3D printing: Basic concepts mathematics and technologies

3D printing is about being able to print any object layer by layer. But if one questions this proposition, can one find any three-dimensional objects that can't be printed layer by layer? To banish any disbeliefs the authors walked together through the mathematics that prove 3d printing is feasible for any real life object. 3d printers create three-dimensional objects by building them up layer by layer. The current generation of 3d printers typically requires input from a CAD program in the form of an STL file, which defines a shape by a list of triangle vertices. The vast majority of 3d printers use two techniques, FDM Fused Deposition Modelling and PBP Powder Binder Printing. One advanced form of 3d printing that has been an area of increasing scientific interest the recent years is bioprinting. Cell printers utilizing techniques similar to FDM were developed for bioprinting. These printers give us the ability to place cells in positions that mimic their respective positions in organs. Finally, through a series of case studies the authors show that 3d printers have made a massive breakthrough in medicine lately.

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