Find Your Filament
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Finding the right filament for your project will require you knowing what requirements you have. Luckily we do have this handy filament guide to help:
Here are some general applications for materials:
Standard PLA: Ideal for low-cost prototyping and applications like toys where impact resistance or heat resistance isn’t critical. It’s also a great option for projects requiring high rigidity and strength.
PLA Pro or PLA+: Similar to standard PLA in terms of rigidity but with improved impact resistance. While it still has low heat resistance, it’s an excellent choice for a wide range of applications where heat resistance isn’t a priority, thanks to its ease of printing and affordability.
PETG: A chemically resistant material with slightly better heat resistance than PLA. It’s inexpensive and easy to print but isn’t the best choice for applications requiring high impact resistance.
ABS: Known for its higher heat resistance (around 100°C) and affordability. This is the same material used to make LEGOs. Printing ABS requires an enclosed printer to maintain ambient heat and prevent warping or delamination. It’s a versatile material with decent mechanical properties and good heat resistance.
ASA: Similar to ABS in terms of mechanical properties, print difficulty, and heat resistance, but with the added advantage of UV resistance. This makes it an excellent choice for outdoor applications.
TPU: A flexible material available in various shore hardness ratings, with lower ratings offering more flexibility. TPU typically requires a direct drive extruder and slower print speeds compared to rigid plastics.
PA (Nylon): Nylon is a broad category of materials known for their strength, impact resistance, and good heat resistance. However, nylons are prone to warping during printing unless using specialized formulations like those from Polymaker. Nylon is also highly hygroscopic, so it must be stored in a filament dryer to maintain print quality.
PC (Polycarbonate): A highly heat-resistant material with excellent strength characteristics in some formulations. However, it can be challenging to print without a heated chamber. Small prints may succeed without active heating, but larger or denser prints often require ambient temperatures as high as 90°C to prevent cracking.
PP (Polypropylene): A lightweight material offering excellent strength, flexibility, wear resistance, and chemical resistance. The main challenge with PP is adhesion—it can be extremely difficult to get it to stick to the build plate reliably.
PPS (Polyphenylene Sulfide): A high-performance material with exceptional heat and chemical resistance. It can be challenging to print unless reinforced with carbon fiber. PPS is also flame retardant and offers outstanding rigidity, making it ideal for demanding industrial applications.
We organize these suggests based on material properties, and depending on your application. Below are some options of our material choices
