Why Material Matters: Choosing the Best 3D Printing Filament

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Why Material Matters: Choosing the Best 3D Printing Filament

Colorful spools of 3D printing filament on a cluttered work bench

The Basics of FDM 3D Printing Materials

When it comes to 3D printing, the material you choose is just as important as the printer itself. Filament is the thermoplastic feedstock used in fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printers. It is a continuous slender plastic thread spooled into a reel, with diameters ranging from 1.75 mm to 2.85 mm. Filament comes in various types, each with its own unique properties.

3D printers use different mechanisms to extrude the filament and build up layers to create your final model.

How Filament Choice Impacts Your 3D Printing Project

The choice of 3D printing filament can have a significant impact on the outcome of your 3D printing project. Different filaments have different properties, such as strength, flexibility, and temperature resistance. Understanding these properties and how they relate to your project is crucial for achieving the desired results.

For example, if you’re printing functional parts that require strength and durability, ABS or PETG would be suitable choices. On the other hand, if you’re creating decorative or artistic pieces, PLA or specialty filaments like wood or even metal may be more appropriate.

Exploring Just a Few Types of Available 3D Printer Filaments

PLA (Polylactic Acid)

PLA is one of the most popular filaments for 3D printing. It is a biodegradable and environmentally friendly filament that is derived from renewable resources such as cornstarch or sugarcane. PLA is easy to print with and offers good dimensional accuracy. It is known for its vibrant colors and smooth surface finish. PLA is commonly used for prototyping, hobbyist projects, and decorative prints. It is compatible with most commercially available FDM printers and can be printed at lower temperatures compared to other filaments.

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)

ABS is a popular filament known for its durability and impact resistance. It has a higher melting temperature compared to PLA, making it suitable for functional parts that require strength and toughness. ABS is commonly used in applications such as automotive parts, electronic enclosures, and industrial prototypes. It can be challenging to print with due to its tendency to warp and emit strong fumes during printing. However, with proper printer settings and a heated bed, ABS can produce high-quality prints with excellent mechanical properties.

PET (Polyethylene terephthalate)

PET is a popular 3D printing filament known for its strength and flexibility. Its durability and impact resistance ensure long-lasting printed objects, while its flexibility allows for complex shapes without cracking. Additionally, it offers excellent chemical resistance and is food-safe, making it suitable for kitchen items. PET is easy to print with a lower risk of warping and can be used on most standard 3D printers. Being recyclable, it also provides an eco-friendly option for various 3D printing projects.

PETG (Polyethylene terephthalate glycol)

PETG is a variation of PET that offers improved impact resistance and chemical resistance. It’s a versatile filament known for its balance of strength, flexibility, and temperature resistance. It is commonly used for functional parts, mechanical components, and consumer products that require durability and impact resistance. PETG has excellent layer adhesion, making it ideal for strong and durable prints. Additionally, it is FDA-approved for food contact, making it a popular choice for printing kitchen utensils and containers.

TPU (Thermoplastic polyurethane)

TPU is a flexible filament that is widely used for creating elastic parts and prototypes. It offers excellent resistance to abrasion, chemicals, and oils, making it suitable for applications that require flexibility and durability. TPU is commonly used in industries such as automotive, footwear, and prosthetics. It can be printed with ease on most FDM printers and does not require a heated bed. TPU is available in various shore hardness ratings, allowing for different levels of flexibility and elasticity in prints.

Specialized 3D Printing Filaments

In addition to the common filaments used in 3D printing, there are specialized filaments that offer unique properties for specific applications. These filaments are often infused with different materials to enhance their properties. Some examples of specialized filaments include carbon fiber-infused filaments, which offer high strength and rigidity, and metal-infused filaments, which allow for the printing of metal-like objects. These specialized filaments are commonly used in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and jewelry.

Onyx by Markforged: High Performance Carbon Fiber

Onyx is a high-performance carbon fiber filament developed by Markforged. It combines the strength and rigidity of carbon fiber with the ease of printing with nylon. Onyx is known for its excellent dimensional stability, high strength-to-weight ratio and resistance to heat and chemicals. It is commonly used in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and defense for applications that require lightweight yet strong parts. Onyx can be printed on Markforged 3D printers, which are specifically designed to handle the unique properties of this filament.

