3 ms·
One big drawback with FDM (fused deposition modeling) parts is strength. Another is obviously surface smoothness. A third issue is production time/speed. The l
by jqpabc123 3y ago
One big drawback with FDM (fused deposition modeling) parts is strength. Another is obviously surface smoothness. A third issue is production time/speed.
The layers in a 3D printed part are not fused together as well as resin cast parts and tend to separate and fail under some "end use" conditions. Smoothness can be a concern too for some "end use" conditions. And 3D printing for volume production is just plain slow --- at least a couple of orders of magnitude slower than casting.
Bottom line --- ok for quick prototypes but 3D printing has some fundamental limitations making it questionable for a lot of "end use" products.
- dclin31 3y agoI handled a couple MJF and SLS prints and was quite impressed by the material properties. Definitely end usable, though I still wouldn't trust it 100% in critical components. There's an argument for trading off speed for "fit" kind of like going to a tailor vs walking out with a store bought pair of trousers that these technologies are approaching viability.
- jqpabc123 3y agoI still wouldn't trust it 100% in critical components. Testing is better than trusting. Those who have tested tend to show fairly broad agreement that 3D printed parts exhibit a lower baseline tensile strength than molded parts. How much lower depends on a multitude of printing factors so there is an element of inconsistency here as well.