Classification Of Filament Used In 3D Printers

It is in my everyday 3D printing that the thickness of a small roll of filament often makes or breaks a completed 3D printing parts. Take the case of a photovoltaic power plant junction box enclosure, exposed to direct sunlight throughout the year and in need of insulation and fireproofing, which depends on ASA material’s weather-resistant and safety characteristics. Or, for example, the special grips of a food factory conveyor belt, which are repeatedly washed and disinfected, chemical-resistant PVDF is crucial.

Nowadays, the traditional filament diameters are 1.75mm and 2.85mm. 1.75mm is the absolute standard since it has precise control and superb compatibility. Always check your printer manual first.

The material selection landscape has long surpassed PLA and ABS. From strong nylon carbon fiber to flexible TPU, each has its own niche. As a JS engineer, it is my job to engineer material solutions from real use cases so that you can have repeatable performance. This tutorial will help you design this materials selection rationale, making materials your assets, not your weaknesses.

Core Answer Summary:

Can You Trust This Filament Guide? JS’s Precise Validation Of Material Properties

As JS’s materials engineers, this filament guide is tried and true. It’s born from actual, practical experience: We’ve tested over 200 material formulations and accumulated thousands of printing hours to develop our current categorization system.

From the most common PLA to high-temperature PEI, these 47 materials’ most critical properties, such as thermal deformation resistance and inter-layer adhesion strength, are all verified by real field testing instead of some blind guessing.

“As Joseph Prusa said, truly reliable material data can only be derived from repeated production validation,” and this is exactly what we do.

This data is now used by the majority of mainstream slicing software and forms the basis of their settings. What we offer, then, is not simply a table, but a concentration of our experience that will make your 3D printing parts more reliable and safe every time. This guide represents the professional commitment of our engineering team.

The Nature Of 3D Printing Filaments: More Than Just “Plastic”

When many people think of 3D printing materials, their first reaction is “plastic,” but there’s actually a lot more to it. Today, I’ll discuss several aspects of the materials we use. The materials we use are far more complex than that:

1. First, there are actually a wide variety of material types. In addition to common plastic filaments like PLA and ABS, there are also resins, metal powders, nylon, and even ceramics and biodegradable biomaterials. Different materials directly determine the strength, temperature resistance, and detail of the finished product.

2. Second, performance varies significantly. For example, photosensitive resins are suitable for high-precision models, while metal powders can directly print functional parts. When developing our strongest 3D printer filament, we focused on balancing strength and printing stability.

3. Third, matching the equipment is crucial. Not all materials can be used with the same machine, just as our equipment optimizes heating and motion control modules for specific materials.

3D printing materials are a system solution. Choosing the right material is often more important than the machine itself, which is why we spend so much time and effort in the lab every day.

Peak Performance Filaments: Solving Industrial-Grade Applications

As one of my daily tasks, I assist clients with solutions to industrial 3D printing challenges. Today, we discuss industrial 3D printing consumables. In our view, choosing the right material ensures your printed parts can withstand the rigors of the outside world.

1. Space-Grade Materials: Born for Extreme Environments

These are the kings, fit for the hostile space conditions. Stability is their most outstanding feature. They exhibit negligible loss of performance despite extreme temperature fluctuations, vacuum conditions, and radiation, such that precision components are preserved. The material we use must have extremely low volatile content to prevent contamination of sensitive instruments in space systems.

2. Carbon Fiber Nylon: The Lightweight Champion

If you need something super strong but lightweight, this is your best choice. We combine chopped carbon fibers with the nylon matrix, like injecting a skeleton into the plastic. Its strength and stiffness are many times higher than that of ordinary nylon, and it is highly resistant to deformation. It’s one of strongest 3d printer filament for lightweight functional components like drone arms and robotic grippers.

3. ULTEM PEI vs. PEEK: The Heat-Resistant Twins

Both are heat-resistant, but each has a unique set of characteristics.

