3D Printing Cohort

3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file.

The creation of a 3D printed object is achieved using additive processes. In an additive process an object is created by laying down successive layers of material until the object is created. Each of these layers can be seen as a thinly sliced cross-section of the object.

3D printing is the opposite of subtractive manufacturing which is cutting out / hollowing out a piece of metal or plastic with for instance a milling machine.

3D printing enables you to produce complex shapes using less material than traditional manufacturing methods.

How does it work?

It all starts with a 3D model. You can opt to create one from the ground up or download it from a 3D Library.

3D Printing Software

There are many different software tools available. From industrial grade to open source. The software we use is AutoDesk Fusion 360.

What is Fusion 360?

Fusion 360 is the first 3D CAD, CAM, and CAE tool of its kind. It connects your entire product development process in a single cloud-based platform that works on both Mac and Windows. Using 3D Modelling environment is easier than ever with the possibility to define solids, surfaces, meshes on a single flexible environment.

Slicing: From Printable file to 3D Printer

Slicing basically means slicing up a 3D model into hundreds or thousands of layers and is done with slicing software.

When your file is sliced, it’s ready for your 3D printer. Feeding the file to your printer can be done via USB, SD or Wi-Fi. Your sliced file is now ready to be 3D printed layer by layer.