Seven Major 3D Printing Technologies — A Complete Guide

Many people think 3D printing only means extruding material from a hot nozzle, but it is much broader. Today we introduce seven major 3D printing categories so even beginners can distinguish between them.

In fact, 3D printing, also called additive manufacturing, is an umbrella term covering several distinct processes. All 3D printing starts from a digital model—created in CAD or obtained from a digital library—then sliced into layers and converted into machine instructions. The following sections explain the differences and typical uses for each category.

The seven categories (ISO classification) are:
● Material extrusion
● Vat photopolymerization
● Powder bed fusion
● Material jetting
● Binder jetting
● Directed energy deposition
● Sheet lamination

1. Material Extrusion

Material extrusion 3D printing

Material extrusion pushes material through a nozzle—typically a thermoplastic filament melted in a heated nozzle. The printer deposits material following the sliced path; layers cool and fuse to form a solid. This is the most common 3D printing form and spans materials from plastics and metals to concrete and bio-inks. Subtypes include FDM (FFF), large-scale construction printing, micro 3D printing, and bioprinting.

Typical uses: prototypes, housings, fit tests, fixtures, investment-casting patterns, and houses. Advantages: low cost and broad material range. Limitations: often lower mechanical properties and dimensional accuracy.

2. Vat Photopolymerization

Vat photopolymerization (resin 3D printing) selectively cures liquid photopolymer resin with light. Common methods include SLA, DLP, and LCD/MSLA. They provide smooth surfaces and fine feature detail, widely used for dental, jewelry, and high-detail prototypes.

3. Powder Bed Fusion

Powder bed fusion (PBF) uses thermal energy to selectively fuse powder particles (plastic, metal, or ceramic) layer by layer. Subtypes include SLS, LPBF (DMLS/SLM), and EBM. PBF produces functional parts with excellent mechanical properties and complex geometries, used in aerospace, medical, and industrial applications.

4. Material Jetting

Material jetting deposits tiny droplets of material that solidify or cure, enabling multi-material and full-color prints. It is used for realistic prototypes, high-detail models, and medical models.

5. Binder Jetting

Binder jetting selectively deposits a liquid binder onto a powder bed to form parts without heat during printing. It is fast and economical for large-volume production and can produce metal, polymer, and sand parts after post-processing.

6. Directed Energy Deposition (DED)

DED feeds metal wire or powder while applying focused energy (laser, electron beam, arc) to melt and deposit material. It is widely used for repair, large parts, and adding material to existing components, often followed by CNC finishing.

7. Sheet Lamination

Sheet lamination stacks and bonds thin sheets of material which are cut to shape. It can be fast for nonfunctional prototypes and composite manufacturing.

Note: Many proprietary and hybrid processes exist beyond these seven broad categories.

Source: Nanji Xiong 3D Printing