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Metal filament for 3d printers


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Which metallic filament is right for me?

Real Metal Filament - real stainless steel filament printed on your desktop 3D printer. This metal 3D printing filament can be debinded and sintered, leaving your 3D printed part solid 316L or 17-4 PH stainless steel metal. If you are looking for an affordable way to create one-off, custom metal parts, small-batch manufactured parts, or just want to finally print with real metal on your desktop printer, this is your best option. 

Metal Composite Filament - plastic filament infused with metal powders. These materials are still mostly PLA plastic and will have typical PLA filament characteristics. The metal powder (bronze, copper, or magnetic iron) provides aesthetic characteristics as opposed to their real metal properties. For example, printed parts in metal composite filament can rust/patina and even be sanded and polished to shine. So, if you are just searching for a metallic look, using a metal composite material is your best option. 

Metallic 3D Printing Filament Collections

All Metallic 3D Printing Filament 3D Printer Filament

Metallic 3D Printing Filament

Metal 3D Printing Filament

Print with real metal on your desktop 3D printer.

Metal Composite Filament

Plastic materials like PLA that are infused with metal powders

Guides & Articles

How to Succeed with 3D Printing Metal on a Desktop 3D Printer

The time is here to explore easy and affordable metal 3D printing. 3D printing with real metal on a desktop 3D printer is now possible using Ultrafuse Metal 3D printing filament from BASF Forward AM.

BASF Forward AM: A Look at One of Additive Manufacturing's Top Chemical Producers

BASF Forward AM is the production branch of BASF that creates a wide range of additive manufacturing materials for businesses and personal 3D printing.

3D Printer Filament Comparison Guide

There are many different kinds of 3D printer filament, and each one has it's own strengths for different projects. Knowing these differences is key to a successful 3D printing experience and so we have created a Filament Comparison Guide with everything you need to know about every type of filament available.

Stainless Steel Metal 3D Printing on Benchtop 3D Printers

A MatterHackers presentation on advanced materials and their rising presence in 3D printing and BASF Ultrafuse 316L, a composite filament that yields pure metal components

Casting Metal Parts From 3D Prints

Follow Sylatech as they transform legacy casting processes with 3D printing.

How to Succeed When 3D Printing With Metal PLA

Learn the best tips and tricks for 3D printing with metal-infused PLA 3D printing filament.

How To: Post Process Metal Filled Filaments

While 3D printing in true metal is still cost prohibitive to most people, 3D printing composite materials to achieve the look and feel of metal is easy, and all it takes is time.

Tech Breakdown: A Detailed Account of ColorFabb SteelFill Filament

An in-depth review of SteelFill 3D filament, the next great metallic PLA from ColorFabb that delights users with its metal characteristics and relatively easy printing.

Ultimate Materials Guide - 3D Printing with Metal Filament

Overview

Metal filled filaments contain very fine metal powder such as Copper, Bronze, Brass, and Stainless Steel. The percentage of metal powder infused in each filament can vary depending on the manufacturer. The presence of this metal powder makes the filament much heavier than standard plastics. This means that the parts printed with metal-filled PLA will weigh significantly more than ones from the standard PLA, despite using the same settings and consuming the same amount of material. Metal filled filaments also tend to be very abrasive as they are extruded through the hotend. A standard brass nozzle will be too soft and will quickly wear down. Be sure to upgrade to a wear resistant nozzle in order to print this filament effectively. There are other metal-like filaments in the market that may just have metallic coloring added to the filament. These filaments do not contain any actual metal powder, so they do not share many of the same benefits of the true metallic filaments. This article will focus on materials that contain actual metal powders for a realistic metallic weight and feel.

  • Metallic finish is aesthetically appealing
  • Does not need high-temperature extruder
  • Heavier than standard filaments
  • Requires a wear-resistant nozzle
  • Printed parts are very brittle
  • Very poor bridging and overhangs
  • Can cause partial clogs over time
  • Expensive

Hardware Requirements

Before 3D printing with metal filled filament 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

Painter’s Tape
Glue Stick
PEI

Extruder

Temperature: 190-220 °C
Requires Wear Resistant Hardened Steel Nozzle

Cooling

Part Cooling Fan Required

Best Practices

These tips will help you reduce the chances of common 3D printing issues associated with metal filled filaments such as clogging, the nozzle wearing down, poor bridging, and blobs left on the surface of the print.

