Filament-Based 3D PrintingStandard home printers usually run on plastic filament. The technology behind this is usually known as fused filament fabrication (FFF). Instead this new form of 3D printing that I will talk about is a new technology called Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In an FDM printer, a long plastic filament is fed from a spool to a nozzle where the material is liquified and sketched onto the platform, where it immediately cools and hardens again. The nozzle moves to place the object in the right position to build the model or object layer by layer. When a layer is drawn, the platform lowers one layer so that the nozzle can begin drawing the next layer. Unlike most standard home printers, the FDM printing machine actually uses another filament that is used to build support material. Since the material used to build the model is currently unable to fully support its structure, the support material prevents it from falling. After the printing process is finished, the model is placed in a bath with special chemicals and soap. The support material, due to its composition and reaction to chemicals within the bath, dissolves automatically. Because of this process, designs can be truly intricate, complex, and contain interlocking, interconnected, and moving parts. An example of the type of item you can make using this technology is the fully functional, continuously adjustable key, all molded in one piece. The printing material used by this type of printers is called ABS. ABS is very useful for functional applications because it matches the properties of the actual injected production material within 80%. However, the surface of models produced with this form of printing is rougher than other materials. Powder 3D printing The type of printers I will focus on are not filament based but powder based. Laser sintering is used to create 3D prints in polyamide, titanium, alumide and rubber. The inside of the printer is heated slightly below the melting point of the powder. The printer then spreads a thin, incredibly thin layer of this powder. A laser then heats the areas that need to be sintered together to just above the melting point. This process then reveals that the parts that have been touched by the laser are now fused together while the rest continues to remain loose powder. Patterns are printed layer by layer with the assistance of this laser beam. After printing one layer, a new layer of powder is distributed over the surface. When printing is complete, the result is a large block of powder that contains the printed/sintered patterns within the block. To extract the prints from the large block of powder, the block must be mechanically slammed against the box of unsintered powder and the excess swept away. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Other materials such as stainless steel and high detail stainless steel also use powder, but are not laser sintered. Instead, a binder is used to glue the parts together. This technology is called powder and binder-based 3D printing.