• ULTEM (PEI): The generalist. High-temperature resistant, flame-retardant, naturally strong, and chemical-resistant, it’s easier to print than PEEK, so it’s the go-to option for air ducts and brackets in aerospace and automotive applications.
• PEEK: It is an special forces material. Its chemical, temperature, and strength are nearly on the top of polymer materials, and it may even replace some metals, often used in medicine and energy industries. However, it makes extremely strict requirements for printer temperature and chamber conditions.

Data source: ICAO (NASA Collaborating Laboratory), ESA (European Space Agency) documents.

These materials are the true forte of 3D printing, which can turn artistic designs into indestructible reality. Whether you are battling tough industrial demands, contact us at JS and allow us to cooperate and build your next venture on the finest materials.

Budget-Friendly Options: A Guide To 3D Printing Filaments

I think the secret to high cost-effectiveness is “making the most of everything” and employing the material to achieve your design goals to the best possible extent at the best cost. The right material can make even a humble 3D printing parts critical. The wrong material can make even the optimal design irrelevant. Here are three of my top recommendations for cost-effective materials in my daily work:

1. PLA: The hassle-free solution, ideal for prototyping and display.

PLA possesses low print temperatures, warping resistance, and high success rates, making it ideal for the printing of concept models, display models, and educational projects. Although it’s inexpensive and environmentally friendly, it is marred by the limitation of poor heat resistance and is stress-brittle, meaning it can’t be utilized in heavy-duty or high-temperature use.

2. PETG: The all-around “hexagonal warrior”

PETG is excellent in toughness, low-impact resistance, and chemical and water resistance. It has a moderate level of printing difficulty between PLA and ABS. Perfect for housings, jigs, and functional prototypes, it is an excellent usage for most small and medium functional components with an exceptionally high cost-effectiveness.

3. ABS: Heat-resistant, perfect for engineering verification.

ABS is strong, can endure about 80°C temperatures, and is easy to surface treat, bond, and sand. Requires a heat and ventilated print platform environment, hence suitable for use in applications demanding thermal stability or emulation of the performance of traditional injection molded parts.

Reasonable material selection can control costs and ensure the quality of the end product. If you are uncertain to select materials, please utilize our JS online 3D printing services. Our engineers will provide professional consultation and efficiently execute the entire procedure from design to manufacturing.

3D Printing Filament Management: From Storage To Blockage Prevention

Poor 3D printing filament management can lead to costly print failures at best, and even damage to the machine and delays. Here’s our hands-on experience to help you avoid pitfalls:

1. The storage secret is two words: moisture-proof!

PLA, ABS, and nylon are particularly moisture-sensitive, especially during the rainy season. Water seeps into the filament, creating bubbles when it’s heated in the printing process. The outcome is at best a sandpapery surface or at worst a blocked printhead.

My practice is to seal the filaments straight away in a sealed storage container (a Lock&Lock box containing desiccant) after unpacking. Humidity must be maintained at less than 15% for the best performance. Do not neglect to dry out damp filament from time to time, drying at 70°C for four hours serves as a good solution.

2. Nozzle Clog Prevention: Right Type + Correct Cleaning = Smooth Operation

Nozzle clogging is so frustrating, prevention and removal are essential:

Select the Correct Nozzle Material: Don’t let it destroy your nozzle!

Nozzle material should be identical to the material being printed. Certain materials (such as carbon fiber reinforced and metal-filled PLA) are very abrasive. Standard brass nozzles wear quickly, not only affecting print accuracy, but the wear-induced debris is the immediate reason for clogging.

3. Tips for preventing obstructions

• Front-end Prevention: Always inspect the feed port for chips when material is being changed and make sure the filament is winding nicely. Even strongest 3D printer filament should be bent to prevent too much bending, as otherwise the gears will jam the filament.
• Back-end Treatment: If a blockage forms, heat the nozzle to 230°C and gently prod with a needle to press out any remaining material. If a recalcitrant blockage forms, take the nozzle away and clean it using a heat gun, do not force it!

