What is 3D Printing?

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is the exact opposite of the traditional way of making objects. Instead of machining or "subtracting" material to form an object - much like how a sculptor cuts away clay - 3D printing adds layer upon layer of material to build an object. Product designers and engineers upload a digital (CAD) file to a 3D printer, which then prints a solid 3D object.

There are two main types of 3D printers, FDM and SLA. FDM is the abbreviation for Fused Deposition Modelling, also known as Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). In FDM, a strand of material (in this case thermoplastic) is deposited in layers to create a 3D printed object. During printing, the plastic filament is fed through a hot extruder where the plastic gets soft enough that it can be precisely placed by the print head. The melted filament is then deposited layer by layer in the print area to build the workpiece.

SLA is the abbreviation for Stereolithography Apparatus, or simply stereolithography. Like FDM, SLA is an additive method: Models are built layer by layer. SLA, however, uses a curable photopolymer – typically a liquid resin – that is hardened by applying focused light or UV light (this process is called curing). SLA printers usually build the models upside-down, that is, the build platform lifts the model upwards, out of the resin bath.