In the last four decades, additive manufacturing or 3D printing has revolutionized traditional manufacturing practices and taken over the commercial and industrial manufacturing space. Key drivers for this spurt are the diverse high-performance printing materials that can be used with 3D printing, amplified printing speed/efficiency, and enhanced precision and resolution. When it comes to techniques involved in 3D printing, the advantages of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) — the melting and extrusion of customized thermoplastic materials (ABS, PLA, etc.) layer-by-layer— outweigh the other methodologies. FDM is being adopted across industries, for its versatility, as evidenced by the InsightAce Analytics report, which anticipates a CAGR of 29.6% in the global Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing market, during the forecast period from 2024 to 2031.
In recent years manufacturers have taken notice of the limitless possibilities that 3D printing offers. At CubeIn, we help them harness these capabilities by enabling intricate design creation, and functional prototyping, and reducing the time from prototype to end-product development through our turnkey FDM contract manufacturing services.
In this blog, we provide an in-depth analysis of the competitive advantages of FDM, delving into and dissecting what makes 3D printing a game-changer for modern manufacturing.
Advantages of Fused Deposition Modeling
Fused deposition modeling is the most commonly used technique in additive manufacturing, and involves melting thermoplastic filament to build horizontal/vertical layers of three-dimensional prototypes or end-products.
Fused deposition modeling has been adopted across healthcare, automotive, defense, aerospace, aerospace, rail, general manufacturing, medical, and construction industries because of its potential to create functional components using innovative printing technology on diverse materials.
According to Statista, Fused deposition modeling (FDM)/fused filament fabrication (FFF) was the most commonly used 3D manufacturing method in 2021, with 71 percent of respondents utilizing this technology in-house. This blog aims to help budding manufacturers/OEMs, understand the prime benefits of FDM and what makes it a popular and preferred 3D manufacturing technique for industries.
Image Credits: Statista
1. The Affordability-Accessibility Advantage
FDM printers typically cost in the range of $200(commercial) to $10,000+ (industrial). With FDM printers, the installation to printing process is overtly simple and more of a D-I-Y, when it comes to common consumer usage. As FDM uses a filament, it is an affordable, low-waste option compared to SLS and SLA methods of 3D printing, which use liquid or powder—a costlier investment. The affordability factor and ease of access to servicing make it an affordable and cheap option. Additionally, ease in availability of thermoplastic filaments in broad cost ranges makes it apt for varied industrial use cases.
2. Flexibility of Using Varied, High-performance Printing Materials
Unlike other 3D printing technologies, that have material constraints, FDM can be used with a broader array of colors and materials, from engineering-grade plastics to high-performance polymers. High-performance thermoplastics and composites with diverse strengths, flexibility, heat resistance, etc., can be used with FDM, making them apt for varied applications like low-volume production, conceptual modeling, tooling, production quality parts, and prototyping. At CubeIn, we help clients from multiple industries, use diverse filaments like Polylactic acid (PLA), Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (PETG), Thermoplastic variants (TPC, TPE, and TPU), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA), Nylon (Polyamide, or PA), carbon fiber and Kevlar, thus removing material constraints.
3. Development of Detailed, Contamination Free Models
One of the key advantages of FDM is its feature that provides control over the thickness of 3D printing and the level of complex geometries that can be printed. Additionally, technological advancement allows auto-calibration removing the need for manual setups/calibrations. This enables predictable performance and adds finesse to the end-product making it more detailed and precise. The chances of contamination with FDM are almost nil as the FDM process works directly on solid filaments, ultimately saving money on maintenance.
4. Customization, Scalability, and Speed— Key Capabilities
A core feature of FDM is its ability to facilitate the development of scalable end-products that can be scaled up or down and customized according to requirements. A primary reason for this is the simplistic way of printing, which doesn’t require complex training or time-consuming activities.
Another key differentiator of the FDM process is the agile printing of prototypes at shortened lead times. This is enabled through FDM settings (changes in nozzle sizes and thickness) that can be controlled to set the build size (200 x 200 x 200 mm for DIY printers and 1000 x 1000 x 1000 mm for industrial ones), and print speed. This lowers the overall cost per part.
Additionally, the latest FDM 3D printers deliver twice the speed and throughput of the standard FDM 3D printers. The high level of customization, ranging from adjustments to the nozzle and build platform temperature, layer height (0.02 mm and 0.4 mm), and control over the speed of process and cooling, makes it a popular method of 3D printing.
Customization is a key aspect that can be achieved with CubeIn’s FDM 3D services, whether there is a need to print a massive part or many micro parts concurrently, with FDM both are possible with minimal post-processing.
5. Extensive Range of Applications
The pronounced use of Fused Deposition Modeling stems from its multi-purpose use across industries ranging from medicine, aeronautics, and defense to consumer use like schools and academics. Whether it is desktop or industrial FDM, low-volume or high-volume manufacturing, the development of products or prototypes, complex design for aeronautics, or the development of lower-cost parts, FDM can be a one-size-fits-all solution, thus reducing the investment needed for diverse requirements.
6. Rapid Prototyping and Colour Customization
FDM rapid prototyping is the preferred mode of low-volume end-use production, due to its ability to create versatile, highly accurate, and intricately detailed parts under computer-controlled parameters. As the final products depend on the filament, FDM can produce diverse products in varied color options depending on the color of the filament. With Fuse deposition modeling the exact tint of the color can be obtained in the final products, and color modifications are not usually required.
7. Minimal Post-Processing and Wastage
Though FDM involves the use of support structures, the removal of printed parts involves the least time and if water-soluble filaments are used it is further reduced, making the post-processing process easy, and thus reducing the time-to-market. The FDM printing process involves the melting and solidification of the required quantity of filament, thus minimizing wastage usually seen in the MJF or SLS methods of 3D printing.
Get the Full Value of FDM Additive Manufacturing
The recent advances in FDM have disrupted manufacturing, transformed supply chains, boosted manufacturing, and reduced production costs. Widen the scope of applications with diverse material selection options, adjust print results, have a consistent uptime, reliable output, and print large, small, or multiple parts in a single build operation.
If you are looking for FDM 3D printing in Bengaluru, collaborate with CubeIn— India’s leading advanced FDM 3D printing service provider to tap into the limitless possibilities that FDM brings to your business.
