Nile University

Faculty of Engineering
Mechanical Department

MENG 303

3D Printing Materials

SUBMITTED TO
DR. Irene Sami
DECEMBER 2015

Emad Yousry
MO ‘men Jamal
Abd el Rahman Nabil
 Outline:
 Introduction:

- Basics

- History

- Technology

 Materials used in 3D printing

 Printing processes

 Methods used in 3D printing

 Applications

 conclusion
 Introduction
What is 3D printing?

3D printing is a rapidly expanding field, with the popularity and uses of 3D printers is growing

every day. In this guide, I will try to give an introduction to a wide range of techniques in 3D

printers, compare the most common 3D printers on the market, an overview of materials that can

be used for print, online services and communities that provide 3D models or 3D printing

services, and an introduction to design and print your first form. 3D printing can use prototype,

create parts, but is flexible enough to print artificial limbs and medical implants. You will have

an increasing impact on our world, more and more people access to these amazing machines.

3D printing history

The end of the 1980s and early 1990s in the earliest manufacturing additives were used in rapid

prototyping. Models apply to study closely the object and test it before production. Rapid prototyping,

known as RP, indicating production form much faster, and often take several hours or days, depending

on the design. RP models are created with the help of computer aided design, CAD, should be soft,

follows this form determines how the object is created. Consequently, the procedures for building

things print layers are known as 3D printing. Start 3D printing took place at the Massachusetts Institute

of technology and a company called 3D systems. In the early 1990s MIT these practice described also

with print name of 3D, supported as 3DP and this is how 3D printing history began. In February 2011
MIT licenses awarded to 6 companies and suggested 3DP. 3D systems have introduced a number of 3D

techniques since settled in 1986. Some techniques, such as Stereo lithography (SLA), selective laser

sintering (SLS), and has a brand. As 3D systems and MIT still in front runners in the field of 3D printing,

other companies like object geometries and Stratasys new technologies to market. Nowadays some 3D

printing techniques are used to originate meet, finished products. The technology is being improved

through the highest quality printed details and the time required printing details and cleaning when you

print already. Less time, materials and machines that grow cheaper. A wide range of materials coming

into use, such as ceramics or metals. Printer size change exponentially, becoming smaller and smaller.

Manufacturing added, including 3D printing, is still new to the region of production. It can compare

computer numerical controlled machining. The latter, however, is completely contrary to AM. In the

CNC are separated until the product is ready. It is like a statue stone fretwork.

Materials Used in 3D Printing

Introduction: Since the start of 3D printing technology appeared, the materials
available for it have been increased rapidly. The materials are supplied in many
forms (filament, powder, resin, pellets, granules etc.). Now the materials are
developed according to platforms in order to do a specific applications for instance,
the dental sector. So now the materials are chosen carefully to match with the
applications they supposed to perform.

Material types
1) Plastics
Nylon or Polyamide, is commonly used in powder form with the sintering process or in filament
form with the. It is a strong, flexible and durable plastic material that has proved reliable for 3D
printing. It is naturally white in color but it can be colored post printing. This material can also
be combined (in powder format) with powdered aluminum to produce another common 3D
printing material for sintering

ABS is another common plastic used for 3D printing, and is widely used on the entry-level FDM
3D printers in filament form. It is a particularly strong plastic and comes in a wide range of
colors. ABS can be bought in filament form from a number of non-proprietary sources, which is
another reason why it is so popular.

PLA is a bio-degradable plastic material that has gained traction with 3D printing for this very
reason. It can be utilized in resin format for DLP/SL processes as well as in filament form for the
FDM process. It is offered in a variety of colors, including transparent, which has proven to be a
useful option for some applications of 3D printing. However it is not as durable or as flexible as
ABS.

2) Metals
A growing number of metals and metal composites are used for industrial grade 3D
printing. Two of the most common are aluminum and cobalt derivatives.

Stainless Steel in powder form is one of the strongest and most commonly used metals
for 3D printing. It is naturally silver, but can be plated with other materials to give a gold
or bronze effect.

In the last couple of years gold and silver have been added to the range of metal
materials that can be 3D printed directly, with obvious applications across the jeweler
sector. These are both very strong materials and are processed in powder form.

3) Ceramics

Ceramics are a relatively new group of materials that can be used for 3D printing with
various levels of success. The particular thing to note with these materials is that the
ceramic parts need to undergo the same processes as any ceramic part made using
traditional methods of production — namely firing and glazing.

Printing processes:
1- Design the product by CAD software
It all starts with making a virtual design of the object you want to create. This
virtual design is made in a CAD (COMPUTER Aided Design) file using a 3D modeling
program (for the creation of a totally new object) or with the use of a 3D scanner (to
copy an existing object). A 3D scanner makes a 3D digital copy of an object, then saves
the design as a STL file.

