MIT International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 6, No. 2, August 2016, pp.

63-68 63
ISSN 2230-7680 © MIT Publications

A Comprehensive Study on 3D
Printing Technology
Medhavi Kamran Abhishek Saxena
M.Tech Scholar Mechanical Engineering Faculty of MED, MIT
Department, AKGEC, Ghaziabad, U.P., InDIA Moradabad, U.P., InDIA

ABSTRACT

In the world of developing technology, 3d printing has been replaced the entire manufacturing firm/system with its improved
version of building parts layer by layer using additive approach and new trends. In the present article, a comprehensive study
has been carried out for comparing it with traditional manufacturing method for production of components, complex objects
for hundreds of different applications. 3D printing technology is extremely versatile and rapid process, accelerate innovation
and reduce energy usage, minimise material and compress supply chains. This paper also describes the feed mechanism and
process related information, supporting material, software used in 3D printer and some recent developments on 3D printing
technology.
Keywords: 3D printer, manufacturing, printing technology, software.

1. INTRODUCTION light source to particular cure resin while Fused Deposition

In the manufacturing area a new technology has proven to be very Modelling (FDM) extrudes semi-liquid plastic in a required
promising and is called rapid prototyping also called as additive layout to create objects. The fast growth of this technology
manufacturing technology. This technology has been substantially has allowed great inventions and 3D printing (mainly Fused
improved and has evolved into a useful tool for many fields like Deposition Modelling or FDM technique) reduced the cost of
researchers, manufacturers, designers, engineers and scientists. manufacturing, the build time, and the weight of the object,
Collaborating different fields in single package formed 3D printer reduction of waste compared to some traditional manufacturing
as it includes Design, manufacturing, electronics, materials and processes therefore making 3D printings attainable to the average
business [1]. 3D printing is the process of creating an object consumer (Figure 1) shows the graph of manufacturing cost
with material layer by layer in three dimension formations. The reduction [3-4] and days consumption in 3D printer comparison
difference between traditional manufacturing and 3D printing to the traditional manufacturing techniques.
is that the 3d printer involves additive approach but most of
the traditional manufacturing processes involve subtractive 2. LITERATURE REVIEW
approach that includes a combination of grinding, bending, Charles W. (Chuck) Hull is generally credited with developing
forging, moulding, cutting, gluing, welding and assembling. At the first working robotic 3D printer in 1984, 3D printing has
the beginning 3D printing was mostly seen as a tool to shape been changing the manufacturing and prototyping industries
and bring it to the artistic or different designs, but in the last few since the late 1980’s, but it wasn’t until 2009 that “desktop” 3D
years this technology is developing to a point where mechanical printers were readily available to the public. A desktop 3D printer
components and some required parts can be printed.It completely is industry jargon for a smaller, less expensive 3D printer that a
change not only the industrial/manufacturing field, but also our typical consumer can buy. S. Scott and Lisa Crump patented fused
entire way of life in the future as 3D printer makes possible to deposition modelling (FDM) in 1989 and co-founded the printer
complete model in a single process [2]. manufacturer Stratasys, Ltd. This technology (more generically
For consumer level additive manufacturing, currently two main called FFF, for fused filament fabrication) feeds a plastic filament
techniques to 3D print objects: Fused Deposition Modelling and into a heated extruder and then precisely lays down the material.
Stereo lithography. Both processes add material, layer by layer, to When key patents expired in 2005, this technology became the
create an object’s. Stereo lithography (SLA) uses a Ultra-Violet basis of the RepRap movement [5-7].
MIT International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 6, No. 2, August 2016, pp. 63-68 64
ISSN 2230-7680 © MIT Publications

converted to a Stereo-lithographic file which is in (.STL) .This

files breaks down the surface into logical series of triangles which
represents a part of the surface of a 3D model that is then used
for the slicing algorithm. The STL file slices the model into thin
cross-sectional layers that allowed the required model to be 3D
printed (Figure 2) [7-9].