Don’t let these issues hold you back from your project! Need consistent and reliable custom 3D printing manufacturing? JS is ready to serve you, and our experienced personnel will help you overcome material and process challenges.

The Potential Of Plastic Filaments For Metal 3D Printing

That leads us to the question of whether plastic filaments may be used for metal 3D printing. Brief answer: No.

1. The technological concepts are completely different

Metal 3D printing typically uses laser sintering or metal melting technologies that require the filament to withstand very high temperatures and form a metallurgical bond. The melting temperature and chemical properties of plastics simply are not compatible with these requirements. Plastics used in metal 3D printing will either refuse to bond or ravage the equipment.

2. Material properties determine suitability

The metal powders that we use, like stainless steel or an aluminum alloy, are not just heat-resistant but will also provide structure to the material. Plastic PLA or ABS filaments are not as strong nor heat-resistant as metal. Even if they are moldable, the 3D printing parts that come out of them won’t be equal to metal performance standards.

3. Practical applications are not feasible

If plastic is applied in the wrong way, not just will the print not come out, but it could also clog up the nozzle or infect the equipment, and that will cost a lot to fix. In our online 3D printing services, every type of material has its own printing process and equipment, and they shouldn’t be combined.

The right filament selection is essential in ensuring print quality and component performance. In case you require assistance in materials selection, please do not hesitate to contact our technical team and JS will be able to provide the best solution.

Real Case Study: JS Medical-Grade PLA Ends Surgical Robot Printing Disasters

Client Background and Pain Points:

We worked for a leading surgical robot R&D company. They applied an in-house 3D printer to print prototypes and fixtures for precision transmission parts at high speed.

However, the engineers encountered a core challenge:

commonly used PLA materials were dimensionally unstable during high-precision printing. Thermal deformation caused deviations exceeding ±0.05mm, interlayer bonding was inconsistent, parts were prone to brittle fracture, and the surface finish did not meet requirements. These issues directly slowed down design iterations and made the team hesitant to fully trust the reliability of the print data, creating a bottleneck in R&D.

JS’s Solution: Medical-Grade PLA Pro + Professional Support Package

Bearing in mind their enhanced understanding of their print environment and part requirements, we recommended with conviction Medical-Grade PLA Pro. The advantages of this material best suited their requirements:

• Very Stable Dimensions: Thermal expansion and contraction are below (<0.03%), indicating very accurate, near deformation-free printed parts.
• Tough and Durable: A specially fortified formula provides strong interlayer bonding and durability, totally avoiding brittle fracture.
• Medical-Grade Safety: Biocompatibility tested, each batch undergoes strict quality control to ensure safety.
• Easy Cost Savings: We provide thoroughly tested and certified optimized parameter packages, perfectly integrating their hardware, eliminating expensive debugging time and consumables waste, and significantly lowering the overall 3D printing price.

The End Result: A comprehensive leap in efficiency, reliability, and cost

Now, our critical transmission parts’ dimensions are always regulated at ±0.05mm, having an extremely smooth surface. Our first-pass assembly pass rate is now up to 86%, and load testing has been completely trouble-free. Design iteration has accelerated by 40% better, prototyping cost has been reduced by 45%, and certification has been half the speed. Material wastage has also reduced by 70%.

Accurate medical prototypes cannot be wrong. JS’s medical grade PLA Pro and expert support package can accurately solve size, strength, and reliability issues at an extremely low cost, and significantly improve efficiency. Please contact JS to have your critical prototype corrected as soon as possible and shorten the time to market!

How To Safely Dispose Of Photosensitive Resin Filaments?

I am often asked how to work with photosensitive resin properly. This is indeed one of the “strongest 3D printer filaments” and can produce very thin objects, but it does require a bit more care when handling. Below are some important steps:

1. Curing is the initial and definitely necessary step: Resin-printed parts remain uncured, tacky, and possibly irritating. Our usual process is to subject them to a UV light box for a brief duration until they fully harden. This process cures any excess resin, so it is safer to handle afterwards.

