Additive Manufacturing Technologies: An Introduction to 3D

Printing Methods

By
Zerzeri Wassim

Professor: Bassem Gassara

Contents

1- Introduction
2- 3D Model Files
3- Slicing Software
3.1- IdeaMaker
4- 3D printing Techniques
4.1- Stereolithography
4.2- Selective Laser Sintering and Melting
4.3- Inkjet Printing
4.4- Fused Deposition Modelling
5- The 3D Revolution
 1- Introduction
Additive Manufacturing refers to the production of parts by building up successive layers of a
formless material in a vastly automated process based on digital 3D models. Rather than being
one single technology, Additive Manufacturing is in fact a diverse technology field. In the
public debate and the media headlines it is frequently referred to as 3D printing, a
development that the media is all too keen to describe as a “revolution”. However, the home
3D printers currently available on the market actually have very little in common with
industrial Additive Manufacturing systems.

The basic ideas underlying Additive Manufacturing were patented in the 20th century – the
patent applications for the first technologies were filed from the 1970s on, although at that
point in time it was not yet possible to put them into practice. By the 1990s, advances in laser
technology and ICT resulted in the first successful attempts at Rapid Prototyping, in which
parts with limited functionality were produced as visualization aids e.g. for product designers
and surgeons. The big advantage of these prototypes is that they can be produced very quickly
from a 3D data set. This reduction in lead time is possible because Rapid Prototyping
eliminates the need for time-consuming process steps such as making molds or assembling
individual components. Nevertheless, in the early days, the manufacture of end products was
still not economically viable, principally due to their unsatisfactory mechanical properties.
However, the products’ strength and durability were gradually improved, until Rapid Tooling
– the manufacture of molds and tools – eventually became feasible. After the turn of the
millennium, it became possible to make finished products increasingly cost-effectively,
particularly small parts, small batches and one-off items e.g. for the jewelry or medical and
dental technology industries. This process was now referred to as Rapid or Direct
Manufacturing. It opened up completely new design engineering possibilities such as the
manufacture of geometrically complex parts from high-strength materials for use in
lightweight construction. In 2010, the industry’s leading companies agreed to replace the
various application-specific, ambiguous and misleading terms prefaced by “rapid” with the
new umbrella term “Additive Manufacturing”. This is illustrated in Figure 1-1.
2- production of parts by building
up suc-
3- cessive layers of a formless
material in a
4- vastly automated process based
on digital
5- 3D models. Rather than being
one single
6- technology, Additive
Manufacturing is
public debate and the media
headlines it
7- is frequently referred to as 3D
printing, a
8- development that the media is
all too keen
9- to describe as a “revolution”.
However,
10- the home 3D printers currently
available
11- on the market actually have
very little in
12- common with industrial
Additive Man-
13- ufacturing systems. One
example of just
14- how unrealistic the public’s
expectations
15- can sometimes be was provided
by an
16- episode of German hidden
camera show
17- “Verstehen Sie Spaß”,
broadcast on 26
18- September 2015, in which
unsuspecting
19- members of the public were
tricked into
20- believing that people had been
cloned us-
 21- ing 3D printers. Since this
statement con-
22- centrates on the technologies’
industrial
23- applications, it will hereafter be
referred
24- to as “Additive
Manufacturing”.

Additive Manufacturing technologies differ from conventional technologies in several

respects. They have huge potentials if their specific characteristics are taken into account at
every stage of product development and these are exploited systematically. As Additive
Manufacturing technologies mature, their use increasingly broadens. The industry has been
achieving annual growth rates in the region of 30 percent for some years now. There is good
reason to believe that the technology field Additive Manufacturing will become established as
a widespread manufacturing technology field existing alongside conventional production
technologies in many different areas. However, there are currently no convincing signs to
suggest that Additive Manufacturing will cause a revolution in industrial production any time
soon – there is still a long way to go be-fore it is possible to start talking in these terms.
2- 3D Model Files

The 3D printing process starts with the generation of a virtual 3D model of the desired object
(Figure 1.2), which can be generated using any one of a number of free or commercial
computer-aided design (CAD) programs, or via scanning data, or from mathematical
equations. Currently, CAD programs are the predominant means to generate 3D models, and
free libraries of designs and popular models can now be found readily throughout the internet.
Designs can be easily extended, developed and customized by the user, without a great deal of
technical expertise. CAD programs range in complexity, from those for the social or
recreational user, to those designed for professionals. 3D models generated with CAD
programs hold information about the shape and size of an object, however, these models
cannot be interpreted directly by a 3D printer. Currently, the most commonly used and de
facto method for preparing CAD models for 3D printing is by converting them to a standard
tessellation language (STL) file. The STL file is created by tessellating a 3D model with small
triangles (facets) (Figure 1.2) and recording the vertices and components of the unit normal
vector of the triangles in ASCII or binary formats. STL files store information about the
object's geometry, however, they lack any information on the object's color. Hence, STL files
can only be used for monochromatic printing. Multi-color printing requires virtual reality
modelling language (VRML) files, which store both structure and color information.

