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3D printing plastic comparison
Ultimate Materials Guide - Tips for 3D Printing with PETG
Overview
PETG is a Glycol Modified version of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), which is commonly used to manufacture water bottles. It is a semi-rigid material with good impact resistance, but it has a slightly softer surface which makes it prone to wear. The material also benefits from great thermal characteristics, allowing the plastic to cool efficiently with almost negligible warpage. There are several variations of this material in the market including PETG, PETE, and PETT. The tips in this article will apply to all of these PET-based filaments.
- Glossy and smooth surface finish
- Adheres well to the bed with negligible warping
- Mostly odorless while printing
- Poor bridging characteristics
- Can produce thin hairs on the surface from stringing
Hardware Requirements
Before 3D printing with PET / PETG make sure your 3D printer meets the hardware requirements listed below to ensure the best print quality.
Bed
Temperature: 75-90 °C
Heated Bed Recommended
Enclosure Not Required
Build Surface
Glue Stick
Painter’s tape
Extruder
Temperature: 230-250 °C
No special hot-end required
Cooling
Part Cooling Fan Required
Best Practices
These tips will help you reduce the chances of common 3D printing issues associated with PET / PETG such as stringing, oozing, and poor bed adhesion.
Invest In a Good Build Surface
Some 3D printers come with a glass bed or blue painter’s tape installed on the bed. Although these surfaces might work fine for PETG, we recommend using a heated build platform for best results. The heated bed can significantly improve the first layer adhesion, making things much easier for future prints. Many of these heated beds come with a glass surface, allowing you to print directly on the bed without needing to apply any additional layers of tape or glue.
Calibrate Retraction Settings to Reduce Stringing
One of the few common issues that we see with PETG is stringing.
These strings are thin hairs, similar to a spider web, that run between the different surface of your 3D print. Preventing these strings requires precisely calibrated retraction settings, so make sure to adjust your retraction distance and speed for the best results. Simplify3D also includes several useful features that can further reduce stringing. The first is called Coasting, which works by reducing the pressure in the nozzle right before the end of a segment. This way, when moving to the next segment, there is less pressure in the nozzle, so you are less likely to see stringing and oozing during that move. Another great option can be found on the Advanced tab of your Simplify3D process settings. By enabling the “avoid crossing outline for travel movements” option, the software will automatically adjust the travel movements of your print to stay on top of the interior of your model as much as possible. This means that the strings stay inside of your part where no one can see them, instead of being on the outside of your model.
If you are looking for more tips to reduce stringing, we have an entire section dedicated to this issue on our Print Quality Guide: How to Reduce Stringing and Oozing.
Optimize Extruder Settings to Prevent Blobs and Zits
When 3D printing at higher temperatures associated with PETG, you may notice small blobs or zits on the surface of your model. These print defects typically occur at the beginning or end of each segment, where the extruder has to suddenly start or stop extruding plastic. There are several ways to eliminate these print defects such as enabling “Extra Restart Distance” or “Coasting” options located in the Extruder tab. Simplify3D also includes an option to perform a dynamic retraction, where the filament is retracted while the extruder is still moving. This completely eliminates blobs that are typically formed from a stationary retraction. To learn more about these features and other tips for reducing blobs on the surface of your print, please refer to our Print Quality Guide.
Pro-Tips
- The glossy surface of PETG is especially useful when using rafts. The part separates easily from the raft and maintains a clean surface finish.
- Try disabling your part cooling fan for the first few layers of the print to prevent warping. This trick especially works well for larger prints.
Get Started with PET / PETG
Now that you are ready to start printing with PET / PETG, here are a few ideas to help you get started – from common applications to popular filament brands.
Common Applications
- Water proof applications
- Snap fit components
- Planter Pot
Sample Projects
- Self-watering Planter
- Water Bottle
- Snap Fit Parts
Popular Brands
- ColorFabb PETG
- eSun PETG
- E3D Spoolworks Edge
- Hatchbox PETG
- HobbyKing PETG
Ultimate Materials Guide - 3D Printing Flexible Filament
Overview
Flexible filaments are made of Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) which are a blend of hard plastic and rubber.
