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3D Printing Materials!

There are alot of 3D Printing Materials available depending on the technology used and the application, you can find the materials that suites your needs.

if your are using FDM/FFF 3D Printing you can choose between a variety of Thermoplastic materials;

and a lot more materials.

  • PLA (PolyLactic Acid)

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  • Polylactic Acid, commonly known as PLA, is one of the most popular materials used in desktop 3D printing. It is the default filament of choice for most extrusion-based 3D printers because it can be printed at a low temperature and does not require a heated bed.

  • PLA is made from a cornstarch derivative (but sugar cane and tapioca varieties can also be found), which makes it biodegradable.

  • PLA is tough and resilient but not as heat tolerant as ABS. It begins to deform at temperatures higher than 60 degrees C. It is also not water or chemical resistant.

  • PLA lasts a long time under normal conditions. It is biodegradable and breaks down when buried in the ground. It is not, however, food safe and is a bit brittle. Prints can shatter under stress. Some manufacturers make what they call ‘tough PLA’ by adding chemicals, creating PLA that is less brittle and more heat tolerant.

  • It works well for general manufacturing 3D printing and painted miniatures.

 

Pros(+); Low cost, Sustainability, Stiff, Good Strength, Good dimensional accuracy, easy to 3D Print.

Cons(-); Low heat resistance, Filament can get brittle and break, not suitable for outdoors.

 

Order your 3D Print in PLA Now!! Click here!!

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  • ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)

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  • Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene is the plastic used in Legos. It’s tough, nontoxic and retains color well.

  • ABS is water and chemical resistant, It is a tough material, able to easily withstand temperatures of -20ºC to 80ºC. In addition to its high strength, it is a reusable material and can be welded with chemical processes.

  • ABS is not biodegradable and shrinks in contact with air when cooling down, that makes ABS difficult to 3D Printing due to warping, so the printing platform must be heated to prevent warping and an enclosure is preferred for better results.

  • ABS is broken down by UV radiation, losing its color and becoming brittle, so it is not suited for extended outdoor use.

  • When printing with ABS, be sure to use an open space with good ventilation, as the material tends to have a slight toxic odor. 

  • It works well for general manufacturing 3D printing and car parts.

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Pros(+); Low cost, good impact & wear resistance, Good heat resistance, can be smoothed chemically.

Cons(-); Heavy warping, needs heated bed + heated chamber, unpleasant odor, low dimensional accuracy due to shrinkage.

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Order your 3D Print in ABS Now!! Click here!!

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  • PETG (PolyEthylene Terephthalate Glycol)

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  • PETG is a Glycol Modified version of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), which is commonly used to manufacture disposable water bottles.

  • PolyEthylene Terephthalate Glycol is a thermoplastic widely used in the additive manufacturing market, combining both the simplicity of PLA 3D printing and the strength of ABS.

  • PETG is a variant of PET that has been combined with glycol to achieve a number of desirable effects for 3D printing such as high transparency.

  • PETG components are weather-resistant and are thus often used for garden appliances.

  • PETG is chemical resistant, It is a tough material, with good impact resistance able to easily withstand temperatures up to 70ºC .

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Pros(+); Glossy smooth surface finish, good impact resistance, odorless 3D printing, Better warping handling than ABS.

Cons(-); Can produce thin hair (stringing) , poor bridging, medium dimensional accuracy due to shrinkage, hard to print.

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Order your 3D Print in PETG Now!! Click here!!

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