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Most flexible 3d printing material
Which 3D Printing Filament is Most Flexible? Best to Buy – 3D Printerly
When it comes to 3D printing filaments, there are types that are a lot more flexible than others. If you are looking for some of the best flexible filaments for your 3D prints, you are in the right place.
The most flexible 3D printing filament is TPU because it has very stretchy and bendable characteristics that most other filaments don’t have.
Keep on reading through this article for more answers about flexible filament, as well as a list of some of the best ones you can get for yourself.
What Type of 3D Printer Filament is Flexible?
The type of 3D printer filament that is flexible is called TPU or Thermoplastic Polyurethane which is a mixture of rubber and hard plastic. Flexible filaments are composed of Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs), and there are a filaments under this category.
As its name implies, this type of 3D printer filaments is elastic in nature which gives the filament some chemical and mechanical properties so that they can be blended or stretched more than normal filaments.
There are many types of TPEs but TPU is considered the best and most used flexible filament in the 3D printing industry.
The degree of flexibility and elasticity of a filament is determined by many factors where the chemical composition and type of Thermoplastics Elastomers used in the manufacturing process are the most prominent.
There are some flexible filaments that have elasticity like a car’s tire whereas some can be flexible like a soft rubber band. The measurement of flexibility is done by Shore Hardness Ratings, the lower being more flexible.
You’ll commonly see values like 95A for harder rubber or 85A for softer rubber.
Is TPU Filament Flexible?
TPU is a unique 3D printing material and its flexibility is the most prominent factor of this filament. This is the first 3D printing filament that comes into mind when designing a model that needs flexibility.
TPU has the ability to print strong parts that are flexible as well, commonly used in several industries like robotics, remote controlled objects and
TPU filament has the property of maintaining a careful balance between rigidity and flexibility, this factor makes it one of the best and easiest flexible filaments to work with.
One of many users stated that it is an excellent and flexible 3D printing filament that produces good results. The final model will be flexible enough that it can be stretched a long way before it breaks down.
It is not really squishy but is flexible enough that you can print rubber washers and gaskets.
Another buyer said in his Amazon review that he has printed isolating bushes for his CoreXY motors and since then, TPU has become his go-to flexible filament.
Is PLA Filament Flexible?
Standard PLA filament is not flexible and is actually known for being a very rigid material. PLA doesn’t bend very much and if it has absorbed moisture, it is a lot more likely to snap when enough pressure is put on it.
There are flexible PLA filaments used for 3D printing that look and work like soft rubber.
Such type of flexible filament is an ideal choice to print 3D models that can bend and need elasticity to fit their aimed environment.
Mobile covers, springs, stoppers, belts, tires, kids toys, machine parts, and things like these can be printed efficiently with PLA flexible filament.
Flexible PLA filament works best at a 3D printing temperature of about 225 Degrees Celsius and should be printed at a speed slower than the printing speed used while printing normal PLA.
One of the best and widely used PLA flexible filaments can be purchased from MatterHackers’ official website.
Is ABS Filament Flexible?
ABS is not as flexible as TPU, but it is more flexible than PLA filament. You wouldn’t use ABS as a flexible filament, but it can bend more and has a little more give than PLA. PLA is a lot more likely to snap rather than bend compared to ABS.
Is Nylon Filament Flexible?
Nylon is a strong, durable, and versatile 3D printing material but if it is thin, it can be flexible as well.
If there is very high inter-layer adhesion, the nylon can be used to print super strong industrial parts to bear a lot of weight and stress.
Because of its strong properties combined with flexibility, this is considered one of the best 3D printing materials because it becomes tough to break and has much better shatter resistance.
People say that it is fairly flexible, and the parts printed with this filament feel like a common flex material. It shows signs of flexibility only if it is printed thin otherwise it may not bend and may even break as well.
One user said in a review that he printed a living hinge with nylon filament and it is far better than the one he printed with ABS. An ABS hinge shows crack signs and stress marks but with a nylon hinge, it was not the issue of concern.
Best Flexible Filament for 3D Printing
Although there are plenty of flexible or squishy 3D printing filaments in the market, some are better than others. Below are the top 3 best flexible filaments for 3D printing that can be used flawlessly to get efficient results.
Sainsmart TPU
Due to its balance between rigidity and flexibility, Sainsmart TPU has gained much popularity in the 3D printing community.
