Materials
Commercial available polymers we use
A compilation of the polymers we use for 3D printing. The selected polymers exhibit a wide range of properties, making them highly application-specific. We have polymer filaments for many application scenarios.
General polymers
PLA
PLA filament is a popular material used in 3D printing, known for its ease of use and environmental benefits. Made from renewable resources like corn starch or sugarcane, PLA is biodegradable and emits fewer fumes compared to other filaments. It is available in various colors, offering a wide range of
aesthetic options. PLA provides good print quality with a smooth finish and is ideal for both beginners and experienced users.
PC
Polycarbonate filament is a high-performance material used in 3D printing, renowned for its exceptional strength and impact resistance. It offers superior durability and toughness, making it ideal for creating functional parts, mechanical components, and prototypes that require high resilience.
Polycarbonate has excellent thermal resistance, allowing it to withstand high temperatures without deforming. It is available in various colors and typically produces prints with a smooth, glossy finish. However, PC filament requires higher printing temperatures and an enclosed build chamber to prevent warping and ensure optimal layer adhesion.
PA
Polyamide filament, commonly known as nylon, is a versatile and durable material used in 3D printing. It is renowned for its strength, flexibility, and impact resistance, making it ideal for functional parts and mechanical components that require high durability. Nylon filament exhibits excellent layer
adhesion and can withstand high stresses and strains, making it suitable for applications such as gears, bearings, and strong structural parts. It is available in various colors and often has a smooth, matte finish.
PP
Polypropylene filament is a lightweight and versatile material used in 3D printing, known for its excellent chemical resistance and flexibility. It offers good impact resistance and fatigue resistance, making it suitable for applications that require durability and repeated use. Polypropylene has a low
density, which results in lightweight prints with a smooth finish. It is also resistant to moisture and many chemicals, which makes it ideal for parts exposed to harsh environments. However, PP filament can be challenging to print due to its tendency to warp and its low adhesion to the print bed.
ABS
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene filament is a widely used material in 3D printing, known for its strength, toughness, and durability. It offers good impact resistance and is capable of withstanding higher temperatures compared to PLA, making it suitable for functional parts and prototypes that
need to endure mechanical stress and heat. ABS prints can be easily post-processed, including sanding and painting, to achieve a smooth finish. However, ABS is prone to warping and can emit fumes during printing, so it is recommended to use an enclosed build chamber and proper ventilation. Overall, ABS is favored for its mechanical properties and versatility, though it may present some challenges in the printing process.
PETG
Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol filament is a versatile material used in 3D printing, valued for its strength and durability. Unlike PLA, PETG is not biodegradable but is highly resistant to impact and temperature variations, making it suitable for functional parts and mechanical components. It offers
excellent layer adhesion and is less prone to warping, which simplifies the printing process. PETG is available in various colors and has a smooth, glossy finish. It is also known for its chemical resistance and is less prone to brittleness compared to PLA.
PC-CF
Polycarbonate-Carbon Fiber filament is a reinforced version of polycarbonate filament, enhanced with carbon fibers to offer improved strength and rigidity. This composite material combines the high impact resistance and thermal stability of polycarbonate with the added durability and lightweight
properties of carbon fiber. It is ideal for creating robust, high-performance parts and components that need to endure extreme conditions. PC-CF filament is available in various colors and features a unique, textured finish. It typically requires high printing temperatures and an enclosed build chamber to prevent warping and ensure optimal layer bonding.
PA-CF
Polyamide-Carbon Fiber filament is a composite material that combines nylon with carbon fibers to enhance its mechanical properties. This filament offers increased strength, stiffness, and durability compared to standard nylon, making it ideal for high-performance applications that require superior
rigidity and impact resistance. PA-CF filament is particularly suited for producing lightweight yet strong parts, such as structural components and functional prototypes. It typically features a distinctive matte finish with a textured appearance from the embedded carbon fibers.
Metal-filled PLA
Metal-filled PLA filament is a type of composite filament that combines traditional PLA with metal powders, such as bronze, brass, or stainless steel. This material offers a unique aesthetic with a metallic look and feel, while retaining many of the easy-to-use properties of PLA. Metal-filled PLA
prints have a weight and appearance similar to metal, providing a more refined and premium finish compared to standard PLA. The added metal content enhances the material's density and can give prints a more substantial, realistic texture.
