Overview of 3D printing techniques used in prototyping and planning of city areas

Abstract

3D printing is known as 'additive manufacturing' i.e. a technology that involves creating three-dimensional objects by adding layers of material on top of each other. Currently, it is used in many areas, including: prototype production, medicine, aviation and cosmonautics. In prototyping, 3D printing allows to significantly speed up the design process and reduce costs thanks to the possibility of early testing of different versions of the prototype. In planning urban infrastructure, 3D printing allows on production of realistic models of entire cities or individual elements, such as bridges, roads or housing estates. This makes a possibility to quickly modify projects later and adapt them to the changing needs of the city. This work presents examples of the use of selected printing technologies (FDM and CJP) in prototyping and spatial planning.