Fused Deposition Modeling
(FDM) 3D Printing Services

High Performance Thermoplastics

Industrial Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) by Stratasys produce robust, functional parts with remarkable dimensional stability and accuracy. Manufacture end-use parts in sizes up to 36 x 24 x 36 inches in a single print with the industries best repeatability, accuracy and mechanical performance.

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What is Fused Deposition Modeling?

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing provides an extensive selection of advanced thermoplastics that are on par with those used in traditional manufacturing processes. This makes it an excellent choice for producing end-use parts, conducting real-world material property tests, or creating durable jigs, fixtures, and templates for production purposes. With 14 distinct 3D printed materials available, Forge Labs' FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) technology offers remarkable versatility, making it well-suited for a range of specialized applications. These applications include medical devices, electric static dissipative parts, or high-temperature scenarios where Flame, Smoke Toxicity (FST) ratings are of utmost importance.

Forge Labs utilizes Stratasys Fortus series 3D printers, known for their exceptional accuracy, part repeatability, and one of the largest commercially available printing envelopes in the market. With these machines, you can manufacture large and intricate designs using a wide range of thermoplastics, all in a single build. The maximum build volume of 36 x 24 x 36 inches ensures that even complex projects can be accommodated. The strength and precision delivered by Stratasys FDM machines set them apart as the preferred choice for achieving remarkable results.

36" x 24"

Max X/Y Build Volume

± 0.2

MM Part Tolerances

High Performance Materials

2-5 Day

Average Lead Time

Materials | Fused Deposition Modeling

ABS

UV Resistant

Flexible

Rigid

Performance

High Temperature

ABS-M30

Strongest Additive ABS Plastic

ABS-M30™ by Stratasys is up to 70 percent stronger than standard ABS, providing significantly better layer bonding, impact resistance and flextural strength than standard level consumer grade ABS. ABS-M30 highly cost effective solution, ideal material for numerous applications including conceptual modeling, functional prototyping, manufacturing tools such as jigs and fixtures as well as end-use production parts.

MEASUREMENT	VALUE	STANDARD
Tensile Strength, Yield	32 MPa	ASTM D638
Tensile Modulus	2,230 MPa	ASTM D638
Elongation at Break	4%	ASTM D648
Unnotched Izod Impact	283 J/m	ASTM D256
Heat Deflection Temperature	86°C @ 0.45 MPa	ASTM D648

Material Datasheet

PC-ABS

Strength, Heat Resistance & Flexibility

Polycarbonate-ABS (PC-ABS) combines the desirable strength and heat resistant properties of PC with the flexibility & cost advantages of ABS. PC-ABS is one of the most widely used thermoplastics used in automotive, electronics and variety of other industrial manufacturing applications.

MEASUREMENT	VALUE	STANDARD
Tensile Strength, Yield	41 MPa	ASTM D638
Tensile Modulus	1,900 MPa	ASTM D638
Elongation at Break	6%	ASTM D648
Unnotched Izod Impact	481 J/m	ASTM D256
Heat Deflection Temperature	110°C @ 0.45 MPa	ASTM D648

Material Datasheet

ABS-ESD7

Static Dissipative

ABS thermoplastic with static dissipative properties (ABS-ESD7) is ideal for applications where a static charge can damage products, impair their performance or cause an explosion. ABS-ESD7 prevents static electricity build up so that it will not produce static shock while also preventing fine powders & dust from sticking. ABS-ESD7 is widely used in electronic manufacturing industries for creating jigs and fixtures, enclosures and packaging.

MEASUREMENT	VALUE	STANDARD
Tensile Strength	35 MPa	ASTM D638
Tensile Modulus	2,400 MPa	ASTM D638
Elongation at Break	3.4%	ASTM D638
Unnotched Izod Impact	55 J/m	ASTM D256
Heat Deflection Temperature	96°C @ 0.45 MPa	ASTM D648

Material Datasheet

ASA

UV Stable ABS Thermoplastic

ASA provides the same mechanical properties as ABS-M30 along with enhanced UV stability, making it ideal for outdoor applications. Combined with good impact resistance, toughness and aesthetics, ASA is one of the most broadly used thermoplastics, ideal for concept models, functional production parts such as jigs, fixtures, working prototypes and manufacturing tools.

MEASUREMENT	VALUE	STANDARD
Tensile Strength	33 MPa	ASTM D638
Tensile Modulus	2,010 MPa	ASTM D638
Elongation at Break	5.9%	ASTM D638
Unnotched Izod Impact	285 J/m	ASTM D256
Heat Deflection Temperature	102°C @ 0.45 MPa	ASTM D648

Material Datasheet

Nylon 12

Tough Parts With Superior Elongation

Ideal for creating durable end-use parts with high fatigue and chemical resistance. FDM Nylon 12 exhibits up to 300% better elongation and fatigue resistance than other FDM materials along with superior chemical compatibility for the most demanding applications such as repetitive enclosures, snap fits and vibration-resistant parts.

