FDM 3D Printing filament is a type of material that is fed into the printer from a spool. There is a wide range of different materials but we currently prefer to work with PLA, TPU, Nylon and NylonX.
- PLA plastic is fairly strong and rigid enough for typical situations.
However it's not food, dishwasher or sunshine safe. So it's good for indoor use.
This may be a con in some cases but also a benefit as it is bio-degradable.
Plenty of colors to choose from. Some matte. Some shiny and reflective.
It's pretty cheap. Around $20 ~> $25 bucks per 1kg spool.
​
- TPU plastic is very strong and very flexible.
Since it's so flexible it can be used for wearable parts.
Very comfortable since it naturally bends to fit the shape of the surface it's on.
Most printers can't even print TPU because they use a Bowdin style which tube feeds the filament.
We use CraftBot printers which feeds the filament using a Direct Drive style which makes TPU easy.
Plenty of colors to choose from. Some matte. Some see through translucent shiny.
It's pretty cheap. Around $30 bucks per 1kg spool.
​
- Nylon is very strong and durable with a fair amount of flex to it.
Plenty of colors to choose from that has a small amount of shine.
It's more expensive. Around $33 ~> $80 bucks per 0.75kg spool.
​
- NylonX is extremely strong, durable and more rigid than Nylon, less rigid than PLA.
This is Nylon with chopped up Carbon Fiber dust mixed in to add even more strength and rigidity.
1 dark grey nearly black matte color to choose from.
Even more expensive. Around $58 bucks per 0.5kg spool.
