Glossary of terms from 3D printing world
ABS Juice - a mixture of acetone and ABS (a thermoplastic that dissolves in acetone). There are various instructions with a different ratio of both components, but the ratio most often stated is: 10 mm ABS + 10 ml acetone. This mixture is used to hold the prints on the printer bed.
Additive manufacturing - or Additive manufacturing technology - is the creation of 3D models by adding layers of materials (so-called material layering).
Bowden extruder – an extruder that is attached to the frame of the 3D printer and pushes the filament through a PTFE tube (bowden tube). The advantage is, for example, the lower weight of the print head. Disadvantages include the need for a motor with a stronger capacity or the fact that it is compatible with fewer types of filament. The opposite variant is a direct extruder, which pushes the filament straight into the nozzle.
Bowden tube – the tube that feeds the filament from the Bowden extruder to the hotend, which is then extruded onto the printing pad through the nozzle. The tube is made of PTFE material.
Brim - an intermediate layer between the print and the printing mat, which is used to improve the adhesion of the print to the bed and prevent deformations. The brim is printed from one layer and exceeds the size of the print.
BuildTak - a thin self-adhesive film that is placed on the printing bed and thus ensures a better surface thanks to the increased adhesion of the printed objects to the mat. The film is made of durable and high-quality material and can withstand high temperatures. It replaces blue tape, kapton tape or ABS Juice mixture.
CAD - [abbr. from English Computer Aided Design - an abbreviation for computer programs that deal with the development, construction of a digital model and preparation for the production of the final product.
Calibrating the pad - leveling the gap between the printing bed and the nozzle. Some printers have an automatic calibration that runs before each print. Correct calibration of the pad is necessary to achieve quality prints.
CNC - [abbr. from English Computer Numerical Control] – a digital machine tool that is controlled by a computer program based on a series of commands encoded usually in a file of G-codes. No manual control is required for this process.
Desktop 3D printer - a printer that fits on a table and allows you to print models at home, in garages or in offices. Thanks to this, 3D printing has spread among the general public and is gradually becoming more affordable.
Digital manufacturing - the name for a process that involves the design and production of 3D models using various CAD / CAM software and manufacturing methods such as 3D printing, CNC milling or laser cutting.
Direct extruder - an extruder that is installed right next to the hotend and pushes the filament directly into the nozzle. Its advantage is, among other things, easier extrusion of the filament, it is compatible with several types of filament, the possibility of using a weaker motor. Disadvantages include the greater weight of the print head and sometimes it is more difficult to clean the nozzle, for example. The opposite variant is the Bowden extruder, which pushes the filament through a Bowden tube.
DLP - [abbr. from English Digital Light Processing] – technology that uses a UV data projector to project the printed layer onto the printing surface. Movement is performed only on the Z axis. This is one of the most accurate 3D printing technologies.
Elephant's foot - extended bottom layer compared to the rest of the print. This defect is most often caused by incorrect cooling of the print or incorrect height of the first layer.
Extruder - part of the 3D printer, which has the task of processing and extruding the filament during printing. The extruder is divided into two parts: the stepper motor and feed system that feeds the filament to the printer, and the hotend, which heats and pushes the filament through the nozzle onto the printing surface.
Fab Lab - [abbr. from English Fabrication Laboratory - shared workshop for individuals equipped with various devices including 3D printers. It works on the principle of DIY (Do it yourself) and can be a great source of knowledge and inspiration for beginners and enthusiasts in the field of 3D printing.
FDM technology [abbr. from English Fused Deposition Modeling] - 3D printing method based on extrusion and application of molten filament It is a trade name created by Stratasys.
FEP film - a two-layer transparent film that is fixed to the frame in a resin tray. It helps the UV light to cure the liquid resin. It is used in 3D printers that work with LCD, DLP and SLA technologies.
FFF technology [abbr. from English Fused Filament Fabrication] - 3D printing method based on extrusion and application of fused filament. Practically the same method as FDM, but often used on printersRepRap.
Filament - material intended for printing on 3D printers using the FDM method. Filament is supplied in the form of a thin string that is wound on a spool. It may vary in type, consistency, color or properties. Among the most popular are PLA, ABS or PET-G.
G-code - coding language programmed for 3D printers. It is used to transmit instructions to the 3D printer control system with information on how to print the 3D model.
