SLA (Stereolithography) was among the first 3D printing technologies to be commercialized. It employs acrylic or other resins that must be cured using an ultraviolet (UV) laser. The technology has been reinterpreted in various ways. Its selection of materials has also grown significantly—you can now

Compression testing is a widely used mechanical test that provides valuable insights into the behavior of materials when subjected to compressive loads. The test is essential in selecting the right material for various applications in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and construction. This

There is a simple divide in the 3D printer sector. The established market is mostly made up of machines that are carried within a motion system built into a frame or gantry, into which slide rails and drives are built. These are gantry machines. On the other hand, much of the industry favors larger-

Prosthetics 3D printing is the use of 3D printers to design and create artificial, wearable body parts such as legs, hands, and arms. It is a relatively new method compared to the traditional method of production. The materials used in creating 3D printed prosthetics are accessible and lightweight,

1. Identify the Specific Issue With the 3D PrinterWhen a 3D printer fails, it is important to determine the specific cause of the failure. For example, is the material not being fed from the extruder? Do the prints come off the build plate?  If something was recently changed — for example, the mater

CNC machining and 3D printing are extremely prominent manufacturing methods today, not only here at Xometry but globally. While they differ in almost every way, they’re direct competitors for the creation of solid parts, and among their biggest differences is that one method works by removing materi

No doubt you’ve heard a lot of hype around 3D printing and additive manufacturing in the last few years, setting an expectation (in the media) that the “traditional” factory will soon be no more. The talk of miraculous new methods, of the direct printing of plastic, rubber and metal parts and the mi

3D bioprinting represents a group of early-stage technologies. These fields of research examine the use of biological materials in printing functional implants and test devices that simulate, stimulate, or replicate real tissues, for either patient implants or research tools. While these technologie

3D printing filament is a thermoplastic wire fed to a fused deposition modeling 3D printer. Two of the popular filaments, PLA and ABS, were already used in different applications in 1930 and 1940 respectively. In 1981, thermosetting polymers were used as 3D printer filaments. When FDM (fused deposit

3D printing has become a common way to manufacture everything from plastic trinkets to advanced aerospace components. The category of 3D printing covers a wide range of technologies, techniques, and materials.This article will cover topics all about 3D printing including: 3D printing history, how 3D

3D printing technology has completely changed the aerospace industry by offering a quick, flexible, and affordable method to produce complex parts. Using successive layers of material, a 3D printing (or additive manufacturing) device creates three-dimensional objects from digital models. Numerous ae

A 3D printer robotic arm is an industrial, articulated mechanical arm with a 3D printing head attached. This provides scale and versatility to allow 3D printing at an industrial scale. It can be applied to different 3D printing technologies such as wire arc additive manufacturing for printing with m

We are also closely monitoring the progress in this interesting space and will keep you updated on any developments. In the meantime, here’s a look at the history of 3D-printed foods, how they are made, and their pros and cons.What Is 3D Printed Food? 3D-printed food refers to edible items created u

Laser cutting and 3D printing are two very popular services we offer at Xometry. Laser cutting uses a high-powered laser beam to cut flat sheets of material, typically metal, into different shapes. With 3D printing, CAD models are sliced into 2D cross-sections and built up one layer at a time until

Anyone interested in the benefits and fantastic results of additive manufacturing has a long list of methods to choose from. One that’s worth noting in the mix is binder jetting, which mixes the worlds of liquids and powders to make printed products for the art, aerospace, medical, and industrial se

Carbon fiber, a.k.a. graphite fiber or carbon graphite, has become a firm favorite in several sectors, and for good reason. But we won’t give it all away in the intro: read on to find out what this material is, its different types, and what it’s used for.What is Carbon Fiber?Carbon fiber is a fabric

A Bowden extruder is a 3D printer material feed mechanism that pushes filament into the hot end through a long tube. The long tube connects the extruder motor to the extruder’s hot end. The feed mechanism that supplies material to the extruder can thus be mounted to the 3D printer’s frame, separatel

3D printing and additive manufacturing might initially seem to mean the same thing, but a deeper look uncovers important differences in their uses and operating principles. The term 3D printing has gained popularity recently and refers to a process for building three-dimensional objects by layering

Used on 3D-printed polymers to even out their surfaces and give them an overall nicer aesthetic, acetone vapor smoothing is especially useful in FDM (fused deposition modeling) where bumpy surface finishes are common. This article will cover how exactly it works, the process, and what materials you

Brittle failure is the sudden fracture of a material with minimal plastic deformation. This can be a dangerous situation since there is little to no warning that failure is about to occur, and cracks in the material propagate quickly. Brittle failure can occur for several reasons, including environm