What is 3D Printing?

Learn all you need to know about 3D Printing in 30 minutes or less. Whether you just started or an experienced engineer, you’ll find this guide packed with useful tips and information to start your 3D Printing journey.

3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file.

The creation of a 3D printed object is achieved using additive processes. In an additive process an object is created by laying down successive layers of material until the object is created.

Each of these layers can be seen as a thinly sliced cross-section of the object.

3D printing is the opposite of subtractive manufacturing which is cutting out / hollowing out a piece of metal or plastic with for instance a milling machine.

It enables you to produce complex shapes using less material than traditional manufacturing methods.

3D Printing started on the early 90’s but started spreading globally from 2014 onward and surveys tell us that

It will rise from $5.8 billion in 2016 to $55.8 billion by 2027, an aggressive annual growth rate of 23.0%.

The 3D printing market is beginning to transition into a maturing business environment and has earnt an important position as a design and prototyping tool, and in the production of complex tooling and moulds.

The History of 3D Printing and its Development. The earliest record of 3D printing through the additive process was the Japanese inventor Hideo Kodama in 1981. He created a product that used ultraviolet lights to harden polymers and create solid objects. This is a stepping stone to stereolithography (SLA).

Read more about the history of 3D Printing.