As the name suggests, this material is elastic in nature allowing the plastic to be stretched and flexed easily. There are several types of TPE, with Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) being the most commonly used among 3D printing filaments. In many cases, these terms are used interchangeably, along with popular brand names such as Ninjaflex. The degree of elasticity in the plastic depends on the type of TPE and the chemical formulation used by the manufacturer. For example, some filaments can be partially flexible like a car tire but others can be elastic and fully flexible like a rubber band. This guide will cover tips to help you with both of these variations of flexible filaments.
- Flexible and soft
- Excellent vibration dampening
- Long shelf life
- Good impact resistance
- Difficult to print
- Poor bridging characteristics
- Possibility of blobs and stringing
- May not work well on Bowden extruders
Hardware Requirements
Before 3D printing with flexible filaments, make sure your 3D printer meets the hardware requirements listed below to ensure the best print quality.
Bed
Temperature: 45-60 °C
Heated Bed Optional
Enclosure Not Required
Build Surface
PEI
Painter’s Tape
Extruder
Temperature: 225-245 °C
Direct Drive Extruder Recommended
Cooling
Part Cooling Fan Required
Best Practices
Flexible filaments come with many unique challenges that you want to be aware of. These tips will help you reduce the chances of common 3D printing issues such as clogging, kinking, and stringing.
Use Direct Drive Extruders
While some partially flexible filaments work fine with Bowden Extruders, most fully flexible filaments require a Direct Drive extruder for best results. The distance between the drive gear and the melt zone of the hot-end needs to be as short as possible to efficiently feed the filament into the nozzle. Additionally, the pathway through which the filament travels into the melt zone should have tight tolerances to prevent the filament from kinking or coiling inside.
For these reasons, it is typically much easier to print flexible filaments with a Direct Drive extruder versus a Bowden extruder. If you are unsure about your 3D printer’s capabilities, you may want to check with the manufacturer to see if the extruder has been approved for use with flexible filaments.
Use Slow and Consistent Feed Rates
Flexible filaments typically print best using a slow and consistent feed rate. Because the material is elastic, it can be very difficult to control sudden changes in the print speed. Higher print speeds can cause the filament to compress and will most likely result in a jam. Slow and steady is the best approach. Simplify3D provides all of your feed rate settings on the Speeds tab of your process settings so that you can easily configure these values. Finding the optimal print speed for your material can take several attempts based on trial and error. We have seen that speeds of 1200 mm/min (20 mm/s) can be a good starting point for most materials.
Reduce Resistance from the Filament Spool
A few tweaks to your material spool can also make a big difference with flexible materials. Typically, your extruder will pull the filament into the nozzle, forcing the filament spool mounted on your printer to unwind a bit of plastic in the process. However, because flexible materials are elastic, this will stretch the filament out as it is being pulled in and can actually result in under-extrusion. Try mounting the spool above your printer so that the filament unwinds in a downward direction which can reduce the resistance. It can also be incredibly helpful to mount the spool’s hub on a bearing to allow the spool to spin as freely as possible.
Tune Your Retraction Settings
The elastic nature of flexible filament makes it sensitive to quick movements such as retractions. In order to successfully print the filament, you will need to optimize your retraction settings to reduce these movements. While you are first starting with this material, we would recommend disabling retraction completely.
You can make this change in Simplify3D on the Extruders tab of your process settings. With retraction disabled, you can focus on finding the perfect speed and extrusion rates that allow you to reliably print your models. After you are more confident in these settings, you may wish to add a very small amount of retraction with a slower retraction speed to help with any potential oozing from the hot-end. Simplify3D also includes a unique option called Coasting, which will automatically help lower the pressure in the nozzle when you approach the end of a segment, which can significantly reduce blobs and stringing with these materials. If you want more information about other options that can help reduce hairs and stringing on your prints, we have an entire section on our Print Quality Guide dedicated to that issue: How to Reduce Stringing and Oozing.
Optimize Your Travel Movements
Retractions can be particularly troublesome for flexible materials, so it is typically best to minimize the number of retractions required for your print.
Simplify3D has a great feature that was built specifically for this situation. Instead of moving in a straight line from point A to B, the software will actually choose a completely new path when moving between these points, with the goal of staying within the interior of your object so that there won’t be any oozing or stringing. With this unique feature enabled, you can greatly reduce the amount of retractions required for your print and significantly improve your print quality. To use this feature, click on the Advanced tab of your process settings, and enable the “Avoid crossing outline for travel movement” option.