ASA
Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate filament is a high-performance material used in 3D printing, known for its excellent weather resistance and UV stability. It offers similar mechanical properties to ABS, such as strength, toughness, and impact resistance, but with enhanced durability when exposed to outdoor
environments. ASA is ideal for producing functional parts and prototypes that need to withstand sunlight, rain, and temperature fluctuations without degrading. It features good layer adhesion and can be post-processed with sanding and painting for a smooth finish. However, like ABS, ASA can emit fumes during printing, so an enclosed build chamber and proper ventilation are recommended.
Support materials
PVA
Polyvinyl Alcohol filament is a water-soluble material used primarily as a support material in 3D printing. It is ideal for creating complex and intricate designs that require support structures, as it dissolves easily in water, leaving no residue behind. This makes PVA filament particularly useful for multi-
material prints, where it can be used to support overhangs and cavities that would be difficult to print with traditional support materials. PVA offers good adhesion to many common 3D printing filaments, including PLA.
Breakaway
Polymaker's Easy Breakaway Filament is a support material designed for use in dual-extrusion 3D printing. It offers a clean and easy removal process without damaging the surface of the printed part, eliminating the need for post-processing. The material bonds well to various filaments, such as PLA, ABS
and PETG, while remaining easy to break away by hand. Ideal for creating complex structures with intricate overhangs, Easy Breakaway Filament provides high-quality surface finishes and is compatible with a wide range of 3D printers.
BVOH
Butenediol Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer filament is a water-soluble support material used in 3D printing. It is designed to provide high-quality support structures that can be easily dissolved in water, leaving no residue behind. BVOH offers better performance compared to traditional PVA in terms of
solubility and printability, as it dissolves more effectively and can be used with a wider range of primary filaments. It is particularly useful for creating complex and intricate parts with overhangs and internal cavities that require temporary support. BVOH generally provides excellent adhesion to various filament types and has a lower tendency to absorb moisture compared to PVA.
High-performance
PEEK
Polyetheretherketone filament is a high-performance thermoplastic known for its exceptional mechanical properties and resistance to extreme conditions. It is renowned for its high strength, rigidity, and thermal stability, making it ideal for demanding applications such as aerospace,
automotive, and medical devices. PEEK can withstand temperatures up to 260°C and has excellent chemical resistance, including resistance to solvents and acids. This material is suitable for producing durable and high-performance parts that need to maintain their structural integrity under high stress and temperature
PEKK
Polyetherketoneketone filament is a high-performance thermoplastic known for its outstanding mechanical and thermal properties. It is part of the same family as PEEK but offers even greater versatility and chemical resistance. PEKK provides excellent strength, rigidity, and thermal stability,
capable of withstanding temperatures up to 300°C. It is highly resistant to chemicals, including acids and solvents, making it suitable for use in harsh industrial environments.
PEKK is ideal for demanding applications such as aerospace, automotive, and medical industries where durability, high performance, and resistance to extreme conditions are essential. It is also used in applications requiring high-performance, lightweight parts.
PEI
Polyetherimide filament is a high-performance thermoplastic known for its exceptional mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties. It offers outstanding strength, rigidity, and dimensional stability, making it suitable for demanding applications in aerospace, automotive, and industrial
sectors. PEI can withstand temperatures up to 200°C and has excellent resistance to various chemicals, including acids, bases, and organic solvents.
PEI filament is valued for its ability to maintain structural integrity and performance under high stress and temperature conditions. It also has good electrical insulating properties.
PPSU
Polyphenylsulfon filament is a high-performance thermoplastic known for its exceptional chemical resistance, thermal stability, and mechanical strength. It can withstand temperatures up to around 200°C without significant degradation and maintains its properties under continuous exposure
to high temperatures and harsh chemical environments. PPSU offers excellent resistance to a wide range of chemicals, including acids, bases, and organic solvents, making it ideal for use in demanding industrial applications.
PPSU filament is particularly valued in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and medical, where durability, strength, and resistance to extreme conditions are crucial. It provides good impact resistance and dimensional stability, ensuring reliable performance over time.
