What is 3D Printing?

3D Printing Technology The first thing to know about 3D printers is the printing technology, since not all printers use the same. Most home 3D printers use a process called “Fused Deposition Modeling” (FDM) also sometimes called “Fused Filament Fabrication” (FFF) or “Plastic Jet Printing” (PJP). This printing technology is the process of making a three-dimensional object by laying down successive layers of a specific material (normally plastic) layer by layer until the entire object is made. The layers are like horizontal cross-sections of the object which were created by the 3D modeling software and formed by extruding a continuous length of plastic material using a heated nozzle which hardens almost immediately after extrusion. Some other home 3D printers use a process called “Stereolithography” (SLA) in which a laser solidifies layer on layer of photosensitive resin to form the part.