Better Be Running! Tools to Drive Design Success (part 4)

This is the last in our series of excerpts from “Better Be Running! Tools to Drive Design Success” by Dr. Ronald Hollis, President, CEO, and Co-founder of Quickparts.com (Atlanta, GA). Written for business managers, the book focuses on manufacturing processes, tooling choices, and production strategies that can help companies bring products to market faster. To order the book, go to www.betterberunning.com.

Fused Deposition Modeling

Background

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is the strongest, but slowest, of the major solid-based additive fabrication (AF) systems that produce plastic parts from cross-sectioned CAD models. Electronic CAD design data is converted to Standard Tessellation Language (STL) format, and then special software slices the CAD model into thin layers and creates build instructions for the machine. A heated head with two extrusion nozzles builds the part, layer by layer, pressing spools of filament through an industrial “hot glue gun.” FDM is a unique two-material process that provides major strength to parts. The first nozzle dispenses melted support material that dissolves in water; the second nozzle extrudes the permanent base material. A plastic physical model is made of many micro layers of melted filament that solidifies immediately upon cooling.

Ideal uses: Conceptual and engineering models; patterns and masters for tooling; fully functional prototypes for design, analysis, and testing; durable, closest to real production parts; and vacuum forming tools.

FDM was developed by Scott Crump in 1988 and commercialized by Stratasys Inc. in 1990. The FDM equipment and materials are marketed exclusively by Stratasys in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Stratasys also makes the Dimension 3D printer, an office version based on FDM technology, which has sold thousands worldwide.

The good news is that FDM parts and durable and functional. In fact, many FDM parts can be used in real working environments. The bad news is that the FDM process is very slow, which drives up the cost of parts.