Use Wear-Resistant Nozzles

Most 3D printers ship with brass nozzles that are relatively soft. Since metals can be abrasive in general, brass nozzles can easily wear out when used with metal filled filaments. Upgrading to a wear-resistant nozzle will help reduce the wear significantly. Another aspect to consider while upgrading is the nozzle size. Although it is possible to print with standard 0.4mm nozzles, metal particles tend to clump around the orifice and can cause clogging over extended periods of use. Nozzle sizes of 0.5 – 0.6 mm seem to work better for metal filled filaments. It is also good to periodically check the nozzle orifice for any visible wear. Worn out nozzles can otherwise result in inconsistent extrusion and reduced overall quality of the printed parts.

Be Aware of Bridging Limitations

Metal filled filaments are quite heavy, which has an impact on their bridging performance. When the molten plastic is extruded across either side of the bridge, it droops excessively and eventually breaks before it can complete the bridge. This means that parts with lots of large bridging regions will be very difficult to print.
Simplify3D Version 4.0 added several new features related to bridging, including one that allows you to completely customize the direction of this bridging fill. If you have a part that requires bridging and there is no way to avoid it, you might find that there is a specific fill angle that will work best for this material. The software also allows you to customize the exact speed and extrusion rate used for the bridges, so you can experiment to find what works best for your material. Other successful methods would be to add support structures to support any potential overhangs, or consider using a dual extrusion system with a dissolvable support structure such as PVA. Simplify3D includes a feature called Dense Supports, which allows you to use this PVA material very sparingly, only at the interface between the supports and the part, so this can be a great option as well.

Check the Filament Path for Sharp Bends

Metal filaments are very brittle in general. This affects the final parts, but it also applies to the raw filament itself which needs to be pulled into the printer as it is extruded. If you follow the filament path from the spool, all the way to the extruder, check for any sharp angles or curves which may put too much stress on the filament. We found that many printers included sharp bends that had a tendency to cause the filament to snap in the middle of printing. You may notice this happens more as the toolhead moves around during the print, since different toolhead positions may put more stress on the filament as it bends to move to the new location. One great way to avoid this is the change the location where the filament spool is mounted. Start by mounting the spool on top of the printer and try to minimize the distance from the spool to the extruder.
Additionally, a strong filament guide tube that limits the bend in the filament path will prevent most breakages.

Tune Your Retraction Settings

Like wood filled and other composites materials, retractions with metal filled filaments can be rather challenging. The presence of metal powder makes it difficult for the nozzle to contain the suction pressure in the melt chamber during retraction. This will frequently lead to blobs at the beginning and end of each printed segment, where the extruder was trying to start or stop the plastic extrusion. Simplify3D has several features that can be a big help in this situation. The first is a unique feature called Coasting, which will automatically reduce the pressure in the nozzle right before the end of a print segment. This greatly reduces oozing when moving to the next print segment, so it can be a great option to consider. You can also try setting the “extra restart distance” to a negative value of -0.1 or -0.2mm, as this can help with the blobs that may form at the start of each segment. For more tips on how to reduce these blobs, please refer to our Print Quality Guide: How to Reduce Blobs and Zits.

Pro-Tips

  • To prevent the chances of clogging, you can greatly reduce the number of retractions in Simplify3D by enabling the “Only retract when crossing open spaces” option or disabling “Force retraction between layers”. Both of these settings can be found on the Advanced tab of your process settings.
  • Due to the heavy nature of this material, metal filled filaments typically do quite poorly when printing overhangs or bridges. To reduce the number of overhangs required for your print, try reducing the layer height to 0.1 or 0.15mm. This can significantly improve overhang performance.

