Technical Materials
CARBON FIBER
Carbon Fiber is an ultra-high-strength Continuous Fiber, if added to a basic plastic material it can yield parts as strong as 6061-T6 Aluminum.
It’s extremely stiff and strong.
Flexural Strength 540MPa and Flexural Stiffness 60GPa.
KEVLAR
Kevlar is a specialized Continuous Fiber known for its energy absorption and extreme toughness. When laid into Onyx or another Composite Base material, it yields extremely impact-resistant parts that are nearly immune to catastrophic failure (fracture). It’s perfect for use in parts that are in demanding environments or are subject to repetitive loading.
FIBRA DI VETRO
With the glass fiber production process, the final product loses its brittleness and obtains high mechanical strength and resilience; is a material capable of yielding parts 10x stronger than ABS when laid into a Composite Base material like Onyx.
PC
PC (Polycarbonate) is the perfect material for more resistant and long-lasting 3D printings.
Polycarbonates include a group of plastic materials known for their mechanical durability, toughness, and temperatures resistance. They are commonly used in the production of CDs, protective eyeglasses, and cars' headlights.
The composition of pure polycarbonates makes it difficult to print in 3D using this material; although, it is easier to print using polycarbonates than ABS.
PEC
"PEC" is an ethylene-carbonate blend with glass fibers added in order to make it harder, it is extremely tough, temperature and shock resistant.
TPU
TPU 98A is a flexible and elastic filament. On the toughness scale 98A stands for hard rubber; for example, think about roller-skates and skateboards wheels. If you were looking for a phone case, a case for your action cam, or wheels for your RC car, this material would be ideal for its flexibility.
The resistance to abrasion for this material is optimal, it also remains flexible in cold environments, and is resistant to many solvents.
TPU 98A doesn't shrink much once it cools down; therefore, the measurements are quite precise and the products interlocks perfectly.
ASA
ASA can be considered the true heir of ABS. ASA is UV resistant, it doesn't contract as much as ABS, and the fumes produced are less visible. 3D printings with ASA are long lasting, resistant, and easy to adapt to a multitude of applications. This material is characterised by a high freezing point, which means it has a good heat resistance, it doesn't deform up-to 93 ° C.
Thanks to all this characteristics, ASA is particularly suitable to print objects intended for outdoor use.
However, especially when printing oversized objects, it is possible to encounter issues with the deformation of the material.
PETG CARBON
This filament is based on PETG material and
enhanced with Carbon fiber. It combines great thermal resistance of the PETG with the strength, rigidity, and durability that comes from the Carbon fiber compound.
Apart from being very durable, Carbon fiber is also very light. This has a positive effect on the final weight of the printed object. A model printed with this filament will be lighter than the very same model printed with generic PETG.
Plastic materials
PLA
It is a tough material and therefore a bit fragile, and once it breaks, it likes tends to shatter. It is also biodegradable since it comes from corn starch.
It has a low melting temperature (175°C) which means low-temperature resistance. Parts made with this material start to loose mechanical strength around 60 °C.
PLA is not ideal for outdoor use because it has a low UV-resistance.
On the other side, it is perfect for non-functional prototypes and objects that require a higher aesthetics, because of the variety of colours.o keep sanding.
PLA WOOD
Wood-based filament is a composite that combines a PLA base material with wood fibres, coming from recycled wood. With this material we can print objects that have the appearance and the smell of actual wood.
The filament PLA WOOD is completely biodegradable since it doesn't contain any toxic additives.
PETG
PETG is a very tough material with good thermal resistance.
Its use is universal but especially suitable for mechanical parts, for both indoor and outdoor use.
It very uncommon for PETG to warp, it has a low thermal expansion; therefore, printing large objects isn’t a problem with this material (it rarely lifts from the bed and warps).
In addition to that, PETG is ductile and flexible, which prevents parts from breaking under pressure.
ABS
ABS is a very tough and versatile material with great thermal resistance, which means higher melting temperature, your prints won’t show signs of deformation up to 98 °C.
It’s suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
ABS also has a high wear-resistance, which makes it very strong and impact resistant.
And last but not least, it’s soluble in acetone! Which makes it really easy to connect multiple parts together and allows you to smooth prints with acetone vapors.
On the other hand, thermal contractions is where ABS results hard to successfully print with, especially when printing larger objects.
PVB
Polyvinyl butyral (PVB) is a design material suitable for easy smoothing with isopropyl alcohol (IPA), this process also waterproofs the material. Print settings are similar to PLA, mechanical properties are slightly better (similar to CPE or PETG). Because of the IPA smoothing, it is optimal to print visual models, such as unconventional vases, jewellery, lampshades, and other design objects.
The main disadvantages of PVB are the low-temperature resistance (approx. 60°C) and layer to layer adhesion which are similar to PLA.
RESINS
RESINA UV
The UV resin goes through photopolymerization; therefore, it becomes tougher, it is a strong and fragile material at the same time.
Compared to filament printing, the resin is more suitable for aesthetic necessities, such as rings, small statues, small objects...
You may notice where the supports where taken out, so the presence of supports may limit the design.
The final product results smooth and generally 100% full.
RESINA UV ABS-LIKE
Compared to the basic resin, it is smoother and less fragile, it can substitute ABS in some applications.
SPECIAL UV RESIN FOR CASTING
This is a high-performance resin, it produces more details. Generally, it is used to create dental prothesis and mouth guards.
It can be heated up to 950°C for a half an hour or more.
Another advantage of printing with resin is the variation of colours, resins can be coloured, transparent, or with a glass finish.