There are a lot of different kinds of 3D filaments on the market right now. There is a filament for almost any use you can think of, from basic materials that are great for learning to more complex engineering plastics and creative speciality options. If you know what’s available, you can choose the right filament for each project instead of trying to make one do everything.
Let’s talk about the main groups and what makes each one useful in different situations.
Every Day Standard Filaments for Printing
PLA is still the most popular choice for a good reason. It’s easy to print, works with any printer, doesn’t smell bad, and gives a lot of detail. Environmentalists value PLA’s natural degradation process. It’s great for prototypes, decorations, miniatures, and anything else where it’s more important to print easily than to have strong mechanical properties.
PETG is a good balance between how easy it is to use PLA and how strong ABS is. It lasts longer than PLA, can handle some heat, and is still easy for people who know how to use it to use. It’s great for things that need to work, like organisers, tool holders, or anything else that needs to last for a long time. Because it is a little flexible, it can take more hits than brittle PLA.
ABS has very strong mechanical properties. It can withstand heat, is strong, and can be finished with acetone after it has been made. You can tell how strong it is by the fact that LEGO bricks are made of it. The problem is that it needs higher temperatures and an enclosed printer and makes a lot of smoke. Not easy for beginners, but useful once you know what you’re doing.
Materials for Engineering That Need a Lot of Work
Nylon (PA) is very strong and flexible. It can handle stress well, is tough, and doesn’t wear out easily. Great for gears, hinges, and other mechanical parts that need to be strong and flexible. The bad things are that it absorbs moisture easily, prints at high temperatures, and it can be hard to get the bed to stick well.
Polycarbonate (PC) is very strong and can handle high temperatures. You can get an idea of its properties by looking at how it’s used in bulletproof glass and safety glasses. Great for parts that need to be able to handle high temperatures or big hits. Needs printers that are closed off and very high printing temperatures.
Carbon fibre composites are made by mixing plastics with chopped-up carbon fibres to make them stronger and stiffer. They are lighter than solid plastic and have better mechanical properties. Great for parts for drones, structural parts, or any place you need strength without too much weight. They are rough, though, so brass nozzles will wear out quickly and you will need hardened nozzles.
Flexible filaments for special uses
TPU and other flexible materials make prints that look like rubber. Phone cases, grips, seals, things you can wear, hinges, and anything else that needs to bend or compress. They print more slowly than rigid materials and need special settings, like lower retraction. However, they can be used in ways that standard filaments can’t.
Different flexible filaments have different shore hardness ratings. Softer ones are like rubber bands, while firmer ones are more like car tyres. Pick based on how much give and strength your application needs.
More Quality Than Quantity
You might want to buy a lot of different filaments, but it’s better to get good ones than a lot of them. It’s better to have a few spools of high-quality filament from trusted sources than a drawer full of cheap, unknown materials.
You should pay more for a good filament because it has a consistent diameter, keeps moisture out, has been tested for print settings, and matches colours well. You can print more often and don’t have to spend as much time fixing things.
You might want to buy many different filaments, but quality is more important than variety. You’d be better off with a few spools of high-quality filament from trusted sources than a drawer full of cheap, unknown materials.
You should pay more for a good filament because it has a consistent diameter, keeps moisture out, has been tested for print settings, and matches colours well. You can print more often and don’t have to spend as much time fixing things.
When Australian suppliers test their filaments on different printers, you can be sure that what you’re buying will work. You don’t have to worry about whether a new material will print well or be a waste of money.
There are many different types of 3D filaments, so you can find the right one for your needs. You can make better choices about what materials to use and how to use them if you know what’s out there and what each one can do. This will save you time and money on failed experiments.
