What Is FDM 3D Printing?
FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) is a type of 3D printing that transforms your building or object blueprint layer by layer into a complete 3D designed object. FDM achieves its strong 3D printed parts by heating a thermoplastic filament and extruding this filament to your chosen shape through a nozzle.
Other forms of 3D printing will give you good results, but FDM 3D printing is way affordable. Aside from being affordable, it’s so easy to use and operate, and you can use it with different materials too.
How Does 3D Printing FDM Work?
The FDM 3D printing follows this step by step process:
- Designing: Like every 3D printing process, FDM starts with designing a blueprint. A 3D design software like CAD (computer-aided design) software is used to create the blueprint model, and the software converts it to a file format a printer can interpret.
- Slicing: Right before you print, you slice the printing model horizontally layer by layer into several slices with a slicing software. With the 3D slicer, you can also set the print settings of your design as you desire.
- Loading: After slicing, you load the thermoplastic filament (or a base raw material of your choice) into the 3D printer that you have. The sliced filament serves as ink for the printer nozzle.
- Heating: After you load the material, heat the FDM printer nozzle. Now, the temperature to which you heat the nozzle depends on the melting temperature of the filament material in your 3D printer.
- Printing: As soon as you heat the print nozzle to your set temperature, once melted, you extrude the melted filament on the build plate with your live 3D design. Using the nozzle, trace the blueprint layer by layer, until you complete the design.
Sometimes, you may have some models with additional overhanging parts. To print those parts, you can create support structures on the design model. You can remove these structures after cooling.
- Cooling: Allow each layer of the extruded filament to cool and become solid on the 3D model base.
Advantages of FDM Technology in 3D Printing
- Affordable
Compared to most 3D printing technologies, FDM printers and printing materials are some of the most affordable 3D printing sets you will find. Because it’s affordable and inexpensive, FDM 3D printing is accessible to different individuals, manufacturers and hobbyists, startups, and even institutions.
- Ease of Operation
FDM 3D printing is simple and easy to use too. It’s user-friendly, and it contains many straightforward plug-and-play functions.
- Availability
Most FDM 3D printing software are open-source firmware, so they are readily available in various forms too. And as it’s readily available, you can customize them with ease too.
- Versatility
FDM is a quite versatile printing procedure. It can accommodate different kinds of thermoplastics including highly biodegradable PLA and engineering-grade Nylon. It can also handle carbon-fiber composites, so it works for both concept modeling and functional parts.
- Easy Customization
With FDM 3D printing technology, you can customize as you desire. This is because you can digitally alter 3D designs and print them without changing the tools or molds between both processes. Because it’s easy to customize, it’s fast too. This means engineers and designers can quickly test multiple design versions.
- Produce Less Waste
The waste obtained from the FDM 3D printing process, since it’s an additive manufacturing process, is minimal. When compared to other procedures, especially those involved in subtractive manufacturing, FDM uses only the necessary amount of raw material. Hence, you get less wasted, and you cut down your expenses on purchasing materials.
- Compatible With Small Businesses
FDM, unlike some printing processes, is not only for big business prototypes. Since it’s affordable, it permits small-scale production of unique parts. It’s great for startups, niche products, small businesses, and on-demand parts that need you to produce only small quantities of a product.
- Safe and Office-friendly
FDM does not need harmful chemicals or complicated details to print a 3D design unlike resin-based or powder-bed 3D printing processes. Since it’s this safe, it’s best for offices and institutions.
Common Applications of FDM Technology in 3D Printing
1. Engineering Prototypes
Mechanical engineers and product developers use FDM to create prototypes they test before making the real deal. The prototypes help ensure the fit, function, and ergonomics of the 3D product is right before bulk production.
2. Medical Devices
Manufacturers that manufacture medical devices use the FDM 3D printer to produce prosthetics, orthotic braces, and other common surgical models. That way, they can make special devices that meet the patient needs, cut costs, and slash production time.
3. Educational Tools
These days, secondary and tertiary institutions, especially those that are scientific based, include printing technologies like the FDM 3D printers into their programs. Doing this allows students to create live 3D models that help them understand topics in courses such as physics, biology, architecture, and engineering.
4. Consumer Products
With FDM 3D printers, you can create and customize end-consumer products like phone cases, home décor products, accessories, etc. Using the FDM printer enables manufacturers to personalize these items too.
5. Automotive Industry
Automotive professionals use FDM 3D printers to make jigs, fixtures, brackets, and other housing components.
6. Aerospace and Defense
FDM, though a simple 3D technology, is still used to make tooling components, lightweight models, and mock-ups for more complex 3D designs.
7. Architecture and Construction
Architects use FDM 3D printers to quickly build design models and mock-ups so their clients get better ideas of structures before the main construction begins.
8. Art and Fashion
Artists and designers use FDM to make sculpture models, jewelry, and even stage props.
FDM vs. Other 3D Printing Technologies
FDM is a common 3D printing technology, and it stands out because it’s affordable, available, easy to maintain and upgrade, and it allows for broader raw materials to be extruded.
Popular 3D printing processes you can compare with FDM include:
- SLA (Stereolithography) because it provides detailed print results using mainly resin. However, SLA needs additional post processing techniques, and it uses toxic materials during the printing process.
- SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) can fuse powdered materials into the print. SLS is an advanced printing technology, so it works for making durable and complex parts. However, SLS is a bit more expensive, so it’s better industrial-grade production level.
- DLP (Digital Light Processing) uses the resin technology with a light projector. However, it’s better for small products that need several details.
Nevertheless, FDM 3D print also has its limitations. It has a lower resolution than resin based processes, and you may struggle with making fine details when using FDM printers. So, where making more detailed designs or structures is a priority, you should try other printing technologies.
Factors to Help You Choose the Right FDM Printer
In choosing the best FDM printer for your business or task at hand, here are factors to keep in mind:
- Print Volume: Ensure to choose a printer with a build size that matches your 3D print project. For enormous projects, a bigger 3D FDM printer will be better and vice versa.
- Nozzle Size and Resolution: The size of the nozzle affects the quality and speed of 3D printing. Usually, smaller nozzles give better and finer detail.
- Heated Bed and Enclosure: This criterion is important for printing high-temperature materials like ABS or Nylon. Printing either ABS or Nylon need a heated bed within the range of 50°c and 80°c depending on the type of nylon.
- Material Compatibility: Even though FDM printers can work with a wide range of printing materials, ensure your printer supports the filaments you plan to use.
- Community and Support: FDM 3D printing brands with active online communities and manufacturer support usually will do you better as you get troubleshooting advice and upgrades at your fingertips.
- Slicing Software: At the end, your resultant print depends on the slicing software that you have as the software enhances control and print quality.
Conclusion
Whether you need it for large or small scale manufacturing, in schools or engineering prototypes, FDM 3D printers offers a dependable solution. As long as you understand and leverage its strengths and choose the best FDM 3D printer for your procedure, you won’t have any problems using the fused deposition modeling printing technology.
