3D Printing and its different technologies

Introduction
3D Printing
3d printing is a form of additive manufacturing technology where a three dimensional object is
created by laying down successive layers of material. It is also known as additive manufacturing.
"Additive" refers to the successive addition of thin layers between 16 to 180 microns or more to create
an object. In fact, all 3D printing technologies are similar, as they construct an object layer by layer to
create complex shapes.

History

In 1980
The first 3D printing attempts are granted to Dr Kodama for his development of a rapid prototyping
technique in 1980. He was the first to describe a layer by layer approach for manufacturing, creating
an ancestor for SLA: a photosensitive resin was polymerised by an UV light. Unfortunately, he did
not file the patent requirement before the deadline.

In 1986
Charles Hull was also interested in the technology and deposited a first patent for stereolithography
(SLA) in 1986.He founded the 3D Systems Corporation and a year later, released the SLA-1.

In 1988
In 1988, at the University of Texas, Carl Deckard brought a patent for the SLS technology, another
3D printing technique in which powder grains are fused together locally by a laser.

In the meantime, Scott Crump, a co-founder of Stratasys Inc. filed a patent for Fused Deposition
Modelling (FDM): the third of the main 3D printing technologies, in which over less than ten years,
the three main technologies of 3D printing were patented and 3D printing was born!

In 1990
In Europe, EOS GmbH was founded and created the first EOS “Stereos” system for industrial
prototyping and production applications of 3D printing. Its industrial quality is today recognized
worldwide in SLS technology for plastics and metals.

In 1992
In 1992, the Fused Deposition Modeling patent was issued to Stratasys, who that developed many 3D
printers for both professional and individuals.

From 1993 to 1999

From 1993 to 1999, the main actors of the 3D printing sector emerged with various techniques:

ZCorp and binder jetting: Based on MIT’s inkjet printing technology, they created the Z402, which
produced models using starch- and plaster‐based powder materials and a water‐based liquid binder.
Arcam MCP technology and Selective Laser Melting.
At the same time, CAD tools for 3D printing became more and more available and developed, with
for example the creation of Sanders Prototype (now known as Solidscape), one of the first actors to
develop specific tools for additive manufacturing.

In 2000
In 2000, the millennium saw the first 3D printed working kidney. We will have to wait 13 more years
to see it transplanted into a patient. 3D printed kidneys are now perfectly working and researchers are
experimenting on accelerated growth to transplant organs very rapidly.

In 2004
2004 was the year of the initiating of the RepRap Project which consists in a self-replicating 3D
printer. This open source project led to the spreading of the FDM 3D desktop 3D printers, and of the
popularity of the technology in the makers community.

In 2005
In 2005, ZCorp launched the Spectrum Z510, the very first high-definition color 3D printer.

In 2008
In 2008, 3D printing reached an even greater media presence thanks to another medical application:
the first 3D printed prosthetic limb. It incorporated all parts of a biological limb, was printed ‘as is’,
without the need for any later assembly. Nowadays, combined with 3D scanning, medical prosthesis
and orthosis are more and more cheaper and extremely fast to obtain.

In 2009
2009 was the year in which the FDM patents fell into the public domain, opening the way to a wide
wave of innovation in FDM 3D printers, a drop of the desktop 3D printers price, and consequently,
since the technology was more accessible, an increased visibility.

2009 was also the year Sculpteo was created, one of the pioneer of the now flourishing online 3D
printing services, another step toward 3D printing accessibility.

In 2010
In 2010, Urbee was the first 3D printed prototype car. Its body was fully 3D printed using a very large
3D printer. Now, the 3D printed car is much more a dream than a reality but in the manufacturing
process, many actors are considering it as a good alternative to traditional methods.

In 2011
In 2011, Cornell University began to build a 3D food printer. At first sight, it could seem slightly
trivial, but NASA is now researching how astronauts could 3D print food for in space.

In 2014
In 2014, NASA brought a 3D printer in space to make the first 3D printed object off of the earth.

New 3D printers are being issued regularly, they are more efficient, they print faster, they give access
to New 3D printing materials are being explored every day, from Daniel Kelly’s lab who’s 3D
printing bone to the French startup XtreeE, who’s 3D printing concrete to revolutionize the
construction industry! new 3D printing materials,

At the same time, efforts are constantly made to make 3D printing more accessible.
3D Printer
A machine allowing the creation of a physical object from a three-dimensional digital model, typically
by laying down many thin layers of a material in succession.

