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5 What is 3D printing?

3D Printing: Basic Overview

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an additive manufacturing process that creates a physical object from a digital design. The technology generally works by fusing layers of materials to build up to a physical object. There are different types of 3D printing, including Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) or Filament Fabrication (FFF), which is the most common type, and Stereolithography (SLA) or resin based-printing, which involves photochemical processes. We have access to both types of 3D printing within the Digital Scholarship Centre.

Here is a GIF illustrating FDM 3D printing:

pumpkin with face being printed
General Electric. (n.d.). Halloween tech GIF. Retrieved August 23, 2021, from https://giphy.com/gifs/ge-tech-halloween-ge-5dp4lTsHxtqGA

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