FDM Technology Page 1

Additive manufacturing has made exceptional mechanical developments in the last few years, and now the current focus seems to have shifted to improvement in software and materials. With the demand for performance grade materials rising, it is important to gain an understanding of what it means for parts to be considered “strong.”

It is no secret that the world is experiencing supply chain issues at every level. From raw materials shortages, bottlenecked shipping ports and even labor shortages. To overcome these challenges, a lot of organizations began looking toward additive manufacturing to supplement or complement their workflows, depending on the severity of their situations.

The majority of schools and school boards who contact TriMech are new to 3D printing technology and are looking for our experience to help them get started. Our guidance, industry experience, and technical support is something you cannot get from a big box outlet or by simply ordering a 3D printer over the web. It’s easy to get a quote from these sources but you likely will not receive the advice you may need to make a successful decision.

The 3D printing market is always on the prowl for high performance materials. Materials that are strong, chemical resistant, heat resistant, bio-compatible, or even food safe. Thanks to Stratasys, the search can come to an end. ULTEM 1010 CG, available on the Fortus 450 and F900, this certified grade thermoplastic boasts a ton of highly desirable physical and mechanical properties that make it a homerun across many different industry verticals.

This week Stratasys announced an all-new composite series of 3D printers. These printers include the F190CR and F370CR and are equipped with hardened components to operate with composite materials.  

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing is probably the most common and highly adopted form of 3D printing. When you picture 3D printing or additive manufacturing, FDM is likely the technology that first comes to mind. FDM is extrusion based, which means plastic is heated until is becomes semi-liquid and is extruded along computer-controlled tool paths to build objects layer-by-layer.

Resin removal for additive manufacturing is notoriously difficult and messy. Parts come off the printer with excess resin material that needs to be removed. Traditional resin removal processes are unable to scale and can cause bottlenecks in the additive workflow. That’s why choosing an automated solution can assist additive manufacturers with these common post-processing struggles.

When you think of making models using an Additive Technology, one of the things that certainly comes to mind these days is that you can make parts in color! Some technology are better suited to this, such as our PolyJet technology using the Stratasys J55 or J850, which I’ve created all sorts of content for on our blog in the past, but you seldom of FDM technology as an option. I'll show you how easy it is!

Stratasys FDM, or fused-deposition modeling, is a popular form of 3D printing used by both hobbyists and large-scale industries alike. The process can be described as controlling a hot glue gun on a flat plane to selectively deposit thermoplastic material onto a flat build plate layer-by-layer. Many FDM printers have multiple nozzles configured to specifically print model or support material. This article takes a brief look at the top 5 industries that benefit the most from FDM 3D printers:

3D Printing has enabled many of the world’s most demanding industries to break into new areas of manufacturing and production with materials that can withstand the harshest environments.

As market demand for low-mid volume manufacturing surges due to economic and environmental pressures, the focal point of additive manufacturing has shifted material development to include mechanical properties such as lower coefficients of friction, increased rigidity or even increased heat resistance to meet stringent product design requirements.