The Basic Components of a 3D Printer

 3D Printer Frame: Holds the machine together

 3D Printer Head movement mechanics: moves relative to the print bed in all directions
 3D Printer Head: Nozzle that deposits filament or applies colors and liquid binder
 3D Build Platform or Build Bed: The part of the printer where the object is printed
 3D Printer Stepper Motors (at least 4): Used for precise positioning and speed control
 3D Printer Electronics: Used to drive motors, heat the extruder and much more
 3D Printer Firmware: Permanent software used to control every aspect of a 3D printer
 3D Printer Software: Not part of the actual printer but still needed for the printing process

Types of 3D Printer

1. Stereolithography (SLA)
2. Digital Light Processing (DLP)
3. Fused deposition Modeling (FDM)
4. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
5. Selective Laser Melting (SLM)
6. Electronic Beam Melting (EBM)
7. Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM)
8. Binder Jetting (BJ)
9. Material Jetting (MJ)

Stereolithography (SLA)
Stereolithography (SLA) is an additive manufacturing process that belongs to the Vat
Photopolymerization family. In SLA, an object is created by selectively curing a polymer resin layer-
by-layer using an ultraviolet (UV) laser beam. The materials used in SLA are photosensitive
thermoset polymers that come in a liquid form.

SLA is famous for being the first 3D printing technology: its inventor patented the technology back in
1986. If parts of very high accuracy or smooth surface finish are needed, SLA is the most cost-
effective 3D printing technology available. Best results are achieved when the designer takes
advantage of the benefits and limitations of the manufacturing process.

Stereolithigraphy (SLA) Schematic diagram

 How does SLA work?

I. The build platform is first positioned in the tank of liquid photopolymer, at a distance of one layer
height for the surface of the liquid.
II. Then a UV laser creates the next layer by selectively curing and solidifying the photopolymer resin.
The laser beam is focused in the predetermined path using a set of mirrors, called galvos. The whole
cross sectional area of the model is scanned, so the produced part is fully solid.
III. When a layer is finished, the platform moves at a safe distance and the sweeper blade re-coats the
surface. The process then repeats until the part is complete
IV. After printing, the part is in a green, no-fully-cured state and requires further post processing under
UV light if very high mechanical and thermal properties are required

The liquid resin is solidified through a process called photopolymerization: during solidification, the
monomer carbon chains that compose the liquid resin are activated by the light of the UV laser and
become solid, creating strong unbreakable bonds between each other. The photopolymerization
process is irreversible and there is no way to convert the SLA parts back to their liquid form: when
heated, they will burn instead of melting. This is because the materials that are produced with SLA are
made of thermoset polymers, as opposed to the thermoplastics that FDM uses.

Characteristics of SLA

The main characteristics of SLA are summarized in the table below:

Advantages

 SLA can produce parts with very high dimensional accuracy and with intricate details.
 SLA parts have a very smooth surface finish, making them ideal for visual prototypes.
 Specialty SLA materials are available, such as clear, flexible and castable resins.

Disadvantages

 SLA parts are generally brittle and not suitable for functional prototypes.
 The mechanical properties and visual appearance of SLA parts will degrade overtime when the parts
are exposed to sunlight.
 Support structures are always required and post-processing is necessary to remove the visual marks
left on the SLA part.
Digital Light Processing (DLP)

DLP (Digital Light Processing) is a similar process to stereolithography in that it is a 3D printing

process that works with photopolymers. The major difference is the light source. DLP uses a more
conventional light source, such as an arc lamp with a liquid crystal display panel, which is applied to
the entire surface of the vat of photopolymer resin in a single pass, generally making it faster than SL.
Also like SL, DLP produces highly accurate parts with excellent resolution, but its similarities also
include the same requirements for support structures and post-curing. However, one advantage of
DLP over SL is that only a shallow vat of resin is required to facilitate the process, which generally
results in less waste and lower running costs.

Digital Light Processing (DLP) Schematic diagram

How does DLP work?

