Emily Patterson

Additive manufacturing is moving forward at a rapid pace so engineers have a lot of choices to make.

One key choice is filament type. Let's take a look at a few.

PLA. Polylactic acid. This is an organic material that supports lower-temperature printing.It's most suitable for developing simple parts cheaply and sustainably.

PETG. Polyethylene terephthalate (glycol-modified) requires higher print temperatures but offers more durability and resistance than PLA.

ABS. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene requires the same high temperatures as PETG but provides better bonding and more consistent printing.This makes it useful in mass production of components.

Carbon Fibre. Carbon fibre sits between PLA and PETG/ABS in terms of print temperature but offers excellent electrical conductivity.As a result,carbon fibre is the filament type of choice for additive manufacturing in electronics.

Each filament type has its own strengths and weaknesses.Consider the project at hand as you make your choice