Table 1.
Overview of different 3D printing techniques and their characteristics (SLA: stereolithography; SLS: selective laser sintering; DMLS: direct metal laser sintering; FDM: Fused deposition modelling; UV: Ultra-violet [3–5]).
| Type of printing | Build material | Material distribution | Binding technique | Color printing | Material combination | Postprocessing | Material costs (US$ per kg, nonprofessional use) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remove excess | Increase strength | Remove support | |||||||
| Photopolymerization (SLA) | Photopolymer (resin) | Vat | Light (laser) | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50 |
| Directed energy deposition (SLS, DMLS) | Powder | Bed | Heat (laser or welding) | No | No | Yes | No | No | 45-75 (nonmetal) 350-550 (metal) |
| Material extrusion (FDM) | Filaments of plastic, food, paste, etc. | Extrusion | Heat (most often) | No | No | No | No | Yes | 20-70 |
| Binder jetting (BJ) | Powder | Bed | Jet adhesive | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 300-1000 |
| Material jetting (Polyjet) | Photopolymer (resin) | Jet | Light (UV) | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | 300-1000 |