Get Started with Metal Filled Filaments

There are many unique applications for these specialty filaments. We’ve put together a list of common applications, sample projects, and even popular brands of filament to help you get started.

Common Applications

  • Sculptures and Busts
  • Replicas for Museums
  • Jewelry

Sample Projects

  • Bull
  • Minerva
  • Anvil
  • Nefertiti

Popular Brands

  • ColorFabb Brassfill, Bronzefill, Steelfill, CopperFil
  • Protopasta Composite PLA – Magnetic Iron, Polishable Stainless steel
  • FormFutura MetalFil

Ultrafuse 316L Metallic Filament for FDM (FFF) 3D Printing - SMARTPRINT

Composite Metallic Filament with Stainless Steel for FDM (FFF) 3D Printers

Ultrafuse® 316L is an innovative filament for the production of 316L stainless steel parts.

[button target="_blank" hover_type="default" text="Buy Ultrafuse® 316L 1. 75mm" margin="15px 0px 0px 0px" link="https://3dsmart.com.ua/shop/materials/basf- ultrafuse-316l-175″][button target="_blank" hover_type="default" text="Buy Ultrafuse® 316L 2.85mm" margin="15px 0px 0px 0px" link="https://3dsmart.com.ua /shop/materials/basf-ultrafuse-316l-285″]

Material Details

[icons size=" custom_size=" icon='fa-download' type='normal' position=" border='yes' border_color=" icon_color=" background_color=" margin=" icon_animation= » icon_animation_delay=» link=» target='_self'] Product Brochure

[icons size=" custom_size=" icon='fa-download' type='normal' position=" border='yes' border_color=" icon_color =" background_color=" margin=" icon_animation=" icon_animation_delay=" link=" target='_self'] Data Sheet

[icons size=" custom_size=" icon='fa-download' type='normal' position=" border='yes' border_color=" icon_color=" background_color=" margin=" icon_animation=" icon_animation_delay=" link= » target='_self'] User Manual

[icons size=" custom_size=" icon='fa-download' type='normal' position=" border='yes' border_color=" icon_color=" background_color=" margin= » icon_animation=» icon_animation_delay=» link=» target='_self'] Debinding Simulation Guide

[icons size=" custom_size=" icon='fa-download' type='normal' position=" border='yes' border_color=" icon_color=" background_color=" margin=" icon_animation=" icon_animation_delay=" link=" target='_self'] Processing Guide

Description

It is designed for maximum ease of use on conventional 3D printers with FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) technology. The BASF Ultrafuse® 316L combines greater design freedom with a lower total cost of ownership—printing metal parts is easier, faster and more affordable. Parts printed with Ultrafuse® 316L develop their final properties, including hardness and strength, through a catalytic debinding and sintering process. The catalytic debinding technology was developed and implemented by BASF and has become the industry standard.

Benefits at a Glance

=» icon_animation_delay=» link=» target='_self'] Simple and Affordable Metal 3D Printing
[icons size=" custom_size=" icon='fa-check' type='normal' position=" border='yes' border_color=" icon_color=" background_color=" margin=" icon_animation=" icon_animation_delay=" link=" target='_self'] Fast material change and easy handling
[icons size=" custom_size=" icon='fa-check' type='normal' position=" border='yes' border_color=" icon_color=" background_color=" margin=" icon_animation=" icon_animation_delay=" link=" target='_self'] For all open source FFF printers
[icons size=" custom_size=" icon='fa-check' type='normal' position=" border='yes' border_color=" icon_color=" background_color =" margin=" icon_animation=" icon_animation_delay=" link=" target='_self'] Produces 316L stainless steel parts.
[icons size=" custom_size=" icon='fa-check' type='normal' position=" border='yes' border_color=" icon_color=" background_color=" margin=" icon_animation=" icon_animation_delay=" link=" target='_self'] Uniform particle distribution improves mechanical properties
[icons size=" custom_size=" icon='fa-check' type='normal' position=" border='yes' border_color=" icon_color=" background_color=" margin=" icon_animation=" icon_animation_delay=" link=" target='_self'] The high flexibility of the filament allows it to print successfully on any FFF printer.
[icons size=" custom_size=" icon='fa-check' type='normal' position=" border='yes' border_color=" icon_color=" background_color=" margin=" icon_animation=" icon_animation_delay=" link=" target='_self'] Compatible with both Bowden and direct drive extruders

Use Cases

[icons size=" custom_size=" icon='fa-check' type='normal' position=" border='yes' border_color=" icon_color=" background_color=" margin=" icon_animation=" icon_animation_delay=" link=" target='_self'] Snap

[icons size=" custom_size=" icon='fa-check' type='normal' position=" border='yes' border_color=" icon_color=" background_color=" margin=" icon_animation=" icon_animation_delay=" link= » target='_self'] Fixtures & Fixtures

[icons size=" custom_size=" icon='fa-check' type='normal' position=" border='yes' border_color=" icon_color=" background_color=" margin =" icon_animation=" icon_animation_delay=" link=" target='_self'] Function Prototypes

[icons size=" custom_size=" icon='fa-check' type='normal' position=" border='yes' border_color =" icon_color=" background_color=" margin=" icon_animation=" icon_animation_delay=" link=" target='_self'] Limited edition

Process Brief

Easy and cost-effective 3D printing of metal parts with Ultrafuse® 316L

We have developed Ultrafuse® 316L to produce high quality metal parts and high productivity. This state of the art metallic filament is suitable for use with any conventional Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) printer. Once printed, the final properties of the part are achieved through a debinding and sintering process developed by BASF that has become the industry standard.
Ultrafuse® 316L is economical, easy to process and meets MIM industry standards for catalytic debinding and sintering. This innovative industrial metal-polymer composite supports a wide range of applications, including tools, fixtures and fixtures, small-scale production, functional parts, prototypes, and even jewelry.
Ultrafuse® 316L contains thermoplastic binders with 90 weight percent fine metal particles. Our filament has a non-slip surface that allows it to be used in most Bowden or direct drive extruders. Due to its high flexibility, it can be fed through sophisticated idlers and multiple filament transport systems in printers – no additional drying required. Metal-polymer composite as a filament does not have any of the production hazards and safety risks associated with handling fine metal powders, making 3D printing of stainless steel parts affordable, simple and safe.

Which 3D printers should I use with the Ultrafuse® 316L?

Ultrafuse® 316L, designed for safe and easy use with conventional FFF printers, has a wide processing window. To help you succeed in metal 3D printing, we provide printer processing instructions, including Ultrafuse® 316L presets. In addition, on-site consultation and support is available to ensure that the material will work on your printer.

Would you like a 3D printing and/or post-processing service for your Ultrafuse® 316L part?

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3D Printer Filament Buyer's Guide

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  • 3D Printer Plastic Filament Buyer's Guide - Part 4

19 — Wood (Wooden)

WHAT IS A WOODEN FILAMENT?

Thinking of printing an object that looks and feels like wood? And you can make it happen! But of course it won't be wood - it's PLA filled with wood fiber.

USER NOTE

There are many Wood-PLA 3D printer filaments on the market today. These include standard woods such as pine, birch, cedar, ebony and willow, but the range also extends to less common bamboo, cherry, coconut, cork and olive.

As with other types of 3D printer filament, wood filaments also have a reverse side. In this case, aesthetic and tactile appeal is achieved by reducing flexibility and strength.

Be careful with the temperature at which you print the wood, as too much heat can result in a charred or caramelized appearance. On the other hand, the look of your wooden creations can be greatly improved with a little post-printing treatment. Wood filament can also wear out your 3D printer's nozzle, so use steel or reinforced nozzles.

WHEN SHOULD WOOD FILAMENT BE USED?

Wood is popular for printing items that are valued not for their functionality, but more for their natural appearance. When printing interior and decor items, wood filament for a 3D printer is often used, for example, for printing bowls, figurines and awards. One really creative use of wood as a 3D printer filament is to create scale models used in architectural models.

SUMMARY

  • Pros: aesthetic, ideal for visual models

  • Cons: not outstanding mechanical properties, requires a reinforced nozzle with a larger diameter (from 0.5 mm)

    • 9004
metal

WHAT IS A METAL FILAMENT?

Maybe you're looking for a different type of aesthetic in your prints - something more voluminous and shiny. To do this, you can use "live" metal. Like wood 3D printer filament, metal filament is not entirely made of metal. It is actually a mixture of metal powder and PLA or ABS. But this does not prevent the results from having the appearance of metal.

Even the weight is metal-like as blends tend to be several times denser than pure PLA or ABS.

USER NOTES

Bronze, brass, copper, aluminum and even stainless steel filaments are just some of the "metallic" 3D printer filaments available on the market. And if you need to get a special look for your product, don't be afraid to polish, tumble or matt products after printing with these filaments - even a little post-processing can have a huge visual impact.

However, please note that you will have to replace the nozzle sooner after printing with "metal" because the metal powder in such filaments is highly abrasive and will cause increased nozzle wear.

The most common metal-filled 3D printer filaments typically contain around 50% metal powder and 50% PLA or ABS, but there are also composites containing up to 85% metal.

WHEN SHOULD METAL FILAMENT BE USED?

Metal-filled filament is used to solve a wide range of problems: both for aesthetics and to achieve certain functionality. Figurines, models, toys, and dog tags can all look great with metal 3D printing. And as long as the printed objects don't have to deal with undue stress, feel free to use metallic 3D printer filament to create functional prints such as tools, grills, or finishing components.

SUMMARY

  • Pros: mimics a metallic look, ideal for both aesthetic and functional models mm)

21 — BIOFILA (Biodegradable)

WHAT IS A BIODEGRADABLE FILAMENT?

Biodegradable 3D printer filaments constitute a unique category because their most valuable characteristics are independent of their technical parameters. As most 3D printing enthusiasts can attest, not every print comes out the way you intended, and that results in a lot of plastic being thrown away. Biodegradable threads seek to negate the negative environmental impact that plastic waste has.

USER NOTE

As mentioned earlier in this article, PLA is actually a biodegradable filament, but also includes the BioFila lines from TwoBears and Biome3D from Biome Bioplastics.

WHEN SHOULD BIODEGRADABLE FILAMENT BE USED?

Regardless of their primary purpose of being environmentally friendly, biodegradable filaments can still be printed with good physical properties. Use them when you do not have high requirements for strength, flexibility or wear resistance of the printed product. And if you really want to take advantage of the waste-free printing of biodegradable filaments, try using them in your prototyping projects.

resume

  • Plus: Ecological security

  • Minuses: meager mechanical properties, limited choice and, as a rule, increased cost on the market

22 - decorative types sparkling, silk and colored glass

It would seem that all the benefits of the ease of use and variety of PLA filament types have already been described earlier in this article in the first section. Does it make sense to allocate decorative grades of PLA to a special additional section? Yes, it does, and more than that. All the variety of colors and additives that increase strength and elasticity will not convey the advantages of specialized decorative grades of PLA. These wonderful filaments allow you to create great visual effects in the professional field for creating special ways of decorating interiors and furniture or imitating handicrafts at no significant cost. They can also be useful for personal use, such as printing colorful children's toys. Many decorative varieties of various materials already exist and will still be created. As an example, we will consider marble, Marble, sparkling, Twinkling, and colored glass, Transparent Glass, which are already widely represented on the market thanks to enthusiastic manufacturers from the Celestial Empire.

USER NOTE

eMarble Marble Filament

Based on PLA with the addition of colored particles that visually imitate a stone surface. Of course, about any properties of stone strength or density, heat capacity, etc. there is no question - the imitation is only visual. However, with proper use, this material will reveal its full potential and allow you to imitate from sculptures to elements of marble decoration of furniture and / or interiors. Remarkable Feature Marble is a low shrinkage due to the base used. This will help you immediately get into the dimensions laid down when modeling "stone" prototypes and easily mount the printed decorative element into the main product or interior.

Twinkling eTwinkling

Able to delight both the child and the professional graphic designer. Multi-colored bright colors and splashes of sparkles create the illusion of complex painting with tinsel on the printed product. The biggest misconception is to classify this material as "only for children's toys." This filament is indispensable for creating prototypes, bright indoor signs (but not for outdoor use!), advertising structures, Christmas decorations and anything that is designed to attract attention with a strong visual effect, especially in the case of backlighting (most materials are translucent).

Silk thread (eSilk)

Features a high-gloss bright surface, visually reminiscent of silk fabric. Of course, this plastic does not have any properties of real silk, only a visual effect. However, its use in prototyping furniture finishing elements, decor items, Christmas toys and other decorative accessories can give a significant gain both in the cost and speed of manufacturing a prototype, and in the ability to reproduce a product of a very complex shape. Try silk upholstering a model of the Eiffel Tower or a wicker chair? A 3D printer using eSilk can do this in exactly the same time as printing these prototypes with regular PLA filament. Agree - this is a unique opportunity that, if used skillfully, can become a strong competitive advantage.

Colored glass (Transparent Glass)

The filament, unlike the basic grades of PLA, is transparent in mass - as if made of tinted glass due to the high degree of purification of raw materials and additional chemical processing.

The product printed with it can be visually confused with the PETG product, but transparent PLA is easier to print and is much cheaper on the market. Orange, yellow, red, blue and green colors, which are often used in household appliances and radio engineering, are chosen as the main tints, which immediately outlines the scope of application - backlight indicators, translucent tinted buttons, prototypes of backlight elements, automotive parts, and, of course, lighting elements. advertising structures.

WHEN SHOULD PLA DECORATIVE FILAMENT BE USED?

Decorative PLA is indispensable for the tasks of quickly and accurately creating design elements for decorative elements, advertising structures and backlit product prototypes. Very much in demand for the development of children's creativity.

SUMMARY

  • Pros: ease of printing and post-processing, low cost, visual impact

  • Cons: increased abrasiveness of filaments with additives due to the effect of the filler on the nozzle. PLA-based materials are not suitable for outdoor use due to the biodegradable base

23 — Fluorescent, glow in the dark

Fluorescent, glow in the dark 3D printer filament — very impressive! Leave your imprint in the light for a while, then flip the switch and there's that ominous green light.

Of course, it doesn't have to be green. There are also other colors of the luminescent thread: blue, red, pink, yellow or orange. But green is perhaps the most popular and echoes the classic night glow style.

NOTE TO THE USER

So how does it work? It all comes down to phosphorescent materials mixed with a PLA or ABS base. Thanks to these added materials, the 3D printer filament is able to absorb in the light and then emit photons in the dark, which resemble tiny particles of light. This is why your prints will only glow when exposed to light - they must store energy before they can release it.

For best results, we recommend printing with thick walls and little infill. The thicker your walls, the stronger the glow!

WHEN SHOULD I USE FLUORSCENT FILAMENT?

Mostly PLA or ABS based luminescent materials are used in decorative applications such as Halloween installations, lanterns, window decorations. You can print wearable items (jewelry), toys, and figurines.

SUMMARY

  • Pros: visually bright (we mean it glows in the dark!) 5 mm)

24 — Color-changing

Remember those 80s T-shirts that changed color depending on body temperature? Or what about chameleon rings? Well, it's the same idea here, because color-changing 3D printer filaments also change color based on changes in temperature or UV light.

USER NOTE

Threads in this category have a gradient between two colors, such as purple to pink, blue to green, or yellow to green.

As with other exotic 3D printer filaments, the color changing filament is based on PLA or ABS.

WHEN SHOULD COLOR-CHANGING FILATION BE USED?

This type of 3D printer filament has no special physical, tactile or functional characteristics and is intended solely for aesthetic purposes. Use it whenever you normally use PLA or ABS but need an extra visual boost. Good potential projects include phone cases, children's toys, and containers.

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