Digital Fabricator

A Digital Fabricator (short fabber ) is generally a device that material, 3 -dimensional objects on a computer -generated CAD data generated.

Basic classes of this type of machine are subtractive fabricators that produce the desired article by removing or disconnecting material - such as milling, turning, cutting, such as CNC machines - and additive fabricators that build the object from the base material, in particular 3D printer.

The development of 3D printers represents a huge change (for sustainable produce ) and can end a centuries-old principle, that manufacture products from blanks and only with large amounts of waste. 3D printers use only as much material as is actually needed. " The smaller the number of units and more complicated shaped the desired part is, the easier it expects 3D printing ".

Classification

Functional

• Subtractive fabber: The object is produced from a solid block by removing material by means of milling, turning, electrical methods such as spark machining or the like. This is the oldest group of Fabbern one of the CNC machines.
• Additives fabber: The object is generated by successively adding or depositing material. Stereolithography printer: A focused UV light beam hardens the surface layers in a resin bath.
• Laser sintering: A laser beam melts / welds of the ground to a powder material together in layers.

Application related

• 3D printers: Through binder quickly hardening material (depending on the scope of plastics, plaster, powder for metals or glass, silver, cobalt, chromium, mineral dust, sand, etc. ) layer by layer additive ( layer thickness in the micrometer range up to about 1-2 mm) injected ( examples ). The term is available within a few hours. Modern 3D printer can even create colorful models in 24-bit color depth.
• Price: In the year 2006 was the starting price of devices that emit no toxic gases longer and be addressed as a network printer, at 16,000 euros. In 2007, individual companies have offered appropriate device for less than 4,000 euros. In December 2011, plastic printer for home use from 1,000 euros are to be had.
• The application areas seem almost no bounds. Are known (after ) eg: producing dental implants, aircraft, model making, jewelry making, toys. An Italian engineer had already plans to use his 'D - shape ' said machine for building houses, benches made ​​of sandstone and a garden house he had been ' printed '.

On 29 September 2006, the first online shop for 3D prints of Germany went into operation. A recent development in the field provide the developed as open source hardware projects RepRap and MakerBot dar. Both projects have made it their mission is to advance the development downmarket additive digital Fabricatoren.