As 3D printing continues to grow, plenty of processes, tools and other bit’s and bobs turn up, needing proper names.
This is where the world of language takes over.
There isn’t any sort of governing body for naming everything, but the beauty is anyone can contribute to the world of 3D printing. Rather than relying on large companies to do it all.
ZMorph has put together what they call ‘The Ultimate 3D Printing Dictionary’ which is an online dictionary published on medium.com.
Having all of this information gathered in one place rather than scattered across the ends of the internet is useful, especially for beginners.
Often the best of us “3D printing experts” can find ourselves thinking about a new acronym, so beginners and experts alike can use this resource to make sure everyone’s on the same page.
Here’s a quick excerpt of a few of the terms:
- Additive manufacturing — It refers to various fabrication processes used to manufacture 3D objects by adding layers of the material. It’s another name for 3D printing.
- Build Envelope — The size and shape of the area within which a 3D printer can fabricate an object.
- CAD — Shorter for Computer Aided Design. The term includes both the software and the design process put into creating a digital model or a design that can be manufactured into a prototype or a final product.
The terms include examples of products that ZMorph sells, so technically people are in fact relying on a company to provide them with definitions for terms within the 3D printing community.
Despite this, it’s a great tool which can benefit a wide range of people. Another thing to mention is that users can even contribute to the dictionary by leaving a comment.
From beginners to expert level, in this 3D printing dictionary, they gathered all the terms you need to know.