This filament comes with a shore hardness of 95A and has good bed adhesion properties. These factors make it easy for users to print models with Sainsmart TPU filament even on basic level 3D printers such as Creality Ender 3.
If you are looking for a flexible 3D printing filament, the Sainsmart TPU will never disappoint you whether you are printing drone parts, phone cases, small toys, or any other model.
- Filament Diameter: 1.75mm
- Extruder/Printing Temperature: 200 – 2200C
- Bed Temperature: 40 – 600C
- Dimensional Accuracy: +/- 0.05mm
- Smooth extrusion makes it capable of achieving high dimensional accuracy and consistency
- Better Layer Adhesion
One of the buyers said in his review that there is no definite way to tell you how flexible it is, but I can say that it is one of the most flexible materials I have ever used.
It has elasticity but not as good as a rubber band. If pulled, it will stretch a little and then return. If you keep on pulling the filament or bed too hard, it may deform as well.
Your print settings and model design will also determine its flexibility, a hollow part will have more flexibility as compared to a complete solid model.
You can find a spool of Sainsmart TPU on Amazon.
NinjaTech NinjaFlex TPU
NinjaTech’s NinjaFlex 3D printing filament leads the 3D printing flexible filaments’ industry with its high flexibility and durability compared to non-polyurethane material.
This 3D printing filament is specially extracted from the thermoplastic polyurethane which is commonly known as TPU. This has a low tack and easy to feed texture making the 3D printing process easy for the users.
The filament is a strong and flexible material ideal for all types of direct-drive extruders. Some of the best applications include printing seals, baskets, leveling feet, plugs, protective applications, etc.
- Shore Hardness: 85A
- Extruder Temperature: 225 to 2350C
- Bed Temperature: 400C
- Extremely flexible
- Filament Diameter: 1.75mm
One of the buyers said in his review that the NinjaFlex filament is amazingly flexible and he can print models on his Printrbot Play without any hassle.
Talking about the print settings, he tends to print this filament a bit slower at a print speed of 20mm/s, with an extrusion multiplier of about 125%.
This helps him to get a solid first layer and a print with improved quality. Boasted extrusion multiplier is necessary because the filament is flexible and can be stretched or compressed, this is the reason that flexible filament comes out of the nozzle with a little less flow.
Get yourself a roll of NinjaTek NinjaFlex 0.5KG TPU Filament from Amazon.
Polymaker PolyFlex TPU 90
This flexible 3D printing filament is manufactured by Covestro’s Addigy Family.
It is also a Polyurethane Thermoplastic filament especially designed to provide an good level of flexibility without compromising on printing speed.
This 3D printing filament has gained much popularity as it has the ability to resist UV rays and sunlight to a great extent.
Although this 3D printing filament is a bit expensive but is worth buying. A well-known YouTuber said in his video that this filament offers good strength, flexibility, and printability.
- Shore Hardness: 90A
- Extruder Temperature: 210 – 2300C
- Bed Temperature: 25 – 600C
- Printing Speed: 20 – 40 mm/s
- Available Colors: Orange, Blue Yellow, Red, White, and Black
The filament is flexible but not very stretchy. It does have elastic or stretchy properties but after you have printed a few layers of your model, it will not stretch as much but still have good flexibility.
One of the many users stated in his Amazon feedback that he had an assumption that printing with flexible material would be a difficult job, but this filament is giving him the best results because of the above-mentioned factors.
A user who has an Ender 3 Pro with a simple direct drive extruder conversion stated that the filament is quite bendable but cannot be stretched very far.
The filament does ooze more than the PLA filament but minimizing the movement over empty space brings much better results, but turning on your Combing settings.
Get the Polymaker PolyFlex TPU filament from Amazon.
2022 The Most Flexible 3D Printing Material-Ultimate Guide
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Table of Contents
Ever wondered why is 3D printing technology gaining strength and replacing older traditional manufacturing technologies?
If you try to list down reasons why this transformation is happening, the list will most certainly start with customization.
People are looking for personalization. They are less interested in standardization.
And it is because of this shift in the behavior of people and the ability of the 3D printing technology to satisfy people’s need for personalization, by customization, that it is able to replace traditionally standardization-based manufacturing technologies.
Flexibility is a hidden factor behind people’s search for personalization. And the fact that there is flexible 3D printing material available in the market enabling users to develop more and more flexible parts and functional prototypes is a source of pure bliss to some users.
3D printed fashion and 3D printed prosthetic arms are an example of applications wherein 3D printing’s flexibility should be appreciated.
