3D Printing: A Complete Overview from Technologies to Equipment and 3D Printers

3D printing covers many different technologies, and 3D printers come in countless types. In this post we give a broad overview of 3D printing technologies and introduce EQUIPMENT that fits the Vietnamese market, at prices that make sense for it.

• Einscan Pro 3D scanner – a 3D scanner for woodwork and fine art.
• Einscan Pro Plus 3D scanner – a 3D scanner for many industries.

1. FDM (FFF) 3D printing:

FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) 3D printing, also called FFF, was developed by Scott Crump and commercialized in 1991. Over the years, demand for functional parts and models has kept growing, and Fused Deposition Modeling fits today’s needs very well. FDM 3D printing can make complex parts that traditional forming methods can’t: parts with complex structures, parts with hollow interiors inside a closed shell, abstract shapes and more.

Advantages:

Low-cost, convenient prototyping: One of the first things customers worry about when buying a printer is whether each print is expensive. When I first started, I was surprised at how low the cost was. A 1 kg spool of filament can make dozens of parts. Even printing nonstop, it took me 10 days to use up one spool. Compared with common prototyping methods like CNC machining or shaping plaster and clay, 3D printing seems to have a big edge on price. Prototype accuracy is high and the cost is very affordable. Easy to repair: A 3D printer has a fairly simple structure. Even someone with no mechanical training can take it apart and put it back together. The parts are separate modules that are easy to repair or replace. We hope this post helps you decide which 3D printing technology suits your work. If you have more questions about 3D printing technology, leave them below.

Disadvantages:

Prints are not very sharp:

With FDM, printed parts always show layer lines. Fresh off the printer, they aren’t glossy or attractive enough to sell as finished products. There are ways to make them look better, such as acetone vapor smoothing, spray painting or sanding. But these add production time and the results are still limited. In general, FDM 3D prints are used for prototypes, not for commercial products in large volumes.

Hard to use for people who aren’t tech-savvy:

Unlike a regular paper printer, a 3D printer works in a more complex way. You need a 3D file, then you use slicing software to turn it into a file for the printer and tune the printer to work the way you want. You need some basic knowledge of 3D and computers to use the machine well.

• FDM 3D printers

Long print times:

A 20x12x14 cm block can take more than a day to print, and most 3D printing technologies take about as long. The good news is that once the printer runs smoothly, you can leave it running all day until the part is done.

Small build size:

Most 3D printers on the market have a fairly small build size, <25x25x20 cm. This is partly because print times are long, so a very large build would take forever, and partly because a larger size would push the printer’s price up while there isn’t much demand for it. The workaround: when a model is bigger than the printer can handle, split it into several parts, print them separately and assemble them. The printer is very accurate, so the parts fit together perfectly.

2. SLA/DLP 3D printing:

SLA (Stereolithography) 3D printing was researched in the 1970s, but it wasn’t until 1986 that Chuck Hull (an American) became the first to file a patent and name the technology. He then founded 3D Systems Inc. to commercialize his patent. Thanks to the Industry 4.0 revolution, SLA 3D printing is now widely used across many fields and is setting new trends in the 3D printing industry. SLA 3D printing, also called SL (short for Stereolithography), is also known as optical fabrication or photo-solidification. In plain terms, it is 3D printing with light, or solidifying material with light. The material is a liquid.

• SLA 3D printers

DLP (Digital Light Processing) was invented in 1987 by Larry Hornbeck and became extremely popular in projectors. DLP uses a computer-controlled array of micro-mirrors laid out on a semiconductor chip. The tiny mirrors tilt back and forth. When a mirror tilts one way, it reflects light and creates a bright pixel. When it tilts the other way, the pixel goes dark. This technology is used in movie projectors, mobile phones and also in 3D printing. One benefit for 3D printing is speed: this type of 3D printer can print each layer in an instant. DLP 3D printers are mostly used in professional settings. They are high-speed 3D printers with excellent resolution.  

SLS 3D printing:

SLS works much like SLA, but the material is a powder, glass and so on. Layers can be formed with an auxiliary material such as a special binder (sometimes with CMYK or RGB color for full-color 3D printing), or with a laser, UV light and so on. SLS (Selective Laser Sintering): this type of 3D printer requires an expensive high-power laser, so its price is quite high for ordinary consumers. This type of 3D printer requires an expensive high-power laser, so its price is quite high for ordinary consumers.

