FGM process

The fused granulate modeling (FGM) process is mainly based on the widespread process ofthermoplastic fused filament fabrication and therefore belongs to the additive manufacturing methods. Only now you can print your desired plastic parts directly from the thermoplastic pellets which are usually produced in serial production. Our CEM-extruder melts the pellets and creates a thin thread of material which can be printed onto the build platform. By automatically creating support material the printer is also able to print objects with complex structures which can be used for special purposes or prototype manufacturing in the area of injection molding. Most notably, in contrast to fused filament fabrication (FFF), the FGM process does not require the use of expensive filament, but can directly use pellets from serial production.

What are the advantages of not using filament?

When producing filament, many different factors need to be taken into account, such as for example a desired constant thickness and the prevention of trapped air. 3D printing of filament is realized by feeding the filament into a heated nozzle. Any change in the diameter or the density of the filament therefore directly leads to fluctuations in the feed rate and thus to irregularities in the printed part. When taking these factors into consideration, along with the fact that the filament is produced from material in the form of pellets in the first place, your material costs end up being 10 times higher compared to directly using the pellets.

Our CEM-extruder is designed to process thermoplastic pellets that come in all common sizes and is able to achieve a constant print quality independently of the used material due to the high compression of the material in the extruder. This way, you are not restricted to a special filament whenever you want to use a new material and you can also use materials that cannot even be made into filaments (e.g. due to their brittleness or hardness). Simply use your own materials!