Rubber 3D printing is an area that is still into research and yet to be developed. But for now, we do not have rubber 3D printing technology, till rubber becomes completely printable, we would have to manage with alternatives.
And as per research the closest alternatives to rubber that fall into is called Thermoplastic Elastomers. There are four different types of flexible materials that we are going to look at in-depth in this article.
These flexible 3D printing materials are named TPU, TPC, TPA, and Soft PLA. We will start by giving you a brief about Flexible 3D printing material in general.
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What is the Most Flexible Filament?
Choosing flexible filaments for your next 3D printing project will open up a world of different possibilities for your prints.
Not only can you print a range of different objects with your flex filament, but also if you have a dual or multi-head extruder containing printer, you can print pretty amazing things using this material.
Parts and functional prototypes such as bespoke flip flops, stress ball-heads, or simply vibration dampeners can be printed using your printer.
If you are determined to make Flexi filament part of printing your objects, you are bound to succeed in making your imaginations closest to reality.
With so many options available today in this field, it would be hard to imagine the time that has already been passed in the field of 3D printing with the absence of this printing material.
For users, printing with flexible filaments, back then, was a pain in their ass. The pain was due to many factors that were spiraled around one common fact that these materials are very soft.
The softness of the flexible 3D printing material made them risky to be printed with just any printer, instead, you needed something really reliable.
Most of the printers back then faced the problem of pushing string effect, so whenever you pushed something at that time without any rigidity through a nozzle, it would bend, twist, and fight against it.
Everyone who is familiar with pouring thread from in a needle for sewing any kind of cloth can relate to this phenomenon.
Apart from the problem of the pushing effect, manufacturing softer filaments such as TPE was a very herculean task, especially with good tolerances.
If you consider poor tolerance and start manufacturing, there are chances that the filament that you’ve manufactured might have to undergo poor detailing, jamming, and extrusion process.
But things have changed, currently, there is a range of soft filaments, some of them even with elastic properties and varying levels of softness. Soft PLA, TPU, and TPE are some of the examples.
Shore Hardness
This is a common criterion that you might see with filament manufacturers mentioning alongside the name of their 3D printing material.
Shore Hardness is defined as the measure of resistance every material has to indentation.
This scale was invented in the past when people had no reference while talking about the hardness of any material.
So, before Shore hardness was invented, people had to use their experiences to others for explaining the hardness of any material that they had experimented on, rather than mentioning a number.
This scale becomes an important factor while considering which mold material to choose for the manufacturing of a part of a functional prototype.
So for example, when you wish to choose between two rubbers for making a mold of plaster standing ballerina, Shore hardness would tell you to have A rubber of short hardness 70 A is lesser useful than rubber with a shore hardness of 30 A.
Typically while dealing with filaments you will know that the recommended shore hardness of a flexible material ranges anywhere from 100A to 75A.
Wherein, obviously, the flexible 3D printing material that has a shore hardness of 100A would be harder than that having 75A.
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What to Consider while Buying a Flexible Filament?
There are various factors to consider while buying any filament, not just flexible ones.
You should start from a center point that is the most important for you to have, something like the quality of material which will result in a good-looking part of a functional prototype.
Then you should think about reliability in the supply chain i.e. the material that you use once for 3D printing, should be continuously available, otherwise, you would end up using any limited end of 3D printing material.
After having thought about these factors, you should think about high elasticity, a wide variety of colors. For, not every flexible 3D printing material would be available in the color that you wish to buy it in.
After having considered all these factors you can consider the company’s customer service and price into account compared to other companies in the market.
We will now list down some of the materials that you can choose for printing a flexible part or functional prototype.
List of Flexible 3D Printing Materials
All of the below-mentioned materials have some basic characteristics like they are all flexible and soft in nature. The materials have excellent fatigue resistance and good electrical properties.
They have extraordinary vibration damping and impact strength. These materials show resistance to chemicals and weather, they have a good tear and abrasion resistance.
All of them are recyclable and have a good shock-absorbing capacity.
Printer prerequisites for printing with Flexible 3D printing materials
There are some standards beliefs to set your printer on before printing with these materials.
The extruder temperature range of your printer should be between 210 and 260 degrees Celsius, whereas the bed temperature range should from ambient temperature to 110 degrees Celsius depending on the glass transition temperature of the material that you are willing to print.
The recommended print speed while printing with flexible materials can be anywhere from as low as five millimeters per second to thirty millimeters per second.
