What is 3D Printing?
3D printing (or fused deposition modeling) is an additive manufacturing (AM) process in which plastic is extruded out of a hot end and melted to a liquid and is then placed on a bed and cools instantly. Basically, a robotic hot glue gun. 3D printing has incredibly transformed the manufacturing and STEM industries because of how easy it is to create a functional prototype. Which is a lot more expensive to do on traditional AM machines. Recently, 3D printing has exploded because of the constant reduction of the price of these machines and I believe that soon it will be in the home of every American. Why go out and buy a cookie cutter when you can make your own for a lot cheaper?
Materials
PLA - This material is used more for non-functional prints because it is not incredibly strong, but looks the best.
Flexible PLA - This material is basically a flexible version of PLA
ABS - This material is used for fully functional prints which can also operate in high temperature environments, but the quality isn't as good as PLA
Flexible PLA - This material is basically a flexible version of PLA
ABS - This material is used for fully functional prints which can also operate in high temperature environments, but the quality isn't as good as PLA
