FDM 3D Printing Service

Manufacturing with FDM 3D printing

FDM (fused deposition modeling) 3D printing creates custom parts by heating and extruding thermoplastics layer-by-layer. You can use FDM for initial and functional prototyping and low volume production in a variety of strong plastic materials. While FDM is the most affordable 3D printing technology, it’s far more than a small-scale manufacturing solution. 3D printing with FDM means getting access to thermoplastics, including PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG and PEI, and a dimensional accuracy of ±0.5% with a lower limit of ±0.5 mm (0.0196”).

Learn more about FDM 3D printing

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) capabilities

FDM 3D printing has two distinct classes: prototyping (desktop) FDM and industrial FDM. These are the key capabilities of both technologies.

	Maximum build size	Standard lead time	Dimensional accuracy	Layer height	Infill
Prototyping FDM	500 x 500 x 500 mm (19.68 in x 19.68 in x 19.68 in)	From 2 business days	± 0.5% with a lower limit of ± 0.5 mm (± 0.020")	100-300 μm	20-80%
Industrial FDM	406 x 355 x 406 mm* (15.98 x 13.97 x 15.98 in)	3 business days	± 0.3% with a lower limit of ± 0.3 mm (± 0.012")	100-300 μm	Ultra-light, Light, Solid

Materials available for FDM 3D printing

Examples of available materials for FDM 3D printing

Prototyping FDM materials

Ideal for fast and affordable rapid prototyping and modeling.  

Prototyping PLA 
Prototyping PETG 
Prototyping ASA 
Prototyping ABS 
Prototyping TPU

Example of industrial materials available for FDM 3D printing

Industrial FDM materials

Ideal for higher-volume production and bigger parts with better mechanical properties.

Nylon: Markforged Onyx
PEI: ULTEM 9085, ULTEM 1010
ASA: Stratasys ASA
ABS: ABS M30, ABSplus

FDM infill options

For prototyping FDM, you can choose between an infill of 20%, 30%, 40%, 60% and 80%.

The available infill options for industrial FDM are equivalent to what Stratasys offers.

Solid - Stratasys’ Solid build style
Light - Stratasys’ Sparse Double Dense build style
Ultra-light - Stratasys Sparse build style

Comparing FDM to other 3D printing processes

	Materials	Price	Dimensional accuracy	Strengths	Build volume	Layer thickness	Min. feature size
FDM	5	$	± 0.5% with a lower limit of ± 0.5 mm (± 0.020")	Low cost, wide range of materials	500 x 500 x 500 mm (19.68" x 19.68" x 19.68")	100-300μm	2.0 mm (0.0787’')
Industrial FDM	6	$$$$	± 0.3% with a lower limit of ± 0.3 mm (± 0.012")	High level of repeatability, engineering grade materials	406 x 355 x 406 mm (15.98” x 13.97” x 15.98")	100-330μm	2.0 mm (0.0787’')
Prototyping SLA	8	$$	± 0.3% with a lower limit of ± 0.3 mm (± 0.012")	Smooth surface finish, fine feature details	145 × 145 × 175 mm (5.7" x 5.7" x 6.8")	50-100μm	0.2 mm (0.00787’')
Industrial SLA	3	$$$	± 0.2% with a lower limit of ± 0.13 mm (± 0.005")	Smooth surface finish, fine feature details, big print area	500 x 500 x 500 mm (19.68" x 19.68" x 19.68")	50-100μm	0.2 mm (0.00787’')
SLS	2	$$	± 0.3% with a lower limit of ± 0.3 mm (± 0.012”)	Design flexibility, supports not required	395 x 500 x 395 mm (15.53" x 19.68" x 15.53")	100μm	0.5 mm (0.0196”)
MJF	2	$$	± 0.3% with a lower limit on ± 0.3 mm (0.012’')	Design flexibility, supports not required	380 x 285 x 380 mm (14.9’’ x 11.2’’ x 14.9’')	80μm	0.5 mm (0.0196”)

Why choose FDM?

We have high standards for FDM 3D printing

We manufacture your custom parts according to strict manufacturing standards and ensure all parts and processes adhere to the Hubs Standard. A thorough verification of these requirements is included in our inspection report that we ship with every order.

Consistent surface finish with no bumps or delamination. Marks left by retraction and layer changing are acceptable.
All support material is removed so that the supported surface has a consistent finish.
All parts are printed with 3 outline / perimeter shells or a wall thickness of 1.2 mm.

Advantages and drawbacks of FDM 3D printing

Advantages

FDM is the most cost-effective way to produce custom thermoplastic parts and prototypes.
Lead times are short (typically a few days).
A wide range of materials is available, suitable for prototyping and industrial applications.

Drawbacks

FDM is not suitable for parts with very small details due to its low resolution.
Parts are likely to have visible layer lines, so post-processing is required for a smooth finish.
The layer adhesion mechanism makes parts inherently anisotropic.

Design guidelines for FDM

The table summarizes the recommended and technically feasible values for the most common features encountered in FDM 3D printed parts.

Learn more about how to design parts for FDM 3D printing