FDM 3D PRINTING

ABS is one of the first materials used for industrial 3D printing. It is still widely used due to its low cost and goo mechanical performance. Being an impact resistant material and with good hardness allows printing of parts that require a certain resistance and durability. It has an excellent resistance to high temperatures making it particularly suitable for high temperatures environments or outdoor installations. A downside is a shrinking tendency during the cooling process, which requires more attention in temperature control.

ABS + was introduced in order to correct the problem improving its accuracy.

PROS

• Low Cost
• Durability
• Heat resistance
• Impact resistance

ConS

• Tends to shrink and warp leading to dimensional inaccuracy
• Needs heated bed and heated chamber

PLA is the most commonly used filament for FDM printing. It doesn’t require high temperatures or a heated worktop. With a good stiffness and strength, it can be used for a wide variety of things. Being made out of crops, such as corn and sugarcane, makes PLA completely biodegradable. Due to its organic properties it tends to absorb moisture and has a shorter shelf life compared to other non-organic filaments. Unlike ABS, PLA has a good dimensional accuracy.

To overcome low resistance to high temperatures it is possible to use PLA HT, introduced with this purpose.

PROS

• Low cost
• Good shelf life
• Good dimensional accuracy
• Eco-friendly

ConS

• Not suitable for outdoors (low UV resistance)
• Low heat resistance
• Low impact resistance
• High brittleness

Nylon is a very popular material and easy to find on the market. It has an excellent toughness while maintaining high flexibility and elasticity. It highly recommended if there’s the need for durability and high abrasion resistance. The downsides are that Nylon is prone to absorb water and moisture, so it is not suitable for parts or products intended for use in humid environments. Tends to warp during cooling.

PROS

• Good abrasion resistance
• High impact resistance
• Good elasticity
• Good heat resistance

ConS

• Prone to warping
• Not suitable for humid environments

Polypropylene is a semi-rigid and lightweight material mostly utilized for packaging applications. PP printings have very good mechanical properties and a smooth finish, practically identical to injection moulded parts. It has excellent impact and abrasion resistance. A downside is a quite pronounced warping during cooling.

PRO

• Good impact and abrasion resistance
• Good heat resistance
• Good flexibility and lightness
• Smooth finish

ConS

• Expensive
• Warping during cooling
• Low mechanical resistance

ASA is the most common alternative to ABS for its almost identical properties. In some cases it is preferred to ABS because it is more suitable for the outdoors applications, being very resistant to water and UV. It has excellent impact and high temperatures resistance. Like ABS it has the downside of shrinking while cooling.

PROS

• Excellent resistance to wear
• Excellent UV resistance
• High impact resistance
• Suitable for outdoor applications

ConS

• Expensive
• Prone to shrinking while cooling

Polycarbonate is a high strength and durable material with with low tendency to shrinking. It is particularly suitable for high temperatures applications. Impact resistant, it can be bent without breaking. It is often used for engineering applications. PC has a strong tendency to absorb water and moisture.

PROS

• Excellent durability
• High heat resistance
• High mechanical and impact resistance
• Transparency

ConS

• Absorbs moisture

PMMA, commonly known has plexiglass, is a transparent material, with high impact and UV resistance in addition to a considerable mechanical strength. Downside, prone to absorb moisture.

PROS

• High impact resistance
• High mechanical resistance

ConS

• Absorbs moisture

PET, due to its excellent water resistance, is the most commonly used material for bottles production. It has a good mechanical resistance, an excellent impact resistance and a good flexibility. The warping during cooling results almost insignificant. A big selling point is that the material is the suitability for contact with chemicals.

PROS

• Almost insignificant warping during cooling
• Water repellency
• Smooth finish
• Good mechanical resistance

ConS

• Prone to wear

TPU is a material that we often see used in smartphone or electronic equipment cover production. It has numerous qualities, such as elasticity, transparency, abrasion and cut resistance, oil repellency and low shrinking tendency, ensuring excellent dimensional accuracy.

PROS

• Excellent wear and tear resistance
• Oil repellency
• Rubber-like properties

ConS

• Expensive
• Low UV resistance
• Low Water repellency over time

TPE is an elastic filament used to print flexible and elastic parts. Depending on the blending between hard plastics and rubber, it make take different properties.

PROS

• Flexibility
• Durability
• Excellent impact resistance

ConS

• Difficult to print

HD GLASS it’s a modified version of the PETG, with miproved strength, toughness and high temperature resistance.

PROS

• Color rendering
• Resistance to heat
• Good impact resistance
• Extremely robust

ConS

• Produces fine residual filaments between the various parts of the print

HIPS is a material for support usually used with ABS for its compatible properties. Unlike ABS, it can be completely dissolved in limonene. The material is light and dimensionally stable, making it suitable for use as a support.

PROS

• Lightweight

ConS

• Not water-soluble
• Expensive