THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING (3DP)

HISTORY

 3D printing was originally invented, patented and developed at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1993.

 Z Corporation commercialized the use of 3DP technology developing

3D printers that leading manufacturers used to produce early concept

models and product prototypes for a broad range of applications.

 Z Corporations current products are Zprinter 310 plus, Zprinter 450

and Spectrum Z510 systems.

MATERIALS

 High Performance composite material

 Snap-fit material

 Elastomeric material

 Investment casting material

 Direct casting material.

PRINCIPLE

 3DP creates parts by a layered printing process and adhesive bonding,

based on sliced cross-sectional data. A layer is created by adding another

layer of powder. The powder layer is selectively joined where the part is
to be formed by “ink-jet” printing of a binder material. The process is
repeated layer by layer until the part is complete.

 Packing density of the powder particle has a profound impact on the

results of adhesive bonding, which in turn affect the mechanical

properties of the model. Packing densities are from 50% to 62%.
PROCESS

1) The machine spreads a layer of powder from the feed box to cover the
surface of the build piston.
2) The printer then prints binder solution onto the loose powder, forming
the first cross-section.
3) For monochrome parts, printer uses all four print heads to print a single-
coloured binder.
4) For multi-coloured parts, each of the four print heads deposits a different
colour binder, mixing the four colour binders to produce a spectrum of
colours that can be applied to different regions of a part.
CONTD..,

5) The powder is glued together at where the binder is printed.

6) The remaining powder remains loose and supports the layers that will be
printed above.
7) When the cross-section is completed, the build piston is lowered, a new
layer of powder is spread over its surface, and the process is repeated.
8) The part grows layer by layer in the build piston until the part is
completed, completely surrounded and covered by loose powder.
CONTD..,

9) Finally the build piston is raised and the loose powder is vacuumed,
revealing the complete part.
10) Once a build is completed, the excess powder is vacuumed and the parts
are lifted from the bed.

11) Once removed, parts can be finished in a variety of ways to suit your
needs.
PROCESS PARAMETERS

 Build Speed.

 Layer Thickness.

 Properties of powder.

 Binder material.

 Accuracy of XY table and Z-axis control.

ADVANTAGES

(1) High speed

(2) Versatile.

(3) Simple to operate.

(4) No wastage of materials.

(5) Colour.
DISADVANTAGES

(1) Limited functional parts.

(2) Limited materials.

(3) Poor surface finish.

APPLICATIONS

1. Concept and functional models.

2. CAD-casting metal parts.

3. Direct metal parts.

4. Structural ceramics.

5. Functionally gradient materials.