MEASUREMENT	VALUE	STANDARD
Tensile Strength, Yield	46 MPa	ASTM D638
Tensile Modulus	1,282 MPa	ASTM D638
Elongation at Break	30%	ASTM D648
Unnotched Izod Impact	200 J/m	ASTM D256
Heat Deflection Temperature	97 °C @ 0.45 MPa	ASTM D648

Material Datasheet

Polycarbonate

High Tensile Strength For Demanding Parts

Polycarbonate provides exceptionally high tensile and flexural strength, making it ideal for manufacturing strong parts, tooling and fixtures. FDM Polycarbonate is a widely used thermoplastic in automotive, aerospace, medical and a variety of other applications for applications where accuracy, durability and stability are critical.

MEASUREMENT	VALUE	STANDARD
Tensile Strength	57 MPa	ASTM D638
Tensile Modulus	1,944 MPa	ASTM D638
Elongation at Break	4.8%	ASTM D638
Unnotched Izod Impact	877 J/m	ASTM D256
Heat Deflection Temperature	138°C @ 0.45 MPa	ASTM D648

Material Datasheet

ULTEM 9085

Highest Strength-to-Weight Ratio Plastic

ULTEM 9085 by Sabic is a high performance polyetherimide thermoplastic offering excellent strength- to weight ratio and FST (flame, smoke, toxicity) ratings. Ideal for demanding applications, these properties make ULTEM 9085 a great choice for direct manufacturing of fully functional parts, prototypes and tooling with ultra fast lead times.

MEASUREMENT	VALUE	STANDARD
Tensile Strength	70 MPa	ASTM D638
Tensile Modulus	2,510 MPa	ASTM D638
Elongation at Break	5.3%	ASTM D638
Unnotched Izod Impact	781 J/m	ASTM D256
Heat Deflection Temperature	153°C @ 0.45 MPa	ASTM D648

Material Datasheet

ULTEM 1010

Highest Tensile Strength, Heat & Chemical Resistance

ULTEM 1010 is a high performance thermoplastic resin used to create fully functional parts ideal for aerospace & automotive manufacturing industries. ULTEM 1010 offers the highest heat resistance, chemical resistance and tensile strength of any additive thermoplastic.

MEASUREMENT	VALUE	STANDARD
Tensile Strength	81 MPa	ASTM D638
Tensile Modulus	2,770 MPa	ASTM D638
Elongation at Break	3.3%	ASTM D638
Unnotched Izod Impact	326 J/m	ASTM D256
Heat Deflection Temperature	216 °C @ 0.45 MPa	ASTM D648

Material Datasheet

Fused Deposition Modeling

Material Surface Finishes

Standard

Basic Finish

Soluble supports are dissolved in an ultrasonic cleaning tanking. Physical supports on high temperature materials are removed by hand (if required).

Surface Texture	Visible Layers.
Color & Appearance	Black, White, Green, Red, Blue, Orange, Yellow
Detail	Details vary depending on axis
Porosity	Tiny spaces exist between layers.
Turnaround Time	No additional time required

Vapour Smoothed

Standard Finish

Vapour smoothing is a cost effective solution that improves the cosmetics of FDM 3D printed parts. This finish seals the part and helps provide a uniform finish

Surface Texture	Smooth & Uniform.
Color & Appearance	Black, White, Green, Red, Blue, Orange, Yellow
Detail	Intricate details can be lost during the smoothing process.
Porosity	None.
Turnaround Time	+1 business day

Performance Paint

Premium Finish

Painting enables a highly durable automotive-grade coating of 3D printed parts. Parts are hand finished to a high quality and painted using high quality coating equipment.

Surface Texture	Matte to semi-gloss
Color & Appearance	Color matching available
Detail	Fine details may be lost if polishing is required.
Porosity	None
Turnaround Time	+2 or more business days

Why Use FDM 3D Printing?

FDM allows for a wide range of materials to be used, including different types of thermoplastics. This versatility allows for a range of materials with specific properties such as strength, flexibility, or heat resistance, depending on the intended application. The enclosed build chamber of FDM minimizes temperature variations and drafts, reducing the chances of warping, curling, or other dimensional inaccuracies in the printed object. It improves the overall print quality and accuracy of the final part allowing parts printed on Stratasys machines to achieve the industries highest 3D printing tolerances.

FDM offers a wide selection of thermoplastics that can be used for printing, including materials with specialized properties like high temperature resistance, flame retardancy, or electrical conductivity. This versatility allows engineers and designers to choose the most suitable material for their specific application requirements, enabling the production of parts tailored to meet specific needs.

Fused Deposition Modeling

Design Guidelines

This design guidelines covers specific design parameters, which will need to be followed to prevent build failures from occurring. We have set the minimums allowed, specified by our engineers which will need to be followed, otherwise your parts may not meet the specific tolerances required or can cause the build to fail. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is an additive manufacturing process by Stratasys that uses continuous filament of thermoplastic polymers.

