Tutorials

Variable Density FDM parts with Advanced FDM in GrabCAD Print

Dave
in 3D Printing
23 1 Intermediate
A tutorial on how to create an FDM part with discrete zones with different infill patterns & densities. This is a great but simple tactic for reducing the print time and cost of your designs as well as making them both stiff and lightweight.
multibody print grabcad infill fdm advanced stratasys

How to create complex Voronoi lattices in nTopology for printing in FDM, DLP and Powderbed!

Shuvom Ghose
in 3D Printing
14 2 Intermediate
We cover how to create complex, strong, organic, yet lightweight shapes for 3D printing using a powerful next-generation generative software, called nTopology, and then compare the results on three different 3D printing methods- FDM, DLP (P3) and Powderbed (SAF)!
voronoi saf sls dlp fdm stratasys lattice ntopology

How to FDM Print for Part Sliding Clearance

GrabCAD Tutorials
in Assemblies
13 4 Intermediate
If you are 3D printing parts that have to fit/slide together after printing, you will need to put some sort of clearance between those parts in your CAD system. A good starting place is a clearance 2x the layer height you are going to print at, but you should make a few smaller test prints at different clearances to see if the 2x layer height rule holds for your particular situation and orientation. Have fun and happy printing!
GrabCAD Print sliding clearance printing 3d fdm

How to Insert a Z Pause in a Stratasys Printer

Anirudh Krishnakumar
in 3D Printing
13 0 Intermediate
How do I use a Stratasys printer with multiple materials? Multiple colors? How do I add metal inserts in my 3D printed part? This tutorial explains how to use Stratasys software to insert pauses (Z-pause) during an FDM print job, to change materials, colors or to add metal inserts. Go to Step 1 for some documentation and examples of parts printed with Z Pause.
multi-material multi-color pause stratasys printing 3d fdm

How to Paint an FDM Printed Part

GrabCAD Tutorials
in 3D Printing
12 2 Intermediate
This tutorial will teach you how to paint FDM parts. There are many reasons to paint 3D printed parts, whether it’s for UV protection, sealing or just to make them aesthetically pleasing.
printing 3d post-processing painting fdm

How to Remove FDM Support Material

Stratasys
in 3D Printing
9 0 Intermediate
FDM (fused deposition modeling) Technology lets you 3D print parts in a broad range of well tested plastics. FDM materials offer specialized properties like toughness, electrostatic dissipation, translucence, biocompatibility, UV resistance, VO flammability and FST ratings. This makes them perfect for demanding designers and engineers in aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, medical and other industries.
parts 3d stratasys removal support fdm

How to Give Your 3D Printed FDM Part the Smoothness of Injection Molding

Stratasys
in 3D Printing
6 1 Intermediate
This tutorial will demonstrate how you can give your FDM printed part the finishing smoothness of injection molding. The Finishing Touch Smoothing Station can dramatically improve the surface finish of ABS parts that are built using FDM technology. The semi-automated smoothing process is compatible with FDM’s entire line of ABS plastics.
parts 3d finishing fdm molding injection

How to Paint FDM Parts

Stratasys
in 3D Printing
5 1 Intermediate
There are many reasons for coating FDM parts. These include UV protection, sealing, shielding, or surface modification, but painting FDM parts for an aesthetically pleasing finish is the most common. Painting brings a product to life by adding depth, contrast and character. This is true for concept models, marketing samples, and finished goods. For product development and many production applications, paint completes the desired look and feel. With a little know-how and a touch of patience, models, prototypes, and parts can look like production parts. The following instructions are for creating top-quality painted parts. For applications that do not require this level of finishing, skip any unneeded steps. A good paint finish traditionally starts with sanding and filling.
printing 3d finishing parts stratasys fdm paint

How to design your own support structures for FDM printing

Andreas Bastian
in Design & CAD
4 1 Intermediate
See below for a method to manually model support structures.
Fusion 360 fff structures fdm dfm printing support design 3d

How To Properly Sterilize FDM Parts

Stratasys
in Other
4 0 Intermediate
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is an additive manufacturing technology that is used in industry for development of three-dimensional models. Because of its ability to provide highly accurate models, FDM may offer many benefits to those wishing to use it for a range of medical applications. FDM can be used to build models that aid physicians in the surgical planning process or in the production of a surgical implant. It can be used to achieve a patient’s agreement prior to surgery by providing a preoperative simulation device. During surgery, an FDM model can act as an orienting aid or a template for resection. FDM can also be used to directly manufacture medical implants out of bioimplantable materials. However, such surgical devices and implants will come into direct contact with sterile body tissues and fluids, and therefore, must be manufactured out of sterilizable materials.
medical printing 3d stratasys fdm sterilize

How to Create Variable Density Parts

GrabCAD Tutorials
in 3D Printing
4 0 Intermediate
FDM technology enables you to print a part with variable densities. Following the best practices can save you time and money when building your part with variable densities. The following is brought to you by Stratasys.
3dprinting density fdm

3D Printing: Tip Selection FDM Best Practices

Stratasys
in 3D Printing
3 0 Intermediate
To minimize build time and ensure feature details are built, it is important to select the correct tip size for each part. Using too small a tip on a part can significantly increase build times. Example: a part with a 5” z-axis dimension will have 500 layers using a T16 tip, 715 layers using a T12 tip, and 1000 layers using a T10 tip. The following tutorial is brought to you by Stratasys.
fdm tip stratasys 3dprinting

Stacking Your Parts in Z for FDM

Stratasys
in Assemblies
2 0 Intermediate
Have long thin flat parts you’ve always wanted to print right on top of each other in FDM but the slicer never allowed you to? Learn how to use this exclusive new feature in GrabCAD Print Pro!
GrabCAD Print fdm stacking stratasys 3d printing software grabcad print pro

How to Media Blast FDM Parts

GrabCAD Tutorials
in 3D Printing
1 0 Intermediate
The normal surface finish of FDM parts is suitable for most purposes, but in applications where a different finish is required, media blasting is an inexpensive and quick solution. Following the best practices helps reduce the risk of damaging or breaking a part when media blasting. The following is brought to you by Stratasys.
finish surface post-processing 3dprinting blasting media fdm

How to Prepare a 3D Printed Composite Tool for Use

GrabCAD Tutorials
in 3D Printing
0 0 Intermediate
FDM composite tooling, similar to traditional tooling technologies, typically requires some level of post-processing depending on the size, application, and complexity of the tool. The most common post-processing operation for FDM composite tooling is sealing. The following is brought to you by Stratasys.
composites 3d sealing post-processing tooling fdm
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