3.1 Feed Mechanism or Types of Technologies

A. Binder Jetting: Creating object by joining the powdered
material through jet deposition of binding agent, examples
of Materials are metal, polymer, and ceramic.
Developers (Country) are: exOne (US), Voxel Jet
(Germany) 3D System (US).
B. Material Jetting: Build parts by set down small droplets
of the filament, which are then cured by exposure to light
(UV) and it has a high resolution of about 16 microns of
layer height.
Fig. 1: Reduction of manufacturing cost, and build time of object
consume in 3D printing as compared to the traditional Material: photopolymer and wax.
manufacturing techniques. Developers (Country) are: stratasys (US), LUXeXcel
Bowyer published the designs for the parts for his 3D printers and (netherlands), 3D system (US)
encouraged others to improve them and in-turn post to improve C. Direct Energy Deposition: Focused thermal energy is
versions. He called this source concept, the RepRep project and used for fusing material to builds part as they are deposited
obtained some initial funding from the UK’s Engineering and on a substrate.
Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Bowyer’s team Materials are powder and wire.
called their first printer as Darwin (released in March 2007)
Developer’s (countries) are: DM3D (US), nRC-IMI
and the next as Mendel (released in 2009). Since 2010, 3D
(Canada), Irepa Laser (France), Trumpf (Germany)
printer technology has shown explosive growth with the help
of the open source and DIY communities. It was superseded D. Powder Bed Fusion: creates object by using thermal
by the Maker Bot Thing-O-Matic in 2010. These were mostly energy to fuse regions of a powder bed,
made of laser cut wooden parts with some 3D-printed parts Materials used are metal, polymer, ceramic.
(plus, of course, motors and electronics). Eventually, Maker
Developers (country): EOS (Germany), Renishaw (UK),
Bot became one of the earlier commercial consumer printer
Matsuura Machinery (Japan), ARCAM (Sweden) 3D
companies and was purchased by Stratasys in 2013. The Fused
system (US), Phenix System (France).
Deposition Manufacturing Technology is the mostly available
and comparably less expensive [10-13]. 1. Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS): Forming an
object by melting and fusing metal powder using a
1. Creating model in focused laser beam in a chamber of inert gas.
design software 2. Electron Beam Melting (EBM): It fabricates an object
uses an electron beam that melts powder inside a
2. Sft file vacuum.
3. Selective Heat Sintering (SHS): It applies heat using a
3. Slice software (breaks the thermal print head to layers of thermoplastic powdered
model surface in slices)
using which cures the powder.

4. AM system
4. Selective Laser Melting (SLM): this process melts a
metal powder forming a melt pool by using a laser
process held in inert gas chamber and then roller
5. end part finishing adds the material again on the top of it and the same
procedure is repeated to build an object.
Fig. 2: Process Steps in 3D Printing 5. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS): The process is similar
to the SLM where a laser sinters a powdered material
3. TECHNOLOGY and a roller adds new layer of material to form the
part. The difference is that material is heated below the
In 3D printing technologies, the process involves certain
melting point until this particles fuse with each other
steps which are firstly a CAD based model is created and then
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ISSN 2230-7680 © MIT Publications

