Hello everyone, I am Zhao.
FDM3D printers can generally support a variety of printing materials, here are some commonly used printing materials
1. PLA
Using FDM printing, the most common material is PLA
PLA (Polylactic acid), the Chinese name is biodegradable plastic polylactic acid, referred to as PLA. Here are its pros and cons.
1. Advantages:
1. Environmentally friendly
2. No bad smell
3. Almost no shrinkage when cold
2. Disadvantages:
1. Easy to block the nozzle
2. No flexibility
3. Relatively fragile and easy to break
3. Printing temperature:
1. The nozzle temperature is 190°C-210°C.
2. Platform temperature: no requirement
PLA is the printing material I use the most. Generally speaking, there is no problem in printing models. I think the biggest problem with PLA is that it is too brittle and has no toughness and elasticity. I have tried to use PLA to print some movable joints before, but they all ended in failure. They either cracked or loosened easily.
2. ABS
ABS (Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styenecolymer), the Chinese name is acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, ABS for short.
1. Advantages
1. Extrude smoothly, not easy to block the nozzle
2. Have good strength
3. Have flexibility
2. Disadvantages
1. Has a strong smell
2. Has the characteristic of shrinking when cold, so it is easy to warp
3. Printing temperature
1. Nozzle temperature: 245°C-265°C
2. Platform temperature: 80°C-120°C
Due to the unpleasant smell, I have basically never bought ABS materials to print things. Specifically, its strength and softness can reach To what extent, I don't know very well.
3. PETG
PETG, the full English name Poly (ethylene terephthalateco-1,4-cylclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate), is a transparent, non-crystalline copolyester.
1. Advantages
1. Has a transparent effect
2. Has good strength
3. Has softness
2. Disadvantages
Haven't found any disadvantages yet
3. Printing temperature
1. Nozzle temperature: 230°C-250°C
2. Platform temperature: no requirement
I come into contact with PETG material mainly because of its transparency. Generally, PLA materials are opaque, but I really wanted to make some transparent special effects parts, so I bought PETG to use.
In fact, my idea was not realized in the end.
In my imagination, the effect of transparency should be able to reach this level.
Looking at the PETG material when it is not printed, it also feels crystal clear
But after the actual printing, you will find that because FDM printing is layer by layer, even if the fill is adjusted to 100%, the model will not be as transparent as glass because of the printed texture, and it will not even be placed under the lamp. Look, it's almost invisible that it's transparent.
Under the light, it can still be seen that it is transparent. Therefore, it can be considered to be used in the light-emitting part of the lamp for light transmission.
Although the transparent effect of PETG did not meet my expectations, the advantages of PETG are still obvious. Its strength and toughness are higher than PLA, and it has a certain degree of elasticity. But I tried to use PETG to make the movable joint, but it still didn't meet my expectation. The elasticity of PETG is relatively hard, and it cannot wrap the joints to give joint strength, and if the force is too large, after the PETG itself is deformed, it will not return to its original shape.
4. TPU
TPU polyurethane, TPU is the abbreviation of Thermoplastic Urethane, the Chinese name is thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer
1. Advantages
1. Has very good fragility
2. Has very good elasticity
3. Has a transparent effect
2. Disadvantages
1. Too soft, no support
3. Printing temperature
1. Nozzle temperature: 200°C-230°C
2. Platform temperature: 50°C-80°C
I use TPU material mainly because of its elasticity.
When used in joints, it can be used with hard PLA or PETG to make some more powerful joints. But it should be noted that TPU is very soft. If you want to print a model with strong support, it is generally not acceptable.
Then its light transmission is also relatively good, making some light-transmitting parts can make more interesting effects.