The 3D material development promotes the development of 3D printing with a diversity of 3D printing technologies such as SLS, SLA, DlP, and FDM. Each technology needs different printing materials. Here, we are going to discuss the materials for FDM printing.

Have a Check on FDM 3D Printing Materials

PLA & ABS

PLA (Polylactic acid ) is the most popular for 3D printing fans. It is a Biodegradable thermo-plastic plastic originating from renewable resources such as corn, beet, cassava, and cane. Thus, the material based on PLA is much more environmentally friendly than other plastics. It is called green plastic.

Another advantage of the PLA is that it does not generate an unpleasant smell. Thus, it is relatively safe and suitable to use at home or in the classroom. It has less contraction than ABS. You can complete the printing without a heating device.

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is the second only next to PLA for FDM printing. This kind of thermoplastic plastic is cheap, durable, lightweight, easy to squeeze, and highly elastic, which is very suitable for 3D printing. At present, the Lego is printed with such plastic.

But there are some shortages of it. First, it has a higher melt temperature than PLA, usually at 210°C – 250°C. Then, you have to heat the platform during the printing to avoid the first layer cooling down quickly, causing warp and shrink.

Another is that compared with other materials, during the printing, ABS would release more poisonous substances than PLA. You have to put it in a place that has a good condition for airflow or use a closed box with air purification devices.

TPE / TPU

In the commercial, TPE is usually for automobile parts, home electrics, medical products, shoes, wrist wraps, etc. The flexible TPE, especially the TPU, can be used to manufacture products with good extensibility. However, it is difficult for product printing, especially for remote material delivery 3D printers, which makes it hard to control the material forward and backward.

Wood-like Material

The wood-like material can be printed models with the touch feeling like the wood. By mixing certain wood fibers with PLA, such as Bamboo, Birch, Cedar, Cherry, Coconut, Cork, Ebony, Olive, Pine, and Willow, you can get a series of wood-like materials for 3D printing. But you have to keep in mind that it would decrease the flexibility and extensibility of PLA after adding wood fiber.

Metal PLA / Metal ABS

It is a mixture of PLA or ABS and metal powder. After polishing, the model looks like Bronze, Brass, Aluminum, or Stainless Steel in visual effects. It is much more weight than the common ABS/PLA material because it has metal powder. Thus, it is more like metal than plastic when we touch it.

Carbon Fiber

The material mixed with carbon fiber increases the stiffness, structure, adhere ability, etc. But it also brings higher costs. As these materials are a grind, even in high precision, they would enhance the worn-to-spray nozzle made of soft metal materials like a brass-made nozzle. After printing 500g material, the diameter for the brass nozzle enlarged and needed a replacement promptly.

Glow-in-the-Dark

Exposing this kind of material to lights for about 15 minutes, then taking it to a dark environment, the printing model would display terrifyingly lights. By adding different fluorescent to PLA or ABS, you have colors, including green, blue, red, pink, yellow, or orange.

WKproto is a professional rapid prototyping and low-volume production manufacturer specializing in 3D printing, CNC machining, and Vacuum Casting. Our factory and partner factories enable rapid prototyping of designs from our customers and low-volume production for market verification.