Technology
How does a 3D printer work?
A 3D printer works by building an object one thin layer at a time. Software slices a digital 3D model into hundreds of cross-sections, and the printer deposits or hardens material layer by layer until the full physical object is formed.
See it in motion.
Watch a 2-minute animated lesson that shows exactly how a 3D printer works.
Step by step
- 1A 3D model is 'sliced' by software into many thin horizontal layers.
- 2The most common type melts plastic filament and lays it down in each layer's shape.
- 3Each new layer fuses onto the one below, gradually building height.
- 4Other methods harden liquid resin with light or fuse powder with a laser.
- 5It can create complex, custom shapes that are hard or impossible to mold or machine.
Frequently asked questions
- What materials can 3D printers use?
- Commonly plastics, but also resins, metals, ceramics, and even concrete or biological materials, depending on the printer type.
- Why does 3D printing take so long?
- Building up hundreds or thousands of fine layers one at a time is inherently slow, especially for large or highly detailed objects.
- What does 'slicing' mean in 3D printing?
- It's converting a 3D model into the layer-by-layer instructions the printer follows, done by software called a slicer.