While CNC machining and casting are traditional manufacturing methods for metal parts, metal 3D printing offers an alternative way by extruding high content metal filament or solidifying metal powder on a build plate. As an additive process, 3D printing requires no part-specific tools or moulds other than supports printed during production. 3D printing is a …
Rather than extruding thermoplastic in layers, stereolithography (SLA) 3D printers cure layers of liquid resin with a laser on the build platform to create solid models. Resins are liquid polymers that mimic the performance of thermoplastics or have a one-use purpose, like jewellery casting. The significant advantage of SLA is the laser is not restricted …
How To Choose the Best 3D Printing Resin for Your Projects? Read More »
Just as sculptors take clay and manipulate it, digital sculptors work with a computer, mouse, and software to produce 3D models. 3D sculpting software bridges the gap between physical sculpting and 3D modelling, letting artists sculpt 3D objects by pushing, pulling, smoothing, grabbing, and pinching digitised clay to produce real-life models in software. While 3D …
The Best Sculpting Software for 3D Modelling in 2023 Read More »
Failures are part and parcel of 3D printing, especially early on as you hone your skills. However, design challenges and spontaneous hardware hiccups and catch professional out too. While there’s no way to guarantee zero failures, you can reduce them by knowing the common causes and acting on them. For example, bed adhesion is the …
How To Overcome The Most Common 3D Printing Failures Read More »
Cumbria Police’s dog unit is trialling helmet-mounted cameras on dogs to collect evidence during operations and give handlers live intel on the ground. Police dogs are trained to assist the police with apprehending suspects, detecting drugs, searching for evidence, and providing crime deterrence and protection. Still, there needs to be more information between what the …
Cumbria Police Trials 3D Printed Police Dog Headcams Read More »
Some 3D printing file formats hold more information than others, giving your 3D printer more detailed instructions. Whether this is beneficial depends on what you are printing and your desired specifications. For example, STL is the most common 3D printing file format because it works for simple models but only contains external surface and shape …
3D printers can rapidly produce parts on a small scale, with most printed objects available within four hours. However, there are ways to improve print speeds even more and reduce the time to print completion. Although increasing 3D print speed can come at the expense of accuracy and surface quality, this is a trade-off worth …
Recycling is the best way to deal with 3D printed plastic, but not all plastics are recyclable, and those that are, aren’t always widely recycled. This puts barriers in the way of sustainable additive manufacturing. The plastic crisis is one of the most significant challenges facing our planet. Our reliance on plastics is too great …
When 3D-printed parts need maximum strength, factors that matter include 3D printer settings, part orientation, and material choice. While each factor is critical to strength, material choice is arguably the most important because it defines the part’s mechanical characteristics. Choosing the strongest 3D printing material requires delving into technical data sheets to compare filaments and working …
5 Tips to Choose the Strongest 3D Printing Material Read More »
3D printing and CNC machining are often pitched against each other but are complementary tools suited to different applications. We are often asked whether 3D printing will replace CNC machining. Our answer is always the same – “no” in general, but “yes” in applications where machining is expensive, time-consuming, and mechanically limited. Both can …