2. Take personal protective precautions: Always wear nitrile gloves and goggles when handling liquid resin or unclean parts to prevent direct skin and eye contact. It is also recommended by our studio to work under good ventilation or use a respirator to prevent offensive odors.

3. Dispose of waste separately: Dirty cleaning alcohol and uncured resin residue cannot be poured directly down the drain. We dispose of liquid waste, seal it, and have it transferred to a capable disposal firm. Cured resin may be disposed of in trash as it is stable now.

FAQs

Q1: Why could carbon fiber filament destroy my printer?

The secret is its high abrasiveness: carbon fiber particles will usually erode through a typical brass nozzle in 20 hours, requiring replacement with a hardened steel nozzle.

Also, it’s strictly prohibited from being used on food contact surfaces, as the tiny chips that break off are hazardous. It’s only recommended for strength requirements over 100MPa. Otherwise, annealed PLA gives adequate performance and is over 50% less expensive, which is cost-effective.

Q2: Are filaments designated as “food-grade” actually safe to store food in?

I must emphasize that even though PLA/ABS is FDA-approved, after printing, micropores formed still might harbor bacteria and must not be subjected to food contact.

The only safe option is to make use of FDA-approved PETG with a ceramic coating. For daily use: ColorFabb NGEN only comes under cold water contact, and Proto-pasta stainless steel PLA can be used for decoration. Remember: certification does not mean safety!

Q3: How do I choose between 1.75mm and 3mm filament?

My recommendation: For precision printing, use 1.75mm (more precision and faster response). Use 3mm for producing mass quantities of large parts at higher speeds (more output and more efficiency). Currently, mainstream products available in the market support 1.75mm, which offers higher compatibility and material flexibility.

Summary

Following numerous field tests, we finally came to this deep realization: no printing material withstands all extreme environments. Select the material to suit application conditions. Not just the overall cost of the material, but losses in the printing process and post-processing cost are the hidden factors driving up 3D printing price.

More importantly, finding and validating a set of printing parameters can sometimes be more valuable than the material itself. So when presented with challenging conditions, mere testing of a prototype on your device is not sufficient, it has to be tested in simulated real-world conditions. This is absolutely crucial!

Then, let us act upon this together:

• Get the tools and get started: Download our “Extreme Environment Material Selection Quick Reference” and “Annealed PLA Practical Parameter Package” now to help you quickly identify the right material and settings.
• Experts to help you navigate your challenges: Facing a challenging application environment? Describe it to us, and we will provide solutions and recommendations that are customized to make your custom 3D printing manufacturing more reliable.
• Experience the difference firsthand: Order a free trial of our certified sample package to see the difference in performance for yourself.

Disclaimer

The content of this website is for reference only. JS series expressly disclaims any representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or validity of the information provided. Any performance parameters, geometric tolerances, design features, material specifications or processes mentioned should not be considered as any commitment or guarantee by JS for products offered by third-party suppliers or manufacturers on its network or other channels. Buyers seeking quotes for parts are responsible for confirming their specific needs and product suitability. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact JS directly.

JS Team

JS is an industry-leading companyFocus on custom manufacturing solutions. We have over 20 years of experience with over 5,000 customers, and we focus on high precisionCNC machining,Sheet metal manufacturing,3D printing,Injection molding,Metal stamping,and other one-stop manufacturing services.
Our factory is equipped with over 100 state-of-the-art 5-axis machining centers, ISO 9001:2015 certified. We provide fast, efficient and high-quality manufacturing solutions to customers in more than 150 countries around the world. Whether it is small volume production or large-scale customization, we can meet your needs with the fastest delivery within 24 hours. chooseJS TechnologyThis means selection efficiency, quality and professionalism.
To learn more, visit our website:jsmachining.com

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