Heatblock - part of the hotend. It is a metal cube that ensures an even and regular supply of heat to the nozzle and filament.
Heatbreak – neck or insulator, which has the task of separating the part of the filament that is already heated and is ready to be extruded from the part of the filament that has a lower temperature and is still in a solid state. Heatbreak is part of hotend.
Homing - finding the starting position. It is the process by which a 3D printer determines the location of its extruder in three-dimensional space. Guidance occurs before each print as the X, Y and Z axis motors seek their maximum limit.
Hotend – a part of the printer that has the task of heating the filament. It can be made of brass, zinc or copper. The hotend includes a nozzle, heatblock and neck (heatbreak).
Hybrid/multipurpose 3D printer - a multipurpose machine that, unlike conventional 3D printers, can handle CNC milling in addition to 3D printing. And newer machines combine 3D printing, CNC milling and laser engraving.
Infill – the inner part of the print that functions as a supporting structure. The filling can be up to 100%, when the print is completely filled (the advantage is good stability of the print, the disadvantage is a long printing time and high printing costs), up to 0%, when the print is hollow (the advantage is fast printing, low costs and weight, the disadvantage is low stability). Most often, prints are printed with 10-20% fill density. Another aspect is the fill pattern.
Kapton Tape - heat-resistant adhesive tape made of polyimide film with silicone glue. It can handle a wide temperature range (from -269°C to 260°C). It is used on the printing bed and ensures the exact adhesion of the printed model.
Layer - a single planar part of an object that is 3D printed. Before printing, the model is "cut" into individual horizontal layers in a computer program. When printed, each layer adheres to the previous one, creating the 3D structure of the model.
Layer curing time - the time during which each layer of the printout is exposed to UV light and curing occurs in SLA, DLP and LCD 3D printers. It is most often recommended to let one coat cure for 5-12 seconds depending on the type of resin.
Layer height/layer thickness - a fundamental factor in any 3D print affecting print time and vertical resolution. The maximum height of the layer is limited by the diameter of the nozzle.
Nozzle – a part of the hotend through which the heated filament is pushed onto the printer bed. Most 3D printers have a replaceable nozzle. Nozzles vary in size and material. Steel or brass nozzles are most often used. The diameter of the nozzle is in the range from 0.1 to 2.0 mm.
Nylon (Polyamide – Pa) – a plastic material that is often used for 3D printing due to its properties: very strong and durable, high adhesion and high melting point. In powder form, it is used for SLS technology, as nylon printing strings for FDM technology.
Outline - several layers of fiber printed to outline all the models on the printer bed. Due to the fact that it is printed first before the actual printing of the 3D model, it ensures the control of the correct extrusion of the filament and the adhesion of the first layer to the printing mat. You can adjust the Z-axis settings if the print does not sit as it should on the printer bed.
Overlap - the part of 3D printed objects that extends over the previous layers of filament. Overlaps can be small and print well, but often require support, especially if they have a high angle of inclination. They can also be avoided by printing the 3D model in two parts and attaching them together after printing.
PEEK - (abbreviation for: PolyEtherEtherKetone) material that is used to make filament for 3D printers. It is resistant to many organic and inorganic chemicals and withstands consistently high temperatures.
PEI - (Polyetherimide) high-temperature thermoplastic, from which PEI film for the printer bed is produced. Thanks to it, it is possible to remove prints from the mat more easily.
Photopolymerization - the process of solidifying the resin using UV light. This technique is used in various 3D printing processes such as DLP, SLA and Polyjet.
PLA – (Polylactide fibers) plant-based material used for FDM technology. It is fully biodegradable. It is used for 3D printing of decorative objects or, due to the fact that it is ecological and safe, also for consumable materials (eg: food packaging, disposable tableware).
Polyjet – 3D printing technology patented by Stratasys (other companies use the designation: MultiJet, Jet technology), when the resin is sprayed onto the substrate and immediately cured using UV light. The material is stored in cartridges just like 2D printers.
Post-Processing - the process that occurs after the print is finished. These are additional adjustments to the print, which include various techniques such as sanding, varnishing, smoothing. With Post-Processing you can make the print look like it was made of wood or even metal.
Power raft - a type of raft (the layer between the printed part and the substrate) generated by the Voxelizer software from ZMorph. It serves as a bottom layer, thanks to which the model adheres better to the substrate.
