3D Printing

3D D Printing is an additive manufacturing process that creates a physical object from a digital design.There are different 3D printing technologies and materials you can print with,but all are based on the same principle: a digital model is turned into a solid three-dimensionalphysical object by adding material layer by layer.

How does 3D printing work?

Every 3D print starts as a digital 3D design file – like a blueprint – for a physical object. Trying to print without a design file is like trying to print a document on a sheet of paper without a text file. This design file is sliced into thin layers which is then sent to the 3D printer.

From here on the printing process varies by technology, starting from desktop printers that melt a plastic material and lay it down onto a print platform to large industrial machines that use a laser to selectively melt metal powder at high temperatures. The printing can take hours to complete depending on the size, and the printed objects are often post-processed to reach the desired finish.

Setups of printing a 3D model

* STEP 1: Designing the model

The 3D design of the model was developed using Rhinoceros 3D.The design file in .3dm format is available here.

* STEP 2: Transfer to Cura

The .3dm file is converted to .stl fil to be edited in Cura software, for adding support structure, analysing dimensions and build time.The design file in .stl format is available here.

* STEP 3: Printing using Ultimaker 2+

The prototype is 3D printed from the design file using Ultimaker 2+ printer.After a print time of , the the printed model is taken from the printer plte giving time to cool.