Fused Filament Fabrication
Fused Filament Fabrication
Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is an additive fabrication process, more commonly referred to as 3D printing, allowing the designing of more or less complex components from polymer filament. This relatively cheap technology usually allows the prototyping of an idea before validating it but also to manufacture finished components. As most additive manufacturing technologies, FFF allows the designing of complex shapes often impossible to design with conventional methods and therefore leaves considerable freedom to the designer.
Process
In order to create a component using the Fused Filament Fabrication process, it should be followed the common procedure to most additive fabrication processes, which is: Design, Simulation, Printing setup, Machine setup, Printing. FFF process is relatively simple in its functioning as well as its use. The source material is loaded into the machine in filament form, then the latter is extruded to a heated nozzle, softening the material and allowing to settle it on the printing surface. A motorised axes system allows the driving of this nozzle to create, one layer at a time, the shape of this component. When the printing is done, all that remains is unhooking the component from the surface and doing the finalisation if required.
Pros
- Cheap technology
- Cheap source material
- Quick prototyping
- Can validate solutions by iterations
- Can realise finished components from little to average mechanical performances
- On demand production
- Functionalities optimisation
- Assembling reduction
- Can realise complex forms, mostly “impossible” with conventional methods
- Can realise small-sized components as well as large-sized components
Cons
- Hardly usable for components with strong mechanical stress
- Printing resolution often limited to +/- 0.1mm
- Often inadequate on very small-sized components, in the order of few mm.
Our machine fleet
Since 2019, PCI SCEMM has been developing a FABLAB within its R&D service. Today, we possess a machine fleet allowing us to treat a wide range of components and materials. Our last acquisition is a professional machine Raise 3D Pro 2+.
Specifications of our fleet:
Maximum volume : 305 x 305 x 605 mm or 500 x 500 x500 mm.
Possibility of creating bi-extrusion (bi-material) components
Usable materials: Filament Ø1.75mm in PLA, ABS, HIPS, PC, TPU, TPE, Nylon, Flexible, PETG, ASA, PP, Bronze, Wood, carbon fibers filaments, glass fibers, etc
Noozle maximum temperature : 300°C
Usable noozles : 0.1/0.2/0.4/0.6/0.8 mm
Maximum accuracy position X/Y : 0.0125 mm