Assignment 3

Based on the articles:

On 3D printing: Excerpt from "3D Input and Output" from The Computer in The Visual Arts by Anne Spalter, Addison Wesley Longman Inc. 1999, pp 317-321.

“Morphosis Prints Models” by Martin Doscher
http://www.architectureweek.com/2004/0915/tools_2-1.html


"3D Input and Output" is a good article to give a brief overview of the different types of 3D printing. The article gives a brief description of each type and a picture of an example. It does not, however, go into detail on how the printer works. It was not until I read “Morphosis Prints Models” that I really understood the layering process.

“Morphosis Prints Models” is an article about a firm that uses stereolithography (STL) to print models in 3D. The article describes how the printer works and what the firm uses the printer for. This article gives a good overview of stereolithography and its benefits.

With stereolithography, a file is made in a 3D modeling program such as Form Z. Then, the file is printed using powder and a laser. The powder is spread in a very thin layer, and a laser is passed over the area that will remain solid. Then the tray moves down, and another layer of powder is spread. The process repeats until the top layer is complete. Finally, the solid model can be lifted from the remaining powder.

I have heard of this form of 3D printing and have seen the product of a 3D printed model. However, not all 3D printing is done this way. There are several forms that I have not seen before. Laminated Object Manufacturing is a process that starts with solid layers and laser cuts each layer to its shape. Then the layers are fused with heat. Selective Laser Sintering is another form that uses powders, but this process uses powders of various materials and can apply different materials to parts of the model.

The ability to print in 3D can really benefit designers and clients in the design process. The ability to see a model off the computer screen can help people visualize the design better in its 3D form. While we have hand built models to serve this purpose, 3D printing can be more accurate and can be built while the designer works on other things. The time spent on modeling can be reduced to only the preparation.

Currently, 3D modeling can take hours and is limited in size. Morphosis takes a whole day to prepare models for printing, and a 6” cube model will take an hour. Materials and printers are also very expensive. These are not printers that someone could easily purchase for personal use. I predict that as technology progresses, costs will go down and 3D printers will become much faster. There was a time that a color printer was unheard of in a household and was also very expensive. Now it is almost unheard of to not have a color printer. Various forms of 3D printing will become more popular and widely used in design companies and education.