3D Printing Principles and Technologies

Three-dimensional (3D) printing, also known as additive manufacturing or rapid prototyping, originated in the 1980s and encompasses various processes that create physical 3D objects by fabricating them layer by layer from a digital file. In this chapter, the five printing technologies generally utilized for medical applications including material extrusion, vat photopolymerization, material jetting, binder jetting, and powder bed fusion will be discussed. Having a basic understanding of 3D printing technologies will help radiologists to understand appropriate uses for each and determine which would be applicable in their practices.