Fig. 1.2: Computer-aided design and tessellation (with triangles) of a human face

3- Slicing Software

Each 3D printer is accompanied by slicing software that slices the 3D models obtained from
STL or VRML files into 2D layers. The layer thickness is defined by the step size (z-
resolution) of the printer. The information about each layer is coded in a G-code file, which
directs the various components of the 3D printer (print heads, lasers, build platforms, and
extruders) to move in defined and synchronized paths. Thus, 3D printers build a three-
dimensional object by printing it in a layer-by-layer fashion.

There's a wide collection of slicer applications, some of them are free and open-source. Some
of the most used ones are:

Name License Relations

Ultimaker
GNU LGPL
Cura

SuperSlicer GNU AGPL Fork of PrusaSlicer

PrusaSlicer GNU AGPL Fork of Slic3r

Slic3r GNU AGPL

Eiger Proprietary

Simplify3D Proprietary

FlashPrint Proprietary

KISSlicer Proprietary

ideaMaker Proprietary

REALvision Proprietary

Voxelizer Proprietary

NanoDLP Proprietary
 Kiri:Moto MIT

3.1- IdeaMaker

IdeaMaker slicing software was developed by the 3D printer manufacturer Raise3D. It was
developed specifically for Raise3D 3D printers and is completely free. The slicer focuses on
offering a user-friendly service: in as little as 4 clicks you can prepare your .STL, .OBJ and .
3MF files to be printed. On the other hand, if you want some more advanced features, the
software provides limitless customization. IdeaMaker is now compatible with
most FDM printers on the market and can also be used as a 3D printer management platform.
For example, you can keep track of multiple printing profiles and seamlessly switch between
different print settings, and also manage the ongoing print job remotely.

3.1.1- The configuration wizard

On your first launch, the configuration wizard will pop up. But if it doesn’t, simply go to the
“Printer” tab and select it manually.
 Select your printer type from the drop-down menu.

 In the next screen, choose the number of extruders. This is one of the brilliant features
of IdeaMaker — the smooth control of dual extruder printers. Next, check whether you’ll be
using a heated bed or not.

 If you have two extruders, you’ll be asked to select the sort of the filament that you
use most often (type and diameter).

 If your printer isn’t one of Raise3D’s then choose “Others” as the printer type. Once
you do, a setting screen will pop up for you to insert your printer’s attributes. The main ones
should be the bed dimensions, nozzle diameter, filament type and the connection frequency
(baud rate).

And that’s it! Your printer is set up

3.1.2- Adding and repairing your model
 To add your model, click on the plus icon in the middle. Choose your file and it will be loaded
onto the screen. Use the “Pan”, “Move” and “Rotate” tools to look around. You can also use
the shortcuts.

One thing you might notice is an orange warning sign. This means your models are “Invalid”
and that they need to be repaired. If you unselect them, they will be colored red. Repairing is a
very smooth and efficient process in IdeaMaker. Here is how to do it:

1. Select the model.

2. Click “Repair” on the toolbar!

Note that repairing may take some time depending on the model.

3.1.3- Transforming your model

 With IdeaMaker, it’s also possible to transform your model. The tools are basic but often
enough to get the job done.

You can move, rotate and scale your model using the tools in the toolbar. Here’s how to
transform your object:

1. Select your model, and then choose the tool you want.

2. 3D axes will appear on your model — lines for “Move” and “Scale” or circles for
“Rotate”. Click and drag the lines to transform your model.

3. Alternatively, you can insert manual values for the transformations in the window that
pops open on the left.

4. If you want to print the model as big as your printer allows, you can use the “Max Fit”
tool. This scales the model to precisely fit your printer.

The “Free Cut” tool allows you to partition the model into multiple pieces. This is handy
when you want to print something in parts, for example if your print bed is too small. Here’s
how to perform a free cut:

1. Select your model, and then choose the “Free Cut” tool.

2. A cyan square and 3D axes will appear. The square displays the virtual blade that will
cut the model. You can rotate the blade using the colored circles and move it with the
colored arrows. You can also manual values in the “Cutting Plane” window on the left,
similar to transforming.

3. Once you have the blade where you want it, click “Start Cut”. IdeaMaker will now
start cutting your model in the specified plane.

Keep in mind that, once you “cut” the model, you’ll need to repair the resulting ones to get rid
of the non-manifold edges.

The support tool allows you to add supports to your model, either automatically or manually.
You can also activate auto-supports in the print settings. Here’s how to add supports:

1. Select your model, and then click the “Support” tool.

2. The “Support Structure” window will pop up on the left. The support structure is made
of pillars which hold the model, you can change their size to your liking. Smaller pillars
are easier to peel off your print.

3. Click “Create Auto Supports”. IdeaMaker will generate your supports, which by
default will be yellow in the preview. 

The auto-supports function works decently well and usually covers all the required parts. If it
doesn’t, or if you want to have supports only in specific places, you can manually add them.
Once you have your model selected, add manual supports in the following way:

1. In the “Support Structure” window, Click “Add” from the “Manual Supports” section.
A green pillar will appear.

2. Move your mouse to get the pillar in position, and then left-click to place it. 

3. You can edit each pillar separately by selecting it and then clicking on “Edit”.

4. You can remove a pillar if you’ve put it in the wrong place. Alternatively, if you’ve
made a mess of the supports, you can click “Clear Supports”. This will remove all supports,
including the auto supports.