Index

Basic Material Data

What Material to Use

We have three materials to select from; we default to use CF-PETG for most prints; it's got a great combination of feature detail, print speed, strength, and environmental resistance.

The CF-Nylon and GF-Nylon are generally higher temperatures and stronger for the trade of off, slower to print, and have less feature detail.

Material Selection Flow Chart

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CF-PETG

CF-PETG has been our go-to material for most parts.

Colloquially, it's about as strong as an injection molded plastic part and has the environmental resistance of a plastic sports bottle.

We use it for most of the printed parts on the HS3, ranging from cable chain mounts to the front display housing.

Store linkCarbon Fiber Co-Polyester (PETG)

The Good

• High feature detail, good printability overall

• High z strength , 85% to isotropic

• Prints fast, deposition rate of 1kg/24hrs

The Bad

The most significant faults of CF-PETG are its limited high-temperature application and its lack of stiffness.

• Above 60°C continuously, it tends to creep under high loads.

• Not stiff/strong enough to replace “metal” parts without a significant redesign of the part/assembly

• Wears out quickly when sliding continuously → Hinges OK, Gears not OK

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Data

Test samples are printed with CF-PETG on Pantheon HS3.

Safety Data Sheet

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Use Cases

CF-Nylon

CF-Nylon uses nylon 12 as a base and is our stiffest material; it's used for high strength and high temp applications.

Our CF-Nylon has replaced aluminum die casting and even billet 6061 parts in several applications for our customers

We use the CF-Nylon on all the printed parts on the HS3 printhead due to the high-temperature exposure.

Store link Carbon Fiber Nylon

The Good

• Low moisture absorption → Nylon Moisture Absorption Testing

• Super stiff → 8150 MPa Young's Modulus (Tensile modulus)

• Highly dimensionally stable

• highly resistant to hydrocarbons, alkalis, fats, oils, fuel, ethers, esters, and ketones

The Bad

• Parts printed in CF-Nylon will scratch objects it rubbed against

• Nylon 12 has low surface energy, making gluing more challenging

• it has a lower print speed than our CF-PETG by about 35%

• does not like thin walls, minimum 2.5 mm

Data

Test samples are printed with CF-Nylon on Pantheon HS3.

Safety Data Sheet

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FAQ

is annealing needed or recommended:

No Annealing is recommended; it adds 3-4% in tensile strength and risks warping the part; you need to pack it in with sand/salt, and it's a massive pain for the benefits.

Is the base nylon 12

yes

Use Cases

GF-Nylon

(Glass Fiber) GF-Nylon uses nylon 12 as a base; we use this material for the application of high wear. ie gears, sliding interfaces.

It shares many of the benefits of out CF-Nylon, but trades a bit of tensile strength for wear resistance and lubricity

Store link Glass Fiber Nylon

The Good

• Low moisture absorption → Nylon Moisture Absorption Testing

• Highly dimensionally stable

• highly resistant to hydrocarbons, alkalis, fats, oils, fuel, ethers, esters, and ketones

The Bad

The most significant faults of GF-Nylon are:

• Nylon 12 has low surface energy, making painting more challenging

• it has a lower print speed than our CF-PETG by about 35%

• does not like thin walls, minimum 2.5 mm

Data

Test samples are printed with CF-Nylon on Pantheon HS3.

Safety Data Sheet

Open

FAQ

Is annealing needed or recommended:

Annealing is not recommended; it adds 3-4% in tensile strength and risks warping the part; you need to pack it in with sand/salt, and it's a massive pain for the benefits.

Is the base nylon 12

Yes

Use Cases

Nylon Moisture Absorption Testing

Test is prepared in reference to ISO 62:2008 Plastics - Determination of water absorption

Preparation

Three specimens are printed in each material:

• 2 rods 26mm in diameter and 25mm in length printed vertically and horizontally

• 100mmx100mm plate 2mm thick printed flat

Conditioning

Before testing, the specimens are allowed to cool to room temperature in a sealed container filled with desiccant maintaining a RH of <10% for 24h.

Initial Recording

The specimens are each weighed on a scale, recorded as m1. The lengths of the rods are recorded as l1.

Immersion

The specimens are completely immersed in room temperature tap water for 24 hours, taking care to separate the parts to prevent them from contacting each other.

Second Recording

The specimens are lightly dried with a cloth to remove any surface moisture, and weighed as m2. The lengths of the rods are recorded as l2.

Data