SLM 3D printing – metal 3D printing:

This is a metal 3D printing technology that uses titanium, aluminum, copper or steel powder as the print material. SLM works much like SLA and SLS, but uses UV light or a high-intensity laser. Typical materials are stainless steel, aluminum, titanium and cobalt chrome. In aerospace and medical orthopedics, SLM 3D printing is used to make parts with complex geometry and thin-walled structures, with hidden channels or voids. Elsewhere, as in the video above, it is used to make gas turbines for the energy industry. Because the equipment (metal 3D printers) and materials are still quite expensive, this technology hasn’t really taken off in Vietnam yet. The countries that build these machines and use the technology most are China, the US, Germany, Italy and others.

• Metal 3D printers

In Vietnam, some dental labs use metal 3D printers to make teeth.

EBM (Electron Beam Melting):

Unlike SLM, EBM uses a computer-controlled electron beam in a vacuum to fully melt metal powder at high temperatures of up to 1000 °C. This type of 3D printer can use metals such as pure titanium, Inconel 718 and Inconel 625 to make aerospace parts and medical implants. But compared with other current 3D printing technologies, it is very slow and very expensive.

BJ (Binder Jetting) 3D printing:

This 3D printing technology was researched and invented at MIT. It has gone by many names: “inkjet 3D printing”, “drop-on-powder printing” or, probably most common, “binder jetting”. Binder jetting is an additive manufacturing process. This type of rapid prototyping machine uses several materials: a powder, usually plaster, and a binding agent (glue), plus colors if needed.

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This type of rapid prototyping works with materials such as plaster, ceramic paper, metal, sand or plastic. These 3D printers have one big advantage: you can print in full color by adding pigments, usually CMYK, to the binder. The technology has also advanced. In 2016, Hewlett-Packard introduced “Multi Jet Fusion” (MJF), aiming to take binder jetting to the next level. Each layer with this technology is usually very thin, about 0.08 to 0.12 mm. Applications of this 3D printing technology include rapid prototyping, fine arts, medicine, dentistry and especially education.

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3D printers on the Vietnamese market:

Companies selling 3D printers in Vietnam get them from two main sources:

• Fully built machines imported from abroad.
• Machines assembled in Vietnam.

Customers usually prefer fully built machines imported from countries with advanced industries such as South Korea, China, the US, Germany and Italy, because the equipment is more reliable and the products meet their needs. The most common technology today, in Vietnam and worldwide, is FDM. It is simple and easy to use and operate. But machines assembled in Vietnam are still not reliable enough for the many FDI companies that need high-tech 3D equipment. We hope that soon, 3D printers made by Vietnamese manufacturers will meet the needs of FDI companies and other large businesses with demanding requirements.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Contact CT3D Group

CT3D Group – professional 3D printing, 3D scanning, design and rapid prototyping services nationwide.

• CT3D Thu Duc – Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong: in3d.edu.vn – Hotline 0975 008 728 (Mr. Thai)
• CT3D District 6 – Ho Chi Minh City: 3dmaker.vn – Hotline 038 7798308 (Mr. Phuc)

Frequently asked questions

Which 3D printing technology should beginners start with?

FDM is the easiest to get into because the machines are simple, materials are cheap and maintenance is easy. When you need smooth parts with fine detail, such as jewelry or dental work, you can move to SLA/DLP.

Which 3D printing technology is the most accurate?

Among common technologies, SLA/DLP usually gives the smoothest surfaces and sharpest detail. For engineering parts that need strength, powder-fusion technologies such as SLS, MJF or SLM offer good accuracy along with better mechanical properties.

How is MJF different from SLS?

Both build parts from plastic powder (usually PA12) without supports. SLS uses a laser to melt the powder point by point, while MJF sprays a heat-absorbing agent over the whole powder layer and then passes a heat source over it. This gives high print speed and uniform mechanical properties.

Should I buy a 3D printer or use a printing service?

If you print often with one type of material, buying a printer gives you control. If your needs are irregular or you need several technologies such as resin, MJF or metal, a printing service saves on investment and operating costs.

What file is used for 3D printing?

STL is the most common, along with OBJ, 3MF and STEP. The file goes into slicing software (a slicer) to create the toolpaths for the printer.

Related services at CT3D Group

• On-demand 3D printing service
• 3D scanning service – high-accuracy 3D scanning
• Custom 3D design service
• CT3D Group network: ct3dgroup.com · in3d.edu.vn – Hotline/Zalo 0975 008 728