Designing thin 2.5D parts optimized for fused deposition modeling

This chapter builds new knowledge for design engineers adopting fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology as an end manufacturing process, rather than simply as a prototyping process. Based on research into 2.5D printing and its use in real-world additive manufacturing situations, a study featuring 111 test pieces across the range of 0.4-4.0mm in thickness were analyzed in increments of 0.1mm to understand how these attributes affect the quality and print time of the parts and isolate specific dimensions which are optimized for the FDM process. The results revealed optimized zones where the outer wall, inner wall/s, and/or infill are produced as continuous extrusions significantly faster to print than thicknesses falling outside of optimized zones. As a result, a quick reference graph and several equations are presented based on fundamental FDM principles, allowing design engineers to implement optimized wall dimensions in computer-aided design (CAD) rather than leaving print optimization to technicians and manufacturers in the final process parameters.