Best for
Unfilled
- Bushings
- Spindle nuts
- Chain-conveyor parts
- Wear pads
Carbon-filled
- Welding jigs
- Soft chuck jaws
- Engine-mounted sensor cases
- Replacement starter knobs
Glass-filled
- Motorsport brake cooling ducts
- Cable-carrier links
- Intake manifold and fan impeller trials
Not the right choice for
- Parts that live wet or in damp heat
- Loaded parts that run hot, in the unfilled grade
Nylon (PA6) as a printed part
Stiffer, stronger, and better in heat than PA12. It absorbs more water. The glass or carbon filled grade is much stiffer.
Key properties
| Tensile strength | 55 to 80 MPa unfilled, 37 to 109 MPa carbon-filled, 51 to 80 MPa glass-filled |
|---|---|
| Heat deflection | 140 C at 0.45 MPa, 90 to 93 C at 1.80 MPa unfilled; 145 to 215 C at 0.45 MPa, 120 to 173 C at 1.80 MPa carbon-filled; 110 to 191 C at 0.45 MPa, 90 to 157 C at 1.80 MPa glass-filled |
| Water uptake | about 3 percent in room air |
What to use instead
- Nylon (PA12) when you want a nylon that holds its size better in damp air.
- PET when the part must stay stiff in damp air, in the carbon-filled grade.
- PPA (high-temp nylon) when the temperature requirement is beyond PA6, in the carbon-filled grade.
The FDM material selector narrows the whole range by operating temperature, load, chemical exposure, and budget.