3D printing techologies
All 3D printing technologies are based on the same principle, which involves gradually layering material on top of each other. However, even in the present day, there is no universal method suitable for all applications. It is necessary to consider what we expect from the printer and what we want to print. The most well-known 3D printing technologies can be divided into three categories based on the form of material printing and its processing:
- Material in the form of filament – material is extruded through a heated nozzle, including FDM and FFF. These can be considered synonymous.
- Liquid material – each layer is cured by a light beam (UV or DLP). This category includes SLA.
- Material in the form of fine powder – material is fused using a laser. Representative technologies include SLS.
3. SLS/DMLS
3.1. SLM/EBM
Selective laser melting (SLM) works similarly to SLS, but it's a highly energetic process. The laser must generate enough heat for each layer to exceed the material's melting point. This involves melting particles, which solidify into the desired shape instead of being fused. However, it's limited to certain materials including steel, titanium, cobalt, aluminum, copper, gold, chromium, and tungsten. As a result, the produced product is extremely strong.
Electron Beam Melting (EBM), on the other hand, doesn't use a laser to melt the material, but an electron beam, which sets it apart from other methods.
Source: Úvod do 3D tlače - Alena Furdová, Denisa Fialová, Michal Marko, Peter Leško