Pro-Tips
- Optimize the feed rate by printing at lower layer heights in the 0.1mm – 0.2mm range. The lower layer height requires less plastic, so it allows your extruder to use a lower feed-rate, relieving the burden on the filament.
- Try to avoid using rafts with flexible materials, as the base layers of the raft have higher extrusion rates which may create issues.
- If you are designing a flexible part that needs to fit on top of another object, try using a negative tolerance between the parts so that the flexible part will need to stretch to fit over the other object snugly.
Get Started with Flexible Filaments
Now that you’re ready to start printing with flexible materials, we have a few tips to help you get started. View some typical applications below, try out a few of our sample projects, or choose a popular filament brand to purchase for your next project.
Common Applications
- Vibration dampening
- Grip Sleeves
- Phone cases
Sample Projects
- RC Car Tire
- Phone case
- Bike Handle
Popular Brands
- NinjaTek Ninjaflex, Armadillo, Cheetah
- Polymaker PolyFlex
- eSun TPE
- Sainsmart Flexible TPU
Content
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- Pla
- ABS
- HIPS
- PVA
- Petg
- SBS 9000
Every year 3D printing becomes more popular and accessible.
Previously, a 3D printer was more like a complex CNC machine, but now manufacturers are meeting users. Simplified and automated settings that many beginners drove into a stupor. Despite this, it can be difficult for a novice user to understand the variety of constantly appearing plastics for a 3D printer. nine0003
The choice of plastic for a 3D printer is very important, especially when the goal is to print a functional model with certain properties. It will be a shame if the printed gear breaks almost immediately, or the decorative model quickly loses its beauty.
It is important to understand whether the printer will be able to work with the selected plastic. Some materials (most often engineering) require certain conditions for successful printing.
First, decide which model you want to print. What properties should it have? Does the model need to be durable? Or is it a master model for further replication, in which the quality of the surface is important? nine0003
90% of 3D printers use 1.
75 diameter filament. 3mm diameter is rare, but it is better to check in advance which size is used in your printer.
PLA
PLA (Polylactide) is the most popular and affordable 3D printer plastic. PLA is made from sugar cane, corn, or other natural raw materials. Therefore, it is considered a non-toxic, biodegradable material.
Extruder temperature - 190-220 degrees. Table heating is not needed, but if the printer's table has a "heater" for better adhesion, you can heat it up to 50-60 degrees. PLA is very easy to work with. The only requirement is to blow the model. There is practically no shrinkage in this material. When printed, it is practically odorless, and if it smells, it smells like burnt caramel.
Pros:
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Does not shrink. This makes it easy to build prefabricated or huge models without changing dimensions. nine0003
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There are no specific requirements for a 3D printer. Any working 3D printer will do.
PLA doesn't need a heated table or a closed case. -
Non-toxic. Due to this, during printing it does not smell or has a barely perceptible aroma of burnt caramel.
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Diverse color palette.
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PLA is poorly sanded and machined.
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It begins to deform already with a slight heating (about 50 degrees).
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Fragility. Compared to other materials, PLA is very brittle and breaks easily.
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Decomposes under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Of course, it will not fall apart into dust, but it can become more brittle and fade. nine0003
PLA is perfect for making dimensional or composite models. For example, decorative interior items, prototyping, electronics cases, etc.
Recently, PLA+ has appeared on the market. It may differ from conventional PLA in improved performance.For example, more durable, with improved layer adhesion.
Dummy turbine
Decorative coasters
ABS
ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) is the second most popular plastic for 3D printing due to its properties, availability and low price.
Extruder temperature - 220-240 degrees. The temperature of the table is 80-100 degrees. For printing, a heated table is required at the printer. It is desirable to have a closed chamber, because ABS "does not like" drafts. Due to a sharp temperature drop, it can “unstick” from the table or crack in layers. ABS can smell bad when printing, so it is recommended to use the printer with a closed chamber and filters, or print in a well-ventilated area. nine0003
Pros:
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Good strength characteristics allow the production of functional prototypes from ABS.
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Simple mechanical and chemical processing.
ABS is easy to sand and drill, and with an acetone bath you can achieve a perfectly smooth surface. -
It is currently the most inexpensive type of plastic for 3D printing. nine0003
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Large selection of colors and shades.
