Reader Response Draft 3

Brooks (2023) informs that Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) uses slicing software which translates the design into directives for the printer. A melted filament, commonly made using Polylactic Acid (PLA) or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), is placed onto a print bed in layers. The product forms while each layer hardens. A feature is that printers using FDM technology are more affordable compared to other 3D printing technologies, making them widely available to hobbyists and industries. FDM can utilize a variety of thermoplastic materials with many being environmentally friendly. Protolabs Network (n.d.) describes that material versatility allows users to switch their choice of material depending on the properties they would like to achieve. During production, FDM can achieve fast printing speeds and is relatively easy to operate. Finally, FDM technology enables the creation of intricate shapes and designs that would be difficult or impractical to achieve otherwise (Engineering Product Design, 2024b).

With its distinct features and functions, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) can replace traditional manufacturing methods in certain areas of today’s industry: rapid prototyping, waste reduction, and production of spare parts. Despite that, the precision and accuracy of a product made by traditional manufacturing methods outperforms its counterpart printed by FDM.

Unlike traditional manufacturing methods, FDM is ideal for rapid prototyping. “Rapid prototyping (RP) quickly creates a physical part directly from its CAD model data using various manufacturing techniques” (Engineering Product Design, 2024a, What is Rapid prototyping? section). With FDM’s features mentioned earlier, its resourcefulness and effectiveness allows for fast repeatability during prototyping. Compared with a traditional method: Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machining, the time to produce a similar prototype is much slower due to a long setup time and numerous machining steps required. Ye (2019) supports that the machining centers suffer increased material costs because of rising material consumption. As the development cycle and production costs are lower compared to traditional manufacturing methods, FDM’s faster iterations and adjustments make it more suitable for prototyping.

In terms of waste reduction, FDM generates less waste compared to traditional manufacturing methods. 3D printing is reported to cause 70% to 90% less production waste than certain traditional manufacturing techniques (Friedland & Healy, 2023). This is because when FDM technology is used in a 3-D printer to build a product layer by layer, it relies only on the amount necessary to construct it. On the other hand, traditional manufacturing techniques implement methods such as cutting, drilling and molding when handling material. With this, more waste is generated as the raw material that is not needed is discarded. Therefore, FDM technology during 3D printing, has the ability to minimize waste in contrast with traditional manufacturing methods, making FDM more sustainable for the environment.

Additionally, FDM can allow on-demand production of spare parts, benefiting various industries such as healthcare, aerospace and automation. Implementing this additive manufacturing method eliminates the necessity for large inventories, shortens lead times and lessen complexities in supply chains. Additive3D Asia (n.d.) reveals that components made by traditional manufacturing typically need more time because molds are essential to aid this process. Moreover, the usage of molds causes longer setup times and can increase waste from overproduction, further diminishing efficiency. These molds are also expensive, meaning that the cost needed for production is increased. Hence, as FDM does not require the need of molds, production costs can be reduced.

However, there are limitations in the surface finishes and tolerances for FDM where traditional manufacturing methods can improve on. Since FDM products tend to have layer lines being perceptible, post-processing is crucial for a smooth finish (Engineering Product Design, 2024b). The layer lines also result in variation of the accuracy of the dimensions which may not meet quality requirements. When traditional manufacturing methods are used to ensure surface finishing and tolerances, they “can achieve this by using highly polished finishes” (Monika, 2024, Issues with Surface Finish and Precision section). This allows improvement of the visual appearance and tighter tolerances of the end-product. In conclusion, traditional manufacturing techniques are more suitable in applications where precision and aesthetics are important.

Overall, even though Fused Deposition Modeling can replace traditional manufacturing methods in the industry, the quality of its end products might not meet the requirements for precision and aesthetics. Furthermore, as traditional manufacturing methods may also have its own advantages to Fused Deposition Modeling, both have their pros and cons that weigh in the industry.

 

References

 

Additive3D Asia. (n.d.). Traditional Manufacturing VS 3D Printing. Additive3D Asia. https://additive3dasia.com/news/traditional-manufacturing-3d-printing/

 

Brooks, D. (2023, July 6). FDM 3D Printing: Ultimate Guide. Explore3DPrint. https://explore3dprint.com/fdm-3d-printing-ultimate-guide/

 

Engineering Product Design. (2024a, June 7). Rapid prototyping. Engineering Product Design. https://engineeringproductdesign.com/knowledge-base/rapid-prototyping-techniques/

 

Engineering Product Design. (2024b, June 21). Material Extrusion – Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). Engineering Product Design. https://engineeringproductdesign.com/knowledge-base/material-extrusion/#google_vignette

 

Friedland, E. & Healy, K. (2023, April 17). How Sustainable is 3D Printing? Sustainable Plastics. https://www.sustainableplastics.com/news/how-sustainable-3d-printing

 

Monika. (2024, June 18). 3D Printing vs Traditional Manufacturing: A Comprehensive Comparison. Goldsupplier. https://blog.goldsupplier.com/3d-printing-vs-traditional-manufacturing/

 

Protolabs Network. (n.d.). What is FDM (fused deposition modeling) 3D printing? Protolabs Network. https://www.hubs.com/knowledge-base/what-is-fdm-3d-printing/#how-does-fdm-3d-printing-work

 

Ye, R. (2019, July 18). What is CNC Prototype Machining and How Does it Work? 3ERP. https://www.3erp.com/blog/prototype-machining-pros-and-cons-of-cnc-for-prototyping/