< 3D Printing

Plastics

FFF 3D printers typically accept a filament of a certain diameter.

Some FFF 3D printers are modified to use pellets for ease of using recycled material.[1]

PLA

PLA is a common 3D printing material. It's inexpensive and easy to use, making it a good choice as a starter material for beginners, and a general material for more advanced operators.[2]

Compared to using ABS, a typical FFF printer using PLA should emit less particles.[3]

ABS

ABS is cheap and strong, but needs the right environment to print well.[4]

Compared to using PLA, a typical FFF printer using ABS should emit more particles.[3][5] Ventilation should be used when printing ABS.[4]

HIPS

HIPS is a good starting material due to its ease of use and because it is not expensive.[6]

PETG

Despite it's very different chemistry, PETG prints are similar to ABS prints but are less temperamental about the print environment making them easier to print.[2]

PETG can't be directly printed on a glass bed.[2] An intermediate material like tape must be used.[7]

Nylon

Nylon 3D prints are known for being somewhat flexible and durable.[7][8]

Nylon can also be dyed to produce different color materials.[7]

Nylon can be temperamental and difficult to work with.[4]

Flexible

Flexible filaments are expensive to buy and temperamental to use, but gives prints unique properties, allowing them to deform slightly.[2] These filaments tend to jam, and are best used on direct drive printers.[4]

Ideal Support Materials

PVA

PVA is water soluble, so PVA material melts in water while leaving the primary plastic intact.[4] This makes it ideal for support material when used in a dual extruder or a multi material printer, since supports can be dissolved instead of manually removed.

Composite Materials

Composite materials mix a printable material with a material that typically can't be printed, giving it unique properties, as well as unique challenges.

Composite Examples

  • Magnetic Iron PLA - Can attract strong magnets and rust.[9][10]
  • Conductive PLA - Prints are electrically conductive and can carry small currents for simple electronics or to enable parts to trigger touchscreens.[11]

Resins

SLA printers use liquid resin, instead of filaments.

These resins can usually be colored with dye.[12][13]

Exotic Materials

3D printers geared towards directly printing in exotic materials exist.[14][15]

It is often a better idea to try 3D printing a mold in a conventional material and then using that mold to make the end product.[16][17]

3D printing food in particular has unique challenges, as the food must be printed in a way that avoids contamination and is safe to eat.[18]

  • Food
    • Chocolate[19]
    • Pizza Ingredients (Dough, Sauce and Cheese)[20]
  • Metal
  • Sandstone

Material Storage

When possible FFF filaments should be kept in a drybox to avoid contamination of material from humidity and dust.[21] If this is impractical, a dust filter can also be used on the filament feed.[22]

References

  1. ↑ "10 Tips for Converting a 3D Printer to Pellet Extrusion | Make:" (in en). 25 November 2020. https://makezine.com/2020/11/25/10-tips-for-converting-a-3d-printer-to-pellet-extrusion/.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "3D Printer Filaments: Definitions, Applications, and Tips". https://www.designreview.byu.edu/collections/3D%20Printer%20Filaments:%20Definitions,%20Applications,%20and%20Tips. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  3. 1 2 "3D Printer Safety – Environment, Health, and Safety". https://aeroastro-ehs.mit.edu/resources/3d-printer-safety/. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Materials for 3D Printing – build IT @SDSU Library". https://buildit.sdsu.edu/materials-for-3d-printing/. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  5. ↑ "Particles Emitted by Consumer 3D Printers Could Hurt Indoor Air Quality" (in en). https://www.news.gatech.edu/2019/10/07/particles-emitted-consumer-3d-printers-could-hurt-indoor-air-quality. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  6. ↑ "Printing Materials – Innovation Studio". https://innovationstudio.mechse.illinois.edu/design-resources/3d-printable-materials/. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 "Closing the Loop On 3D Printing". 30 November 2017. https://www.library.ucsf.edu/news/closing-the-loop-on-3d-printing/.
  8. ↑ Meher, Robin. "Library Guides: 3D Printing at the Library of Engineering and Science: Filament Guide" (in en). https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/3dprinting/filament.
  9. ↑ "Magnetic Iron PLA Magnetic 3D Printer Filament" (in en). 18 September 2015. https://www.lulzbot.com/store/filament/magnetic-iron-pla. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  10. ↑ "Iron-filled Metal Composite PLA". https://www.proto-pasta.com/products/magnetic-iron-pla. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  11. ↑ "Conductive PLA" (in en). 18 September 2015. https://www.lulzbot.com/store/filament/conductive-pla. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  12. ↑ "Color Kit" (in en-us). https://formlabs.com/store/color-kit/.
  13. ↑ "How Do I Dye Resin 3D Prints? - Easy To Create Custom Colored Resin". 31 January 2020. https://www.3dprintedminiature.com/how-do-i-dye-resin-3d-prints/.
  14. ↑ "CES 2014: 3D food printers create sweets and chocolates". 8 January 2014. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-25647918. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  15. ↑ "Engineers Create A Titanium Rib Cage Worthy Of Wolverine" (in en). https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/09/15/440361621/engineers-create-a-titanium-rib-cage-worthy-of-wolverine. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  16. ↑ Says, Jobfor778 (7 February 2020). "The beginner's guide to mold making and casting". https://blog.prusaprinters.org/the-beginners-guide-to-mold-making-and-casting_31561/. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  17. ↑ "Casting Metal Parts And Silicone Molds From 3D Prints". 25 February 2018. https://hackaday.com/2018/02/25/casting-metal-parts-and-silicone-molds-from-3d-prints/. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  18. ↑ "Maker Faire NY: Cocoa Press Chocolate Printer". 29 September 2018. https://hackaday.com/2018/09/29/maker-faire-ny-cocoa-press-chocolate-printer/. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  19. ↑ Mishan, Ligaya (21 February 2019). "The Secret Ingredient for These Desserts: A 3-D Printer (Published 2019)". https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/t-magazine/3d-printed-food-dessert.html.
  20. ↑ "NASA’s 3D Food Printer Will Make Pizza at Amusement Parks" (in en). https://www.vice.com/en/article/aekjnb/nasas-3d-food-printer-will-make-pizza-at-amusement-parks.
  21. ↑ "Filament dryboxes and alternative spool holders - not only for MMU2S". 26 July 2019. https://blog.prusaprinters.org/dryboxes-and-alternative-spool-holders-not-only-for-multimaterial-upgrade_30525/. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  22. ↑ "Filament Dust Filter Helps Keep Your Print Quality High". 6 September 2020. https://hackaday.com/2020/09/06/filament-dust-filter-helps-keep-your-print-quality-high/. Retrieved 6 November 2020.

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