Decrypting 3D Printing Terminology, A Primer

FDM, ABS, ASA, STL… RGD720?!?

The 3D printing industry is chock full of acronyms and jargon that can sometimes make it difficult to know exactly what folks are referring to when talking about the latest in 3D printing technology.

That’s why we pulled together a mini-glossary that clearly and simply explains this terminology in one short list. Check it out!

• 3D Printing – 3D printing is a way to create physical objects directly from digital files. The term is often used interchangeably with additive manufacturing.
• ABS-ESD7 – A form of ABS that is static-dissipative and is ideal for use in electronics.
• ABSi – A variant of the thermoplastic ABS, which is not only stronger than standard ABS material, but also translucent, making it suitable to build transparent components that allow light to pass through.
• ABS M30 – A variant of the thermoplastic ABS that specializes in tensile, impact and flexural strength. It is up to 70% stronger than standard ABS and is ideal for conceptual modeling, functional prototyping, manufacturing tools and end-use parts.
• ABSplus – A variant of the common thermoplastic ABS that is 40 percent stronger than the standard ABS material.
• Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA) – An ultraviolet-resistant thermoplastic that offers best aesthetic appearance of any FDM material available and has wide range of applications including commercial goods, sports goods and construction materials.
• Dental Photopolymers – Photopolymers for use in dental industry. Stratasys offers three types of dental photopolymers which include VeroDent (MED670), VeroDentplus (MED690) and VeroGlaze (MED620). They are used for producing artificial teeth, veneers and diagnostic wax-ups.
• Durus (RGD430) – The original Simulated Polypropylene material, and exhibits great impact resilience and an elongation at break of 44 percent.
• Endur (RGD450) – An advanced Simulated Polypropylene material that offers durability and a beautiful surface finish. Use it to quickly build tough prototypes for snap-fit components, living hinges and other demanding applications.
• Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) — FDM Technology builds parts layer-by-layer from the bottom up by heating and extruding thermoplastic filament. It’s the only professional 3D printing technology that uses production-grade thermoplastics, so parts are unrivaled in mechanical, thermal and chemical strength.
• MED610 – A bio-compatible PolyJet photopolymer that is a rigid medical rapid prototyping material. It features high dimensional stability and colorless transparency. The material is ideal for applications requiring prolonged skin contact of more than 30 days and short-term mucosal-membrane contact of up to 24 hours.
• Nylon 12 – A thermoplastic produced by Stratasys that offers high fatigue, friction and chemical resistance. It is ideal for use in automotive and consumer goods industries.
• Photopolymers – Plastic resins which change their properties when exposed to light. Liquid photopolymers which harden when exposed to UV light are used in the process of stereolithography.
• PolyJet — A technology which that up an object by jetting a photopolymer though a print head before solidifying it using a UV light. It’s similar to inkjet printing, but instead of jetting drops of ink onto paper, PolyJet 3D Printers jet layers of curable liquid photopolymer onto a build tray.
• STL – Stands for STereoLithography, an STL file renders surfaces in the CAD design as a mesh of triangles. The number and size of the triangles determine how accurately curved surfaces are printed.
• Tango Family Photopolymers – Rubber-like photopolymers for use in PolyJet printers. Applications include knobs, handles, grips, hoses and footwear.
• Temperature-resistant Photopolymer (RGD525) – A photopolymer known for its heat resistance. It is ideal for applications where heat resistance is required such as jigs, fixtures, household pipes, hot air and hot water testing.
• Thermoplastic – Any plastic which can be transitioned to a molten form by heating and solidifies again when it cools. They are used especially in FFF (fused filament fabrication) type of 3D printing. Common thermoplastics used in FFF are ABS and PLA.
• Transparent PolyJet Photopolymer (RGD720) – A multipurpose transparent PolyJet photopolymer for standard clear plastics simulation. It combines high dimensional stability with surface smoothness. This can include a wide range of applications like glass, eyewear, or art.
• Ultem 1010 – A thermoplastic with high strength and thermal stability. It is ideal for automotive, aerospace, medical and food-production industries.
• Ultem 9085 – A flame-retardant, high-performance thermoplastic with high strength-to-weight ratio. It is ideal for use in transport industry, especially aerospace, marine and ground vehicles.
• VeroDent (MED670) – A natural peach-tone material offering high-quality detail, strength and durability
• VeroDentPlus (MED690) – A dark beige material that creates amazingly fine features and finish, and offers excellent strength, accuracy and durability
• VeroGlaze (MED620) – An opaque material with A2 shading designed to provide the best color match in the industry. Ideal for veneer try-ins and diagnostic wax-ups, VeroGlaze is medically approved for temporary in-mouth placement, up to 24 hours.
• Viscosity – Another name for the resistance of flow of a fluid and often used with reference to extruded thermoplastic material.

What other terms do you think should be added to this glossary? Tell us in the comments section below.

Christine Archer

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