3D Printing Workflow

How 3D Printers Work

25 Min.

3D printing builds objects layer by layer from a digital model. Two technologies dominate home and small-business printing.

FDM (filament)

A heated nozzle melts plastic filament and draws each layer.

  • Strengths: affordable, large build volumes, strong functional parts, many materials, low running cost.
  • Limits: visible layer lines, fine detail limited by nozzle size (commonly 0.4 mm), overhangs need supports.

Resin (SLA / MSLA)

UV light cures liquid resin layer by layer.

  • Strengths: very fine detail and smooth surfaces; ideal for miniatures, jewellery masters, dental and detailed figurines.
  • Limits: smaller build volume, messy post-processing (washing and curing), resin is a skin and eye irritant requiring gloves, eye protection and ventilation.

Choosing a first printer

If you want to make… Choose
functional parts, enclosures, larger items FDM
detailed miniatures and figurines resin
products to sell in volume a reliable FDM printer with automatic bed levelling

Look for automatic bed levelling, a direct-drive or well-supported extruder, an enclosed or easy-to-enclose design for higher-temperature materials, an active user community and available spare parts. Modern "bed-slinger" and CoreXY printers from reputable brands print well out of the box.

Safety

  • Place printers on stable, non-flammable surfaces; do not leave early prints unattended.
  • Ventilate: melting plastics and especially resin release fumes and particles.
  • Keep resin away from skin and drains; cure waste resin before disposal.

The workflow at a glance

Model (CAD / Blender / download) → export STL/3MF → slicer → G-code → print → post-process

Check yourself

  • When is resin a better choice than FDM?
  • What protective equipment does resin require?
  • What does a slicer produce?

Ihr Fortschritt wird nur in diesem Browser gespeichert.

Zur Prüfung einreichen (10 Punkte)