The most versatile technology in the current era is 3D printing. It is famous for creating various specialized applications in various technical materials. These materials differ in the structure of nature, properties, and how they work under different temperatures.
Before we go further, what are these materials? They are mainly known as filaments. These 3D printer filaments are the thermoplastic feedstock for fused deposition modeling 3D printers. They are plastics or polymers; they are created through heating to melt them rather than burn, then extruded through a metal nozzle as the extruder assembly moves, following a path programmed into a 3D object file to create, layer by layer, the printed object, which later its let to cool to transform the nurdles into the finished 3D product. Although 3D printers have a single extruder in most cases, some printers with dual-extruder models can print objects in different colors, filaments, and mirrored 3D objects.
Once you have a 3D printer, you'll have to worry about the filament. Which one to use, and which one suits your project best? There are several dozen varieties of filaments for 3D printers apart from their different colors. They include;
- ABS Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
- PLA Polylactic acid
- PETG Polyethylene Terephthalate glycol is known for being formable for manufacturing and durability.
- PVA Polyvinyl alcohol filament dissolves in water.
- (TPU) Thermoplastic polyurethane is rubber-like flexible
- HIP High-impact polystyrene is lightweight and can be colored with acrylic paints.
Among others, don't worry about abbreviations and names. Mostly the ones that are commonly used are basically three to four, like PLA, ABS, PETG, and so on. they focus a lot on strength and flexibility, as these are the factors affecting the quality and neatness of the production. But, of course, the process of production or printing with plastic filaments differs; mostly, they are either in two ways. That is:
- The fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technique works with specialized 3D printers to develop robust, durable, and dimensionally stable parts with incredible accuracy and repeatability of any 3D printing technology. FDM was invented 20 years ago by Scott Crump, and it has continued to take the lead in this technology ever since. Primarily, it has three main benefits. Which include;
- The complex geometries that were unimaginable possible are now made possible and practical with FDM technology.
- It is known to support production-grade thermoplastics, which are mechanically and environmentally stable.
- The technology is simple to use, office-friendly and clean.
- Fussed Filament Fabrication is an additive manufacturing process in which thermoplastic material is pushed through a heated nozzle to create an object layer by layer. Its origin goes back to the 1980s. But it was not so popular until ten years ago when projects like the open-source RepRap initiative came up with more incredible innovation and affordability.
These two techniques are more or less the same; sometimes, you might even find people using the names interchangeably. Focus on your 3D printer, the project you have at hand, or what projects you plan to take. For this reason, you will have an easy time choosing the best filament.
This guide will help you have a hint of what to focus on in case you've not decided which filament to use. Many businesses and individuals are using various varieties of filaments to unlock cost, time-saving, and quality production. Why not you? Visit Snapmaker’s website and get a chance to see multiple filaments and discover how much they will help in your output. Why lose this chance?
