Fused Deposition Modeling

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Fused Deposition Modeling
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Definition

• Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is a
  extrusion-based rapid prototyping process, it has
  been used in conjunction with stereolithograghy
  and laser sintering.

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History

• FDM was developed by Stratasys, Inc. of Eden
  Prairie, MN in the early 1990s.
• It was created as a concept modeling device, but
  is now used more for creating casting masters and
  direct use prototyping.

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History

• FDM has evolved thru several models beginning
  with the original 3-D modeler which was a floor
  unit. They have progressed thru various desktop
  units.

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Specs

• The 1500-2000 models are capable of building
  parts in the 10 x 10 x 10 range where as the
  8000 and Quantum model can build 24 x 20 x 24
  parts.
• A newly released water soluble support material
  which allows for more complex geometry where
  complicated support structures can now be flushed
  away with a water based solution.

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Build Materials

• The FDMs can be equipped to build with
  investment casting wax, acrylonitrile butadiene
  styrene (ABS) plastic, medical grade ABS
  thermoplastic, and or Elastomer.
• The build and support materials come in filament
  form, about 0.070 in diameter, rolled on spools.
• The spools mount on a spindle in the rear of the
  machine, and the filament feeds thru a flexible
  tube attached to the back of the extrusion head.
• New technologies in the ceramics industry involve
  base material research.

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More About the Filament

• http//www.emeraldinsight.com

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More About the Filament

• A new binder formulation for fused deposition of
  ceramics (FDC) has been developed. This material
  is formulated entirely from commercially
  available constituents, and performs well in FDC
  applications. In addition to adequate FDC
  properties, the binder shows good thermal
  decomposition behavior for binder removal. As a
  result, several complex PZT samples have been
  fabricated using FDC. This formulation shows
  promise for use in conjunction with FDC of
  functional piezoelectric ceramic transducers and
  actuators. Since the exact formulation is known,
  this material should be easily adaptable to other
  fillers such as stainless steel, aluminum oxide,
  or silicon nitride.

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More About the Filament

• The quality of the feed filament is one of the
  most important parameters for successful FDC.
• The critical properties for high quality feed
  filaments include
• viscosity
• strength
• modulus

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Extrusion Head

• The extrusion head is the key to FDM technology.
  It consists of
• Drive Wheels
• Drive Blocks
• Heating Chamber
• Tips
• Filament

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Extrusion Headwww.csa.com
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Click here to view FDM machines at the
www.stratasys.com site.
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FDM Operation

• Before building the STL file has to be converted
  into the machine language which is done by the
  Quick-Slice software.
• The STL file is read into Quick-Slice and is
  displayed graphically on the screen in the
  Cartesian coordinate system.
• This software allows you to choose slice layer
  thickness, the build and support materials, as
  well as the tip sizes.
• Then the part must be scaled to fit the bounding
  box size, and oriented at the optimum build
  position.

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FDM Operation

• Once the part has been oriented and scaled, it
  must be sliced.
• The slice range is from 0.005 to 0.015.
• The rest of the build parameters are default by
  the Quick-Slice software but can be changed
  manually .

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Typical Uses of FDM Parts

• Concept/Design Visualization
• Direct use components
• Investment casting
• Medical applications- results show that FDM
  allows the design and fabrication of highly
  reproducible bioresorbable 3D scaffolds with a
  fully interconnected pore network.
• Flexible components

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Advantages

• The strength and temperature capability of the
  build material.
• Safe laser free operation.
• Easy post processing with the new water soluble
  support material.

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Disadvantages

• Slower than laser based systems
• Small features like a vertical thin column prove
  difficult to build with FDM.

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Materials Research

• Ceramics are the newest thing in fully functional
  working products from a RP perspective.
• Glass fibers were found to significantly improve
  the strength of an ABS filament at the expense of
  reduced flexibility and handle-ability.
• The latter two properties of glass fiber
  reinforced ABS filaments were improved by adding
  a small amount of plasticizer and compatibilizer.

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Hospital Use

• This new manufacturing device uses a photocurable
  monomer, hardened by a UV-laser. The spatial
  resolution of the system is about 0.1 mm.
  3D-reconstructions were performed on a personal
  computer.

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Future Applications

• Three-dimensional honeycomb, which were formed
  via the FD technique, showed excellent
  electromechanical properties for transducer
  applications.
• Highly efficient ceramics for electrical transfer
  purposes
• Accurate bio-safe replacement body parts for our
  troops and victims of senseless violence.

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References

• Rapid Prototyping Technology by Kenneth G. Cooper
• http//www.mec.cf.ac.uk/services/?viewfdmstylep
  lain
• www.csa.com/partners/viewrecord
• www3.interscience.wiley.com
• www.blackwell-synergy.com
• Journal of the American Ceramic Society
  www.emeraldinsight.com