loFused deposition modeling (FDM), also referred to as material extrusion additive manufacturing, utilizes polymers as raw material in the form of filament. This filament is heated to a molten state and extruded through the machine's nozzle, typically a 3D printer. The nozzle's head can move in three degrees of freedom to deposit the molten polymer onto a build plate following instructions encoded in G-code. The filament is continuously fed through the extruder and nozzle via rotating rollers. Layer-by-layer deposition occurs until the desired product shape and size are achieved. The printer nozzle navigates according to the spatial coordinates of the original CAD model in the G-code files. Some FDM systems employ multiple extrusion nozzles, particularly for components requiring compositional gradients. The resolution and efficacy of extrusion depend largely on the thermoplastic filament's properties, with different printers designed for specific materials. Many low-cost FDM printers can only process one type of thermoplastic, with polylactic acid (PLA) being the most common. Printed components are typically removed from the build plate by snapping off or soaking in detergent, depending on the thermoplastic type. Post-processing may involve surface cleaning, sanding, painting, or milling to improve both appearance and functionality.
FOR MORE – https://www.locanam.com/fdm3dprinting