Cons:
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High shrinkage. Because of this, it can be problematic to manufacture overall products.
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Printing requires a heated bed and a closed chamber. Without this, the ABS may peel off the table or crack in layers.
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During the printing process, ABS can smell bad. Therefore, it is recommended that you print in a ventilated area or use the printer with a sealed chamber and filter.
ABS is an engineering plastic. It is suitable for the manufacture of simple functional products.
ABS after chemical treatment in an acetone bath
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RU model made of ABS
ABS+ differs from conventional ABS in improved strength characteristics (elasticity, rigidity, hardness), less shrinkage and sometimes resistance to certain oils and solvents (eg gasoline).
HIPS
HIPS (high impact polystyrene) - originally conceived as a soluble support plastic for materials with high printing temperatures. For example for ABS or Nylon. nine0003
The extruder temperature is 230-260 degrees. The temperature of the table is 80-100 degrees. It is desirable to have a closed camera for a 3D printer.
Pros:
-
Less shrinkage than ABS.
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Ease of machining.
-
The matte surface looks very advantageous on decorative products. nine0003
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Food contact allowed (but be sure to check with a specific manufacturer for certificates)
Cons:
-
For printing, you need a printer with a heated table and a closed chamber.
-
More flexible and less durable than ABS. Because of this, it will not be possible to produce functional products. nine0003
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Small palette of colors.
Most often, HIPS is used for its intended purpose for printing on 2x extruder printers as a support for ABS. It dissolves perfectly (though not very quickly) in limonel.
Sometimes HIPS is used as an independent material. Products from it are not very durable, but this plastic is loved for easy post-processing. HIPS can be used for models that will subsequently come into contact with food (not hot). nine0003
Using HIPS as a Soluble Support
Decorative vase made of HIPS
PVA
PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) is a material that was developed as a water-soluble support for PLA.
Extruder temperature - 190-210. Table heating is not required. PVA is a slightly "capricious" material, it is not recommended to overheat it and print at high speeds. nine0003
PVA is very hygroscopic and dissolves in plain water. Therefore, it is only used as a support for PLA or other plastics with print temperatures close to PVA.
Soluble PVA Support
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PETG
PETG (polyethylene terephthalate) combines the best properties of PLA and ABS. It is easy to work with, it has a low percentage of shrinkage and excellent sintering of the layers.
Extruder temperature - 220-240 degrees. Table temperature - 80-100 degrees. During the printing process, the model must be well blown.
Pros: nine0003
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Excellent sinterability of layers.
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PETG is very strong and wear resistant. Good impact resistance.
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Virtually no smell when printing.
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Non-toxic.
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Little shrinkage.
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slight shrinkage
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Transparency.
After treatment with solvent, limonel or dichloromethane, beautiful transparent products with an almost smooth surface can be obtained. nine0005 -
Allowed contact with food.
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High strength and wear resistance.
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High slip factor.
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Heat resistance compared to other 3D printing plastics.
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High resistance to many solvents.
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Good for mechanical processing. Perfectly polished and drilled.
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Some fillers (eg clay) are abrasive. For such plastics, the standard brass nozzle cannot be used. Will have to buy a harder steel nozzle.
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Some decorative plastics can clog the small nozzle (0.4 or less). For them, you need to use a “thicker” nozzle. nine0003
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Hardness and strength.
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Low flammability or non-combustibility.
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High precision due to low shrinkage.
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Ease of printing : How easy it is to print with plastic: adhesion between layers, maximum print speed, scrap rate, print accuracy, ease of feeding into the printer, etc.
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Visual Quality : How good the finished model looks.
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Maximum Loads : The maximum stress an object can experience before breaking when slowly pulled. nine0003
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Stretch to Break : Maximum length of an object stretched to break.
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Impact resistance : The energy required to break an object on a sudden impact.
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Adhesion between layers (isotropy): how good the adhesion between layers of material is.
This is due to "isotropy" (homogeneity in all directions). The better the adhesion of the layer, the more isotropic the object will be. nine0003 -
Heat resistance : The maximum temperature an object can withstand before it softens and warps.
Cons:
PETG is perfect for printing functional models. Due to its low shrinkage, it is often used to make large or composite models. Due to its low toxicity, PETG is often used for products that will come into contact with food.
Cookie cutters and patterned rolling pin
SBS
It is a highly transparent material. At the same time, it is durable and resilient. SBS is a low toxicity plastic. It can be used to print food contact models. nine0003
Extruder temperature - 230 -260 degrees. Table temperature - 60-100 degrees. You can print without the closed case on the printer.
Pros:
Easily processed mechanically or chemically.
Cons:
SBS is excellent for translucent vases, children's toys and food containers. Or functional things that require transparency, such as custom turn signals for a motorcycle or car, lamps or bottle prototypes. nine0003
Vases are perfectly printed with a thick nozzle (0.7-0.8) in one pass (printing in 1 wall or spiral printing in a slicer).
Models of bottles after chemical treatment
Nylon
Nylon (polyamide) is considered the most durable material available for home 3D printing. In addition to good abrasion resistance and strength, it has a high slip coefficient. nine0003
Extruder temperature - 240-260 degrees.
The temperature of the table is 80-100 degrees. Nylon is a very capricious and hygroscopic material - it is recommended to dry the coil with plastic before use. For printing, you need a printer with a heated table and a closed chamber, without this it will be difficult to print something larger than a small gear.
Pros:
nine0051 Cons:
Nylon is perfect for making wear-resistant parts - gears, functional models, etc. Sometimes nylon is used to print bushings.
Nylon gear
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Soft plastics
FLEX (TPU, TPE, TPC) is a material similar to silicone or rubber.
It is flexible and elastic, but at the same time tear-resistant. For example, TPE is a rubbery plastic, while TPU is more rigid.
FLEX are printed at a temperature of 200-240 (depending on the material). A heated table is not required. On printers with direct material feed (feed mechanism on the print head), there are usually no problems with printing. On a bowden feeder (the feed mechanism is located on the body), printing with very soft plastics can be difficult. Usually it is necessary to additionally adjust the clamping of the bar. The main nuance is the very low print speeds - 20-40mm. nine0003
Pros:
Cons:
Depending on the type of FLEXa, the models can be flexible or rubber-like. This material, depending on its softness, can be used to print gaskets, insoles, belts, tracks or other models that require flexibility or softness.
FLEX belt
nine0102 Trainers with flexible soles
Wheel for switchgear model
Decorative plastics
Decorative plastics are PLA plastics with various fillers (wood or metal shavings).
Or with dyes selected to imitate different materials. Since the base of the plastic is PLA, it is very easy to print.
Extruder temperature - 200-220 degrees (depending on the manufacturer). A heated table is not required. nine0003
Pros:
Cons:
Depending on the filler, different material properties are obtained. Plastics that use only dye do not require additional processing. Materials with "fillers" may sometimes require additional post-processing.
Plastics with metal fillers after printing must be processed with a metal brush. Then the Metal content will show through and the model will resemble a metal casting.nine0043
Plastics with metallic powder
These plastics are often used for printing key chains, decorative models and interior details.
If the plastic has a high content of wood dust, then it is recommended to use a larger nozzle diameter (0.5 or more), a smaller nozzle can quickly become clogged during printing.
Wood-filled plastic ground
Plastic key rings with copper dust
Engineering plastics
These are nylon-based plastics with fillers that improve strength, heat-resistant and other characteristics, help to achieve less shrinkage of the material. For example - carbon fiber, carbon fiber or fiberglass.
Extruder temperature - 240-300 degrees (depending on the manufacturer). Table temperature - 90-110 degrees. Since plastics are based on nylon, the requirements for printing are similar. This is a heated table and a closed printer case.
Pros:
Cons:
3D printers use brass nozzles, some plastics can quickly “waste” it during printing. For such materials it is recommended to use steel nozzles.
These are highly specialized plastics used for a specific task, depending on the filler. For example, functional parts that do not lose their shape when heated, are resistant to many solvents, etc. nine0003
Functional Carbon Fiber Composite Prototype
Composite frame
Polycarbonate ashtray
Totals
This is of course not the whole list of materials for 3D printing. There are many highly specialized engineering and decorative plastics for specific tasks.
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Manufacturers are constantly trying to replenish the range of materials for 3D printing. Already familiar materials are improved for more comfortable printing. There are many interesting decorative plastics imitating different materials - ceramics, clay, wood, metals.
