A Comparison Of 3D Printing

Technology has consistently been advancing as time progresses, and manufacturing is definitely oneo f those technologies. Typically, things have been made by one of three methods. First, many people have been creating parts by hand. Specialists in shops have been carving pieces, gluing pieces together, sanding them, and painting them. Work with various tools has created some crude, and some intricate pieces. Second, quite a few people have been jumping into various types of molding & casting for their manufacturing needs. Some of these methods have been around for hundreds of years; think of a blacksmith making weaponry. This technology still exists today through various niches of casting, including jewelry, modern day casting, and mold manufacturing. Third, various forms of machining has been around for at least one hundred years. People using saws, drills, and machinery to remove material of certain pieces is definitely a popular process. It is a very popular process for truly custom pieces, just like hand made parts. These forms of manufacturing have definitely served their own purposes, but I want to talk about a new form of manufacturing that is already starting to blow the doors off these traditional forms of manufacturing. I want to talk to you about 3D printing.

First off, what is 3D printing? This manufacturing technology, simply put, is the creation of products layer by layer. 3D printing is often referred to as additive manufacturing. What is so significant about 3D printing? First off, this technology can create pretty much anything. A machine will create products through an automated process known as CAM, or computer aided manufacturing. Essentially, if a product can be designed on the computer, it can be created through a 3D printer. When a printer receives the design, it will begin to create the product according to the design in a layer by layer process. Let me compare 3D printing to the 3 types of manufacturing that were listed earlier.

Comparing 3d printing to creating pieces by hand is very… interesting. Sure, some positive factors will come through hand making pieces. Artwork in particular stands out above 3D printing in some senses, however not all. Many artists and sculptors have been designing models to create through 3D printing. Quite honestly, 3D printing can create quite a bit more than what an artist could make by hand. Due to the layer by layer process, detailed centers can come about in a product – whilst an artist hand carving or making a piece couldn’t even get “inside” of a product to work on it.

The same thing applies to machining. If a model has an intricate center, it will be very difficult to replicate without 3D printing. A drill has a hard enough time creating organic curves, and still struggles with that. What about detailed centers? Machining simply doesn’t hold up.

Mold manufacturing can offer some cool pieces, especially on a mass produced level. However, some models simply can’t be made due to detailed centers. The molds can’t even be manufactured!

3D printing sticks out in the manufacturing world for being able to create a wide variety of intricate centers, organic curves, high levels of intricacy, and truly unique pieces.