In this process, once the 3D model is sent to the printer, a vat of liquid polymer is exposed to light
from a DLP projector under safelight conditions. The DLP projector displays the image of the 3D
model onto the liquid polymer. The exposed liquid polymer hardens and the build plate moves down
and the liquid polymer is once more exposed to light. The process is repeated until the 3D model is
complete and the vat is drained of liquid, revealing the solidified model. DLP 3D printing is faster and
can print objects with a higher resolution.

Because of the nature of the SL process, it requires support structures for some parts, specifically
those with overhangs or undercuts. These structures need to be manually removed. In terms of other
post processing steps, many objects 3D printed using SL need to be cleaned and cured. Curing
involves subjecting the part to intense light in an oven-like machine to fully harden the resin.

SLA vs DLP 3D Printer

 Since a DLP 3D printer uses a digital projector screen, it’s difficult to print large detailed parts using
its full build volume. In order to achieve highly detailed parts, the size of an image that the projector
flashes needs to be small enough that individual pixels can’t be seen.

To fully understand this, imagine you increased the size of a picture on your smartphone. As the
picture grows, the quality is sacrificed. That’s why DLP is not suitable for producing one big detailed
print or printing many detailed objects using its full build volume.

Another limitation of DLP printers is the boxy surface finish. Since voxels are rectangular, curved
sections of a print tend not have a very smooth finish when compared to SLA. The good thing is that
the problem with voxels and curves can be solved by sanding the part after printing.

Both DLP and SLA printers use resins, so the cost of printing should be similar. However, keep in
mind that cost greatly depends on the manufacturer of the resin or even the printer.

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Technology

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), or Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), is an additive
manufacturing process that belongs to the material extrusion family. In FDM, an object is built by
selectively depositing melted material in a pre-determined path layer-by-layer. The materials used are
thermoplastic polymers and come in a filament form.

FDM is the most widely used 3D Printing technology: it represents the largest installed base of 3D
printers globally and is often the first technology people are exposed to.

How does FDM work?

I. A spool of thermoplastic filament is first loaded into the printer. Once the nozzle has reached the
desired temperature, the filament is fed to the extrusion head and in the nozzle where it melts.
II. The extrusion head is attached to a 3-axis system that allows it to move in the X, Y and Z directions.
The melted material is extruded in thin strands and is deposited layer-by-layer in predetermined
locations, where it cools and solidifies. Sometimes the cooling of the material is accelerated through
the use of cooling fans attached on the extrusion head.
III. To fill an area, multiple passes are required (similar to coloring a rectangle with a marker). When a
layer is finished, the build platform moves down (or in other machine setups, the extrusion head
moves up) and a new layer is deposited. This process is repeated until the part is complete.
 Characteristics of FDM
The main characteristics of FDM are summarized in the table below:

Advantages

 FDM is the most cost-effective way of producing custom thermoplastic parts and prototypes.
 The lead times of FDM are short (as fast as next-day-delivery), due to the high availability of the
technology.
 A wide range of thermoplastic materials is available, suitable for both prototyping and some non-
commercial functional applications.

Disadvantages

 FDM has the lowest dimensional accuracy and resolution compared to other 3D printing technologies,
so it is not suitable for parts with intricate details.
 FDM parts are likely to have visible layer lines, so post processing is required for a smooth finish.
 The layer adhesion mechanism makes FDM parts inherently anisotropic.

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) Technology

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is an Additive Manufacturing process that belongs to the Powder Bed
Fusion family. In SLS, a laser selectively sinters the particles of a polymer powder, fusing them
together and building a part layer-by-layer. The materials used in SLS are thermoplastic polymers that
come in a granular form.

SLS 3D Printing is used for both prototyping of functional polymer components and for small
production runs, as it offers a very high design freedom, high accuracy and produces parts with good
and consistent mechanical properties, unlike FDM or SLA. The capabilities of the technology can be
used to its fullest though, only when the designer takes into consideration its key benefits and
limitations.

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) Schematic diagram

 How does SLS work?

I. The powder bin and the build area are first heated just below the melting temperature of the polymer
and a recoating blade spreads a thin layer of powder over the build platform.
II. A CO2 laser then scans the contour of the next layer and selectively sinters (fuses together) the
particles of the polymer powder. The entire cross section of the component is scanned, so the part is
built solid.
III. When the layer is complete, the build platform moves downwards and the blade re-coat the surface.
The process then repeats until the whole part is complete.