The extruder system of your 3D printer should be a direct drive and you are recommended to have a cooling fan for faster post-processing of parts and functional prototypes that you manufacture.
Challenges while printing with these materials
Of course, there are some points that you need to take care of before printing with these materials based on the difficulties that have been faced by users previously.
- Thermoplastic elastomers are known to be poorly handled by extruders of the printer.
- They absorb moisture, so expect your print to pop-up in size if the filament is not stored properly.
- Thermoplastic elastomers are sensitive to quick movements so it might buckle up when pushed through the extruder.
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TPU
TPU stands for thermoplastic polyurethane. It is very popular in the market so, while buying flexible filaments, there are high chances that this material is what you would often encounter compared to other filaments.
It is famous in the market for exhibiting a greater rigidity and allowance to extrude more easily than other filaments.
This material has decent strength and high durability. It has a high elastic range in the order of 600 to 700 percentage.
The shore hardness of this material ranges from 60 A to 55 D. It has excellent printability, is semi-transparent.
Its chemical resistance to grease in nature and oils makes it more suitable to use with 3D printers. This material has high abrasion resistance.
You are recommended to keep your printer temperature range between 210 to 230 degrees Celsius and the bed between unheated temperature to 60 degrees Celsius while printing with TPU.
The print speed, as mentioned above should be between five and thirty millimeters per second, while for bed adhesion you are advised to use a Kapton or painter’s tape.
The extruder should be a direct drive and the cooling fan is not recommended at least for the first layers of this printer.
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TPC
They stand for thermoplastic copolyester. Chemically, they are polyether esters that have an alternating random length sequence of either long or short chain glycols.
The hard segments of this part are short-chain ester units, while the soft segments are usually aliphatic polyethers and polyester glycols.
Because this flexible 3D printing material is considered an engineering grade material, it is not something that you would see as often as TPU.
TPC has a low density with an elastic range of 300 to 350 percent. Its Shore hardness ranges anywhere from 40 to 72 D.
TPC shows good resistance to chemicals and high strength with good thermal stability and temperature resistance.
While printing with TPC, you are advised to keep your temperature in the range of 220 to 260 degrees Celsius, bed temperature in the range of 90 to 110 degrees Celsius, and print speed range the same as TPU.
TPA
The chemical copolymer of TPE and Nylon named Thermoplastic Polyamide is a combination of smooth and lustrous texture that comes from Nylon and the flexibility which is a boon of TPE.
It has high flexibility and elasticity in the range of 370 and 497 percent, with a Shore hardness in the range of 75 and 63 A.
It is exceptionally durable and shows printability at the same level as TPC.
It has good heat resistance as well as layer adhesion.
The printer’s extruder temperature while printing this material should be in the range of 220 to 230 degrees Celsius, whereas the bed temperature should be in the range of 30 to 60 degrees Celsius.
The print speed of your printer can be the same as it is recommended while printing TPU and TPC.
Bed adhesion of the printer should be PVA based and the extruder system can be a direct drive as well as Bowden.
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Soft PLA
In terms of this Flexible 3D printing material’s performance, it can be referred to as a tough rubber.
Whereas when compared to other flexible materials, this material is known for possessing high strength and durability.
Soft PLA is a biodegradable material that has Shore hardness ranging between 90 and 92 A.
While printing this material with your printer you should have an extruder temperature range between 220 and 235 degrees Celsius and a bed temperature of 100 degrees Celsius.
The print speed of this printer should range between 10 and 30 millimeters per second.
The Conclusion
Different manufacturers have different names for calling their own flexible 3D printing materials. The above-mentioned materials are used for various applications.
Starting with TPU, you can see the application of this flexible material in shoe insoles, industrial belts as well as ski boots. TPC is used in bellows as well as self-expandable polymer stents.
TPA is known to be used in the manufacturing of winter sports, especially ski equipment, and medical products such as catheters. Soft PLA can be used in stoppers, springs, and belts.
Although there are enormous challenges while printing with any of those flexible 3D printing materials compared to other hard filaments, the quality of parts or functional prototypes that they are able to offer is completely different and extraordinary compared to hard filaments.
So, while buying a filament you need to ask yourself which one to choose? What is your application? Has that filament previously been used to make the same part or functional prototype? And finally, does it suit my 3D printing project budget?
Best flexible materials for 3D printing: FLEX, TPU, eLastik and more
There are many applications that require parts printed from flexible, elastic, and soft materials.
