What is the difference between technical filament and PLA or PETG?

PLA and PETG are easy to print and strong enough for most work. You choose a technical filament for one property they lack, such as wear resistance, fibre-reinforced stiffness, chemical resistance, solubility or antistatic behaviour. In return it asks more of your printer and of you. If in doubt, try PETG first.

Which technical filament is the strongest?

That depends on what you mean by strong. For stiffness, choose PA12 + CF: according to Fiberlogy it has twice the tensile strength and more than twice the stiffness of regular PA12. For toughness and wear resistance, choose nylon PA12, which stretches a long way before it breaks. PP is less stiff, but springs back where other materials break.

Which filament is resistant to chemicals?

PP and nylon PA12. PP resists many acids, bases, oils and greases, which makes it suitable for containers and parts in the lab and workshop. According to Fiberlogy, nylon PA12 resists alcohol and many chemicals, and it is also wear-resistant. No material resists everything, so if in doubt, test a sample with the substance you use.

Do I need to dry technical filament?

Nylon and BVOH definitely. Both draw moisture from the air, and damp filament causes bubbles, stringing and weaker prints. Dry the spool in a filament dryer before printing and store it airtight. A spool fresh out of its vacuum packaging can usually be used straight away. For the other materials, dry storage is sensible but less critical.

Where can I find flexible filament (TPU)?

TPU and other flexible filaments have their own category: TPU / Flex . There you will find Fiberlogy FiberFlex, among others, for parts that need to give and absorb impacts, such as seals, grips and protective covers.

Technical filament

Wear-resistant, stiff, chemical-resistant, soluble or antistatic: filament for parts that need to do more than PLA.

You don’t choose a technical filament for its colour, but for what a part has to do: resist wear, stay stiff, withstand chemicals, dissolve after printing or dissipate static charge. Here you will find Fiberlogy’s technical materials: nylon PA12, nylon with carbon or glass fibre, PP, soluble support material and ESD-safe filament. Below the products you can read which material suits your application. Read more…

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What is technical filament?

PLA and PETG cover most print jobs. Technical filament, also called engineering filament, starts where they stop: with parts that rub against each other, have to stay stiff and dimensionally stable, meet chemicals, or are so complex that the support has to disappear afterwards. These materials ask more of your printer, such as a hotter or hardened nozzle or a second extruder.

Which technical filament should you choose?

Material	Choose it for	Nozzle	Print bed
Nylon / PA12	Tough, wear-resistant parts that move: gears, plain bearings, clips	255–270 °C	approx. 100 °C
Nylon + CF / GF	Stiff, dimensionally stable parts: brackets, drone parts, jigs	255–270 °C	90–110 °C
PP	Light, flexible, chemical-resistant parts: hinges, containers	220–250 °C	Not required
Soluble	Support that you dissolve: BVOH in water, HIPS in D-limonene	BVOH 190–220 °C, HIPS 230–245 °C	BVOH 50–70 °C, HIPS 80–100 °C
ESD-safe	Parts around sensitive electronics: housings, trays, holders	250–265 °C	85–110 °C

What does your printer need?

Hot nozzle: nylon and ESD filament print at up to 265–270 °C.
Hardened nozzle: carbon and glass fibre wear out a brass nozzle quickly.
Dry filament: nylon and BVOH absorb moisture quickly. Dry them before printing and store them with silica gel beads.
Print surface: PP only sticks to tape or a PP adhesive; ESD filament is printed on masking tape.
Two materials: for soluble support you need two extruders or a multi-material system.

Something going wrong? Our article on solving common 3D printing problems covers the most common problems and their solutions.

Pros and cons of technical filament

Advantages

Parts for real use: wear-resistant, stiff or chemical-resistant
Options that PLA does not offer, such as soluble support and antistatic prints

Disadvantages

Asks more of your printer
More expensive than PLA and PETG
More preparation, such as drying or tape

Applications of technical filament

Machinery and maintenance: gears, bearings, brackets and replacement parts.
Workshop and lab: jigs, holders and containers that withstand oil and chemicals.
Electronics: housings and trays for circuit boards and components.

Flexible, rubber-like filament is under TPU / Flex. For outdoor use, take a look at ABS & ASA.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between technical filament and PLA or PETG?
PLA and PETG are easy to print and strong enough for most work. You choose a technical filament for one property they lack, such as wear resistance, fibre-reinforced stiffness, chemical resistance, solubility or antistatic behaviour. In return it asks more of your printer and of you. If in doubt, try PETG first.
Which technical filament is the strongest?
That depends on what you mean by strong. For stiffness, choose PA12 + CF: according to Fiberlogy it has twice the tensile strength and more than twice the stiffness of regular PA12. For toughness and wear resistance, choose nylon PA12, which stretches a long way before it breaks. PP is less stiff, but springs back where other materials break.
Which filament is resistant to chemicals?
PP and nylon PA12. PP resists many acids, bases, oils and greases, which makes it suitable for containers and parts in the lab and workshop. According to Fiberlogy, nylon PA12 resists alcohol and many chemicals, and it is also wear-resistant. No material resists everything, so if in doubt, test a sample with the substance you use.
Do I need to dry technical filament?
Nylon and BVOH definitely. Both draw moisture from the air, and damp filament causes bubbles, stringing and weaker prints. Dry the spool in a filament dryer before printing and store it airtight. A spool fresh out of its vacuum packaging can usually be used straight away. For the other materials, dry storage is sensible but less critical.
Where can I find flexible filament (TPU)?
TPU and other flexible filaments have their own category: TPU / Flex. There you will find Fiberlogy FiberFlex, among others, for parts that need to give and absorb impacts, such as seals, grips and protective covers.