Invention and Engineering

FDM printing file formats

FDM (fused deposition modeling) printing is a popular type of 3D printing, it is used throughout different engineering industries (medical, robotics, automotive) and 3D-printing hobbyists. FDM printing is popular because it can produce near finished models of hardware with a short manufacturing process also known as rapid prototyping. This kind of printing was first developed and patented in 1989 by Stratasys and has advanced in the past few decades becoming more affordable and accessible. A key aspect of FDM printing is the use of specialized file formats that contain the data necessary to guide the printing process. These formats encode information about the 3D model, including its geometry, print settings and tool paths, ensuring that the printer accurately recreates the digital design in physical form. Each file format has unique characteristics that can influence the final output.

Also on this shelf

See also

• ▸EMD FP7
• ▸Henry Irving as Philip II of Spain
• ▸Human interactions with microbes

Uncatalogued shelf

Text from Wikipedia; plate via Wikimedia Commons. Text CC BY-SA 4.0; plate freely licensed (see Commons). Source record. Images and catalogue data are reproduced from open-access collections.