Metal 3D Printing: Stainless Steel, Copper, and more

3D printing with metal filaments allows for the creation of metal-like objects without the need for traditional metalworking processes. These filaments are composed of a mixture of metal powder and a binding agent. After printing, the object can be further processed to remove the binding agent and sinter the metal particles together, resulting in a solid metal part.

While an expensive and infrastructure-heavy investment, 3D printing with metal filaments offers the ability to create complex geometries and customized metal parts with good mechanical properties.

Factors to Consider When Selecting a Filament

When choosing a filament for your 3D printing project, consider factors like strength, durability, flexibility, temperature resistance, and printer compatibility. Filaments such as ABS, PETG, or carbon fiber are suitable for strength, while TPU works well for flexibility. For high temperatures, consider polycarbonate. Always remember to check compatibility with your printer’s settings!

Assessing the Strength and Durability Needs of Your Project

When selecting a filament for your 3D printing project, it is essential to assess the strength and durability needs of your project. Consider the intended use of the printed object and the level of stress it will be subjected to. If you require high strength and impact resistance, filaments like ABS, PETG, or carbon fiber-infused filaments may be suitable. These filaments offer excellent mechanical properties and can withstand heavy loads and impacts.

Considering Flexibility and Elasticity for Functional Parts

For functional parts that require flexibility and elasticity, it is important to consider filaments that can meet these requirements. TPU is a popular choice for flexible prints. It offers excellent flexibility and resilience, making it ideal for applications such as phone cases, prosthetics, and wearables. TPE (Thermoplastic elastomer) is another flexible filament that provides a soft and rubber-like texture. It is commonly used for creating gaskets, seals, and other parts that require high flexibility.

Temperature and Environmental Resistance

Temperature and environmental resistance are important considerations when selecting a 3 D printing filament. Different filaments have different temperature ranges at which they perform optimally. For example, PLA can be printed at relatively low temperatures (180-230°C) and is suitable for most everyday applications. On the other hand, filaments like polycarbonate (PC) and polyetherimide (PEI) have higher temperature resistance and can withstand elevated temperatures (up to 340-380°C). These filaments are commonly used in applications that require exceptional heat resistance, such as aerospace components and automotive parts.

Cost-Effectiveness and Availability

Cost-effectiveness and availability are key factors when selecting 3D printing filament. PLA is popular for being affordable and widely available, as well as eco-friendly. PETG is valued for its strength and durability with better impact resistance than PLA. While PLA and PETG are cost-effective and common, ABS and Nylon may be pricier but offer unique strengths. ABS provides high strength and temperature resistance for functional parts, while Nylon offers flexibility and durability for specialized applications like gears. Finding this balance depends heavily on the user, projects, and printing frequency.

Consider how you prefer to source your materials. Are you more comfortable dealing with a consistent supplier, or are the readily available 3D printing filaments on Amazon enough for your needs? It’s important to consider the specific requirements of your project and budget constraints when selecting a 3D printing filament. By balancing cost-effectiveness and availability, you can ensure that you choose the best filament for your 3D printing needs.

Balancing Quality with Budget Constraints

Similarly, choosing the right 3D printing filament involves balancing quality and budget. High-quality filaments offer superior performance but come at a higher cost. Research and comparing brands can help find affordable options with satisfactory results. Reading reviews and seeking recommendations can identify cost-effective choices. Experimenting with different types of filaments can help strike a balance between quality and budget based on project requirements.

Application-Specific Recommendations

Different 3D printing applications require different 3D printing filament types to achieve optimal results. By selecting the right material for your specific application, you can ensure that your 3D prints meet the desired functionality and performance requirements.

Prototyping with Precision: Choosing the Right Material

When it comes to precision prototyping, choosing the right 3D printing filament is crucial to achieve accurate and detailed prints. Different materials offer varying levels of precision and surface finish.

PLA (Polylactic Acid) is a popular choice for precise prototyping due to its low shrinkage and excellent dimensional accuracy. It provides smooth and clean prints, making it ideal for visual models and product prototypes. Additionally, PLA is easy to print with and offers a wide range of colors to choose from.

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is another material suitable for precision prototyping. It offers better temperature resistance and durability compared to PLA, making it suitable for functional prototypes that require strength and impact resistance.

PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol) is also a good option for precision prototyping. It offers a balance of strength, flexibility, and dimensional stability, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.

By selecting the right material for precision prototyping, you can ensure that your prints accurately represent your design and meet your quality expectations.

