Materials
You do not have to choose. Tell us what the part does and where it lives and we will pick — and then tell you what we picked and why. But if you would like to know, here is all of it.
The short version
Sun and frost destroy the cheap plastics. This one shrugs both off and takes paint.
ASA
Tough and slightly springy, so it bends before it breaks. For heavy work we go up to nylon.
PETG
About as soft as a shoe sole. It squashes and springs back rather than cracking.
TPU
Printed from liquid instead of thread, so faces, texture and tiny lettering come out sharp.
Resin
Gears, hinges and catches. Nylon keeps working long after other plastics have worn smooth.
Nylon
Say so. Every question in the form has a “not sure — choose for me” answer, and we explain what we picked and why when we send you the price.
We choose
Printed from plastic thread
A spool of plastic is melted and laid down in thin lines, one on top of the next, until the part is there. It is strong, it is quick, and you can see the lines if you look closely. This is how most parts are made.
The everyday one. Cheap, stiff, prints beautifully and comes in every colour. It just does not like heat.
For the specification: pulls apart at about 60 MPa, softens around 55 °C, printed in layers 0.12 – 0.28 mm.
The sensible default for something that has a job to do. Tougher than PLA, bends a little instead of snapping, and does not mind being wet.
For the specification: pulls apart at about 50 MPa, softens around 75 °C, printed in layers 0.12 – 0.28 mm.
The outdoor one. Sun, frost and rain do not bother it, and it takes paint well.
For the specification: pulls apart at about 45 MPa, softens around 95 °C, printed in layers 0.12 – 0.24 mm.
The bendy one. About as soft as a shoe sole: it squashes and springs back instead of cracking.
For the specification: pulls apart at about 35 MPa, softens around 80 °C, printed in layers 0.16 – 0.24 mm.
The one for things that rub. Gears, hinges and catches made of nylon keep working long after other plastics have worn away.
For the specification: pulls apart at about 70 MPa, softens around 120 °C, printed in layers 0.12 – 0.24 mm.
Nylon with chopped carbon fibre mixed in. Very stiff and very light — it barely bends at all.
For the specification: pulls apart at about 95 MPa, softens around 150 °C, printed in layers 0.12 – 0.24 mm.
The one that takes a beating and takes heat. Nearly clear, and hard to break.
For the specification: pulls apart at about 65 MPa, softens around 115 °C, printed in layers 0.12 – 0.24 mm.
Printed from liquid
A tray of liquid is hardened a slice at a time by light. The layers are around a fortieth of a millimetre, so faces, texture and small lettering come out sharp. The trade is that resin parts are more fragile and do not like heat or sunlight.
For detail. Printed from a liquid rather than a thread, so faces, texture and tiny lettering come out crisp.
For the specification: pulls apart at about 45 MPa, softens around 60 °C, printed in layers 0.025 – 0.05 mm.
Detail, but it survives being handled. The one to pick when a fine part is going to be picked up every day.
For the specification: pulls apart at about 55 MPa, softens around 70 °C, printed in layers 0.05 mm.
Soft and detailed at the same time — squashier than TPU but far finer.
For the specification: pulls apart at about 10 MPa, softens around 50 °C, printed in layers 0.05 mm.
Worth knowing
The strength and heat figures on each card come from test pieces printed on our machines with our settings. A real part is stronger in one direction than another, because of the way the lines are laid down. We design around the direction your part will be loaded in — tell us which way it gets pulled and it matters more than the number.
Say so on the form. We use a dedicated nozzle and a food-safe plastic for those jobs — and we will tell you plainly when a printed part is not a good idea for the use you have in mind, even if that means talking you out of the order.
Pick “not sure — choose for me” on every question in the form. You will see the material we chose, the reason we chose it, and the price, before you decide anything.
Would rather just write to somebody? Office@niceprints3d.com