FDM Technology Page 1

As we have seen throughout this series, departments in different areas such as healthcare and fine arts have benefited from 3D printing and have taken advantage of the different 3D printing technologies available. Today, engineering departments are also implementing 3D printing to expand their students' knowledge and prepare them for future jobs in manufacturing. Different universities have implemented rapid prototyping centers or created curricula to offer advanced additive manufacturing degrees or certifications. In today's article, we go over some of these programs.

Selecting the right 3D printing technology can be difficult, especially when you consider all the different key drivers in the decision-making process. Are you looking for a smooth surface finish? Maybe you’re looking for strong mechanical properties with a common, easy to use plastic such as ABS or ASA? Now, what if I told you that you didn’t always need to compromise here? With minimal amounts of post-processing techniques, you can achieve a smooth injection molded finish using FDM technology. Sure, parts are fully functional right off the print tray, but utilizing an additional post-processing step can help elevate your part to the next level, and really catch the end user’s eye. Like the flexibility that 3D printing provides, users have many different solutions for their post-processing needs, so let’s dive in!

Raw 3D printing material symbolizes infinite possibilities unlocked by the user’s creativity; however, if the raw material is mistreated and improperly handled, that potential vanishes. Making sure to take proper care of raw materials and store them in their intended conditions is the best way to ensure high quality prints. In times of extended shutdowns, or simply long hiatuses between prints, it’s imperative to store material properly.

If you own a 3D production system or have considered 3D printing as a solution, it is important to understand which is more important for your application: dimensional accuracy and repeatability or resolution. In this blog article, we discuss why layer thickness is listed as microns in 3D printing and why that matters.

The Stratasys Continuous Build 3D Printer is here to help you reduce your production time by allowing you to print various jobs at once, one after the other. This smart, modular, FDM manufacturing automated printing system will enable you to produce multiple parts quickly without any interruptions and with a variety of colors.

Antero 840CN03 (ESD) is a PEKK-based FDM thermoplastic with carbon nanotubes specifically formulated for the flexibility of FDM technology. It combines physical and mechanical qualities with the use of electrostatic dissipative (ESD) properties. The electrostatic dissipative capability makes this material a better fit for prototyping electronics, compared to Antero 800NA. The Antero ESD is chemical and wear-resistant, has ultra-low outgassing properties and is a high-performance ESD. These qualities are critical in space and industrial applications.

Stratasys GrabCAD Print is a sophisticated 3D printing app that allows designers and engineers to prepare, schedule and monitor 3D printing jobs. Since its release, GrabCAD has continued to make exciting updates to this software; and we will be updating you every other month on its new features – in this set of release notes we will be looking at versions 1.32, 1.33, and the just-released 1.34.

Diran (Diran 410MF07) is an FDM nylon-based thermoplastic filament material that is perfect for manufacturing tooling applications. This new material is specifically ideal for jigs, fixtures and typical manufacturing tooling that require a non-marring interface that has interactions between the tool and the work piece. Let's take a closer look at this new FDM thermoplastic.

Stratasys offers multiple 3D printing options to help your designs come to life. FDM printers use production-grade thermoplastics to create parts that are designed to be durable, easily replicated and stable over time. PolyJet printers provide unmatched realism with multi-colored prints and textures. Stratasys has taken them a step further with these new material additions.