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Soft 3d printing materials


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

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

Soft, stretchy 3D printing material

Formlabs is pleased to introduce Elastic Resin, the latest addition to our library of engineering resins for Formlabs stereolithography (SLA) desktop 3D printers.

Elastic Resin is the most ductile of our engineering resins with a hardness of 50 Shore A, high elongation and shape recovery. Parts printed with this material look and feel like silicone; They are durable enough to be used multiple times.

Order Elastic Resin Now Request a Sample

Find out how using Elastic Resin can save time and costs in development, healthcare, and more, and why it's now possible to print soft materials like this on a desktop 3D printer.

sample

Request a free sample to feel Elastic Resin yourself. Elastic Resin has a hardness of 50 Shore A, while the stiffer elastic material, Flexible Resin, has a hardness of 80 Shore A.

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Typically, soft silicone and urethane parts for applications such as apparel, medical models, robotics and special effects props are produced using mold making techniques or outsourced.

Soft materials for 3D printing have already begun to appear, but parts printed from these materials can only withstand one or two cycles and do not give the feeling expected from a “silicone-like” part. Developing polymers for soft stereolithography (SLA) can be challenging. Parts must have high elasticity, but be strong enough not to tear during printing: these two properties are usually diametrically opposed.

Elastic Resin is suitable for direct printing of soft flexible prototypes and models that once had to be made with injection molding.

Production of quality elastic materials was once only possible with expensive industrial equipment, but with the advent of inexpensive industrial quality 3D printers such as the Form 3, it is now possible to produce elastic parts on a desktop in a matter of hours.

Elastic Resin requires Resin Tank LT for Form 2 printer and Resin Tank V2 for Form 3 printer.

For companies such as NeoSensory, a developer of wearable devices that create new sensations, and RightHand Robotics, a developer of robotic grippers for production lines, the ability to quickly prototype silicone parts before production starts is the key to successfully developing end products that can bring about changes in industries.

ReFlex Hand, a robotic grip developed by RightHand Robotics and a finger prototype 3D printed at Formlabs SLA using Elastic Resin

Engineers and developers have traditionally used mold making techniques (such as RTV, transfer molding, and injection molding) to create low-volume silicone prototypes. Printing these parts directly saves time and labor by allowing you to step through the process and reduce product development cycle times.

Use Elastic Resin to 3D print batches of soft and flexible parts in small to medium sizes, while still being able to make design changes during batch production and between batches. Mold making may be advantageous when manufacturing a large number of identical parts or for using finished product material in later development stages.

“We were looking for softer, higher elongation materials to prototype grips and frame guards. Until today, we have cast these urethane parts into 3D printed molds. The parts we printed in Elastic Resin mimic 50-60 A TPU very well. Printing these parts directly will save a lot of time and money. Elastic Resin is a major addition to our material library.”
– Jeremy Mikesell, Chief Research Engineer, Cycling Sports Group

View datasheet (PDF)

Surgeons, researchers, radiologists, and other healthcare professionals rely on personalized patient models to better prepare for complex surgeries. Models promote better understanding both within surgical teams and between practitioners and patients. We have received many requests from medical professionals for a transparent flexible material that can help with cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, oncology and other operations.

Anatomical model of the prefrontal cortex printed in Elastic Resin on a Formlabs SLA 3D printer. Model courtesy of Embodi3D.

Parts printed with Elastic Resin are not biocompatible.

In the past, medical models made by service providers using traditional industrial settings were prohibitively expensive and time-consuming to manufacture. Fast, affordable 3D printing for training and surgery planning models is gaining momentum across the industry, and we're excited to see how Elastic Resin is impacting the way clinicians and researchers treat patients.

“Elastic Resin's transparency allows good illumination of internal cavities, and its durability means educators, trainees and clinicians can work on models without fear of breaking them. This material will be of particular interest to cardiovascular surgeons and interventional radiologists, as well as those who study fluid dynamics or work in the catheterization laboratory. Compared to other similar materials on the market, this material is more cost-effective, which can only accelerate the adoption of 3D printing in medicine,”
- Sanjay Prabhu, MBBS, FRCR; Pediatric Neuroradiologist and Clinical Director, SIMPeds3D, Boston Children's Hospital

White Paper

Download our white paper on 3D printed anatomical models to learn how to get started creating 3D anatomical models from patient scan data.

Download white paper

We've been working to develop and test a media that can be used to print to the quality standards expected of Formlabs media. However, before 3D printing a part from soft materials, you should pay special attention to certain recommendations for its design, in particular, a denser arrangement of supports.

Check out our help article "Using Elastic Resin" for more information on how to use supports and orient parts when printing with this material.

Help Center: Using Elastic Resin

As 3D printers and their subsystems evolve, access to new materials also increases. With the release of Elastic Resin, we continue to expand our technical polymer library and open up new opportunities for manufacturing, healthcare and other industries.

Order Elastic Resin

Request a free sample

Radio controlled toy car (right) next to tire prototypes printed in Elastic Resin (left).

Types of plastic for 3D printer

Content

    • PLA
    • ABS
    • HIPS
    • PVA
    • SBS
      • 9009 Soft 9009 SFIC0094
    • Engineering plastics
    • Results

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.

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:

  • Does not shrink. This makes it easy to build prefabricated or huge models without changing dimensions.

  • 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.

  • Diverse color palette.

Cons:

  • PLA is poorly sanded and machined.

  • It begins to deform already with a slight heating (about 50 degrees).

  • Fragility. Compared to other materials, PLA is very brittle and breaks easily.

  • 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:

    • Good strength characteristics allow the production of functional prototypes from ABS.

    • 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.

    • Large selection of colors and shades.

    Cons:

    • 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.

    • 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:

    • Less shrinkage than ABS.

    • Ease of machining.

    • The matte surface looks very advantageous on decorative products.

    • 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.

    • 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:

    • Excellent sinterability of layers.

    • PETG is very strong and wear resistant. Good impact resistance.

    • Virtually no smell when printing.

    • Non-toxic.

    • 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:

    • slight shrinkage

    • Transparency. After treatment with solvent, limonel or dichloromethane, beautiful transparent products with an almost smooth surface can be obtained.

      9009four

    • Easily processed mechanically or chemically.

    • 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:

    • High strength and wear resistance.

    • High slip factor.

    • Heat resistance compared to other 3D printing plastics.

    • High resistance to many solvents.

    • 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.

    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

    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.

    Pros:

    Cons:

    • Some fillers (eg clay) are abrasive. For such plastics, the standard brass nozzle cannot be used. Will have to buy a harder steel nozzle.

    • 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 should be treated 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:

      • Hardness and strength.

      • Low flammability or non-combustibility.

      • 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.

      Learn more