3D printing is an emerging technology in the manufacturing sector, known as a “manufacturing technology of industrial revolution significance.” In recent years, with advancements in industrial technology, 3D printing technology has rapidly developed and received widespread media attention. Facing numerous 3D printing technologies, are you feeling a bit overwhelmed?
No worries, this article organizes the top ten 3D printing technologies, vividly presenting their principles through animated images, bringing the impressive 3D printing technology down to earth!
In this article, we will share the principles of 3D printing in the polymer and metal categories, focusing on five major technologies: SLA, CLIP, 3DP, PolyJet, and FDM, as well as the principles of five metal 3D printing technologies: NPJ, SLM, SLS, LMD, and EBM.
1. SLA (StereoLithography)
SLA is a light curing molding technology that uses ultraviolet light to irradiate liquid photosensitive resin, causing polymerization reactions to cure layer by layer and generate three-dimensional entities. The dimensional accuracy of parts produced by SLA is high, making it one of the earliest commercialized 3D printing technologies.
Below is the SLA process:
Ultraviolet Laser Source
Light Curing Reaction
Layered Scanning Molding
2. CLIP
CLIP stands for Continuous Liquid Interface Production, a revolutionary 3D printing technology developed by Carbon 3D based on SLA technology, which increases the speed of 3D printing by 100 times!
CLIP projects from the bottom, curing the photosensitive resin, while controlling oxygen in the uncured areas to form a dead zone, inhibiting the light curing reaction and maintaining a stable liquid region, ensuring the continuity of curing.
Light Curing Reaction
Oxygen Inhibition of the Light Curing Process
Demonstration of the Light Curing Dead Zone
CLIP Molding Process
3. 3DP (Three-Dimensional Printing)
3DP is a rapid prototyping technology similar to traditional two-dimensional inkjet printing, where a binder (colored binder can print colored parts) is ejected from the nozzle, bonding powder on the platform to form shapes, typically using gypsum powder as the molding material. Currently, 3DP technology is mainly applied in two areas: full-color 3D printing and sand mold casting.
Below is the process of sand mold casting using 3DP technology by Exone Company:
Binder Jetting
Heating and Curing
Printing and Molding
Casting Molding
4. PolyJet
PolyJet is a polymer jetting technology whose molding principle is similar to 3DP technology, but instead of a binder, it jets light-curable resin, which is cured through ultraviolet light after jetting.
PolyJet Molding Principle
PolyJet uses an array of nozzles, allowing it to simultaneously jet different materials, achieving multi-material and multi-color printing.
Array Nozzle Working Process
PolyJet Printing Process
5. FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)
FDM is a fused layer modeling technology that melts materials at high temperatures and extrudes them through the print head into filaments, stacking them on the component platform to form shapes. FDM is the simplest and most common 3D printing technology, usually applied in desktop-level 3D printing devices.
Below is the working principle of FDM technology:
Model Processing
Material Extrusion Molding
Layered Printing Process
Support Removal
Surface Treatment
Metal 3D printing technology can be directly used for the rapid manufacturing of metal parts, with broad industrial application prospects, and is a key development focus in 3D printing technology both domestically and internationally. Next, we will share the principles of five metal 3D printing technologies: NPJ, SLM, SLS, LMD, and EBM.
6. NPJ (Nano Particle Jetting)
NPJ technology is the latest metal 3D printing technology developed by the Israeli company Xjet. Compared to ordinary laser 3D printing, it uses nano-liquid metal, depositing it in a jetting manner, with a printing speed five times faster than ordinary laser printing, and excellent precision and surface roughness.
Below is the working process of Xjet equipment:
Metal Particle Refinement
Metal Particles Distributed in Droplets
Droplet Jetting Molding Process
Liquid Phase Discharge Process
Sintered Parts
7. SLM (Selective Laser Melting)
SLM is a selective laser melting forming technology, currently the most common technology in metal 3D printing. It uses finely focused laser spots to quickly melt pre-placed metal powders, directly obtaining parts of any shape with complete metallurgical bonding, achieving a density of over 99%.
The laser scanning system is one of the key technologies of SLM. Below is the working diagram of the scanning system from SLM Solution:
Laser Emission
Laser Transmission
Scanning Galvanometer
Laser Scanning Melting
Metal Powder Melting Process
In the metal 3D printing process, due to the complexity of the parts, support materials are usually required. After the parts are completed, the supports need to be removed, and the surface of the parts needs to be treated.
Removing the Parts
Removing the Supports
Post-Processing
8. SLS (Selective Laser Sintering)
SLS is a selective laser sintering forming technology, similar to SLM technology, with the difference being the laser power. It is usually used for 3D printing of polymer materials.
Below is the process of preparing plastic parts using SLS:
Model Layer Slicing
Removing the Parts
Post-Processing
SLS can also be used to manufacture metal or ceramic parts, but the parts obtained have low density and require post-densification treatment before use.
SLS Manufacturing Metal Parts
9. LMD (Laser Metal Deposition)
LMD is a laser cladding forming technology with various names, as different research institutions have independently studied and named it. Common names include: LENS, DMD, DLF, LRF, etc. The main difference from SLM is that its powder is gathered to the work surface through a nozzle, converging with the laser at one point, where the powder melts and cools to obtain a deposited cladding entity.
Below is the working process of LENS technology:
Coaxial Powder Feeding
Building Process
10. EBM (Electron Beam Melting)
EBM is an electron beam melting technology, with a process very similar to SLM, the difference being that EBM uses an electron beam as its energy source. The output energy of the electron beam in EBM is typically an order of magnitude larger than that of the laser in SLM, and the scanning speed is also much higher than that of SLM. Therefore, during the construction process of EBM, the entire modeling platform needs to be preheated to prevent excessive temperature leading to large residual stress during the forming process.
Below is the working process of EBM:
Overall Preheating
Forming Process
Changes in Powder During Melting
-End-
Source: Mechanical Master
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