E. Sheet Lamination: build parts by trimming sheets of 2. PlA (Poly-lactic acid or Poly-lactide): It is a biode-
material and binding them together in layers. gradable plastic typically made from corn or potatoes.
Materials used are Hybrid, metallic and ceramic. When heated, PLA smells a bit like sweet, toasted corn.
PLA is stiffer than ABS. While PLA does not require
Developers (Country) are: fabrisonic (US), CAM-LEM heating of a printed bed but warping of PLA during
(US). cooling will improve by heated bed only. note that
1. Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM): This process there is a “flexible PLA” variant generates a squishy
works by adding layers of adhesive coated paper, plastic objects but it is complex to use.
or metal which are non-toxic. Each layer or sheet of 3. PVA (Polyvinyl alcohol): It is a specialty plastic used
thin material are cut to shape with a laser cutter and to print support material on multiple-extruder printer.
then successively glued together. PVA is water soluble. It absorbs water like a sponge,
2. Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM): It uses the which can make for extremely problematic use in
sheet lamination process where thin sheets of metal are high-humidity environment Water soluble will absorb
joined together until the object is build. An ultrasonic moisture once opened and may require drying before
welding is used to bond the sheets and then a CnC usage. Described to be used as a support material
mill cuts the excess material. and supposedly will work best with PLA because it’s
extruded at lower temperatures – ABS is extruded at
F. Light Photopolymerization: Build parts by using light
260ºC and may cause degradation if printed on PVA.
to selectively curing layers of material in a vat of pho-
topolymer. Materials used are photopolymer and ceramic. 4. TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer): Soft PLA, Flexible,
Developer’s countries are 3D system (US), Encision TEC rubber-like materials of different varieties. Extruder
(Germany) DWS Sri (Italy) Lithoz (Australia). has to be more rigid in construction for these filaments
because the materials are very flexible. The extruder
1. Digital Light Processing (DLP): An image of the object
idler pressure also has to be adjusted correctly to be
is projected in layers into a vat of photopolymer that
holding it under just the right pressure to avoid squash-
reacts to the projecting light in order to cure and harden
ing the filament.
the desired part.
B. Powder materials
2. Stereo-lithography (SLA): A liquid photopolymer resin
is melt using a beam of UV light sent from a laser Many different powder materials can be printed, either by
which causes the resin in contact to react and solidify. fusing or melting them together, or by using a binder material,
mostly water with colour additives whereas the powder
G. Extrusion: Creating objects by depositing material is a mixture of plaster and polymers (supposedly PVA or
through a heated nozzle to build a layer that instantly other water solvent polymer or glue). Wood filament: These
harden so the next layer bond on top and this process filaments are mixtures of ground wood material and PLA or
is repeated until an object is formed also called Fused some other plastic. Spools of wood filament were printed
Deposition Modeling (FDM). with extruder nozzle diameter 0,6mm without blockages or
Material is polymer. miss-feed. Material properties are similar to PLA, but the
Developer (Country): Stratasys (US), Delta Micro factory objects are much softer and weaker.
(China), 3D systems (US). C. Printable waxes
Waxes could be printed, such as those used in the Ther-
3.2 Classification of Material mo-jet printer. The Thermo-jet uses waxes described as
Table 1 shows the most common 3D printing materials [1-13]. thermoplastics, made out of Hydrocarbons, Amides and
A. Wire filament materials Esters.

1. ABS (acrylonitrile Butadiene styrene): The cheapest D. Liquid materials

of the three, ABS creates mild, generally sufferable The stereo-lithography and the inkjet printers use UV
fumes that may be dangerous to sensitive people or curable resins made up of thermosetting plastic and very
certain, ABS can be quite versatile. It can be sanded, different in properties to the thermoplastics used in the
and by hybridize ABS with acetone, it can be easily extrusion-based printer’s, mechanical properties for the
stick together or smoothed to a glass-like finish. (co- plastics such as tensile- and impact strengths and glass
polymer of Acrylonitrile, Styrene, and Butadiene). transition temperatures.
ABS is subject to even violent heat shrinkages and
warping during printing and therefore it is very 4. 3D PRINTER SOFTWARE
demanding on the build platform. Printed parts can 3D models require three kinds of software: The use of software
tolerate higher temperatures than PLA, as the glass to prototype physical objects has been referred to as computer
transition temperatures for ABS are higher. aided design (CAD). Second, there’s the computer-aided manu-
MIT International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 6, No. 2, August 2016, pp. 63-68 66
ISSN 2230-7680 © MIT Publications

facturing (CAM) program also referred to as slider that converts your model into specific, mechanical instructions for the printer
robot. Third, there’s the printer control software that sends instructions to the printer at the right time, and provides a real-time
interface to the printer’s functions and settings. (Figure 3)

Fig. 3: Software hierarchy used in 3d printing.

5. HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE CONTROLLING OF 3D PRINTER

Printing with filament of 3d printer use series of command called G-code. Figure shows the interfacing between hardware and
software, g-code flow’s one command at a time in printer from a source computer through USB port, although some printers
used reading through SD card as other options. The firmware (running software on the printer) them interpret the G-code at a
time and ship it off to the printer for further execution. Status information (example: temperature) return to the user’s computer
through the USB. In other cases interpretation of G-code done on the host computer and controls are sent to the printer. (Figure 4).

