

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Although a late-comer to the3D printing party, food is oneemerging application (and/or3D printing material) that isgetting people very excited andhas the potential to truly takethe technology into the

mainstream. After all, we willall, always, need to eat! 3Dprinting is emerging as a newway of preparing andpresenting food.

Initial forays into 3D printingfood were with chocolate andsugar, and these developmentshave continued apace withspeci " c 3D printers hitting the

market. Some other earlyexperiments with foodincluding the 3D printing ofmeat at the cellular proteinlevel. More recently pasta isanother food group that isbeing researched for 3D

printing food.

Looking to the future 3Dprinting is also beingconsidered as a complete foodpreparation method and a way

of balancing nutrients in acomprehensive and healthyway.

Food



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The holy grail for 3D printing vendors is consumer 3D printing.There is a widespread debate as to whether this is a feasiblefuture. Currently, consumer uptake is low due to the accessibilityissues that exist with entry level (consumer machines). There isheadway being made in this direction by the larger 3D printingcompanies such as 3D Systems and Makerbot, as a subsidiary of

Stratasys as they try to make the 3D printing process and theancillary components (software, digital content etc) moreaccessible and user-friendly. There are currently three main waysthat the person on the street can interact with 3D printing tech forconsumer products:

design + print choose + print choose + 3D printing service ful " llment

Consumers



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3D Printing Glossary

CHAPTER

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# 3DP3D Printing

AaABSAcrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene

AMAdditive Manufacturing

CcCAD / CAMComputer-aided design / Computer-aided

CAEComputer-aided engineering



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DdDLPDigital Light Processing

DMDDirect Metal Deposition

DMLSDirect Metal Laser Sintering

Ff FDMFused Deposition Modelling (Trademark of Stratasys)

FFFFreeform Fabrication



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LlLENSLaser Engineering Net-Shaping (Trademark ofSNL, licensed to Optomec)

LS

Laser Sintering

PPLA

Polylactic Acid

RrREReverse Engineering



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RrRMRapid Manufacturing

RPRapid Prototyping

RTRapid Tooling

SsSLStereolithography

SLAStereolithography Apparatus (Registered Trademark of 3D Systems)

SLMSelective Laser Melting



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Ss

STL / .stlStereo Lithograpic

SLSSelective Laser Sintering (RegisteredTrademark of 3D Systems)
http://3dpi.tv/

Documents

3D-Printing-Guide.pdf