ABC of

3D Printing

This section explains key 3D printing terms in clear, simple language—helping you quickly understand technologies, materials, and processes used in additive manufacturing.

ABS

Impact-resistant thermoplastic used in FDM printing.

ASA

UV-resistant filament for outdoor parts.

Additive Manufacturing

Layer-by-layer production technology.

Adhesion

Bonding strength between the first layer and the build plate.

Annealing

Heat treatment to improve part strength and stability.

Automatic Bed Leveling

Automated leveling of the build plate.

Bed Adhesion

Ability of the first layer to stick to the build plate.

Binder Jetting

Powder-based process using a liquid binder.

Bowden Extruder

Extruder pushing filament through a PTFE tube.

Brim

Adhesion structure around a part.

Build Plate

Surface on which prints are created.

Build Volume

Maximum printable area in a 3D printer.

CAD

Software for designing 3D models.

CNC Machining

Subtractive manufacturing process.

Coextrusion

Simultaneous extrusion of two materials.

Continuous Fiber Reinforcement

Strengthening FDM prints using fiber strands.

Cooling

Controlled cooling during extrusion.

Curing

UV post-processing for resin prints.

DLP

Projector-based resin printing.

Depowdering

Removing excess powder after SLS/MJF.

Design for Additive Manufacturing

Optimizing geometry for 3D printing.

Dimensional Accuracy

Precision of printed dimensions.

Draft Shield

Printed enclosure to stabilize temperature.

Dual Extrusion

Printing with two materials.

EBM

Electron Beam Melting for metals.

Elasticity

Material flexibility property.

Elastomers

Flexible materials such as TPU.

Enclosure

Closed chamber to stabilize temperature.

End-Use Parts

Final functional products printed additively.

Extruder

Component feeding and melting filament.

FDM

Fused Deposition Modeling.

FFF

Fused Filament Fabrication.

Filament

Spool-fed polymer material.

Finishing

Surface treatment after printing.

Flow Rate

Extruded material volume per second.

Formnext

Leading additive manufacturing trade fair.

G-Code

Machine language for 3D printers.

Gantry System

Movement system for X/Y/Z axes.

Glass Fiber Filament

Filament reinforced with glass fibers.

Granulate Printing

Extrusion using plastic pellets.

HIPS

Support material commonly used with ABS.

Heated Bed

Build plate with heating.

Honeycomb Infill

Lightweight internal structure.

Hotend

Melting zone for filament.

Hybrid Manufacturing

Combination of AM and CNC.

IPA

Solvent for resin cleaning.

Industrial 3D Printing

Additive manufacturing for mass production.

Infill

Internal structure of a part.

Inkjet 3D Printing

Jetting droplets of material.

Isotropic Properties

Equal strength in all directions.

Jerk Settings

Controls abrupt start of motion.

Jetting Process

Droplet-based material deposition.

Jog Mode

Manual printer axis control.

K-Factor

Parameter used for flexible materials.

Kevlar Reinforcement

Using Kevlar fibers to reinforce prints.

Kinematics

Movement mechanics of a printer.

Laser Sintering

Powder melting using a laser.

Lattice Structure

Lightweight internal geometry.

Layer

Single horizontal section of a print.

Layer Height

Thickness of each printed layer.

Leveling

Adjusting build plate height.

MJF

Multi Jet Fusion by HP.

Maker Space

Workshop with 3D printing tools.

Material Extrusion

Category including FDM/FFF.

Material Jetting

Photopolymer droplet deposition.

Mesh

Triangle-based geometry representation.

Metal 3D Printing

Additive manufacturing with metal powders.

Nesting

Arrangement of parts in the build area.

Non-Isotropic Strength

Directional strength differences.

Nozzle

Opening where filament is extruded.

Nylon

High-strength engineering polymer.

Offset Calibration

Adjusting nozzle-to-bed distance.

Open-Source Printer

Printer with accessible hardware/software.

Orientation Optimization

Selecting the best printing direction.

Overhang

Geometry extending outward without support.

PETG

Tough polymer used in FDM.

PLA

Biodegradable, easy-to-print polymer.

PVA

Water-soluble support material.

Post-Processing

All steps after printing.

Powder Bed Fusion

Family of powder-based printing processes.

Print Speed

Movement speed during printing.

Quality Assurance

Inspection of printed parts.

Quenching

Rapid cooling of printed materials.

Quick-Release System

Mechanism for rapid nozzle swapping.

Raft

Foundation layer for adhesion.

Rapid Prototyping

Fast production of prototypes.

Resin

Photopolymer for SLA/DLP.

Retraction

Pulling back filament to prevent stringing.

Roughness

Surface quality measurement.

SLA

Stereolithography.

SLS

Selective Laser Sintering.

Scan Speed

Laser movement speed in SLS/SLM.

Shrinkage

Size reduction due to cooling.

Slicer

Software converting models into G-code.

Support Structures

Supports for overhangs.

TPU

Flexible polyurethane material.

Temperature Tower

Calibration test for temperature.

Thingiverse

Platform for downloading 3D models.

Tolerances

Dimensional variation allowed.

Topology Optimization

Algorithmic strength/mass optimization.

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A set of 3D printers printing shapes