Functional Parts and Mechanical Components: What Works Best?

When it comes to printing functional parts and mechanical components, choosing the right filament is essential to ensure durability and performance. Different materials offer varying mechanical properties and characteristics.

TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) is an excellent choice for parts that require flexibility and resilience. It offers high elasticity and impact resistance, making it suitable for gaskets, seals, and other flexible components.

Nylon is known for its exceptional strength and toughness, making it ideal for functional parts that require durability and high load-bearing capabilities. It also offers good chemical resistance, making it suitable for applications in harsh environments.

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is a versatile material that provides a balance of strength, impact and temperature resistance. It is commonly used for functional parts in various industries, including automotive and aerospace.

By choosing the right filament for functional parts and mechanical components, you can ensure that your 3D prints meet the required performance standards and withstand the intended applications.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the choice of filament material impact the quality of a 3D printed object?

The choice of 3D printing filament plays a crucial role in determining the quality of a 3D printed object. Different materials have unique properties such as strength, flexibility, and durability, which directly affect the performance and appearance of the printed object. Factors such as layer adhesion, dimensional accuracy, and surface finish are influenced by the filament material used.

How do I determine the best 3D printing filament for my project?

To determine the best filament for your 3D printing project, consider the specific requirements of the print, such as desired strength, flexibility, and temperature resistance. Additionally, take into account the printer compatibility and budget constraints. Conducting research and consulting experienced users can provide valuable insights and recommendations.

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How the Concept Cars of Tomorrow Are Made With 3D Printing

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How the Concept Cars of Tomorrow Are Made With 3D Printing

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Located in the heart of the UK’s auto industry, Vital Auto is an industrial design studio with deep expertise in automotive design. The company’s illustrious clientele includes many of the major automotive manufacturers, such as Volvo, Nissan, Lotus, McLaren, Geely, TATA, and more.

“Clients typically come to us to try and push the boundaries of what’s possible with the technology available,“ said Shay Moradi, Vital’s VP of Innovation & Experiential Technology. When manufacturers don’t have time for experimentation themselves, they rely on Vital Auto with any kind of challenge to turn ideas, initial sketches, drawings, or technical specifications into a fully realized physical form.

Read on to learn how Vital Auto—a customer of Formlabs’ fastest growing UK reseller, SolidPrint 3D—creates high-fidelity prototypes and concept cars, rapidly working through iterations using a variety of advanced tools, including a large fleet of Form 3L and Fuse 1 printers.

The Making of a Concept Car

Vital Auto was founded in 2015 when three friends got together, quit their jobs, and decided to set up a shop—fittingly—in a garage. One of the first contracts the company took on was for the NIO EP9 supercar concept, which instantly set the team on a course to producing extremely realistic, high-fidelity vehicular prototypes.

Depending on the client’s request, the team will start anywhere from simply a sketch on a piece of paper to an already designed vehicle. They develop cars from a blank sheet and design all the mainframes, all the exterior and interior elements, open/closings, and interactive elements. With five to 30 people working on a single concept, a typical project could take anywhere from three to 12 months.

During this time, a typical show car goes through up to a dozen core design iterations, and within those, there can be further iterations of smaller components until the design meets the expectations of the customer.

“It’s all well in our industry to look at virtual properties as a means of evaluating a product before it goes to market. However, I think there’s always going to be a place for physically manufactured objects as well. There’s nothing that beats the sensation and feeling of holding an object in your hands with the correct weight, with the correct proportions, and the dynamics of how the physical environment changes your perception of that physical object,“ said Moradi.

“Most of our customers will come to us with a new idea, an innovative idea, and something that’s never been done before. So the challenges for us are new every single day and they’re endless,” said Anthony Barnicott, Design Engineer in charge of additive manufacturing. “These challenges can range from, how can we produce this number of parts in this amount of time to, how can we make a sustainable product or how can we make a part that achieves a particular weight while still achieving a particular performance.”

While traditional show cars are normally made just from milling clay, the team also uses three- and five-axis CNC milling, hand forming, hand clay modeling, and GRP composites. These traditional processes are, however, often not ideal for producing the custom parts required for one-off concepts.

“We’ve used 3D printing from day one. We wanted to introduce it to our manufacturing processes, not only to reduce costs but to give the customer more diversity with their designs and their ideas,” said Barnicott.

