3D printing (3D printing), that is, a rapid prototyping technology, it is a digital model file based on the use of powder metal or plastic and other adhesive materials, by the way of layer by layer printing technology to construct objects.

3D printing is usually achieved using digital technology material printers. In the past, it was often used in mold manufacturing, industrial design and other fields to manufacture models, and is now gradually used in the direct manufacturing of some products, and parts have been printed using this technology. The technology is used in jewelry, footwear, industrial design, architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries, education, geographic information systems, civil engineering and other fields.

3D printing technology is based on a computer three-dimensional design model, layered discrete software and CNC forming system, the use of laser beams, hot melt nozzles and other ways to metal powder, ceramic powder, plastic, cell tissue and other special materials for layer by layer bonding, and finally superposition molding, to create a solid product. Unlike the traditional manufacturing industry, which shapes and cuts raw materials through mechanical processing methods such as mold and turning mill to produce final products, 3D printing turns three-dimensional entities into several two-dimensional planes, and greatly reduces the complexity of manufacturing by processing materials and stacking them layer by layer for production. This digital manufacturing model does not require complex processes, does not require huge machine tools, does not require a large number of manpower, directly from the computer graphics data can generate any shape of the parts, so that the production of manufacturing to a wider range of production groups to extend.

The ordinary printers used in our daily life can print flat items designed by computers, and the so-called 3D printers work basically the same principle as ordinary printers, but the printing materials are somewhat different, the printing materials of ordinary printers are ink and paper, and the 3D printers are equipped with different "printing materials" such as metal, ceramic, plastic, sand, etc. It is a real raw material, after the printer is connected to the computer, the "printing material" can be stacked layer by layer through the computer control, and finally the blueprint on the computer becomes a real thing. In layman's terms, a 3D printer is a device that can "print" real 3D objects, such as a robot, a toy car, models and even food. The reason why it is commonly called "printer" is based on the technical principle of ordinary printers, because the process of layered processing is very similar to inkjet printing. This printing technology is called 3D stereoscopic printing.