Fig. 4: Controlling of 3D printing

Table 1: Most commonly used 3D printers [1-13]

Some Common Wire Filament Materials
Extruded
Material Bed Temp Formation Properties Pros and Cons
Temp
PROnS: Great plastic properties,
Smooth finish, Solidifies quickly,
It can be sanded, and by
ABS Durable Durable and difficult to break, Ideal
mixing ABS with acetone, it
215°C– Strong for mechanical parts
80-110° C can be easily glued together
(Acrylo-nitrile Bu- 250°C Slightly flexible COnS: Petroleum-based ,non-
or smoothed to a glass-like
tadiene Styrene) Heat resistant biodegradable, Heated print bed
finish (petroleum)
necessary, Fumes, Deterioration
through sunlight
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ISSN 2230-7680 © MIT Publications

PROnS: Bio-plastics – good envi-

ronmental properties, Good smell
when heated, nontoxic, no heated
Biodegradable plastic
print bed necessary, High print
typically made from corn or
PLA 170ºC to Tough speed and resolution, Less warping
20-55° C potatoes
(Poly-lactic Acid) 220ºC Strong or shrinking issues, Ideal for small
(produced from plant starch)
parts, Hard or soft/flexible variants
COnS :Slow cooling down, Low
heat resistance, Easier to break then
ABS, needs thicker walls then ABS

PVA is a special plastic that PROnS: Biodegradable

is water-soluble, Water-sol- Recyclable
PVA
160ºC to uble, Excellent film forma- Used to print sup- non toxic.
(Polyvinyl Ac- 45° C
170ºC tion, High bonding power, port material COnS: Expensive Deterioration
etate)
Good barrier properties (pe- due to air moisture, Special storage
troleum) necessary.
The properties PROnS: Because of lower melting
of a soft rubber, point and flexibility, printing settings
TPE
making it even have to be adjusted correctly
(Thermoplastic 180ºC to Flexible, rubber-like materi-
20-55° C more flexible COnS: The resultant balls were not
Elastomers) 230ºC. als of different varieties.
and elastic than as flexible as expected because of
our Soft PLA the honeycomb structure making it
filament. rigid on the edges.

6. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Published in, July 2016 Disney Research Developing 3D printed
Knitting machines. It can produce seamless and very fine 3D surface
As 3D printing technology accelerating day by day, some recent
quickly and autonomously. Disney team thankful to the change
research and developments has been made on 3D printer for
developed in manufacturing principles to digitally controlled 3D
fixing damaged cartilage in knees, noses and ears through 3D printing and CnC milling innovations. In 13 July, 2016 Airbus
bioprint the shape of an ear using human cells which build-up Group subsidiary in metal additive manufacturing, will use the on -
cartilage, they have successfully tested it in an vivo mouse model demand 3D printing services announced recently by SAP to operate
in March 16, 2016 (Figure 5). In 2015 from nASA’s Marshall a bionics network in which 3D printing experts and end users are
Space Flight Centre(MSFC), Deputy Manager Dr. Raymond connected. This allowed service of AP Works for manufacturing
“Corky” Clinton will give envoy the opportunity to see how 3D of on-demand 3D printed aerospace components and maintain the
printing and additive manufacturing is being utilized to advance standard quality necessary for aircraft to fly.
‘In Space Manufacturing’ this is the first successful experi-
ment on 3D printing on the International space station (ISS). In 7. CONCLUSION
MSFC successfully test fired a liquid fuelled breadboard engine In this paper, I have presented the concept of 3D printing
in which 75% of the components were produced by Additive technology in an encapsulated way including the comparison
Manufacturing (AM). chart of cost and build time with the traditional manufacturing
method for building parts . After presenting, in the introduction,
a brief history of 3D printing, the second section is depicted the
additive technology and its feed mechanism and highlighted the
most significant wire filaments used in 3D printing technology,
while in the fourth section the survey of classification of
firmware’s used in 3D printing and its controller process flow.
One can conclude that the 3D printing technology revolutionize
and reshape the world as it is very exciting technology with huge
potential also comprising the different technologies at one place,
taking into account their economic benefits and social impact.
This technology improved the whole status of manufacturing
industries as well as the way of living of entire universe through
its rapid developments in different applications like in medical,
manufacturing, aerospace, biotechnology, space research etc, as
Fig. 5: Scientist can 3D bio-print the shape of an ear it produce object or products and complex structure according
using human cells that build up cartilage to the need whenever and wherever required.
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ISSN 2230-7680 © MIT Publications

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