View Full Design Guidelines

Maximum Build Volume

914 x 609 x 914 mm (36 x 24 x 36 inches)

We print using large-scale industrial 3D printers manufactured by Stratasys. The build volume of our largest FDM printer is 914 x 610 x 914 mm (36 x 24 x 36 in). The printer is capable of using a range of materials, including engineering-grade thermoplastics, and is often used in aerospace, automotive, and medical industries for rapid prototyping and end-use part production.

Tolerances

±0.2%, with a lower limit of ±0.2 mm

Parts are built inside of a fully enclosed build chamber to precisely control part accuracy. The nature of a fully enclosed build chamber means that shrinkage is precisely controlled to ensure very high part tolerances. The internal temperature of the print chamber is set just below the glass transition temperature of the filament being used. This ensures that warping never occurs during the print process, as well as significantly improves layer adhesion.

Layer Height

125 - 330 Microns

The layer height is the overall Z resolution of the part; we avoid stepping artifacts on important features of your models by orienting the part(s) along the Z plane or at a 20 degree angle on all sides. Unless otherwise specified, all SLS parts are printed at a 100 micron layer height.

Surface Finish

Uniform, Matte

Layers are deposited by molten plastic on a previous layer of cooled plastic with a thickness between 125 - 330 microns with each layer until a solid three-dimensional structure has been built. Depending on the slice height chosen, it can have an impact on the strength of the part. The thinner the slice height, the weaker the part tends to be. Thicker slice heights result in stronger parts, but more noticeable layers.

The cost of FDM parts is primarily based upon the amount of model & support material required to produce the part. Optimizing your designs for Fused Deposition Modeling will help keep manufacturing costs down. Increasing self supporting angles, reducing wall thickness as well as minimizing steep overhang will help ensure your parts are priced the most competitively in this technology.

Fused Deposition Modeling

Applications & Case Studies

Replacing Machined Parts with 3D Printing

How International Submarine Engineering has been able to replace traditionally machined parts on their newest Explorer class AUVs with 3D printed parts.

Read Case Study

Massing Models with FDM

How 3D Printing is making architectural models & massing models faster and more affordable than possible with traditional methods.

Read Case Study

FFF vs FDM

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) and Fused Deposition Manufacturing (FDM); what is the difference & which one is better?

Read Case Study

Aerospace

Automotive

Healthcare

Film & TV

Design

Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

We print using large-scale industrial 3D printers manufactured by Stratasys. The largest build volume is with our Fortus 900 FDM printer which offers a build volume of 914 x 610 x 914 mm (36 x 24 x 36 in). The printer is capable of using a range of materials, including engineering-grade thermoplastics, and is often used in aerospace, automotive, and medical industries for rapid prototyping and end-use part production.

The turnaround time for an FDM print order can vary based on the complexity and size of the order, current workload, and specific material used. Typically, small to medium-sized orders can be completed within a 1-4 days. Larger or more complex orders, or those requiring significant post-processing, may take longer as FDM lacks the scale of economy of other 3D print technologies for large volume, bulk orders. For higher quantity production runs, we typically recommend either SLS or MJF 3D printing technologies.

The cost of Fused Deposition (FDM) printing is influenced by a variety of factors. Primarily the volume of material used coupled with the size of the part which directly affects the run time costs. Smaller parts with thin walls are priced more competitively than large and tall parts that take much longer to 3D print. Any additional post-processing, such as sanding, dyeing, sealing, or painting, will add to the cost. These processes are labor-intensive and require additional materials.

We carry out a comprehensive pre-printing inspection that includes calibrating our FDM 3D printers and thoroughly testing the filament for quality, ensuring superior printing conditions. During the print, our FDM printers are outfitted with monitoring systems that oversee the printing process, quickly detecting and rectifying any discrepancies or errors.

Post-printing, our team conducts an in-depth inspection of the completed part. This vital step focuses on verifying the accuracy, structural soundness, and surface finish of the product to meet our stringent standards. To further ensure the print's adherence to the original design, we perform dimensional accuracy tests. Here, we measure the printed objects and compare them to the original design specifications. This phase is crucial in guaranteeing that the final product not only fulfills but surpasses our clients' expectations in terms of quality, accuracy, and functionality. At Forge Labs, every stage of our quality control procedure is dedicated to achieving outstanding FDM 3D printing outcomes.

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Fused Deposition Modeling(FDM) 3D Printing Services

What is Fused Deposition Modeling?

Materials | Fused Deposition Modeling

ABS

UV Resistant

Flexible

Rigid

Performance

High Temperature

ABS-M30

PC-ABS

ABS-ESD7

ASA

Nylon 12

Polycarbonate

ULTEM 9085

ULTEM 1010

Material Surface Finishes

Standard

Vapour Smoothed

Performance Paint

Why Use FDM 3D Printing?

Design Guidelines

Maximum Build Volume

Tolerances

Layer Height

Surface Finish

Applications & Case Studies

Replacing Machined Parts with 3D Printing

Massing Models with FDM

FFF vs FDM

Aerospace

Automotive

Healthcare

Film & TV

Design

Architecture

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Fused Deposition Modeling
(FDM) 3D Printing Services