Abstract:

In the last years a very great development takes the 3D printing technologies. Actually, on the market, there is a large number of additive processes. The differences between processes consist in the method of layers deposition to realized parts and in the variety of materials that are used. For choosing a printer, the important considerations are generally the speed, the cost of 3D printer, the cost of printed prototype and also the materials and color possibilities. The 3d printers that work with plastic or ceramic materials are less expensive, in opposition with the more expensive 3d printers that work directly with metallic materials. Every printers and method has its own advantages and drawbacks. The most common 3d printers realize the mechanical prototypes using fused deposition modeling. The general principles of the fused deposition modeling process consist in 3D modeling, printing and finishing. In Romania, the most 3d printers that are sold, realize pieces using plastic materials by fused deposition modelling. The 3d companies sell almost 90% printers using plastic materials and only 8% printers using metallic materials and 2% another materials.