Shortly after becoming involved in the 3D printing industry it didn’t take too many perplexed looks after telling people that we provide 3D Printers to realize that most people have no idea what 3D printing is and if it’s actually real or just some urban legend.
So, to remedy this I started carrying a small sample 3D Printed chain with me to help people grasp the reality of how 3D Printing worked and that it was real, along with some quick video links to further understand how it worked if they were more inquisitive. After handing over this sample part, I would begin my spiel by explaining that our Objet 3D Printers worked much in the same way as the printer that everyone is familiar with in their home or office.
- You first need a file to send to the printer
- Both printers have an “ink cartridge”
- Both have a print head that prints “ink” exactly where it’s instructed
However, after printing one layer of this “ink” rather than a piece of paper that spits out as your final product, the tray that our “ink” is printed on lowers slightly and another layer of “ink” is printed on top of that, over and over until the process was done and at the end you have a physical 3D object that you can hold in your hand.
Now obviously it’s a little more complicated than that, such as how the “ink” becomes solidified instead of just a pool of liquid sitting on a tray, or what the “ink” really is made of which isn’t your run of a mill toner from an office supply store, but all in all that’s the basics of how Objet’s 3D Printing technology works.
Within hours, not days you can have an idea come to life, design it, print it, test the fit, form, & function of the design. Even get feedback from focus groups on the new products and how they’ll be received by the market, before a company ever produces the final production product.
Got it? Good. Now go forth and spread the gospel of 3D Printing and the world of possibilities with it. It’s not a myth, urban legend, or joke, it’s real and being used every day by companies to create new product designs and many products that you’re already using.
If this still didn’t make any since and you’re one of those conspiracy theory guys who thinks the landing on the moon was filmed in a Hollywood studio, well here’s a video Objet created to explain it in 37 seconds.
Want an up close look at Stratasys (Objet) 3D printing technology? We have two tradeshows next week were you can get up close and personal with 3D Printing. We will have a wide variety of sample parts on display. Stop by the booth and get your questions answered in person by one of our knowledgeable reps.
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