3D Printing Materials Guide

Manufacturing process, properties, advantages and uses of each material for FDM and SLA.

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Choosing the right material

The material determines the mechanical, aesthetic and functional properties of the final part. This guide covers the most widely used materials in FDM printing (thermoplastic filaments) and SLA printing (photopolymer resins): how they are manufactured, their strengths, their limitations and which projects they are best suited for.

FDM

FDM Materials — Thermoplastic Filaments

FDM filaments are thermoplastic polymers extruded into spools. The printer melts and deposits them layer by layer, building the part through material accumulation.

PLA

Polylactic Acid

How is it made?

PLA is produced by bacterial fermentation of plant starches (corn, sugarcane). The resulting lactic acid is polymerised through polycondensation or ring-opening to form polylactide pellets. These pellets are extruded at ~180 °C to form filament with a diameter of 1.75 or 2.85 mm, with tolerances of ±0.05 mm.

Advantages

  • Very easy to print, ideal for beginners
  • Biodegradable and plant-based origin
  • Wide range of colours, textures and finishes
  • Minimal warping, no enclosure required
  • High surface detail resolution

Limitations

  • Low heat deflection temperature (~60 °C)
  • Brittle under sudden impacts
  • Degrades with moisture and sunlight
  • Not suitable for high mechanical loads
Recommended usesVisual prototypes, decorative figures, architectural models, low-stress functional parts.

PETG

Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol

How is it made?

PETG is a modified version of PET produced by incorporating glycol during the polycondensation of terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol. Glycol disrupts the polymer crystallisation, making it more flexible, impact-resistant and easier to print than standard PET. The resulting pellets are extruded into filament at ~230 °C.

Advantages

  • Good impact and fatigue resistance
  • Semi-transparent, aesthetic and versatile
  • Resistant to chemicals, moisture and mild UV
  • Food-contact safe (without additives)
  • Optimal balance between stiffness and flexibility

Limitations

  • Prone to stringing between parts
  • Sticks to nozzle if temperature is too high
  • Less rigid than ABS or ASA
  • Harder to sand and polish than PLA
Recommended usesContainers and enclosures, medium-load mechanical parts, protective covers, translucent applications.

ABS / ASA

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene / Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate

How is it made?

ABS is produced by emulsion polymerisation of acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene. ASA replaces the butadiene segment with acrylic rubber through graft copolymerisation, providing UV resistance without sacrificing mechanical properties. Both are pelletised and extruded into filament at 230–250 °C, requiring a heated bed.

Advantages

  • High mechanical strength and heat resistance (~100 °C)
  • ABS: can be smoothed with acetone vapour
  • ASA: resistant to UV, rain and outdoor temperatures
  • Widely used in industry and automotive
  • Good stiffness-to-toughness balance

Limitations

  • Significant warping; enclosure required
  • Emits VOCs during printing (ventilation mandatory)
  • Heated bed > 100 °C and stable ambient temperature
  • More difficult to print than PLA or PETG
Recommended usesElectronic enclosures, automotive parts, high-temperature functional prototypes, outdoor use (ASA).

TPU

Thermoplastic Polyurethane

How is it made?

TPU is synthesised by an addition reaction between a diisocyanate, a long-chain polyol and a low-molecular-weight chain extender. The ratio of hard segments (isocyanate + extender) to soft segments (polyol) determines the final Shore hardness (from Shore A 85 to Shore D 50). It is pelletised and extruded into filament with ±0.03 mm tolerances.

Advantages

  • Flexible and elastic, excellent impact absorption
  • High wear and abrasion resistance
  • Performs across a wide temperature range (−40 to 80 °C)
  • Good adhesion to multiple substrates
  • Moderate chemical resistance

Limitations

  • Slow and delicate printing (clog risk)
  • Incompatible with long Bowden extruders
  • Hygroscopic: must be stored dry
  • Difficult to remove from supports
Recommended usesPhone cases, seals and gaskets, wheels and bearings, shock absorbers, flexible hinges, technical footwear.
SLA

SLA Materials — Photopolymer Resins

SLA resins are liquid photopolymers that solidify layer by layer under UV light at a specific wavelength. They enable sub-millimetre detail and very smooth surfaces.

Standard resin

Standard Photopolymer Resin

How is it made?

Photopolymer resin is a mixture of reactive monomers, oligomers and photoinitiators. When exposed to UV light at a specific wavelength (385–405 nm), the photoinitiators trigger a chain polymerisation reaction that solidifies the material layer by layer, with layer thicknesses of 25–100 µm. After printing, parts are washed in isopropanol and post-cured under UV light.

Advantages

  • Extreme detail (XY resolution < 50 µm)
  • Very smooth surface with minimal visible layering
  • Wide range of colours and formulations
  • High dimensional fidelity

Limitations

  • Brittle compared to FDM thermoplastics
  • UV-sensitive without post-curing
  • Requires IPA for washing and a UV curing station
  • Toxic when uncured; PPE required
Recommended usesMiniatures and figures, design prototypes, jewellery models, high-precision architectural parts.

Castable resin

Lost-Wax / Castable Photopolymer Resin

How is it made?

A special photopolymer formulation designed to replicate the lost-wax casting process. It contains low-combustion-temperature components that, when subjected to the investment plaster burnout cycle (400–800 °C), are eliminated with virtually no residue (< 0.01% ash). The resulting mould is poured with molten metal: gold, silver, platinum or bronze.

Advantages

  • Clean burnout for lost-wax casting
  • Extreme detail reproduced directly in metal
  • Compatible with gold, silver, platinum and bronze
  • Enables geometries impossible with conventional wax

Limitations

  • Very brittle before casting
  • Strict and specific burnout protocol required
  • Very high material cost
  • Long total process: printing + casting + metalwork
Recommended usesPrecision jewellery, metal dental crowns and bridges, industrial investment casting parts.

Dental resin

Dental-Grade Biocompatible Photopolymer

How is it made?

A medical-grade photopolymer formulated with biocompatible monomers (bis-GMA, TEGDMA, UDMA) and certified to ISO 10993 and EN ISO 22674. Available in multiple formulations depending on clinical application: diagnostic models, surgical guides, temporary restorations and splints. Controlled post-curing (time and intensity) is critical to achieve certified biocompatibility.

Advantages

  • Certified biocompatible (ISO 10993, Class IIa/IIb)
  • High clinical precision (< 50 µm)
  • Available in VITA and dental shade colours
  • Application-specific formulations

Limitations

  • Very high cost compared to standard resins
  • Strict and calibrated clinical post-processing
  • Limited shelf life once opened (~12 months)
  • For use by qualified professionals only
Recommended usesDiagnostic models, implant guides, temporaries, occlusal splints, orthodontics and aligners.

Not sure which material to choose?

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