Question: how do 3d printers work?

Chris Armstrong answered on 22 Jun 2015:

Depends on the type, there are two main ones I know of.

Additive Layering – this is the de facto method, and its really just printing in layers, so the first layer is loaded and the printer puts down plastic or metal in the right place, it waits for it to try and then starts the next layer building up and up to create the full structures. It struggles with moving parts as generally the layers have to be connected in some fashion (so that the next layer has something to build of) but techniques exist that allow it.

Drawn – This is a far faster method than the one above, that instead of places liquid and allows it to dry, draws the object from a bath of material by having a laser (IR or UV) interact with the liquid in the right shape causing it to stiffen, the object is then drawn out with the laser changing the points its heating at to cause a continuous structure.

Additive Layers is like a brick wall, where as Drawn is like a large single brick.