What Is It?
The term “3D printing” is a very broad one. The media, particularly mainstream marketing, tries to portray 3D printing as a magical future technology capable of replicating complex objects. However, because of this, it is difficult to pin down what 3D printing is. In reality, there are numerous 3D printing technologies, but fused deposition modeling (FDM), the subject of this article, is the most common.
FDM parts are printed with an fdm 3d printer using thermoplastic filament, which is essentially a cord of material that can be melted, selectively deposited, and allowed to cool. Parts or components are created by stacking layers on top of each other.
Learning the parts of an FDM 3D printer is the simplest way to understand how FDM works. It’s worth noting that most 3D printers can move in three axes: X, Y, and Z. The X- and Y-axes control left, right, forward, and backward movement, respectively, while the Z-axis controls vertical movement.
The Components
- The build platform is largely the surface upon which parts are created. Build platforms are typically heated to aid in part adhesion, but more on that later.
- The extruder is the portion that melts and gradually deposits the filament to build the model.
- The print head contains a single or more extruder (one is standard). A tube on the top of the print head feeds the fiber into the print head.
- A modern fdm 3d printer includes a touch screen for controlling the 3D printer. Instead of a touch interface, older printers may have a simple Lcd screen with a physical scroll and click wheel.