Industrial designLesson 1 of 2 in the course Prototyping and manufacturing

3D Printing: Processes, Applications, Design, and Responsible Use

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

Save course
Lesson progress
0 / 5

Your progress is kept in this browser only.Sign up to save it

Summary

This lesson introduces 3D printing, explains its relationship to additive manufacturing, and traces key moments in its development. Understanding the basic idea and history helps explain why the technology moved from experimental prototyping toward practical production.

3D printing constructs a three-dimensional object from a computer-aided design (CAD) model or another digital 3D model. A printer follows computer-controlled instructions to deposit, join, or solidify material. The object is usually built layer by layer, rather than carved from a larger block.

All flashcards

What is 3D printing?
It is the computer-controlled construction of a three-dimensional object from digital model data by depositing, joining, or solidifying material, typically in layers.
What does additive manufacturing mean?
It is a broad term for manufacturing that builds parts by adding or joining material rather than removing it to create the shape.
How does subtractive manufacturing work?
It makes a part by removing material from a larger piece, as in machining or milling.
Why was the term rapid prototyping used?
In the 1980s, 3D printing was mainly considered a way to make functional or aesthetic prototypes quickly, rather than a general production method.
What helped popularize desktop 3D printing?
Open-source projects encouraged people to develop and share printer designs, and the expiration of key FDM patents in 2009 helped new companies enter the market.

Quiz questions

  1. Which description best distinguishes additive manufacturing from 3D printing in some technical standards?Answer: Additive manufacturing broadly covers building parts from model data; 3D printing may mean nozzle-based material deposition.
  2. How does stereolithography (SLA) form an object?Answer: It uses light to harden selected regions of liquid photopolymer.
  3. What did the RepRap project help promote during the 2000s?Answer: Low-cost printers developed and shared by users.
  4. What did Johannes F. Gottwald receive a patent for in 1971?Answer: A liquid metal recorder.
  5. Who developed fused deposition modeling (FDM)?Answer: S. Scott Crump.

Based on the Wikipedia article 3D printing, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

More in Industrial design

All Industrial design lessons
Industrial designProduct Design: Processes, Innovation, Expression, and Inclusive Use5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Industrial designCAD Design Methods, Modeling, and Product-Development Workflows5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Industrial designDieter Rams: Career, Good-Design Principles, and Lasting Influence5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →