Alternative Plastic Injection Molding Process

Incorporating Screw Threads Into FDM Parts
Screw threads are one of the most common components used for fastening parts in an assembly or attaching pipe tubing together. Here are five ways to incorporate screw threads into Fused Deposition Modeling parts, followed by some useful applications.

Threads directly from the FDM machine
Depending on the pitch and helical profile, it may be possible to design your desired thread right into the CAD file. Typically, large pitched threads on parts used for...

Using direct digital manufacturing (DDM) as an alternative to traditional manufacturing is so new that it takes a bit of finesse to explain what it is and where it fits best in terms of production of end-use parts.

The five primary characteristics of a good DDM opportunity are as follows:

1. Complexity - parts that would be difficult or impossible to machine or mold
2. Large Up-front Investment - high initial cost of creating injection molds
3. Redesign - new product design that may be susceptible...