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Almost Real: 3D printing hooks users with prototypes that bring designs to life (Cadalyst Labs Report)
February 1, 2009 By: Kenneth Wong,Nancy Spurling JohnsonCadalyst Labs dives into the capabilities and applications of today's 3D printers.
Printing, a term generally associated with images on flat surfaces, might soon need to be redefined to include the creation of 3D shapes. In some cases, the fabrication device, or the printer, might be only slightly bigger than a standard fax machine. In other instances, you don't even have to own a machine. You can simply upload a digital model online to a 3D printing service bureau. In a matter of days, a scale model representing your idea — be it a new residential high rise, a pocket-size cell phone charger, or a custom-configured elf warrior from the World of Warcraft Online — could be on the way to your doorstep via UPS or FedEx.
 This realistic prototype of a fishing reel from manufacturer Zebco is the result of parts created using an Objet Eden 3D printer and the finish work of Zebco model maker Brad Ruprecht. For more information, see the sidebar "Zebco Tackles Prototyping Tasks with Ease". |
Once reserved for the creation of mockups, 3D printing has evolved into an alternative manufacturing discipline for producing parts with complex geometry in smaller volumes. At the same time, a number of technology suppliers are introducing smaller, more affordable desktop models, teasing engineers with the promise of personal prototyping machines. To help you find the right 3D printing technology and service for your business, we speak to the industry leaders, take an account of the latest models entering the market, and outline the pros and cons of certain materials and methods involved.
New Form of RP
Traditional forms of prototyping — most of which are anything but rapid — involve subtractive methods that create shapes by removing materials, such as hand sculpting, clay modeling, and laser cutting. 3D printing encompasses a new generation of rapid prototyping (RP) technologies, such as fused-deposition modeling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS), stereolithography (SLA), and a few others. Emerging over the past two decades with the advance of CAD, they rely on digital models as their guides and have become part of the RP lexicon. Most are considered additive fabrication because they build layers of materials to create solid models rather than cutting materials away.
 Above and Beyond the Floor Plan |
The definition of 3D printing, like the technologies it refers to, is still evolving. Some use it loosely to refer to all additive fabrication methods. Others prefer to limit its scope to fabrication methods derived from ink-jet printing, exemplified by the machines from Z Corp. and a few others. Terry Wohlers, the founder of Wohlers Associates and the author of Wohlers Report 2008: An in-depth global study on the advances in additive fabrication, defines 3D printing as "a less costly variation of additive fabrication (AF) technology," citing machines from Z Corp., the Dimension series from Stratasys, the PolyJet machines from Objet Geometries, and the lower-cost options from 3D Systems as examples. This article uses Wohlers' definition of the term. In the table provided here, the acronym 3DP is used to identify machines using ink-jet–based methods.
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About the Author: Nancy Spurling Johnson
