3D Printing Test

what is 3D printing?

a manufacturing process that creates three-dimensional objects by building them layer by layer from a digital design. It is commonly used for rapid prototyping, custom parts, and complex shapes that are hard to make with traditional methods

How does 3D printing differ from traditional subtractive manufacturing

3D printing is an additive process that builds objects layer by layer using only the needed material, while traditional subtractive manufacturing removes material from a solid block to shape the final product. As a result, 3D printing produces less waste and allows more complex designs than subtractive methods.

What are the advantages of 3D printing?

• reduced material waste

• ability to create complex and customized designs

• rapid prototyping

• lower costs for small production runs

• faster design iteration

• on-demand manufacturing

disadvantages of 3D printing

• slower production speeds for large quantities

• limited material options compared to traditional manufacturing

• lower strength or durability for some printed parts

• expensive for high-quality printers and requires post-processing to achieve smooth finishes

3D Printing Process

1. create a digital 3D model(or find one online)

2. put into slicer software which slices it into thin layers

3. printer builds object layer by layer using material such as plastic, resin, or metal until the final product is complete

Parts of a 3D Printer

• print head/extruder

• nozzle

• build plate

• frame

• stepper motors

• belts or lead screws

• electronics/control board

• power supply

extruder v. hot end

extruder feeds and pushes the filament forward using gears and a motor; moves filament

hot end is the part that heats the filament until it melts and pushes it out through the nozzle; melts and deposits filament

nozzle

the small metal tip at the end of the hot end that shapes and controls the flow of melted filament as it is deposited onto the build plate

what affects the print detail and speed of a nozzle in a 3D printer?

it’s diameter

build plate/bed

where objects are 3D printed

filament

the raw material used in most 3D printers, typically supplied as a thin plastic strand wound on a spool. It is fed into the extruder, melted in the hot end, and deposited layer by layer to form the printed object

X, Y, and Z axes

the directions a 3D printer moves to position the print head and build plate

x-axis: left and right movement

y-axis: front and back movement

z-axis: up and down movement (controls layer height)

3D Printing Materials

• plastics: PLA, ABS, PETG, nylon — widely used for general printing and prototypes

• resins: photoplymer resins for SLA?DLP printers, producing high-detail prints

• metals: stainless steel, titanium, aluminum — used in industrial and aerospace applications

• composites: plastics mixed with carbon fiber, wood, or metal powders for added strength or aesthetics

• others: ceramics, concrete, and even edible materials like chocolate or dough for specialty applications

PLA

Polylactic Acid; a popular 3D printing plastic made from renewable resources like corn starch or sugarcane

easy to print, biodegradable, low warping, ideal for beginners and general-purpose prototypes

less heat-resistant and less durable than some other plastics like ABS

what we use in class

ABS

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene

strong, durable plastic commonly used in 3D printing for functional parts and prototypes

more heat-resistant than PLA but can be harder to print since it warps easily and emits fumes, needs proper ventilation and a heated bed

TPU

Thermoplastic Polyurethane

flexible, rubber-like 3D printing material

durable, elastic, and resistant to abrasion, making it ideal for parts like phone cases, gaskets, or wearables

can be more challenging to print due to its flexibility

slicing software

a program converts a 3D model into instructions a 3D printer can understand

slices the model into thin layers and generates a G-code file, which tells the printer how to move, how much material to extrude, and at what speed and temperature

.STL and .3MF

common 3D printing file formats

• .STL(stereolithography): most widely used format; represents the surface geometry of a 3D object as a mesh of triangles. It’s simple and compatible with almost all printers but doesn’t store color, material, or other metadata

• .3MF(3D Manufacturing Format): a newer format that can include color, materials, textures, and other printing information in addition to geometry, making it more versatile for complex prints

common slicer settings

• Layer height: Thickness of each printed layer (affects resolution and speed).

• Print speed: How fast the printer moves while extruding.

• Infill density: Amount of material inside the object (affects strength and weight).

• Supports: Structures to hold overhanging parts during printing.

• Temperature: Extruder and bed temperature for proper filament adhesion.

• Retraction: Pulling back filament to prevent stringing during moves.

• Shell/Wall thickness: Number of perimeter layers for strength and durability.

Layer Height

the thickness of each individual layer of filament that the printer deposits. A smaller _______ produces smoother, more detailed prints but takes longer, while a larger ____prints faster but with less detail.

Adjusting an object’s position and scale

moving it on the build plate and resizing it in the slicer software:

• Position: Shifting the object along the X, Y, and Z axes so it’s properly placed on the print bed.

• Scale: Increasing or decreasing the object’s size uniformly or along specific axes to fit the build volume or achieve the desired dimensions.

This ensures the print fits the printer and prints correctly.

Infill percentage

the amount of material used inside a 3D printed object. A higher (e.g., 50–100%) makes the object stronger and heavier, while a lower (e.g., 10–20%) saves material and prints faster but is less durable.

supports

removable things that help support a 3d print model while it is being printed(since they can’t print on air)

G-code

the set of instructions that tells a 3D printer how to print an object. It specifies movements of the print head, extrusion rates, temperatures, speeds, and other printer actions, layer by layer, based on the sliced 3D model.