3D PRINTING GLOSSARY

    • 3D printing (additive manufacturing): Process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file by laying down successive layers of materials until the entire object is created.

 

    • ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene): Low cost engineering thermoplastics.

 

    • DLP® (Digital Light Processing): Similar to the stereolithography process, the polymerization is realized through a chip composed of several microscopic mirrors which scans the surface of the tank.

 

    • EBM® (Electron Beam Melting): Merger of metal powder thanks to an electron laser in a vacuum chamber placed at a temperature of 700-1000°C.

 

    • FDM® (Fused Deposition Modeling): Successive deposits of melted filament.

 

    • Liquid photopolymer: Plastic materials that changes its properties when it is exposed to light.

 

    • MLS® (Micro Laser Sintering): Sintering of thin particles of powder thanks to a powerful laser.

 

    • MJM® (Multi-Jet Modeling): Use of melted wax as raw material which is put down by droplets thanks to two successive jets in two axes.

 

    • PLA® (Polylactic acid): Biodegradable thermoplastic polyester derived from renewable resources.

 

    • SLM® (Selective Laser Melting): Merger of thin particles of powder thanks to a powerful laser.

 

    • SLS® (Selective Laser Sintering): Oldest printing solution, solidification of the photosensitive liquid polymers contained in a tank by using ultraviolet-laser.

 

    • Services Bureau: Rapid prototyping and direct digital manufacturing services mainly to the B2B segment.

 

    • SLA® (Stereolithography): Solidification of the photosensitive liquid polymers contained in a tank by using ultraviolet-laser.

 

  • STL format: Standard digital printing format used by most additive manufacturing systems.