The Use of 3D Printing Technology for Jewellery Business
3D printing has changed the face of how we perceive manufacturing and how manufacturing designs are conceived. 3D printing services in India offer not only rapid prototyping, but also other versatile applications.
One such application is 3D jewellery printing. India’s obsession with jewellery makes it a great place for testing out the potential of online 3D printing and 3D printing service. Let us explore some of the possible advantages of 3D printing jewellery.
Limitless design possibilities
The first starting point of 3D printing process is 3D modeling. And, it is the applications of 3D modeling that render the design capabilities of 3D printing with limitless possibilities. All you need is a computer to conceive the design and transform it into the real thing, layer by layer.
3D printing also makes the designing of complex and detailed geometries possible, as compared to traditional technologies. Imagine designing earring with interlocking patterns. 3D printing can easily bring it to life!
Make lightweight jewellery a reality
Forget about the hassle of carrying around heavyweight jewellery around your neck or on your ears. 3D printing makes it possible to reduce the weight of jewellery. 3D print technologies such as SLS or Jet Fusion that use plastic powder already have the advantage of being lightweight materials.
Another advantage of 3D printed jewellery is that they do not necessarily have to be solid from inside. They can be composed of lattices that are extremely lightweight. Alternatively, 3D printed jewellery can be left hollow from within.
Attain superior quality standards
Some 3D printing technologies can achieve layer thickness of as low as 25 µm or 0.025 mm. This implies superior quality of products at comparatively lower costs than traditional jewellery manufacturing techniques.
Experiment with 3D materials
3D printing cost has become manageable. Why not try 3D printing jewellery in precious metals such as brass, bronze, silver and even gold? What’s more, a professional 3D printer comes with the added benefit of different plating options.
In fact, why limit yourself to metals alone? Even plastic is used for 3D printing jewellery nowadays. Another possible material for 3D printed jewellery is resin. The advantage of both plastic and resin when it comes to their use as 3D printing material for jewellery manufacturing is their strength and resistance to corrosion. They also have a smooth finish, owing to UV curing.
3D printers for jewellery
There are three basic types of 3D jewellery printers:
Drop on Demand: These use the piezoelectric jet technology.
Digital Light Processing (DLP): This process makes use of a projector to individually define layers of a projected image
Stereolithography (SLA): A laser is used to draw layers of a CAD file.
Photopolymers are used in both the DLP and SLA 3D printers. These solidify under exposure to light.