Flexible materials can have a wide variety of properties: elasticity, durability, strength, fire resistance, chemical resistance (oil, gasoline, alkali), biocompatibility, which also makes them ideal for industrial applications. Today, flexible filaments approved for long-term skin contact are becoming increasingly common, making them ideal for prosthetics and wearable electronics. There are also flexible plastics made from 100% recycled material.
There are many manufacturers of flexible filaments for 3D printing on the market today. In this article, we will look at material options for high-quality printing of flexible wide-profile parts: from auto parts to smartphone cases.
Esun eTPU-95A
Esun eTPU-95A is the most widely used flexible 3D printing filament and is highly resistant to various types of loading. The high coefficient of elasticity provides a stable shape and long-term resistance of products to physical deformations.
The material is resistant to industrial oils and chemicals, and also has moisture resistance, so that the resulting products can constantly come into contact with water. Esun eTPU-95A is perfect for printing sanitary napkins and seals, industrial dampers, and orthopedic insoles. Shore hardness is 95A, so thick-walled parts resemble hard rubber.
Esun eLastic
Esun eLastic is another common flexible material from Esun that is much softer than Esun eTPU-95A. Esun eLastic belongs to the category of TPE filaments, and its hardness is only 85A Shore. Given its high wear resistance, resistance to mechanical damage and low temperatures, this material is also suitable for use in industry, printing dampers and gaskets, especially in cases where the softness of thick-walled parts is important. Products made from Esun eLastic have a pleasant tactile properties, which is great for printing covers for portable electronics, shoes, medical devices, vehicle steering pads.
Esun eLastic is considered a difficult material to print due to the high elongation of the rod, so a direct feed extruder must be used for printing.
Raise3D TPU-95A Premium
Raise3D TPU-95A Premium is a flexible filament from professional FDM printer manufacturer Raise3D. This material is designed specifically for industrial use and has the appropriate quality certificates. Raise3D TPU-95A Premium has a 95A Shore hardness, ideal for printing seals, bushings, gaskets, tubes, protective covers, shoes and insoles, etc.
BFlex Bestfilament
BFlex Bestfilament is an analogue of TPU-95A from a domestic manufacturer, so a printer with an extruder of the Bowden system can easily handle printing with this material. Claimed hardness is 40 Shore D, which is equivalent to 95A on the more common hardness scale for flexible materials.
BFlex Bestfilament is designed for industrial applications, as it is highly resistant to physical stress and mechanical damage, as well as to chemically aggressive media: oils, gasoline, alcohol and solvents.
However, this filament is not resistant to UV rays, so it is not recommended to print parts that are intended to be exposed to sunlight for a long time.
TPU Soft Bestfilament
TPU Soft Bestfilament is much softer than BFlex Bestfilament and is closer in properties to Esun eLastic, so a direct extruder is recommended for printing with this material. Despite being noticeably soft, the material has excellent compressive strength, abrasion strength, and greater tensile strength than the harder BFlex Bestfilament. TPU Soft Bestfilament is resistant to oils and gasoline, and is suitable for printing dampers, gaskets and rubber rollers.
BFGummy Bestfilament
BFGummy Bestfilament is a filament that is comparable in softness to TPU Soft Bestfilament, which also makes it necessary to use a direct extruder for printing. BFGummy Bestfilament, unlike most flexible materials, is not resistant to oils, gasoline and other solvents.
BFGummy Bestfilament is suitable for printing household products, as well as for educational purposes, which is also facilitated by the most affordable price tag.
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?
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.
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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.
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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.
Cons:
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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.
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.
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.
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It is currently the most inexpensive type of plastic for 3D printing.
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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. -
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
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.
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:
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Less shrinkage than ABS.
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Ease of machining.
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The matte surface looks very advantageous on decorative products.
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Food contact allowed (but be sure to check with a specific manufacturer for certificates)
Cons:
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For printing, you need a printer with a heated table and a closed chamber.
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More flexible and less durable than ABS. Because of this, it will not be possible to produce functional products.
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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).
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.
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:
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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.
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.
Extruder temperature - 230 -260 degrees. Table temperature - 60-100 degrees. You can print without the closed case on the printer.
Pros:
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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.
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Easily processed mechanically or chemically.
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Allowed contact with food.
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.
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.
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:
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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.
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.
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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
Trainers with flexible soles
Wheel for RC 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.
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Cons:
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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.
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.
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:
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