PVDF
Polyvinylidene Fluoride filament is a high-performance thermoplastic known for its excellent chemical resistance, high purity, and thermal stability. It can withstand temperatures up to approximately 150°C and exhibits superior resistance to a wide range of chemicals, including acids, bases, and
solvents. PVDF is often used in demanding environments such as chemical processing, pharmaceutical, and high-tech industries.
PVDF filament provides good mechanical properties, including strength and impact resistance, as well as high electrical insulation. Its non-stick surface and low friction properties make it suitable for applications requiring minimal adhesion and wear resistance.
PEEK-CF
Polyetheretherketone-Carbon Fiber filament is a high-performance composite material that combines PEEK with carbon fibers to enhance its mechanical properties. This filament inherits the exceptional strength, rigidity, and thermal resistance of PEEK while gaining additional stiffness and
reduced weight from the carbon fibers. The result is a material that offers outstanding performance in demanding applications, such as aerospace, automotive, and high-tech industries, where high strength-to-weight ratios and resistance to extreme conditions are crucial.
PEEK-CF provides excellent impact resistance and maintains structural integrity under high temperatures and stresses. It also has superior chemical resistance. Overall, PEEK-CF is ideal for producing lightweight, high-strength parts that can withstand harsh environments.
PEKK-CF
Polyetherketoneketone-Carbon Fiber filament is an advanced composite material that combines PEKK with carbon fibers to enhance its mechanical properties. This filament leverages the high strength, rigidity, and thermal stability of PEKK while incorporating the lightweight and
stiffness benefits of carbon fibers. The addition of carbon fibers significantly increases the material’s strength-to-weight ratio and impact resistance, making it suitable for demanding applications where both high performance and reduced weight are critical.
PEKK-CF is ideal for use in aerospace, automotive, and high-tech industries where components must endure extreme conditions while maintaining high structural integrity. It offers excellent thermal and chemical resistance, with the capability to withstand temperatures up to 300°C Overall, PEKK-CF is well-suited for producing high-strength, lightweight parts that perform exceptionally well in harsh environments.
PES
Polyethersulfon filament is a high-performance thermoplastic known for its excellent mechanical properties, thermal stability, and chemical resistance. PES is renowned for its ability to withstand high temperatures, typically up to 200°C, and it maintains its structural integrity and performance
under thermal stress. It also offers outstanding resistance to various chemicals, including acids and bases, making it suitable for use in harsh industrial environments.
PES filament is ideal for applications requiring high strength, rigidity, and dimensional stability, such as in automotive, aerospace, and engineering sectors. It provides good impact resistance and has a high resistance to creep, which ensures long-term performance in demanding conditions.
PSU
Polysulfone filament is a high-performance thermoplastic known for its outstanding thermal stability, mechanical strength, and chemical resistance. PSU can withstand continuous use at temperatures up to around 180°C and exhibits excellent resistance to a wide range of chemicals,
including acids, bases, and organic solvents. This makes it ideal for applications in harsh industrial environments where durability and resistance to extreme conditions are essential.
PSU filament provides good impact resistance and dimensional stability, ensuring long-term reliability in demanding applications such as aerospace, automotive, and medical industries.
FEP
Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene filament is a high-performance thermoplastic known for its excellent chemical resistance, low friction properties, and high thermal stability. FEP can withstand temperatures up to approximately 200°C and is highly resistant to a wide
range of chemicals, including acids, bases, and solvents. This makes it ideal for applications in demanding environments such as chemical processing, pharmaceuticals, and high-tech industries.
FEP filament offers a smooth surface finish and is characterized by its low surface energy, which minimizes adhesion and reduces friction. This property makes it suitable for applications requiring minimal wear and high chemical resistance. Printing with FEP typically requires a high-temperature 3D printer with a heated bed to manage the material’s processing temperatures and ensure good adhesion. Due to its fluorinated nature, FEP filament is more challenging to print with compared to other materials, and specialized equipment and careful process control are often needed to achieve high-quality results.
More materials on request!
Resin
For our SLA printer, we exclusively use resin from Prusament, as it is the only one that has convinced us so far.
Manufacturers
We use filament from many different manufacturers, such as:
Prusament
Fiberlogy
Polymaker
eSun
3DXTECH
Intamsys
BASF
Formfutura
GEEETECH
Extrudr
Protopasta
The Virtual Foundry
ColorFabb
SUNLU