Today, Barnicott runs a whole 3D printing department, including 14 large-format FDM printers, three Formlabs 3L large-format SLA printers, and five Fuse 1 SLS printers.

“In terms of capacity, all those printers have run 100%, 24/7, pretty much since day one. We use these printers for all areas of our concepts and designs. Typically, we would use the Fuse 1s for our production-based parts and we would use our Form 3Ls for our concept-based parts,” said Barnicott.

Manufacturing Complex Designs From Multiple Materials With the Form 3L

“We use the Form 3L machines for anything that is an A-class finished surface. So typically in an automotive environment, and interior where you have parts that are not being trimmed with leather or Alcantara or some sort of cloth material. Formlabs materials give us a nice, smooth finish for our painters to work with, we can use these parts straight out the printer, straight onto a vehicle,” said Barnicott.

“What interests me most about the Form 3L machines is their versatility, the ability to do a material change in less than five minutes and the variability of those materials going from a soft, flexible material to a hard and rigid material for us is priceless,” said Barnicott.

The team uses the Form 3L’s with multiple materials for a wide array of applications, for example:

Air Vents

“It’s a common challenge for us as a business where customers will approach us with a proprietary product and want to encase it in their own design. Once, a customer approached us with a proprietary air vent from another vehicle that they wished to have inside their own interior. We used 3D scanning technology to reproduce this part digitally and then created an external skin. We first produced this in the Draft material to test out the design and allow the customer to verify it. From there, we moved to the White material to produce a production-ready part.”

Switch Packs

“When working with incredibly intricate designs, such as small switch packs, what we’re able to do is use multiple materials to achieve a mechanical product that not only functions correctly but can be used in a real-world environment. [For these switch packs], we combined harder materials, such as the Tough 2000 for the top surface, with the lighter, more cost-effective materials for the internals.”

Door Seals

“Typically, door seals for automotive applications can be incredibly costly to produce. there’s simply no other way other than extrusion molding to produce them. This comes at, not only a very large tooling cost but also a long lead time as well. We were able to experiment with one of Formlabs’ newest materials, the Flexible 80A. The Form 3L enabled us to produce sections of this door seal overnight to test various geometries and was printed within 50 microns of the actual design.”

Having the Form 3L empowers the team to produce multiple iterations of parts in most cases within 24 hours. They ended up buying three different machines so they could produce up to three different iterations of a part at the same time, even using three different materials. They can then pass on the cost savings to the customer or offer more value by showcasing multiple design options for the same price.

“One of the beauties of using additive manufacturing is the compression of a timeframe. So what do you do in that span of time that you have freed up? We sort of seeing it as extending the possibility space into imagining alternatives, into adding more iteration loops in the process,“ said Moradi.

“There are many products we produce that we simply wouldn’t be able to without our Form 3Ls. With some of the most advanced manufacturing techniques, such as seven-axis CNC machining, we’d be able to produce these parts, but it would come at a huge compromising cost,” said Barnicott.

Complementing CNC Machining for Mechanical Parts With the Fuse 1

“The Fuse 1 one was our first venture into SLS technology. As a small business, this is a technology we thought we would never be able to have on-site. With the Fuse 1, not only do we have one of the machines, but we actually have five of the machines on the site. What these machines enable us to do is produce structural mechanical parts very quickly, not only for testing but for physical applications in most of our concepts. This process would have typically been done by CNC machining, either on our site or off-site, depending on the geometry, and we would have to wait two to four days to get the parts in our hands. The Fuse 1 enables us to cover all of this on-site and have parts in our hand in most instances, less than 24 hours,” said Barnicott.

The team mainly uses the Fuse 1s for mechanical parts, such as door hinges, door handle inners, door internals, and structural applications. They can use these parts straight off the printer, with minimal finishing. Some of the applications where the team used the Fuse 1s include:

Air Duct

“A lot of automotive interior parts can be incredibly tricky to produce without going down the traditional injection molded route. Items such as internal air ducts and vents, items that are never seen, but yet require a large cost to produce. We use the Fuse 1 to produce these parts. It allows us to be much more versatile with the designs we put in the vehicle without incurring the large costs that they would typically have.”

Brake Caliper

“Sometimes we produce parts whereby the customer simply wants to see what their brand will look like on a specific part. That means we have to produce a part rather quickly so we can apply their brand to it. We use the Fuse 1 to produce these parts, such as a brake caliper, and we can produce the logo in different areas of the caliper in different colors for the customer to review.”

