3 D Printing

Meaning3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of making three dimensional

solid objects from a digital file. The creation of a 3D printed object is achieved
using additive processes. In an additive process an object is created by laying
down successive layers of material until the entire object is created.
It is a slow procedure in which a printer reads a digital blueprint and methodically
drops building material according to a set of instructions, creating a final product
thats built up tiny layer by tiny layer. The printers are capable of producing
extremely detailed and intricate levels of design that can be difficult or
impractical to create with other methods.
How it works-

It all starts with making a virtual design of the object you want to create. This virtual design
is made in a CAD (Computer Aided Design) file using a 3D modeling program (for the
creation of a totally new object) or with the use of a 3D scanner (to copy an existing object).
A 3D scanner makes a 3D digital copy of an object.
3d scanners use different technologies to generate a 3d model such as time-of-flight,
structured / modulated light, volumetric scanning and many more.
To prepare a digital file for printing, the 3D modeling software slices the final model into
hundreds or thousands of horizontal layers. When the sliced file is uploaded in a 3D printer,
the object can be created layer by layer. The 3D printer reads every slice (or 2D image) and
creates the object, blending each layer with hardly any visible sign of the layers, with as a
result the three dimensional object.
Application in supply chain

Vetting out designs - Instead of taking a 2D design straight to a tooling/molding

manufacturer, designers and engineers use 3D printing to prototype and vet out
designs. This function was 3D printings earliest benefit and was its first purpose
starting out in the late 1980s, but it is no less relevant today. More recent materials
developments in 3D printing are creating prototypes that not only mimic the look and
feel of injection molded thermoplastics, but can even mirror properties for functional
testing. From three decades ago to today, 3D printing no longer just reveals designs
it reveals products prior to end production.

Locating design flaws, which would normally only surface once tooling investments were
made, and re-prototyping and redesigning more frequently and affordably is leading to more
optimum products across aerospace, medical and consumer product industries. Fixing a
design flaw doesnt mean shipping a tool back and forth, or buying and waiting on a new
tool; users can simply update the 3D computer-aided design (CAD) file, reprint the design

and validate it before ever moving into tooling. 3D printing is helping shorten the supply
chain by speeding up product development cycles as well.

Manufacturing aids- Manufacturing aids, such as jigs, fixtures and other tools that
speed up assembly lines, are valuable but can be time-consuming and/or expensive to
traditionally develop. The versatility of additive manufacturing and the ease with
which it develops durable, accurate parts makes it a go-to resource for assembly lines
today. Manufacturing aids, such as custom tube bender dies, jigs and fixtures, cooling
patterns, molds, locating templates, and drill and saw guides became perhaps some of
the best-kept 3D printing secrets. Using 3D printing manufacturing aids ensures a
high level of observable quality management, and helps maintain efficiency and
profit.

Packaging - 3D printing materials now mirror those used in taxing heat and pressure
environments, including high-performance thermoplastics such as polycarbonate and
ABS. These materials, coupled with 3D printing, are being used to create custom
thermoforming patterns. Custom thermoforming patterns benefit from 3D printing in
three ways as the technology can achieve: designs which fluctuate in thickness;
patterns with varying sizes; and patterns requiring multiple unique shapes. Packaging
industries are finding 3D-printed thermoforming patterns an increasingly more
economical and effective solution to challenging product designs.

Production - Materials developments are changing the face of 3D printing. Thanks

to these developments, its becoming progressively more common during certain
manufacturing processes to use 3D printing as the end product. Rather than
transferring from 3D printing into, say, injection molding or mass production,
engineers are discovering that the complexities 3D printing embodies are too valuable
to dilute by moving to a more conventional production method. 3D printing becomes
ideal or essential for production when:

1. The design is only achievable through 3D printing. We see this most frequently in the
aerospace industries when it comes to ducting and other non-load bearing,
multifunctional units, but complex geometries in every field can find niche solutions
here.
2. The production volume may not justify the expensive overhead cost of tooling, blow
molding or other methods. This is especially true in industries that only require 50 to
100 parts a quarter or year. 3D printing is the more economical choice and can meet
these low- to medium-volume requirements for complex parts much more effectively,
quickly and economically.
3. The turnaround is shorter than a conventional production process is capable of
achieving. 3D printing is a rapid process; there is no time lost developing a tool or
waiting for a first shot off the mold. Design files are sent straight to the printer for
fabrication and then post-processed as needed.

Virtual inventory - 3 D printing is already a part of that manufacturing plant of the

future as the technology allows for manufacturers to have virtual inventories. Virtual
inventories work like this: Designs are saved as files on computers, on USB drives
and, more frequently, uploaded to the cloud. The 3D printing manufacturer then
accesses those files, and prints and ships parts back to the designer or straight to the
consumer as needed