3D printing (3DP), also known as additive manufacturing (AM), is a popular method used in Industry 4.0 that involves using machines and pens to create customized and complex 3D objects from a digital file by layering materials. This technology is widely used in industries such as aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and consumer goods for prototyping, rapid tooling, and production of end-use parts. 3DP offers companies a low-risk, low-cost, and fast way to produce prototypes, allowing them to test new products and speed up development without expensive models or specialized tools. Machines are more suitable for creating larger and more complex objects with high accuracy, while pens are better for smaller and simpler designs. Machines can be expensive and require training, while pens are more affordable and easy to use. Overall, AM with 3DP has provided new possibilities for designers and manufacturers. This chapter will further explore different printing methods, materials, advantages, limitations, software applications, potential uses, and future prospects of this technology.
Top1. Introduction
The advantages of AM are numerous. It makes possible to create complex and intricate designs that are previously impossible to produce by traditional manufacturing methods. AM is also providing more flexibility and customization options, allowing designers to create one-of-a-kind products for specific needs. Medicine, engineering, and education have all benefited from this AM technology. Besides this, AM is more environmentally friendly method of manufacturing because it can reduces waste materials and uses fewer materials (Bogue, 2013; Gogoi & Jeyapoovan, 2016; Shahrubudin et al., 2019; Takahashi & Kim, 2019; Yang, 2022; Zolotareva et al., 2021).
Filament and resin-based 3D printers are the two most common methods of printing 3D parts that are relevant for 3DP machines (Gokhare et al., 2017; Ngo et al., 2018). The machine starts with plastic filament as a raw material and then melts it down to give the required dimension to the material that has been programmed to get the final layer. Throughout the printing process, the printer only considered parts of a mono and 2D layer at a time. A 3D printer that uses filament obtains all of the pathways along which it intends to lay down material in each layer, then moves up a little and begins working on a new set of movements. In this manner, a new layer will be printed on top of each previous layer.
A transparent resin material melts together and resembles an injection-molded plastic part rather than a 3D printed part in resin-based 3D printers, usually stereolithography (SLA). This liquid resin is an adhesive and non-sticky film that is poured into a vat with a transparent bottom and is used to cover a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. Instead of a monitor's actinic rays, it incorporates a powerful actinic radiation LED that shines. Most vats can have this film replaced. The UV semiconductor diode and the LCD masking screen, on the other hand, have a limited life span. The entire layer is exposed and cured at the same time on an LCD or, more commonly, a Masked Stereolithography Apparatus (MSLA) printer. As a result, regardless of the size of the part being printed, it will always take the same amount of time per layer. It will always build the print up at a similar speed vertically, and as a result, these machines will always produce the same product faster than filament printers. There are resins that are “water washable,” which means they can be easily rinsed with regular water. Resin-based 3D printers are capable of producing highly intricate resin products with ultra-fine layers (Guerra et al., 2019; Hmeidat et al., 2018; Lopatina & Filippova, 2020; Tosto et al., 2020).
Peter Dilworth, Maxwell Bogue, and Daniel Cowen of Wobble Works, Inc. (formerly Wobble Works LLC) created the epitome of 3Doodler, which could be a 3D pen, in 2012 (Gogoi & Jeyapoovan, 2016; Takahashi & Kim, 2019). The fact that it conjures up power and aids in the development of skills in sketching with 3D pens, which is a recent trend on the planet. However, hand-drawn drawings do not appear to be as accurate and precise as machine-drawn drawings. However, the 3D pen may be a promising tool for encouraging inventive imagination. The difference between traditional ink-based pens and 3D printing pens is that the extruder tip of a 3D printing pen produces liquid plastic filament. To begin writing, a plastic filament that can be heated to the desired temperature is required, and this liquid plastic is used to design the desired look. The 3D pen attracts and deposits plastic filament material through the nozzle and the speed is controlled by a motor (Gogoi & Jeyapoovan, 2016).