Engineering Reference
FDM Engineering Reference
Real design guidance for FDM parts, with a named source for every number. Where published figures disagree, we say so and explain why, instead of picking one and hiding the rest.
Wall Thickness for 3D Printing
Real wall thickness figures for FDM from six sources, and why the numbers split into a printability wall and a structural wall.
Read the referenceFDM Tolerances by Machine
Real tolerance figures from Protolabs Network, Stratasys, Xometry and Prusa, kept in each source's own formulation, not one averaged number.
Read the referenceSupports and Overhangs in 3D Printing
Real overhang angle and bridging figures from Cura, PrusaSlicer, Prusa, Markforged and Protolabs Network, not the 45 degree myth.
Read the referenceFDM Print Orientation and Strength
Published FDM Z-strength ratios span a wide range across machines and materials, so no single ratio works as a design rule.
Read the referenceInfill Percentage and Strength
Real infill and perimeter strength data for FDM. See why more infill is not automatically stronger, and why pattern can matter more than percent.
Read the referenceHole Clearances for 3D Printing
FDM holes print smaller than the CAD file states, and no source we reviewed gives one universal offset. Published clearance figures, and the real fix.
Read the referenceFDM Dimensional Accuracy
See how published FDM accuracy specs change with part size, the crossover math behind that, and why shrinkage numbers stay unpublished.
Read the referenceBoss Design for 3D Printing
Real FDM boss guidance from Stratasys Direct and Markforged, and why injection-molding boss wall rules do the opposite job.
Read the referenceRib Design for 3D Printing
Real FDM rib thickness figures, and the four bureaus' molded-rib rules kept as a disagreement, not one house number.
Read the referenceSnap-Fit Strain Limits for FDM
Bayer and DuPont snap-fit strain data is for molded plastic, not printed parts, so it does not say how far a layered FDM arm can safely flex.
Read the referenceThreaded Inserts in 3D Printed Parts
Published FDM insert pull-out data is thin. What Tappex, SPIROL, and one aging study show, and why a test coupon beats a table.
Read the referenceFDM vs Injection Molding
See the real tooling and per-part cost figures for injection molding next to FDM, with the break-even range kept as a range, not one number.
Read the referenceFDM vs CNC Machining
Compare real published FDM and CNC accuracy figures side by side, with sources, instead of a rule-of-thumb tolerance claim.
Read the referenceFDM Production Quantity Economics
See the real published research behind which process is cheaper at which quantity, instead of one averaged rule for every part.
Read the referenceFDM Prototype to Production
See what bridge production really means, why the term has no fixed definition, and how our own pricing scales with no separate tooling.
Read the referenceFDM Material Properties by Manufacturer
Published PLA, PETG, ABS, PA-CF and TPU figures from named datasheets, showing how far one polymer name spreads between products.
Read the referenceSee your price in the next 60 seconds.
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