PRINTING IN THREE DIMENSIONS The print head in the traces an outline on the printer bed Liquid three-dimensional 3D printer begins to move Guided by a computer it plastic comes out of the nozzle in the print head It creates a curved line on the printer bed The nozzle lifts slightly and moves back and forth It lays down another layer on top of the first one It squirts layer after layer The plastic cools and hardens as the printed object builds upward A pattern begins to appear 3D printers can print models of many things such as famous landmarks and human faces
3D printers can use materials to make hollow objects The printer works for many hours Then the computer tells the printer to stop A model of a human face sits on the printer bed
A 3D printer is similar to an inkjet printer which many people use at home school and work Inkjet printers deposit ink on flat pieces of paper This is printing in two dimensions 2D A 3D printer deposits material too But it builds objects in three dimensions You can hold the printed object in your hand A 3D printer does not use ink It uses plastic metal or other materials The technical ADDING VERSUS SUBTRACTING AM is a relatively new process The traditional way to make things is subtractive manufacturing Material is removed from an object until the desired shape appears This may involve sawing grinding or carving It creates a lot of waste AM builds the object in the desired shape It produces little or no waste That can make AM less expensive and better for the environment name for 3D printing is additive manufacturing AM That’s because 3D printing makes objects by adding material layer by layer