Printer Bed/Build Plate - the surface on which the 3D print is printed. Specifies the size and shape of the print option. It can vary in size, material and different surface (smooth or textured).
Printing tray - container intended for resin (liquid resin). It is used for 3D printing based on the SL principle (curing liquid resin using a laser).
PTFE material - a synthetic material made of polytetrafluoroethylene, which is used for the production of, for example, PTFE tubing for hotends or for Bowden filament wiring. The name Teflon is often used - the name given in the original DuPont patent.
Quarry - [abbr. from English Laminated Object Manufacturing] 3D printing technology where each layer is cut and glued to the previous layer. Plastic or paper is used as material. This is a fast and cheap method, but there is a large amount of waste material and the prints are not so durable (it is used, for example, for printing models).
Raft – a printed base on which a specific print is then printed. The raft is printed from multiple layers and is designed to improve the stability of the print. This layer can be generated using a splicing software or CAD software.
Rapid prototyping - a set of technologies for the production of prototypes using 3D printing. These prototypes are used to show how the final model will look (design proposal) and to quickly produce the model thanks to three-dimensional data in computer design (CAD).
RepRap - [abbr. from English replicating rapid prototyper] - an international community project for 3D printers, which was founded in 2005 by Dr. Adrian Bowyer. The 3D printers from this project have open hardware and are composed mostly of plastic parts that can be printed on another RepRap printer. The RepRap project has become very popular in the 3D printing community around the world, mainly due to its availability, lower cost and open access.
Resin – a resin material that is used for 3D printing. Resin is not extruded using a nozzle, but is stored in a printing tray.
Scanner - a device that scans an object and creates a computer 3D model of it, which can then be further edited and, among other things, printed on a 3D printer.
Section - intersection of the 3D model, which is used to find out more detailed information about a specific area of the 3D model. The slice properties are dependent on the value set in the slicing software.
SDL - [abbr. from English Selective Deposit Layers] 3D paper printing technology is based on layering color-printed sheets of paper using an adhesive and then cutting them with a laser into the desired shape. Ordinary paper is used for this, so 3D printing is not expensive, but it is not so durable compared to plastic prints.
Skirt - a contour line around the print, thanks to which the filament flow through the nozzle is stabilized.
SL - [abbr. from English Stereolithography] a 3D model making method that uses laser radiation to harden liquid resin. This technology is one of the most accurate methods and is often used in larger industrial 3D printers.
SLA - [abbr. from English Stereolithography Apparatus] - a production machine using the SL process for 3D printing.
Slicer – computer software that is used to prepare materials for 3D printing and works on the principle of dividing a 3D model into thin horizontal layers, which are later 3D printed one by one based on G-code files (the name of the software is derived from the English word - slice = slices or layers).
SLM - [abbr. from English Selective Laser Melting] 3D printing technology, where metal material is melted using a powerful laser directed by special mirrors. The material is ground into an extra fine powder (used: copper, aluminum, surgical steel, cobalt, chrome, titanium, platinum or tungsten). These printers are quite expensive and 3D prints are used in the aviation industry, for example.
SLS - [abbr. from English Fabrication Laboratory ] a production process that is based on the principle of sintering layers of plastic material powder using a laser. It is mostly used in larger industrial 3D printers. There are other laser manufacturing methods: SLM and DMLS.
STL - a file format often used to save 3D models for 3D printing. STL files have a geometrically rendered 3D model without colors or textures. They can later be converted to G-codes.
Subtractive production – is a production method that is based on the principle of removing material into the desired form of the final product. This is, for example, cutting, milling or engraving. This is the opposite process to the additive technology used in 3D printing (where the product is created by gradually adding material).
Thermistor - a small sensor found above the nozzle. It is a temperature sensor that is used to measure the temperature of the substrate and the nozzle in the 3D printer.
Voxel - three-dimensional pixels that indicate a value in a specific set of coordinates. It is often used in 3D graphics for 3D printing purposes. ZMorph's Voxelizer software uses voxels to generate and modify 3D models instead of using vectors.
3D printer boxes – boxes or cabinets in which the 3D printer is stored. Their advantage is a stable medium for printing - constant temperature, no drafts and dust, and last but not least, a reduction in noise during printing.