The Two Popular Types of 3D Printers and How They Differ
3D printing technology has come a long way and it's now accessible to everyone. As the demand for 3D printers increases, the technology keeps improving and the prices continue to fall. Even though 3D printing isn't necessarily new, and has in fact been around for about 30 years, it wasn't until recently that printing 3D objects became affordable to the wider public. You can now find 3D printers at universities, schools, libraries and around thousands of Australian homes. Although it's more affordable than it used to be, it's still not cheap, which means you'll have to put a lot of thought before you buy your first printing 3D machine.
The most important thing to consider is the type of 3D printer you're going to get. FDM and SLA 3D printing methods are the most commonly used ones for desktop 3D printing.
The FDM printing 3D method uses thermoplastic filament which is heated and extruded in the form of molten plastic in X and Y coordinates. At the same time, the building table lowers the object layer by layer in the Z coordinate. This type of 3D printer is cost-effective for rapid prototyping and product development in small businesses. FDM printers can also use a wide range of interesting materials.
SLA printers, on the other hand, operate by exposing photosensitive liquid resin to UV-laser beams that harden the resin and make it solid. Once a layer of resin is in the desired pattern and starts hardening, the platform in the liquid tank steps down the thickness of the layer, and the laser starts working on the next layer. In other words, layers are built on top of each other. This type of 3D printing method requires support structures and rinsing with the solvent after the printing is done. Some people bake the object in a UV oven to finish the processing. As a result, SLA 3D printers are capable of creating smooth surfaced objects with a lot of detail.
If you aren't completely sold on 3D printing, you can check out places around you that have 3D printers that you can try and see whether you click with the technology. You're probably going to invest a lot of time into 3D printing before you master it and start getting models that appeal to you, as there's a huge learning curve. However, if you've decided you want to get a 3D printer, online is a great place to start looking, as there are tons of different models available that can fit your specific needs and budget.
