3D printing has revolutionized prototyping and manufacturing, offering a swift and cost-effective way to create parts for diverse applications. While selecting the appropriate 3D printing process is crucial, the choice of 3d Printing Material ultimately dictates the mechanical properties, functional characteristics, and aesthetics of your final product.
This guide delves into the world of 3D printing materials, showcasing the most popular plastics and metals used in 3D printing. We’ll compare their properties, explore their applications, and provide a framework to help you confidently select the ideal 3d printing material for your specific project needs.
Interactive Tool
Find the Perfect 3D Printing Material for Your Project
Struggling to pinpoint the best 3d printing material for your application? Our interactive material catalog simplifies the decision-making process, guiding you to the right choice based on your project requirements and the material properties that matter most. Explore our extensive library of 3d printing materials and make informed decisions.
Plastic 3D Printing Materials and Processes
The realm of plastic 3d printing materials is vast, offering a multitude of options, each possessing unique qualities tailored to specific applications. To simplify your material selection journey, let’s first categorize the main types of plastics and explore the prominent plastic 3D printing processes.
Types of Plastic Materials
Plastics broadly fall into two primary categories:
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Thermoplastics: These are the most prevalent type of plastic in 3D printing. Their defining characteristic is their ability to repeatedly melt and solidify without undergoing significant chemical change. Thermoplastics can be heated, shaped, and solidified, and this process is reversible. This recyclability and reusability make them environmentally advantageous. Think of thermoplastics like butter – you can melt it, let it solidify, and melt it again, although properties might slightly alter with each cycle.
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Thermosetting Plastics: Also known as thermosets, these plastics undergo an irreversible chemical change during curing, resulting in a permanently solid state. Curing, triggered by heat, light, or radiation, causes cross-linking of polymers within the material. Unlike thermoplastics, thermosets decompose when heated rather than melting and cannot be reshaped after cooling. A helpful analogy is cake batter: once baked into a cake (cured), it can’t be melted back into batter. Recycling thermosets is generally not feasible.
Plastic 3D Printing Processes
Three dominant plastic 3D printing processes stand out in today’s landscape:
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Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM): FDM 3D printers operate by melting and extruding thermoplastic filaments. A printer nozzle precisely deposits these molten strands layer upon layer within the build area, constructing the 3D object.
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Stereolithography (SLA): SLA 3D printers utilize a laser to selectively cure thermosetting liquid resins. This process, known as photopolymerization, transforms the liquid resin into hardened plastic layer by layer, creating highly detailed parts. Explore Stereolithography (SLA) 3D Printing in Detail
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Selective Laser Sintering (SLS): SLS 3D printers employ a high-powered laser to fuse together fine particles of thermoplastic powder. The laser selectively sinters powder particles layer by layer, building up the 3D part within a powder bed. Learn More About Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
Video Guide
How to Select the Right 3D Printing Technology
Choosing between FDM, SLA, and SLS 3D printing technologies can be challenging. This video guide provides a comparative analysis of these popular methods, considering key factors to help you determine the best plastic 3D printer for your specific needs and 3d printing material compatibility.
Watch the Technology Comparison Video
FDM 3D Printing: Materials and Applications
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), also known as Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), reigns as the most widespread 3D printing method, particularly at the consumer level, driven by the accessibility of hobbyist 3D printers. FDM is a versatile 3d printing material process.
FDM technology excels in creating basic proof-of-concept models and rapid, low-cost prototypes of simple parts, often serving as an alternative to traditional machining for straightforward geometries.
However, consumer-grade FDM generally exhibits lower resolution and accuracy compared to other plastic 3D printing techniques. It may not be ideal for intricate designs or parts with fine details. Post-processing techniques like chemical and mechanical polishing can improve surface finish. Industrial FDM 3D printers, while more expensive, address some limitations by using soluble supports and offering a wider range of engineering thermoplastics and composites.
A characteristic of FDM printing is the potential for voids between layers due to incomplete adhesion of molten filament. This can lead to anisotropic parts, where strength varies depending on the direction of force. Understand Anisotropy in 3D Printing. This is a crucial consideration when designing load-bearing parts.
FDM 3d printing materials come in a spectrum of colors. Innovative filament blends also exist, offering surfaces that mimic wood or metal appearances, expanding the aesthetic possibilities of FDM printed parts.
Popular FDM 3D Printing Materials
The most common FDM 3d printing materials are ABS, PLA, and their various blends. Advanced FDM printers can also handle specialized materials with enhanced properties like heat resistance, impact resistance, chemical resistance, and rigidity, broadening the application scope of FDM.
| Material | Features | Applications |
|---|---|---|
| ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) | Tough and durable, Heat and impact resistant, Requires heated bed, Requires ventilation | Functional prototypes |
| PLA (polylactic acid) | Easiest FDM material to print, Rigid, strong, but brittle, Less heat and chemical resistant, Biodegradable, Odorless | Concept models, Looks-like prototypes |
| PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol) | Lower printing temperatures for faster production, Humidity and chemical resistant, High transparency, Can be food safe | Waterproof applications, Snap-fit components |
| Nylon | Strong, durable, and lightweight, Tough and partially flexible, Heat and impact resistant, Complex to print on FDM | Functional prototypes, Wear-resistant parts |
| TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) | Flexible and stretchable, Impact resistant, Excellent vibration dampening | Flexible prototypes |
| PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) | Soluble support material, Dissolves in water | Support material |
| HIPS (high impact polystyrene) | Soluble support material (for ABS), Dissolves in limonene | Support material |
| Composites (carbon fiber, kevlar, fiberglass) | Rigid, strong, or extremely tough, Compatibility limited to industrial FDM 3D printers | Functional prototypes, Jigs, fixtures, tooling |
SLA 3D Printing: Resins and Precision
Stereolithography (SLA), the pioneering 3D printing technology invented in the 1980s, remains a leading choice for professionals seeking high precision and surface quality. SLA is renowned for its exceptional 3d printing material capabilities in resin.
SLA excels in producing parts with the highest resolution, accuracy, finest details, and smoothest surface finish among plastic 3D printing technologies. Resin 3D printing is ideal for prototypes demanding tight tolerances and smooth surfaces, as well as functional parts like molds, patterns, and end-use components. Explore SLA Post-Processing Techniques to further enhance part quality through polishing, painting, and coating for client-ready results.
SLA 3D printed parts exhibit isotropy, meaning their strength is consistent in all directions due to chemical bonds forming between layers. Understand Isotropic Properties in SLA. This predictable mechanical performance is crucial for applications like jigs and fixtures, end-use parts, and functional prototyping.
SLA offers the most extensive selection of 3d printing material options within plastic 3D printing, catering to diverse application requirements with specialized resins.
White Paper
Comprehensive Guide to Stereolithography (SLA) 3D Printing
Considering SLA 3D printing for your high-resolution models? Download our white paper to delve into the workings of SLA technology and understand why it’s the preferred 3d printing material process for achieving incredible detail and smooth surfaces.
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Popular SLA 3D Printing Materials
SLA 3D printing boasts remarkable material versatility, offering a wide array of resin formulations with tailored optical, mechanical, and thermal properties. These resins can mimic standard, engineering, and industrial thermoplastics. Resin 3D printing also provides the broadest range of biocompatible 3d printing materials.
Material availability varies by manufacturer and printer model. Formlabs stands out with the most comprehensive resin library, featuring over 40 SLA 3d printing materials.
| Formlabs Materials | Features | Applications
