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Fused filament fabrication
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<p>Fused filament fabrication (FFF), also known as fused deposition modeling (with the trademarked acronym FDM), or <i>filament freeform fabrication</i>, is a <a href="/facts/3D_printing/lbvWU3t0">3D printing</a> process that uses a continuous filament of a <a href="/facts/Thermoplastic/5KJB8dwN">thermoplastic</a> material. Filament is fed from a large spool through a moving, heated printer extruder head, and is deposited on the growing work. The print head is moved under computer control to define the printed shape. Usually the head moves in two dimensions to deposit one horizontal plane, or layer, at a time; the work or the print head is then moved vertically by a small amount to begin a new layer. The speed of the extruder head may also be controlled to stop and start deposition and form an interrupted plane without stringing or dribbling between sections. "Fused filament fabrication" was coined by the members of the <a href="/facts/RepRap/QTysPgzF">RepRap</a> project to give an acronym (FFF) that would be legally unconstrained in use. </p><p>Fused filament printing has in the 2010s-2020s been the most popular process (by number of machines) for <a href="/facts/Hobby/MH1aFd8v">hobbyist</a>-grade 3D printing. Other techniques such as <a href="/facts/Stereolithography/wIPeT3Wy">photopolymerisation</a> and <a href="/facts/Selective_laser_sintering/BbArbIwR">powder sintering</a> may offer better results, but they are much more costly. </p> <p>The 3D printer head or 3D printer extruder is a part in material extrusion additive manufacturing responsible for raw material melting or softening and forming it into a continuous profile. A wide variety of <a href="/facts/3D_printing_filament/CpLjcbGw">filament materials</a> are extruded, including thermoplastics such as <i><a href="/facts/Acrylonitrile_butadiene_styrene/WrksnpMv">acrylonitrile butadiene styrene</a></i> (ABS), <i><a href="/facts/Polylactic_acid/QHoY2H5I">polylactic acid</a></i> (PLA), <i>polyethylene terephthalate glycol</i> (PETG), <i><a href="/facts/Polyethylene_terephthalate/Sc5UhmCB">polyethylene terephthalate</a></i> (PET), high-impact <i>polystyrene</i> (HIPS), <i><a href="/facts/Thermoplastic_polyurethane/JUBVY5Ct">thermoplastic polyurethane</a></i> (TPU) and <i>aliphatic polyamides</i> (<a href="/facts/Nylon/hBvG9bCw">nylon</a>). </p>