The technology behind every part fabSTR makes — explained without the jargon.
FDM stands for Fused Deposition Modeling — though you'll also see it called FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication), which is really the same thing under a different, patent-free name. Either way, the idea is simple: a spool of plastic filament is fed into a machine, melted, and squeezed out through a nozzle in a thin thread — building your object one layer at a time, from the bottom up, until it's finished.
Think of it a bit like a hot glue gun on a robotic arm. The printer reads a digital 3D model and works out exactly where to place plastic, layer by layer. Each layer is a thin slice of the final shape; once one layer cools and hardens, the printer moves up slightly and starts the next one on top. Do that a few hundred or a few thousand times, and you end up with a solid object.
Most FDM prints use one of a handful of common plastics — PLA (easy to print, good for most everyday objects), PETG (tougher and more durable), or ABS (stronger and more heat-resistant, but trickier to print well). Which one makes sense depends on what the part needs to survive — a decorative object has very different needs than a bracket that has to hold weight.
FDM printing has become the go-to choice for prototypes, replacement parts, and small production runs mainly because it's affordable and flexible. There's no need for expensive tooling or molds — you go straight from a digital design to a physical object, often in a matter of hours. That makes it ideal for testing an idea, fixing something broken around the house, or producing a handful of custom parts without the cost of traditional manufacturing.
FDM isn't the highest-resolution 3D printing method out there — technologies like resin printing can produce finer detail. But for functional parts, prototypes, and everyday objects, FDM hits a sweet spot of cost, strength, and reliability that's hard to beat, which is exactly why it's the technology fabSTR builds its print service around.