{"id":166009,"date":"2022-12-23T14:29:30","date_gmt":"2022-12-23T06:29:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/?post_type=kb&p=166009"},"modified":"2023-01-06T15:40:02","modified_gmt":"2023-01-06T07:40:02","slug":"3d-printing-for-beginners-how-to-get-started-with-fdm","status":"publish","type":"kb","link":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/3d-printing-for-beginners-how-to-get-started-with-fdm","title":{"rendered":"3D Printing for Beginners: How to Get Started with FDM"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Getting started with 3D printing doesn’t have to be intimidating. Read on to check out our simple guide to 3D printing for beginners!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What is meant when someone mentions \u201c3D printing\u201d? The media, especially mainstream marketing, portrays 3D printing as a magical technology of the future capable of replicating complex objects. But that makes it hard to put a finger on what exactly 3D printing is, technically speaking. In reality, there are\u00a0many different 3D printing technologies<\/a>, but\u00a0fused deposition modeling (FDM)<\/a>, which this article focuses on, is the most common.<\/p>\n

FDM works by using thermoplastic\u00a0filament<\/a>, which is basically a cord of plastic that can be melted, selectively deposited, and cooled. This is repeated, layer by layer, until an entire model is formed.<\/p>\n

This technology was created by people who wanted to rapidly\u00a0prototype<\/a>\u00a0parts. Even today, rapid prototype production is one of the biggest\u00a0benefits of FDM and 3D printing in general<\/a>. Not surprisingly, 3D printing has also become a potent\u00a0manufacturing solution<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Before we proceed with the details of how FDM works, there\u2019s one more thing worth mentioning. In case you\u2019ve already done some research on 3D printing, you may have noticed that some sources use the term \u201cFFF\u201d, which stands for \u201cfused filament fabrication\u201d, instead of \u201cFDM\u201d. That\u2019s because the term FDM was originally trademarked by Stratasys, and the other abbreviation is a more general term. Remember, it\u2019s the same technology, only the names are different. Today, most people (including us!) use \u201cFDM\u201d.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s really get started!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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How It Works<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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The Ender 3 V2 features a Bowden setup, in which the hot and cold ends are separate (Source: All3DP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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The easiest way to understand how FDM works is to first learn the parts of an FDM 3D printer. Before we talk about specific parts, though, it\u2019s worth mentioning that most 3D printers use three\u00a0axes<\/a>: X, Y, and Z. The X- and Y-axes are responsible for left, right, forward, and backward movements, while the Z-axis handles vertical movement.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s look at the main components of a 3D printer:<\/p>\n