The term 3D printing covers a variety of processes in which material is joined or solidified under computer control to create a three-dimensional object, with material being added together, typically layer by layer.
3D printing techniques were considered suitable only for the production of functional or aesthetical prototypes and a more appropriate term was rapid prototyping.
Today, the precision, repeatability and material range have increased to the point that some 3D printing processes are considered viable as an industrial production technology, whereby the term additive manufacturing can be used synonymously with 3D printing.
One of the key advantages of 3D printing is the ability to produce very complex shapes or geometries, and a prerequisite for producing any 3D printed part is a digital 3D model or a CAD file.
The most commonly used 3D Printing process is a material extrusion technique called fused deposition modeling (FDM). Metal Powder bed fusion has been gaining prominence lately during the immense applications of metal parts in the 3D printing industry.
3D Printing training courses demonstrate through hands-on practice how to design their own 3D models and how to use a 3D printer.
