Over the years, the technology has evolved into one of the more popular types of rapid prototyping, and even rapid manufacturing. For those who are not familiar with 3D printing, it is a form of rapid prototyping technology where successive layers of a material are added to form the final three-dimensional model. 3D printing has been used successfully in several industries, including architectural and industrial design, footwear, and jewelry design. Apart from design, the technology has also found applications in automotive industry, construction and engineering industry, and aerospace industries. One of the most common forms of 3D printing is Polyjet printing.
What is Polyjet 3D printing?
Polyjet 3D printing, or polyjet matrix printing, is a method that allows the usage of different materials to create a composite model. The feature allows a printer head to jet out different materials simultaneously, and it has been a boon for 3D printing technology in general. Polyjet printing allows designers to create a model that looks, feels, and functions like the final product. Modern 3D printers with this technology can create models with parts made of different products in a single process.
This particular 3D printing technology works by injecting different materials according to preset material combinations. The jet process can be configured to create models made of two flexible materials, two rigid materials, or one of both types. Larger machines are capable of using more than two materials, providing even more combinations for designers to choose from.
3D printing applications
3D printing is already being applied in different industries where product design and visualization is a key area. These printers have been used for education, architecture, CAD/prototyping, healthcare, retail, and metal casing. The wide range of usage of this technology is evident from the fact that it has also been used by archeology teams to reconstruct detailed models of fossils and historical artifacts. The method has been used to some degree in the unlikely field of criminal forensics as well, where crime scene investigators use 3D printer to create body parts, damaged evidence, and bones as part of their investigation.
3D printing has recently found its way into the field of academics as well. Universities and academic institutes have added 3D printers to their campuses as a useful teaching tool. It has also been used by students to create their own models as part of their curriculum. 3D printing has especially been used to study design and biotechnology.
The influence of 3D printing
3D printing has influenced several industries in many ways. For one, the technology has made it much easier and less expensive to create three-dimensional models. Designers and companies previously used moulds to create 3D models, which was an expensive and time-consuming process. However, modern 3D printing does not require any mould for making the model, making the process much more efficient. The influence of 3D printing is set to grow even more within the next few years with the evolution of rapid manufacturing. In order words, 3D printing may one day be used to manufacture the final product instead of just test models, and that day is not too far.
