The production industry has become a major part of our civilization. Going from handmade to the readymade, it has gain immense importance in our lives. But just like every other thing, the production industry also needs a changing revolution and that revolution is 3d printing. It is an easy, cost-effective and time-saving technique. 3d printing faces problems like any other new idea has to face that of lack of skilled personals to perform the task, required tools and plants needed to perform the task not available, people not ready to invest in such an idea, etc. Still, despite all these limitations, 3d printing is gaining importance day by day and let’s understand its working further in detail.
What is 3d printing?
The process of producing or manufacture products using a 3d printer is known as 3d printing. At first, its applications were limited, but with ever-increasing advance technology that limitations are now removed allowing the user to manufacture anything, and when I say anything I literally mean anything from small children’s playing toys to adult’s sound blasting speakers. Complex designs could be produced through 3d printing with the use of a combination of materials.
Benefits of 3d printing
Various benefits and uses of 3d printing are as follows:
- Cheap
Compared to other methods of manufacturing or producing an item, 3d printing is relatively a cheap method.
- Quick
It is a quick and fast-paced method. Once the detailed information is set up in the machine and materials have been filled, the end product is generated is no time.
- Effective
Being a machine-oriented method is a very effective method. The curves and shapes of the item produced are according to the requirement.
- More efficient
As the number of personals required for 3d printing is less and more machine work is there, it is a very efficient method. The possibilities and places for error are minimum, making it a fully efficient method.
Limitation of 3d printing
Along with all the above-mentioned benefits, there is only one limitation of 3d printing and that it is not suitable for mass production. But in course of time, even this limitation will be removed making it a production and manufacturing technology of the future.
Stereolithography
We cannot fully talk about 3d printing without talking about stereolithography. It is used to create models, prototypes, patterns, etc. In this method, parts are produced through layer by layer technology using the photochemical process in which light causes chemical monomers and oligomers to crosslink together to form polymers.
Just like 3d printing, it also has some merits and demerits, such as:
Merits:
- It is the best-suited method for the production of models.
- Complex designs that are otherwise are difficult to execute can be easily produced using stereolithography.
- If planned and executed properly, it can prove itself very much cost-effective as compared to other methods.
Demerits:
- Parts produced through this method may be fragile in nature.
- They may degrade when exposed to humidity and UV light.