Interactive Concept for a Supercar

“3D printing has allowed us to combine both the SLA and SLS materials to work our way through design iterations on a specific project. This allows us to quickly produce multiple iterations, combining both processes, using them for their specific properties, to achieve a final design. This can be anything from mechanical parts to clear parts to check their optical quality and output.”

While it’s often said that additive manufacturing is here to replace subtractive manufacturing, the Vital Auto team sees benefits in combining different technologies to leverage their best qualities.

“We use the two processes together to help support each other. We have many parts where we would use subtractive manufacturing and then use additive manufacturing to produce all the finer details. This allows us to have a much more cost-effective way of producing a lot of our concept models,” said Barnicott.

Creating High-Fidelity Concept Cars With 3D Printing

“The progression in technology and 3D printing over the last 10 years is phenomenal. When I first started, producing low-volume, niche vehicles, some of the products that we produce today would simply have been inaccessible. And not only am I able to produce these parts today, but I’m also able to produce them very cost-effectively, very quickly,” said Barnicott.

3D printing not only helps the team create better products faster but also attracts new business. They found that many of their customers turn to them because they want to have access to the latest technologies and they want to have their components made using the latest cutting-edge materials.

“There are certain things that you just can’t class as emerging technologies anymore. 3D printing is one of those things. It’s advanced to a point where everything that we produce is good enough for use in the final presentation stage with all the layers of making that we apply on top of that. 3D printing has gone from almost a novelty to becoming an absolutely inseparable part of what we do,“ said Moradi.

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Fun fact: 5 Amazing Objects Created with a 3D Printer

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Fun fact: 5 Amazing Objects Created with a 3D Printer

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Written by Senior Technical Representative – SolidXperts USA, John Nolin

There are many new uses for industrial quality 3D printers. The strength and part quality from plastic or composite printers and the price point for metal 3D printers has improved significantly over the last 5 years.

Largest in the World

Recently in the news, the UMaine Advanced Structures and Composites Center achieved 3 separate Guinness World Records related to producing an entire full scale boat with world’s largest polymer 3D printer.

The boat is a 25 foot long model 3Dirigo, that weighs 5000 lbs and has already undergone initial testing in the Alfond W² Ocean Engineering Laboratory.

Reaching new terrain

Similarly, BowHead Corp produces the Reach adventure cycle that allows disabled persons to enjoy mountain bike or similar trail systems. The steering and suspension components are composite 3D printed and some power train components are metal 3D printed.

Christian Bagg is wheelchair bound himself and developed the first explorer cycle for his own use to better enjoy the Rocky Mountain area by the Bow River where he lives.

Better Robots

Several BattleBots teams use 3D printed components as weapons, drive systems, and chassis parts. Robots such as Overhaul and Sawblaze have been competing and winning with 3D printed parts since the 2016 season.

3D printed end effectors are a popular user upgrade or customization for traditional manufacturing pick & place robots. Also, several makers of warehouse robots and systems are incorporating 3D printed components within their end products.

A Smarter Dummy

The crash test dummy that certifies your next new car or truck has the proper safety design to protect you, has ribs and other parts that are 3D printed. The printed part design provides strengths similar to bones and allows wires and sensor electronics to be incorporated easily without interfering with the behavior in a crash.

3D printed molding fixtures are also used in the production of flexible crash test dummy neck rings. The printed molds are much more durable than other soft mold options and much less expensive than machined metal mold forms.

Forming new music

Wind instruments are generally hand formed by bending hard brass and similar tubing into the proper shape. The bending tools need to have the proper strength but not introduce any scratches which may ruin the sound of the finished product. 3D printed bending fixtures with internal reinforcement perform the job and are much faster and less expensive than traditional wood form production. For the French Horn shown, even some levers and finger pads were 3D printed.

The technique can be applied to more industrial applications such as rigid tubing pieces or microwave waveguide sections.

Several designs also exist for various sort of electric string instruments. The variety extends all the way from professional quality electric violins to a home built ukulele or guitar.

These amazing products are just a sampling of what is being accomplished recently with higher quality 3D printers and improved, lower cost materials. The SolidXperts website has several 3D printers with capacities for the inventor at home, all the way to the large firm producing metal components for test and end use.

For more information on our range of Markforged 3D printers or to talk to an Xpert, click here.