In today’s video, we are talking about a very interesting subject, which has become very necessary in so many fields, that is 3D printing.

We will see What is 3D printing and How Does it Work!

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is the process of generating or making 3D objects in real life from 3D models generated on the computer.

The creation of a 3D printed object is usually done following certain steps and procedures to make sure everything will be done properly. In the additive 3D printing process; a 3D object or model is created layer by layer until we reach the final result that was given to the printer. 3D printing does not happen magically, on the contrary, it is simple in its concept because each of the layers generated by the 3D printer can be seen as a very thin sliced horizontal cross-section of the final 3D object.

You can think of 3D printing as building 3D models and you can think of the traditional methods of building models for manufacturing as sculpting. 3D printing is about adding but the other is about subtracting and it is actually called subtractive manufacturing, which is all about cutting out or hollowing out a piece of metal or plastic with, for instance, a milling machine.

3D printing is actually a fantastic way or method for allowing normal people and artists to bring their creations to life and it is becoming better and bigger than ever before.

How it works

3D printers were initially used for the production of prototypes and models, but today, the production of everyday objects and real component parts is entirely possible.

3D printing is a process that includes going through multiple steps and procedures. When it comes to the amount of time it will take to convert something on your computer to a 3d object in real life, it depends, of course, on the complexity of what you want to 3D print.

Depending on how you see it, the process of 3d printing actually goes through 3 major steps:

• Creating the 3D object you want to print.
• Editing and fixing errors for a better 3D printing experience.
• Slicing your 3D object and the actual printing.

3D Modeling and Design

This process can be either the simplest or the most complicated part of 3d printing, depending on what you want to 3d print.

If you are completely new to 3D printing and you want to try out how this whole thing works, you can just create a simple 3D object like a box or pyramid in free software such as FreeCAD or Blender and export it to continue further with the other processes. But if you want to 3D print something complicated like a character or a complicated mechanical or architectural 3D model, you will need to have a solid understanding and experience of how 3D design software works.

If you don’t spend a lot of time creating something in 3D modeling and design software for 3d printing, or if you don’t have the necessary experience to create them in the first place, then you can actually have them without actually doing the work yourself.
This is possible because there are a lot of websites where you can find free or paid ready-to-print 3D models. Websites like Sketchfab, which offers 3D models for different purposes, including 3D printing.

It can be actually a fantastic time-saver if your work depends on getting certain things printed and you don’t have the necessary time or experience to do it yourself. These websites also have nice printable 3D models for characters, animals, and so on.

You can also use 3D scanning to obtain your 3D object that you are going to print. Basically, a 3D scan is a digital representation of the object or person you are 3D scanning. During the 3D scanning process, you are capturing the shape of an item, whether it be a simple object like a box or a complex shape like a trunk or a tree with all its details, or even the head of a real person, which is one of the common reasons why 3D scanning is being used.

You can use a 3D scanning application on your tablet or mobile phone, or even a proper 3D scanning device. The way that it works is simple; The sensors of the individual device collect data related to the shape or the form of the object: the depth and the color of the item you are 3D scanning and they form the final 3D file on your computer. After that, you will convert the 3D scan into a 3D file that you can edit with a 3D modeling software that people use to print their models.

You can also use 3D scanning as a cornerstone or a start for something more complicated you want to create.

Editing and repairing 3D Printing Files

After you finish modeling or designing your 3D object, you must export it to slicing software. But before you do this you must make sure that your 3D object meets certain requirements for 3d printing, because you don’t want to face any problems when the 3D printer starts working. Some of these things we are going to talk about now can be done in 3D modeling software like Blender, FreeCAD, SketchUp, Inventor, and so on. But there is also specialized software that can help you fix your model before it goes to slicing software.

• Make sure that your 3D model is watertight because 3D printers get confused if there’s a ‘leak’ in your model – essentially this would reduce the model to a two-dimensional shell. So make sure to close your model! Of course, you can still have models with holes in them, like a donut, but make sure that the surface is continuous and closed.
• Make sure your 3D model is Manifold, this concept is Related to the concept of water-tightness. It is a mathematical term describing object surfaces. Basically, it confirms that the surface can possibly exist in reality because if it can’t mathematically speaking exist it won’t – there are a lot of things going on with this concept but the main requirement being that each edge should be connected to exactly two faces. As we said before, a lot of 3D software has support for testing manifoldness. If the one you are using doesn’t, try Meshlab or Meshmixer, which are free software. In addition to testing whether your Model is Manifold, this type of software can actually test other important things that can help for editing and repairing 3d printing files.
  

• Another important part of this stage of 3D printing is checking Wall thickness and Model size – you need to see whether your model conforms to your printer’s minimum thickness or the thinnest part it can print, and will it fit in the print area? Each printer has its own minimum and maximum model sizes, be sure to check them!
• There is also the concept of Overhang – This is a bit more technical. Some printers, especially FDM printers (like Ultimakers or Makerbots), have a limit to the ‘angle’ of some of the faces. A large overhang will require adding support material. Again it all depends on the type of 3D printer you will use.
• Finally, you need to respect the Polygon threshold which is the maximum number of polygons the printer can handle. Keep the printer resolution in mind when deciding on the polygon count. Details that are below the resolution won’t get printed anyway, so don’t bother sending them to your printer. A good rule of thumb is to stay below 1 million triangles. You can use mesh decimation software to remove unneeded details while still preserving your model’s shape. Again, software such MeshLab and Meshmixer can help a lot if the software you are using doesn’t already offer these tools.

Slicing and printer control

Slicing is dividing a 3D model into hundreds or thousands of horizontal layers and is done with slicing software.
and Some 3D printers actually have a built-in slicer that will let you feed the raw STL file.

Slicing enables the user to cut large models into smaller parts and, and sometimes you need to manipulate and place each part individually. Cutting your model into parts would allow you to print a full-sized Object without being limited by the size of your printer’s printing area or surface. Because if you don’t have a printer of the necessary size you must do this.

Sometimes your 3D object will be very uneven, especially if it is an organic shape, and cutting it to separate parts will create flat surfaces on, which your prints could rest, meaning that you wouldn’t have to use any supports to hold an otherwise strangely shaped 3d object upright.

When your file is sliced, it will be ready to be fed to your 3D printer. This can be done via USB, SD, or the internet. Your sliced 3D model is now ready to be 3D printed layer by layer.

The learning curve of 3D printing

Like anything that is worthwhile, learning to print 3D objects depends on your ability to understand concepts, how to use tools, and patience to keep moving forward when facing problems. Right now, 3D printing is still in its infancy and there are a lot of things that will make it easier over time.

One thing I learned from acquiring many skills over the years is, the more you will be able to do with the skill you are learning and the more freedom it will give you the harder it will be. When we compare printing on paper and printing 3D objects, we can see that there is a huge difference in what you can achieve.

A normal printer will allow you to print on paper only, but a 3d printer is your gateway to create any object you can think of, and realize it with precision.

So if you are a beginner who wants to 3D print something very simple it will not be an issue, but if you want to print characters, monsters or highly-detailed sculpts, you will need to learn computer-aided design software, such as Fusion 360, FreeCAD, or 3D sculpting software, such as Blender or Zbrush, to be able to visualize your ideas.

Then, you need to work with slicing software and learn the ins and out and you make more progress through the process of trial and error.

When you become familiar with the whole workflow of 3D printing and how things work, you will still have to practice. Because inevitably you will run into problems as you make more progress and this is when you need to be patient. Ask others for help if you don’t know how to deal with certain issues because the 3D community is becoming even larger since this industry is projected to grow very quickly in the next 10 years, which is a good thing if you start now because it might change your life.