HOW PROCESS WORKS

Fused Deposition Manufacturing is a process that starts with the creation of a part with a CAD system as a solid or surface model. The model is then converted into an .STL file and send to the FDM slicing software. There, the .STL file is sliced into thin cross sections of a desired resolution, creating an .SLC file. Supports are created if required by the actual instruction codes for the FDM machine.

HOW PARTS ARE BUILT

The FDM machine follows the principle of a three axis NC-machine tool. A nozzle, controlled by a computer along three axes, guides the specific material that is the temperature of the environment. For this reason, it is fundamental for the FDM process that the temperature of the liquid modeling material is balanced just above the solidification point. A spool of modelling filament with a diameter of 1.27mm feeds the FDM head and a second head carries the support wax (or a material of inferior strength compared to the build material). The support wax can be easily removed afterwards. The principal of double extruder head allows more complex parts to be built.

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