{"id":394,"date":"2026-01-05T00:21:54","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T22:21:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/what-is-fdm-3d-printing\/"},"modified":"2026-10-09T22:04:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T19:04:21","slug":"what-is-fdm-3d-printing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/what-is-fdm-3d-printing\/","title":{"rendered":"What FDM 3D printing is and how it works"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>FDM 3D printing in plain words<\/h2>\n<p><strong>FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)<\/strong> is a technology that prints objects layer by layer from melted plastic. If you\u2019ve ever seen a 3D printer at work, there\u2019s a 95% chance it was FDM. This technology made 3D printing affordable: startups, large companies and hobbyists all use it.<\/p>\n<p>At 3dprint.lviv.ua we work exclusively with FDM. In our experience, it covers 90% of what customers need: from prototypes and enclosures to decorative items and spare parts.<\/p>\n<h2>How it works<\/h2>\n<p>The principle is simple: a plastic strand (filament) 1.75 mm in diameter is fed into a heated head (the hotend). There it melts at 190\u2013260\u00b0C and is laid down on the build platform through a fine nozzle (0.2\u20130.8 mm).<\/p>\n<p>Printing goes from the bottom up:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>First layer<\/strong> \u2014 goes down on the heated platform. The whole print depends on the quality of the first layer. We always level the bed before important orders.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Next layers<\/strong> \u2014 each new layer fuses with the one below, forming a strong structure.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Finishing<\/strong> \u2014 the part cools down and is removed from the platform.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Layer height ranges from 0.1 to 0.3 mm. We most often print at 0.2 mm: it\u2019s a good balance between quality and speed. We only use 0.1 mm layers when a perfect surface is needed \u2014 but the print time doubles.<\/p>\n<h3>What an FDM printer is made of<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Extruder<\/strong> \u2014 pushes the filament into the hotend.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hotend with nozzle<\/strong> \u2014 melts the plastic and extrudes it through the nozzle.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Build platform (bed)<\/strong> \u2014 the surface the part grows on. Usually heated.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Motion system<\/strong> \u2014 stepper motors and guide rails that move the head precisely along the X, Y and Z axes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Controller<\/strong> \u2014 the electronic board that runs the process from G-code.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Popular FDM printers<\/h2>\n<p>There are hundreds of options on the market \u2014 from budget desktop machines to industrial ones. These are the most common:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Prusa<\/strong> \u2014 Czech printers of the i3 MK series, known for reliability. We print on Prusa ourselves for orders where repeatability matters.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Creality<\/strong> \u2014 the Ender and CR series, the standard for beginners. Cheap, but they need tuning.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bambu Lab<\/strong> \u2014 the new generation: fast, with auto-calibration and minimal setup.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Voron<\/strong> \u2014 an open-source project for those who want to build a printer themselves and get maximum performance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For commercial print-on-demand work, proven printers with an enclosed chamber are usually used \u2014 this guarantees consistent quality from part to part.<\/p>\n<h2>Advantages of FDM printing<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Affordable price<\/strong> \u2014 both printers and materials are much cheaper than for SLA or SLS.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wide choice of materials<\/strong> \u2014 from simple PLA to engineering plastics: PETG, ABS, TPU, nylon, polycarbonate, carbon fibre composites.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Parts for real use<\/strong> \u2014 printed items are strong enough to do actual work, not just for show.<\/li>\n<li><strong>From small to large<\/strong> \u2014 you can print parts from a few centimetres to 30\u201350 cm and more.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Easy post-processing<\/strong> \u2014 parts can be sanded, painted and glued without trouble.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Limitations of FDM printing<\/h2>\n<p>Like any technology, FDM has its limits:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Visible layers<\/strong> \u2014 the surface has a noticeable layered texture, especially with tall layers. A perfectly smooth surface needs post-processing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Limited detail on tiny features<\/strong> \u2014 FDM loses to SLA\/DLP when reproducing features smaller than 0.5 mm.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Different strength in different directions<\/strong> \u2014 the bond between layers is weaker than within a layer. This matters when designing parts that carry loads.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Supports are needed<\/strong> \u2014 overhanging features are printed with helper structures that are removed afterwards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For most practical tasks these limitations aren\u2019t critical. FDM remains the best choice for value for money.<\/p>\n<h2>Where FDM 3D printing is used<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Prototyping<\/strong> \u2014 checking shape, dimensions and function before mass production. We print prototypes for startups and engineering teams every week.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Enclosures and covers<\/strong> \u2014 for electronics, IoT devices and DIY projects.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Spare parts<\/strong> \u2014 broken parts of household appliances, cars and furniture. One of our most popular types of order.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tools and fixtures<\/strong> \u2014 jigs, holders and organisers for production.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Architectural models<\/strong> \u2014 scale models of buildings.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Education and hobbies<\/strong> \u2014 teaching models, figurines, cosplay.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Small-batch production<\/strong> \u2014 small runs without the cost of moulds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Why FDM suits print-on-demand<\/h2>\n<p>When customers come to us, FDM is the best option in 9 cases out of 10. Three reasons:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Price.<\/strong> FDM printing costs 3\u20135 times less than SLA or SLS. For prototypes and small batches this is critical. <strong>Speed.<\/strong> We complete most orders in 1\u20133 days. <strong>Choice of materials.<\/strong> We can pick a plastic for the specific task: tough PETG for functional parts, flexible TPU for shock absorbers, PLA for decor.<\/p>\n<p>At <a href=\"\/en\/\">3dprint.lviv.ua<\/a> you can order FDM 3D printing in different materials. We\u2019ll help you choose the material and settings for your project. More about materials is on the <a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/materials\/\">materials page<\/a>, and prices are in the <a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/prices\/\">price list<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>In short<\/h2>\n<p>FDM is a proven, affordable technology for a wide range of tasks: from prototypes to production parts. A big choice of materials, an attractive price and enough strength for real use. If you need a plastic part, FDM will very likely do the job.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Got a project for 3D printing?<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/contact\/\">Message us<\/a> \u2014 we\u2019ll work out the price, choose the material and print it.<\/p>\n<h2>Order 3D printing<\/h2>\n<p>Need quality 3D printing? <a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/materials\/\">printing materials<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/prices\/\">3D printing prices<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/3d-printing-services\/\">order 3D printing<\/a>. Delivery across Ukraine by Nova Poshta.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FDM 3D printing in plain words FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) is a technology that prints objects layer by layer from melted plastic. If you\u2019ve ever seen a 3D printer at work, there\u2019s a 95% chance it was FDM. This technology made 3D printing affordable: startups, large companies and hobbyists all use it. At 3dprint.lviv.ua we [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":362,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technologies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=394"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":407,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394\/revisions\/407"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}