3D Printer Repair

3D printers manufacture objects in three-dimensions by following the instructions delivered to them through digital files. These printers can be filled with different materials, analogous to the different types of ink available for a standard printer. 3D printing (also known as stereolithography) was invented by Chuck Hull. His ideation process began in 1983, and he was granted a patent in 1986.

Essentially, 3D printers print layers of an inserted material in a programmable pattern. The most common materials to print with are various plastics, such as Nylon or ABS, but a variety of materials can be used, including even gold, silver, and stainless steel. Users can model the parts they want to be printed through programs like SolidWorks, Fusion260, TinkerCad, Sketchup, etc. After modeling, users need to convert their model to a language the printer can understand (commonly STL) and feed the digital file to the device. Then the user can sit back, relax, and watch their design come to life (really, they do need to relax—3D printing can take anywhere from 30 minutes to more than 7 days).

3D printers are designed for anyone from hobbyists to biomedical engineers. 3D printed parts have endless uses in industry due to their low cost, ease of manufacturability, and ability to create almost anything. For instance, 3D printed parts have uses in medical devices, prosthetics, construction, architecture, archaeology, consumer products, etc.

3D printers themselves have an extruder (where the material comes out), a robotic mechanism that moves the extruder as necessary, a print bed, as well as additional components. These components are either enclosed in a box-like structure or attached to a rectangular frame without separation from the outside environment.

• 3D Printing on Wikipedia
• How 3D Printing Works
• What is 3D Printing?
• Top 10 3D Printing Materials
• Anatomy of a 3D Printer