Additive Processes
A number of additive processes are available. They differ in the way layers are deposited to create parts and in the materials that can be used. Some methods melt or soften material to produce the layers, e.g. selective laser sintering (SLS) and fused deposition modeling (FDM), while others cure liquid materials using different sophisticated technologies, e.g. stereolithography (SLA). With laminated object manufacturing (LOM), thin layers are cut to shape and joined together (e.g. paper, polymer, metal). Each method has its own advantages and drawbacks, and some companies consequently offer a choice between powder and polymer for the material from which the object is built. The main considerations in choosing a machine are generally speed, cost of the 3D printer, cost of the printed prototype, and cost and choice of materials and color capabilities.
Printers that work directly with metals are expensive. In some cases, however, less expensive printers can be used to make a mould, which is then used to make metal parts.
| Type | Technologies | Materials |
|---|---|---|
| Extrusion | Fused deposition modeling (FDM) | Thermoplastics (e.g. PLA, ABS), eutectic metals, edible materials |
| Granular | Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) | Almost any metal alloy |
| Electron beam melting (EBM) | Titanium alloys | |
| Selective heat sintering (SHS) | Thermoplastic powder | |
| Selective laser sintering (SLS) | Thermoplastics, metal powders, ceramic powders | |
| Powder bed and inkjet head 3d printing, Plaster-based 3D printing (PP) | Plaster | |
| Laminated | Laminated object manufacturing (LOM) | Paper, metal foil, plastic film |
| Light polymerised | Stereolithography (SLA) | photopolymer |
| Digital Light Processing (DLP) | liquid resin |
Read more about this topic: Direct Digital Manufacturing
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“Our bodies are shaped to bear children, and our lives are a working out of the processes of creation. All our ambitions and intelligence are beside that great elemental point.”
—Phyllis McGinley (1905–1978)