3D PRINTING

Produced from either a 3D Model or CAD file.

There are many different 3D printing processes, that can be grouped into seven categories:
 Vat photopolymerization
 Material jetting
 Binder jetting
 Powder bed fusion
 Material extrusion (most commonly used technique)
 Directed energy deposition
 Sheet lamination

3D modelling Tools
 3D Scanner
 Digital Camera
 Photogrammetry Software

CAD models can be saved in the stereolithography file format (STL), not tailored for additive
manufacturing because it generates large file sizes. A newer CAD file format, the Additive Manufacturing
File format (AMF) was introduced in 2011 to solve this problem. It stores information using curved
triangulations.

Before printing a 3D model from an STL file, it must first be examined for errors. A step in the STL
generation known as "repair" fixes such problems in the original model. Once completed, the STL file
needs to be processed by a piece of software called a "slicer," which converts the model into a series of
thin layers and produces a G-code file containing instructions tailored to a specific type of 3D printer.

The main considerations in choosing a machine are generally:

 Speed
 Cost of the 3D printer
 Cost of the printed prototype
 Choice and cost of the materials
 Color capabilities