By: Matthew Tsang, Date: 02/13/2018

• Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is one of the most commonly used forms of additive manufacturing/3D printing. FDM printing utilizes thermoplastic filament that is fed and extruded through a nozzle that melts the filament. Then, the melted filament is printed layer by layer to create a 3D model. The printing is  cost effective but takes a large amount of time depending on the size of the object. FDM is widely used in many industries and since the cost of buying a printer is somewhat low, it is an easy way to prototype and test product ideas.           

• FDM was first developed in 1988 by Scott Crump who later patented FDM technology and founded Stratasys, a leading manufacturer of 3D printers. 
• The idea of FDM stemmed when Crump wanted to create a toy frog for his daughter. He mainly used a mixture of hot glue, polyethylene, and candle wax which gave him the idea of printing layers. 
• Later on, other 3D printing companies began to arise; however, many use a similar process to that of FDM.

• From everyday consumer goods to automobile finishing parts, FDM is commonly used to print test-ready parts for product development and prototyping, as well as, creating consumer end-use parts and small manufacturing tools.
• Depending on the type of plastics, parts are highly durable and can withstand intense mechanical testing and analysis without any shrinking or warping in its structure
• Tolerances range from ±0.2 mm for industrial and ±0.5 mm for desktop printing.
• One of the disadvantages of FDM is the amount of time it takes to print each layer. Each layer needs to set before another can be printed. The density of the object will also affect the total printing time.
• FDM also cannot be used to print hollow structures since it needs to build upon another layer.

• The process of FDM begins with creating a computer-aided design (CAD) file of the model on a 3D modeling program. This file is then uploaded onto the printer’s software and converted into a STL file which will slice the model into smaller sections and different layers. The printer then starts to print layer by layer until the entire model is completed.
• During the printing phase, plastic threads, or filaments, are actively fed through a thermal nozzle that heats up the filaments. The nozzle moves horizontally and vertically across a build platform releasing the filaments and thus, prints the model. After one layer is printed, the nozzle will move up and print the next layer.

• Professional FDM printers usually cost roughly $10,000 and can go up to $300,000.
• Home FDM printers can cost anywhere between $1,299 to $3,299; however, costs for these home printers have decreased over time as Pirate3D’s Buccaneer sold for $347 in December 2013.
• One role of filament (1 kg) can cost as low as $25.