Additive manufacturing, more commonly known as 3D printing, is a process that uses a digital file in conjunction with a 3D printer. The file is scanned into the printer and then the printer lays down layers of melted plastic resin to create a solid three dimensional object. There are many different types of software used to create the CAD files 3D printers use. Three specific examples of these are time-of-flight, structured/modulated light, and volumetric scanning. No matter what modeling software is used to create the file, the result is the same. The software takes the image needing to be printed and slices it into thousands of horizontal layers. This creates the template the printer follows while laying down the melted material to create the desired object.
