Skip to main content

Table 1 Summarized description of 3D printing technologies

From: Challenges on optimization of 3D-printed bone scaffolds

Technology category

Technology name

Compatible materials

Advantages

Limitations

Laser-based

SLA

Liquid photopolymers

Obtaining complex internal features

Ability to build large parts

Bioprinting

Good accuracy and high resolution

Need for support structures, not to collapse under hydrostatic pressure

Difficulty in removal of support structures

SLS

Polymer powders

Ceramic powders

No need for post-processing

No need for support structures

Good mechanical properties

Economic

Material wastage

Difficulty in removal of the entrapped powder manually

EBM

Metal powders

Good mechanical properties

Slow and expensive

Need for support structures to reduce stresses and avoid warping

LENS

Metal powders

Ceramic powders

Good mechanical properties

Ability to fabricate composites and FGMs

Post-processing is required

Cutting of built part from the build substrate

Low dimensional accuracy

SLM

Good mechanical properties

Probability of warping and inconsistent mechanical properties due to non-uniform heat distribution

Slow and expensive

2PP

Photopolymer or hydrogel solutions

Good resolution enabling integration of nano-sized and microscale features

For bone scaffolding, should be used along with other 3D printing methods to provide favorable material properties

Extrusion-based

FDM

Polymeric and polymer-based composite filaments

Good mechanical properties

Moderate speed enabling the control over porosity and properties

Adaptable for bioprinting

Not suitable for printing most proteins and cells because the heating needed for providing molten phase

MJ

Liquid photopolymers

No need for post-curing

Poor mechanical properties

Ink-based

IJP

Mostly hydrogels, but other polymers and ceramics are also used such as PCL, HA, bioactive glasses and PLA

Metal nanoparticles can be incorporated such as silver

Bioprinting

Fast and cheap

Constructs built are often fragile

Need for post-processing to strengthen the constructs

AJP

Higher resolution than Inkjet Printing

Greater range of materials with significantly lower viscosities than inkjet printing

Not suitable for

bioprinting due to necessity to atomize the inks

Expensive