Colin Sledge and Joe King

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WHAT IS FDM?
FDM = FUSED DEPOSITION
MODELING
FUSED MELTING MATERIAL
TOGETHER
DEPOSITION DEPOSITING
MATERIAL
MODELING FEATURE CREATION

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WHAT IS FDM?

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WHAT IS FDM?
Normal CNC machining is subtractive
manufacturing
FDM is additive manufacturing
Both CNC machining and FDM use gcode for control
Program written to file for every aspect
of part manufacturing

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WHAT IS FDM?

G type if motion
X,Y,Z coordinates
E,F feed rate
M machine
commands

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FDM MATERIALS
ABS
PLA
PVA
NYLON
T-Glase
Filament with particles

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FDM MATERIAL
Not all material is the same quality
Use of different materials in one print for
support material
PLA and PVA can be dissolved away
from ABS parts

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PRINTER ANATOMY

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PRINTER ANATOMY

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PRINTER ANATOMY

0.4 mm

0.2 mm

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PRINT COORDINATES

Z
Y

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PRINT FEATURES
TOP VIEW

IN X-Y PLANE

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FRONT VIEW

IN Z PLANE

INTERIOR PART DESIGN

Shells Passes around surface
boundaries
Infill Percent of interior volume that is
material
Infill Pattern Defined by slicing
program (cylinders, rectangles,
hexagons)

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SLICING PROGRAM

STL and OBJ files

are input into the
slicing program
Slices part in z-axis
Part defined by
surface boundaries
Solid features
structure is program
defined

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SLICING PROGRAM

Dual extrusion prints integrate multiple

parts into a single print
Each part component must be a separate

file (Think Nut & Bolt)

Dual extrusion parts are Aesthetically

pleasing with multiple colors
Use of dual extrusion for better supports

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COST OF 3D PRINTING
Small Machines - $1200-$2200
Material - $30-$100 per kilogram
Maintenance - ~$100 for lifetime
(variable)
Electricity 350 watt power supply

Comparable to desktop computer

Kilowatt hour ~$0.15 (http://www.npr.org)

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COST OF 3D PRINTING
Imagine machine is discarded after 1500 hours
1200/1500 to 3300/1500 = $0.8 to $2.20 per hour
30*10/1500 = $0.2 per hour
200/1500 = $0.14 per hour
(350/1000)*0.15 = $0.05 per hour

Total cost per hour = $1.19 to $2.59

Additional costs include overhead for rental space

and technicians (expect ~$5 per hour)
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3D PRINTING ACCESSIBLITY
3D Printing is accessible to YOU!
There is a wide range of machines and
prices of machines
Many large companies utilize 3D
printers and rapid manufacturing
Understanding the fundamentals will
make you an asset to a company
3D PRINTING IS HERE TO STAY!

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USING THE SLICING PROGRAM

Rep-G

More customizable
Stronger Parts*
Hard to use for Dual
Extrusion
More advanced
Slower

MakerWare

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Great for Dual Extrusion

More intuitive user
interface
Part Preview
More difficult to
customize
Faster

Rep-G

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MakerWare

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MakerWare

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PART PREPARATION
Check part for printability
Decide best orientation for printing*
Add bottom plate to part to mitigate
peeling and provide a clean surface

Modeled plate provides better support than

rafting and will maintain a better surface

Check slicing program and g-code

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CHECK FOR LEVEL BUILD PLATE

Check added model plate for air gaps
and rough texture
Use only minor adjustments
Only adjust when machine is warm

TOO FAR

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PERFECT*

TOO CLOSE

DESIGNING THE STRENGTH OF

THE PART
Choose the shells and infill to satisfy
strength requirements
More infill and more shells requires
more time to print
Both shells and infill are important to
part strength

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DESIGNING THE STRENGTH OF

THE PART

5% Infill & 5 Shells

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10% Infill & 2 Shells

50% Infill & 1 Shell

DESIGNING FOR PRINTING

It is necessary to foresee the
manufacturing process to determine the
best way to design a part
Determine minimum size of features
Like wood in terms of orientation for
strength*

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FREEDOM AND BENEFITS OF 3D

PRINTING
Rapid Prototyping
Complex Features
Intricate Details
Tooling
Molding
Presentations
Useable Parts!!!

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RAPID PROTOTYPING

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COMPLEX FEATURES

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INTRICATE DETAILS

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TOOLING

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MOLDING

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PRESENTATIONS

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USEABLE PARTS

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USEABLE PARTS

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MODELING ORIENTATION

In conjunction with orientation for

strength, orientation is also important for
printability

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MODELING ORIENTATION

IN Z PLANE

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INVERTED ANGLES

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INVERTED ANGLES

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INVERTED ANGLES

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INVERTED ANGLES

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INVERTED ANGLES

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OVERHANGING FEATURES

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OVERHANGING FEATURES

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FLAT SURFACES ARE BEST

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ROUND EDGES AND ARCHES

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ARCHES

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HOLES

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HOLES

Holes SHOULD NOT be drilled in post

process
Holes can be minimally enlarged or cleaned*
DO NOT Band-Aid parts!

Fasteners can be screwed into

appropriately sized holes
Lightening holes DO NOT always lighten
the part!

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THREADS
Internal and External threads can be
printed and used
The part must be large to ensure threads
are a printable size*
Vertical orientation will print easier but will
not be as strong while sideways orientation
will need to supported but will provide
stronger threads
Threads should not come to a point and
should be round if possible

(FDM Design Handbook, 3rd Edition, Stratasys)

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THREADS

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INCORPORATING FEATURES
Parts should be designed to minimize
post processing
Unlike many machining processes,
additional features do not require tool
changes or much additional time, thus
additional expense
Added features often make the part
stronger and require less post
processing

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INCORPORTATING FEATURES

When adding features, be mindful of

feature orientation and loading
Often compromises are made

Determine if it is better to develop part in

multiple piece and screw or glue in post
processing
Curves print better in the X-Y plane

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INCORPORATING FEATURES

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INCORPORATING FEATURES

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INCORPORATING FEATURES

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STRENGTHENING FEATURES
Because the interior of parts are not solid,
adding curves, cuts, and holes tend to
strengthen parts, as this adds part
boundaries, thus more shelled area
This can be used to add material near
holes that screws tap into or holes that may
be drilled out

Of course, as noted previously, DO NOT drill the

part without designing the hole into the print

The strength often comes at the expense

of weight

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STRENGTHENING FEATURES

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STRENGTHENING FEATURES

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SUPPORTS
Supports can be model defined or slicer
defined
Supports can be model from a different,
dissolvable material with a dual
extrusion printer
If supports are model based, make sure
to leave an appropriate gap between the
part: ~ 2 layers in each direction (If
break-away supports are used)

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SUPPORTS

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SUPPORTS

MakerWare
designed support
features can be
useful
Quick, yet not as
customizable
Great if you do not
have access to CAD
software

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(www.makerbot.com)

SUPPORTS

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3D PRINTING FOR MAE

PROJECTS
Has the potential to greatly improve the
quality and functionality of your projects
This is NOT magic and DOES NOT
happen instantly
3D printing is an iterative process
3D printing is NOT a remedy for bad
engineering

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ENGINEERING DISCOVERY
3D printing allows you to explore your
designs and skills
Only you can discover the nuances of
3D printing to become an expert at
designing for additive manufacturing
HAVE FUN!

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3D PRINTING RESOURCES

ON-CAMPUS 3D PRINTING
RAPIDTECH (4th floor Engineering Tower)

BUY YOUR OWN

FlashForge www.ff3dp.com
Talk to Joe King*
MakerBot - www.makerbot.com

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