How does 3D printing actually work?
In: Technology
I guess you are referring to Filament 3D printers. It is a technology called fused filament fabrication. Plastics that can melt and resolidify are shaped into a filament as building material. The filament is fed in the extruder (the printing head if you wish) where it is melted to make it flow and adhere to what it is deposited onto. Upon exiting the printing head, the plastic is cooled and resolidified so it will hold its shape and stick to what is has been put on.
Knowing that, building an object is achieved by dividing the object into a great number of horizontal layer that are approximately the width of the filament and each layer is filled one after the other, one on top of the other until the expected model is achieved.
For example a 3D cube is a stack of 2D squares glued on top of one another. So to get a cube you print a square on top of a square on top of a square etc… until the desired height is reached. cohesion within a layer and between layers are what makes it a 3d cube rather than a superposition of squares.
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