After printing, the parts are fully encapsulated in the unsintered powder and the powder bin has to
cool down before the parts can be unpacked. This can take a considerable amount of time (up to 12
hours). The parts are then cleaned with compressed air or other blasting media and are ready to use or
further post process. The remaining unsintered powder is collected and can be reused (SLA powder is
only 50% recyclable though).

Characteristics of SLS

The main characteristics of SLA are summarized in the table below:

Advantages

 SLS parts have good, isotropic mechanical properties, making them ideal for functional parts and
prototypes.
 SLS requires no support, so designs with complex geometries can be easily produced.
 The manufacturing capabilities of SLS is excellent for small to medium batch production.

Disadvantages

 Only industrial SLS systems are currently widely available, so lead times are longer than other 3D
printing technologies, such as FDM and SLA.
 SLS parts have a grainy surface finish and internal porosity that may require post processing, if a
smooth surface or watertightness are required.
 Large flat surfaces and small holes cannot be printed accurately with SLS, as they are susceptible to
warping and oversitnering.
 Selective Laser Melting (SLM)
Selective Laser Melting is an additive manufacturing technique that can print metal parts in 3D. A
laser is used to melt metallic powder in specific places.

SLM is one of the most exciting 3D printing technologies available today and is utilized both for rapid
prototyping and mass production. The range of metal alloys available is fairly extensive.

How Does It Work?

An SLM machine has a chamber filled with metal powder. This metal powder is then spread across
the substrate or build plate in very thin layers by a coater blade.

A high power laser then fuses a 2D slice of the part by selectively melting the powdered material. The
build plate then drops down by the height of one layer, and the coater spreads another layer of fresh
powder finely across the surface. The process is repeated until you have the finished part.

This whole process is performed in a controlled atmosphere inside the machine. Once the part is built,
it can be removed from the machine. SLM parts need to be removed from the build plate, which is
often done with a bandsaw. Then you need to remove the supports. As the support material is the
same as the part material, this can be difficult and a time-consuming process.

The surface finish of the sintered parts is rough and, depending on your requirements, may need some
post-processing. It is also common to machine parts to achieve fine tolerances and finish fine features,
surfaces, and holes.

Advantages

 Large range of metals available

 Ability to realize complex shapes or internal features (which would be incredibly difficult or
expensive to achieve via traditional manufacturing)
 Reduced lead times, due to no need for tooling

Disadvantages

 Expensive, especially if parts aren’t optimized or designed for the process

 Specialized design and manufacturing skills and knowledge needed
 Rough surface finish
 Electronic Beam Melting (EBM)

Electron beam melting or EBM is a type of additive manufacturing that is classified as a power bed
fusion technique that was originally patented and developed by Arcam AB. EBM uses an electron beam
as the power source instead of a laser to 3D print metal. An electron beam melts metal powder layer by
layer in a high vacuum and can achieve full melting of the metal powder. This method can produce fully
dense metal parts and can retain the characteristics of the material.

How it Works
The technology manufactures parts by melting metal powder layer by layer with an electron beam in a
high vacuum. Each layer is melted to the exact geometry defined by a CAD model. For each layer in
the build the electron beam heats the entire powder bed to an optimal ambient temperature, specific
for the material used. As a result, the parts produced with the EBM process are free from residual
stresses and have a microstructure free from martensitic structures.

EBM machines utilize a high power electron beam that generates the energy needed for high melting
capacity and high productivity. The electron beam is managed by electromagnetic coils providing
extremely fast and accurate beam control that allows several melt pools to be maintained
simultaneously

The EBM process takes place in vacuum and at high temperature, resulting in stress relieved
components with material properties better than cast and comparable to wrought material. Unlike
some metal sintering techniques, the parts are fully dense, void-free, and extremely strong.

Advantages/Disadvantages
Parts can be manufactured in some standard metals with high density by electron beam melting.
However, the availability of materials is limited and the process is rather slow and expensive.
The technology manufactures parts in standard metals with high density (above 99%) and good
mechanical properties (comparable to traditional production technologies). Compared to laser
melting, EBM produces less thermal stress in parts and therefore requires less support structure.
Further, it builds parts faster.
Electron beam melting is still a slow and expensive process that only works with a limited set of
metals. Parts usually require quite a lot of post-processing. Compared to laser melting, the technology
does not achieve equally good surface finishes.