What is 3D printing?

The creation of a 3D printed object is reached by using additive processes. In an additive process, an object is made by laying down continuous layers of material until the object is created. Each of these layers can be seen as a thinly slice horizontal cross-section of the final object.

3d printing starts with making a virtual design of the object you want to create. For instance, this virtual design is a CAD file which stands for Computer Aided Design. This file is made by using a 3D modeling application or with a 3D scanner. A 3D scanner can make a 3D digital copy of an object.

The next term is 3D scanners. They are used to generate a 3D model by using different technologies such as time-of-flight, structured light, volumetric scanning and many others.

Recently, a few companies such as Microsoft and Google activated their hardware to perform 3D scanning. Microsoft’s Kinect is an example. In the future, making real objects to 3D models will become as easy as turning your hand. Furthermore, future versions of smartphones will probably have integrated with 3D scanners.

In terms of 3D modeling software, it also comes in various forms. There is industrial grade software which costs thousands a year per license, but also free open source 3D modeling software. When you are a starter and the amount of choices are too much, which may make you feel confused, it is recommended to begin with Tinkercad. This has a free version and it works in browsers which support WebGL. Google Chrome is an example. They offer starters lessons and has a built in option to get your object printed through various 3D printing services.

Finally, you will have to prepare a 3D model before it is ready to be 3D printed. This is what they often call slicing. Slicing is dividing a 3D model into hundreds or thousands of horizontal layers and needs to be done with software. As soon as the 3D model is sliced, you are ready to feed it to your 3D printer. This can be done by USB, SD or Wi-Fi connection. It also depends on what brand and type 3D Printer you have. As a file is uploaded in a 3D printer, the object is ready to be 3D printed layer by layer. The 3D printer reads every slice and creates a three-dimension object.