FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)
FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling), also known as Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), is an additive manufacturing method where a continuous spool of thermoplastic filament is heated to its melting point inside an extruder and pushed through a fine nozzle to build 3D objects layer by layer.
FDM economics are dominated by two numbers: material grams and machine hours. A 40 g part that takes five hours to print carries cost from both axes — filament at your gram rate plus the printer at your hourly rate — before setup, labour or margin.
Estimate it in the 3D printing cost calculator →Core FDM Printing Mechanics
A direct drive or Bowden extruder pushes 1.75mm solid plastic filament into a heated hotend. The liquid polymer is extruded through a 0.4mm brass or hardened steel nozzle onto a heated build plate, fusing to previously deposited lines as it cools.
Material Versatility
FDM handles a massive spectrum of engineering and aesthetic thermoplastics, including biodegradable PLA, weather-resistant PETG, high-strength ABS, flexible TPU, and carbon fiber composites.
Estimating FDM Production Costs
FDM job pricing combines raw filament gram costs with machine run time depreciation. Optimized batch layouts maximize plate capacity, reducing setup costs and per-unit machine hours.
Cite This Page
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APA 7
TryAR Labs. (2026, August 25). FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling). MakerWorld Estimator. https://estimator.tryar.in/glossary/fdmBibTeX
@misc{tryarlabs2026fdm,
title = {{FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)}},
author = {{TryAR Labs}},
year = {2026},
month = {aug},
url = {https://estimator.tryar.in/glossary/fdm},
note = {MakerWorld Estimator}
}Calculate 3D Print Costs in Real Time
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