2- Slicing software
To prepare a digital file for printing, the 3D modeling software “slices” the final
model into hundreds or thousands of horizontal layers Using a 3D slicer program.
 3- 3D printer
When the sliced file is uploaded in a 3D printer, the object can be created layer by
layer. The 3D printer reads every slice (or 2D image) and creates the object, blending
each layer with hardly any visible sign of the layers, with as a result the three
dimensional object

4- 3D Object

Methods of printing
1) Stereo lithography (SL)
The 3D printing process is the first process that has come to the light and been available

to consumers. It’s a complicated process, mainly depends on laser which is used to form

photopolymer resins to a certain shape to produce accurate parts. During the process

the photopolymer resins is saved in a vat with a movable platform inside.

The data transferred to the machine through “STL file” which dedicates the X-Y axis

across the surface which the laser beam will be pointed at. Where ever the laser hits the

surface, the resin hardens. As soon as the layer is finished, the platform within the vat is

moved down by a fraction “z axis” and the laser track for the following layer. This

processing is permanent until the desired object is shaped and the platform is ready to

be raised of the vat. In order to other post processing procedures to work efficiently
 many objects need to be cleaned and cured. Curing is contained exploring the object to

intense light in a machine look like the oven for the sake of hardening the resin.

One of the most precise methods in 3D printing is lithography, moreover it’s known for

its perfect surface finish. But to use it, it’s necessary to reduces factors containing the

pre-processing steps demanded and the stability of the materials, which can become

more fragile by the time.

2) Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM)

FDM technology is known since the early 1990’s and today is an industrial grade 3D

printing process. The method works by fusion plastic filament that is settled, via a

heated extruder, one layer each time, on a build platform specified to the 3D data

provided to the printer. Each layer hardens as it is put and bonds to the former layer.
The FDM/FFF processes demand backup temples for any applications with supervising

geometries. For FDM, this heritage a second and water-soluble material which enables

the temples to be comparatively easily washed away, whenever the print is completed.

As a substitutional, separated backup materials are also possible, which can be removed

by manually extract them off the part. Support structures, or without, have generally

been a restriction on the login in level FFF 3D printers. However, as the systems have

developed and improved to combine dual extrusion heads, it has become no longer a

problem. In terms of models generated, the FDM process is a precise and authoritative

process that is comparatively friendly, although comprehensive post-processing can be

demanded. The process may be slow for some part geometries and layer-to-layer

coherence can be a problem, resulting in parts that are not waterproof. Again, post-

processing by Acetone will fix these problems.

3) Selective Deposition Lamination (SDL)

The SDL 3D printing process builds parts layer by layer using standard copier paper. Each
new layer is fixed to the previous layer using an adhesive, which is applied selectively
according to the 3D data supplied to the machine. This means that a much higher
density of adhesive is deposited in the area that will become the part, and a much lower
density of adhesive is applied in the surrounding area that will serve as the support,
ensuring relatively easy “weeding,” or support removal. After a new sheet of paper is
fed into the 3D printer from the paper feed mechanism and placed on top of the
selectively applied adhesive on the previous layer, the build plate is moved up to a heat
plate and pressure is applied. This pressure ensures a positive bond between the two
sheets of paper. The build plate then returns to the build height where an adjustable
Tungsten carbide blade cuts one sheet of paper at a time, tracing the object outline to
create the edges of the part. When this cutting sequence is complete, the 3D printer
deposits the next layer of adhesive and so on until the part is complete.
SDL is one of the very few 3D printing processes that can produce full color 3D printed parts,
using a CYMK color palette. And because the parts are standard paper, which require no post-
processing, they are wholly safe and eco-friendly. Where the process is not able to compete
favorably with other 3D printing processes is in the production of complex geometries and the
build size is limited to the size of the feedstock.

:Application
:Medical and Dental -1
The field of medicine is considered as the most important sector in 3D printing

application. Over time, there are great efforts to improve the materials are used in

this application to meet medical grade standards. Scientists around the world

developed 3D printing technologies to make some body parts such as hip, knee and

.leg and the 3D printing of skin, bone, tissue and human organs
:Architecture -2
Nowadays, architects depend on architectural models which made from 3D

printing processes. There are many reasons behind this. For instance, 3D printing

offers a relatively fast, easy and economically viable method of producing detailed

models directly from 3D CAD, BIM or other digital data that architects use. There

are many architectural companies use 3D printing to increase innovation and

.improved communication

:Fashion -3

Today, 3D printing process plays an important role in the fashion world. For

example, fashion designers depend on 3D printing to design shoes, hats and bags

etc. In addition, some under wear have appeared for the first time in different

.fashion places around the world

 References

What is 3D Printing? An Overview. (3D Printer)

http://www.3dprinter.net/reference/what-is-3d-printing

3 D Printing (Wikipedia)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing