Additive Parts for Your Toughest Needs
with Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

FDM parts tend to be tougher and more robust than many other additive technologies, making them equally well-suited for prototyping and production applications. A wide range of engineering-grade thermoplastic materials is available from Fathom’s FDM printing service, including high-performance polycarbonate and high-heat deflection resins.

FDM additive manufacturing can even be used to quickly build jigs and work-holding fixtures. This gives customers the flexibility to take on new projects while lowering their costs. No more waiting weeks or months to have custom fixtures machined to meet their needs.

FDM manufacturing enables the production of larger parts than many 3D printing technologies. This means there is less need to section and post-bond parts to achieve the sizes you need.

A Wide Range of Materials // FDM technology can be used with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) polymers, polycarbonates, polycaprolactone, polyphenyl sulfones and more. What’s significant is that FDM can print parts using many of the same materials used in injection molding.

Exceptional Toughness // FDM parts are rugged and durable, ideal for more demanding applications like jigs and work-holding fixtures.

The Same Material, from Prototype to Production // Engineers can print parts to test fit, finish and functionality using the same material that will be used to injection mold production parts.

Build Functional Prototypes Fast // Your FDM printing service can be used to produce functional prototypes within a few hours or days, depending on the complexity of the part. This can help you reduce your time to market.

Support for Low-Volume Production // FDM manufacturing isn’t just for making prototype parts. It also supports low-volume production of parts.

Variable Infill Density // Like many additive technologies, printing large thick areas or bodies can be a challenge. With FDM additive manufacturing, these areas can be filled with customizable lattice structures to speed up print time while still offering a suitable combination of strength and build success.

Anisotropic Characteristics // FDM parts can be less strong in the Z direction.

Not Ideal for Small Parts or Details // With a minimum nozzle size of 0.4 inches, FDM isn’t well-suited to print small parts or larger parts with tiny details.

Surface Finish // Because the material is extruded in layers, the resulting surface finish tends to be lower fidelity than some other additive methods. That means FDM parts may require more post-processing to achieve a desirable surface finish. Be sure to ask your commercial 3d printing service about finishing options for FDM.

FDM parts can be post-machined to meet specific tolerances. They can also be bonded to other assemblies, such as fiberglass panels and other additive parts. They can also accommodate a variety of post-installable hardware and inserts.

If you’re currently using CNC machining, injection molding or other traditional methods to produce prototype parts, FDM may be a faster and more flexible alternative.

FDM manufacturing can be used to produce low-production runs of thermoplastic parts, ideal for bridge production or while you’re waiting for conventional manufacturing tooling to be completed.

Vapor Smoothing

Fathom offers AMT’s PostPro3D technology, a smart and automated post-processing solution for smoothing FDM printed parts. PostPro3D can achieve a high-quality surface finish that matches injection molding techniques when using 3D printing processes.