And of course, the assortment of engineering plastics is constantly updated. Now there are many interesting materials for highly specialized tasks - for example, burnable plastic with a low ash content for subsequent casting in metal. nine0003
Burnout plastic
Before buying a coil, read the information on the website of the manufacturer or seller. There you can find some nuances of printing for a particular plastic. The manufacturer indicates the recommended temperature range on the box. Sometimes, for quality printing, it is recommended to print several tests to adjust the temperature settings, retract, etc.
Try to store the started coil in silica gel bags.
It is recommended to additionally dry high-temperature plastics before printing to remove excess moisture. nine0003
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Manufacturer FlashForge Plastics for 3D printer. Comparing the characteristics of plastics for a 3D printer.
Hello everyone, Friends! With you 3DTool!
Plastics for 3 D printer. Guide to the types of plastics and their characteristics.
In this article, we will compare the main filaments for 3D printing by properties - PLA , ABS , PET , Nylon , TPU (Flexible) and PC and help you find the best option for those other tasks.
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Introduction
Choosing the right type of plastic for 3D printing objects is becoming increasingly difficult as radical new materials regularly enter the 3D printed market. In FDM 3D printing, PLA and ABS have historically been the two main polymers used, but their initial dominance could be said to be accidental. Therefore, for other polymers in general, there are no major barriers to play their role in the future of FDM technology. nine0003
Now we see that new types of filament are becoming more and more popular, both pure polymers and composites. In this study, we will focus on the main pure polymers that exist on the market today: PLA , ABS , PET , Nylon , TPU (Flexible) and PC . We summarize the key differences between their properties so users can quickly decide which polymer is best for their job. nine0003
Methodology
3D printer filaments are generally classified into 3 categories: mechanical properties , visual quality and post-processing .
Next, we break down these categories to paint a clearer picture of the properties of polymers. The choice of material depends on what the user wants to print, so here are the key criteria needed to select the material, in addition to cost: nine0003
These properties are neither " good " nor " bad " per se; they are just properties that suit their application. For example, hardness.
We do not have an exact quantitative estimate, but we can say that this is an important factor. There are also parameters such as moisture resistance or toxicity. nine0003
PLA
PLA is the easiest resin to print and provides good visual quality in the resulting parts. It is quite hard, but in fact it is very brittle and not suitable for use in working mechanisms.
Pluses
nine0051 Cons
biodegradable
Absorbs moisture
Has no smell
Not easy to glue
Suitable for processing
sanding paper and
painting with acrylic paints
UV resistant
ABS plastic
ABS is usually selected over PLA when higher temperature resistance and higher strength are required.
Pluses
Cons
Can be treated with acetone vapor for a glossy finish nine0003
UV sensitivity
Can be processed with sanding paper and painted with acrylic paints
Odor when printing
Acetone can also be used as a strong adhesive
Potentially high smoke emissions
Good abrasion resistance nine0003
Plastic PET
PET is a softer polymer that has more interesting properties, but with some significant drawbacks.
Pluses
Cons
Can make contact
with food
work with it
material is heavier than
PLA or ABS
moisture resistance
High chemical resistance
Recycled
nine0262 Good fur.
influences
Can be processed
sanding paper and
paint with acrylic paints
Plastic Nylon ( Nylon)
Nylon has excellent mechanical properties and in particular better impact resistance for a non-flexible filament. But problems can arise, and will certainly arise, if special glue is not taken care of, both with adhesion to the platform and between layers. nine0003
Pluses
Cons
Good chemical resistance
Absorbs moisture
Great strength
Potentially high smoke emissions
Plastic TPU
TPU is a flexible plastic.
It is mainly used in parts that require elasticity, but its very high impact resistance can be used for other applications as well.
Pluses
Cons
Good abrasion resistance
Difficult to expose
post-processing
Good resistance to oils and fats
Difficult to glue
Plastic Polycarbonate ( PC)
PC is a very durable material and can be an interesting alternative ABS . Their properties are quite similar.
Pluses
Cons
Easy to process (grinding)
UV sensitive
Conclusion
Choosing the right plastic for 3d printer is critical to getting the right properties of the 3D printed part, especially if you need to use it functionally in mechanisms etc.
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