David Thompson
Electrical Design Engineer
Do we want our 3D printed output to be strong, or flexible? In reality, it's likely to be a bit of both. But some projects are going to ...
Do we want our 3D printed output to be strong, or flexible?
In reality, it's likely to be a bit of both. But some projects are going to lean more to strength, while others will target flexibility.
So what filament do you choose?
Options like Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) or Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate offer good levels of strength, as do nylon and Glycolized Polyethylene Terephthalate.
On the other hand, Thermoplastic Polyurethane is a more flexible filament, giving elasticity as well as durability.
Increasingly, projects are using composite filaments. This may involve adding carbon fibre or another material to an ABS filament, or another filament type. A composite approach means we can tailor the properties of the material to suit specific project needs.
For me, I expect to see composites become even more common in the future. This is going to give us more control over the properties of the filament—whether that's strength, flexibility, or something else.