A short guide to 3D printing
With 3D printing technology, you can quickly and cost-effectively create prototypes and components for a wide variety of applications.
However, choosing the right 3D printing process is only part of the puzzle. Ultimately, it is primarily the materials used that determine the desired functional and mechanical properties as well as the visual appearance of the finished objects.
This guide to 3D printing materials introduces the most common plastics and metals by comparing their properties and areas of application.
Additionally, you will learn how to select the right material for your project to optimize both performance and appearance.
Below, you will also find a YouTube video from the manufacturer Formlabs, a company well-known in the 3D printing market for its innovations in new materials.
Types of plastic materials
There are two main types of plastics:
The most commonly used plastics are **thermoplastics**.
Their primary distinguishing feature from **thermosets** is their ability to melt and solidify multiple times.
Thermoplastics are heated and then shaped as needed. This process is reversible because no chemical bonds are formed at the molecular level.
Thus, thermoplastics can be melted down and reused. They are often compared to butter, which can also melt, harden, and melt again.
However, with each melting cycle, the properties change slightly.
Thermosets, on the other hand, permanently retain their solid form once they have cured.
The polymers in thermosets cross-link during curing, which is triggered by heat, light, or suitable radiation.
When exposed to heat, thermosets decompose rather than melt and do not reform upon cooling.
Therefore, recycling thermosets and reverting them to their original components is not possible.
Thermosets can be compared to cake batter: once the batter has been baked into a cake, it cannot be melted back into batter.
3D printing process for plastics
The three most widely used 3D printing processes for plastics are:
- Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) – thermoplastic filament is melted, extruded through a print nozzle, and deposited layer by layer in the build area.
- Stereolithography (SLA) – a laser is used to cure liquid photopolymer resin into solid parts. This process is called photopolymerization.
- Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) – a high-power laser fuses small particles of thermoplastic powder together.
We offer the first two 3D printing processes:
- FDM, which is the most common 3D printing method on the market,
- and SLA 3D printing, where we cure liquid resin with a laser.
If you require specialized parts using the SLS process, we can also assist you with that.
Popular materials for FDM 3D printing
Robust and durable, heat-resistant and impact-resistant:
We use ABS for functional prototypes.
ABS is the material commonly used for most plastic parts in your car.
For example, we use ABS for the bases of our bedside lamps.
Resistance to humidity and chemicals,
High transparency, food-safe (to a certain extent).
PETG is a material that is easy to work with, especially because it is also available in a recycled version, where old PET bottles are processed into new plastic.
The most user-friendly FDM material:
Hard, strong, but brittle, with low resistance to heat and chemicals.
Biodegradable and odorless.
We mainly use PLA for decorative items, such as our bedside lamps.
Flexible and stretchable, impact-resistant, excellent vibration damping.
We mainly use TPU in the field of FPV drones, as it needs to withstand impacts.
TPU is also perfect for printing protective housings, such as for a GoPro.
Hard, strong, or extremely robust. Only compatible with certain expensive industrial machines.
Used for functional prototypes such as brackets, fixtures, and tooling equipment.
We do not keep this material in stock, as the price per kilogram can be extremely high.
However, through our partner, we can have it available within a few days and manufacture the desired part for you.
SLA-3D-print
Stereolithography was the world’s first 3D printing technology, invented in the 1980s.
It remains one of the most popular technologies among professional users today.
SLA parts offer the highest resolution and precision, the finest details, and the smoothest surfaces of all 3D printing technologies for plastics.
Resin 3D printing is a great option for highly detailed prototypes with tight tolerances and smooth surfaces, as well as for functional parts such as molds, models, and end-use parts.
SLA 3D-printed parts can also be post-processed through polishing, painting, coating, and more, allowing for presentation-ready parts with a high-quality finish.
SLA 3D-printed parts are isotropic – their strength remains consistent regardless of orientation, thanks to chemical bonds between each printed layer.
This results in parts with predictable mechanical properties, making them ideal for applications such as brackets and fixtures, end-use parts, and functional prototypes.
Popular SLA 3D printing materials
High resolution, smooth, matte surface finish.
Suitable for:
- Concept models
- Visual prototypes
We primarily use this material because the costs can be kept relatively low compared to other SLA materials.
High temperature resistance,
High precision for hot air, gas, and liquid flows.
Suitable for:
- Heat-resistant brackets, housings, and fixtures
- Casting molds and inserts
The only truly transparent material for 3D printing.
Can be polished to achieve full optical transparency.
A very challenging resin to work with, as the printer settings must be extremely precise to achieve good transparency, and extensive post-processing is required.
Strong, durable, functional, and dynamic materials,
Withstand repeated compression, stretching, bending, and impact without breaking.
Various materials with properties similar to those of ABS and PE for housings.
Suitable for:
- Brackets and fixtures
- Connectors
- Wear-resistant prototypes
Materials for investment casting and mold making with vulcanized rubber
For user-friendly casting with fine details and strong dimensional stability:
- Try-in models
- Master patterns for reusable molds
- Custom-made jewelry
Flexibility similar to rubber, TPU, or silicone
Resists bending and compression
Withstands repeated deformations without cracking.
Suitable for:
- Prototype development of consumer goods
- Compliant elements for robotics applications
- Medical devices and anatomical models
- Props and models for special effects
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