FDM Printing Filament Selection Guide

How to choose FDM 3D Printing Filament? 

Players who are new to the field of 3D Printing, in the face of a wide variety of Filaments, do they not know how to choose? Today, we have prepared a Purchasing Guide to FDM Filament meticulously to help make your 3D Printing journey even smoother.

First Choice-PLA: An Easy Start to your 3D Printing Journey

For those of you who are new to 3D Printing, Aliz PLA is undoubtedly the best Partner. This material is easy to print, high quality, environmentally friendly & non-toxic, low moisture absorption and rich color options, paving a smooth way for beginners to get started. 

PLA has good fluidity and low shrinkage rate, it’s not easy to warp & crack during rapid melting and cooling, which greatly improves the printing success, and enables the printed model to have sharp details, smooth surfaces, and good dimensional stability. At the same time, PLA has a very high adaptability, it's suitable for all types of FDM Printers, no need to seal the box when printing, will be the first choice for entry-level Players.

Compared to traditional PLA, Aliz PLA Basic improves impact resistance (toughening); High bonding strength (exceptional layer adhesion); Not easy to draw & stringing when printing; Increased service cycle life: The biodegradable cycle of PLA was delayed).

Recommeded Applications: Indoor Display of Models & Dolls, Crafts, Industrial Design Samples, etc.

The Star of Cost Performance-PETG: The Perfect Combination of Durability & Economy

In the pursuit of cost performance, Aliz PETG is undoubtedly the ideal choice. Not only does it possess the ease-of-use of PLA, but it also has mechanical properties similar to ABS, offering excellent toughness, acid & alkali resistance, weather resistance, and all at a lower price. 

However, PETG is very easy to absorb moisture, and its printing quality can be greatly affected once it becomes damp. Additionally, PETG is prone to stringing during printing. Therefore, proper storage of PETG and more careful adjusting of printing parameters can help achieve the best printing results.

Aliz PETG Metallic Series is a 3D Printing Filament with premium metallic luster, giving printed models a high-end texture and metallic appearance. Meanwhile, Aliz has mature processes and formulations for PETG Metallic Filament, ensuring excellent printing performance without compromising print fluidity due to special effects. The metallic colors allow ordinary parts instantly free from the plastic feeling, which makes the printed parts more superior and refined!

Recommeded Applications: Prototypes for Household Items, Display Models, Food-contact Grade Products, etc.

The Choice of Art-Aesthetics Filament: Let Creativity Shine

Various aesthetic filaments derived from PLA basic materials, such as PLA+ Silk, PLA+ Rainbow, PLA+ Multi-color Silk, and PLA Matte, etc., offer users who seek improved visual effects of the appearance for their models more options. These materials retain the excellent properties of PLA while achieving diversity in appearance.

Specific Materials

PLA+ Silk: The printed models have a smooth and silk-like surface in vibrant colors. 

PLA+ Silk Dual/Multi-color: The printed model has two/three different colors, and has a smooth and reflective appearance that looks silk-like, with rich colors and enhanced three-dimensional texture. 

PLA+ Silk Rainbow: Surfaces of the printed parts have both effect of silk-like lustre and rainbow gradient colors, giving the printed parts a rainbow-like appearance that increases its charm. 

PLA Matte: Matte texture conceals the printing layer lines, elevating the quality of the printed parts.

Recommended Applications: Art Sculptures, Decorations, Creative Toys, etc.

Advanced Challenge-ABS: Demonstration of Industrial-grade Performance

When your printing skills gradually improve, Aliz ABS will lead you into a wider range of applications. As the classic choice for FDM Printing, ABS shines in the Automotive, Electronics and other Industrial Fields with its high strength, high toughness, excellent heat resistance and good surface finish. 

However, with its high performance comes higher printing requirements, ABS material shrinkage rate is high, easy to warping and cracking, need to seal the box when printing. In addition, ABS maybe release some certain harmful gases during the printing process, and it's necessary to ensure that the printing space is ventilated, so as to ensure the printing safety.

Recomended Applications: Functional Prototype, Automotive Parts, Electronic Product Shell, etc.

Choice of Advanced Functions-Other Functional Filaments: Exploring the unknown, Challenging the limits

With the development of technology, ASA, PA, PPS, TPU, PETG-CF, PLA-CF, PPS-CF and other special functional filaments have been introduced into the industry of FDM printing, providing unlimited possibilities for special applications.

Specific Materials

TPU: It has good flexibility and a rubber-like texture, making it resistant to impact & wear, and suitable for models with elasticity requirements. 

ASA: As the application of 3D Printing continues to expand, ASA filament become the first choice for outdoor products printing. It is a high-performance thermoplastic material with mechanical properties similar to ABS with lower odor than ABS, especially with high weather resistance and UV resistance, making it more suitable for printing outdoor parts. 

PA-CF Carbon Fiber: It contains 15-30% carbon fiber, so its mechanical properties are greatly improved than ordinary PA. It is an excellent functional filament with high strength, high toughness, impact resistance, high temperature resistance, and light weight. 

PETG-CF Carbon Fiber: It enhances the rigidity of PETG by adding 5-15% short carbon fiber, making the printed model durable as a structural part. 

PLA-CF Carbon Fiber: It enhances the easily biodegradable and aging characteristics of PLA by adding 5-10% carbon fiber, while retaining its easy printability. Layer lines are still invisible even carbon fibers are added, making the printed product more superior. 

PPS-CF Carbon Fiber: Its premium mechanical properties, high fire resistance, dimensional stability, low water absorption rate, and chemical resistance make it a better choice for industrial product applications.

Recomended Applications: Professional Research & Development, High-tech Product Prototyping, Automotive Industry Field, Aerospace Parts, Special Applications such as Use Requirements at High Temperature or Outdoors, etc.

We hope this “FDM Printing Filament Selection Guide” will help you make a more appropriate choice in your 3D Printing Journey. Whether you are a Beginner or an experienced Player, Aliz products will always be with you, providing you with a consistent quality of Materials and a variety of Choices. 

Let's join hands to explore the infinite possibilities of 3D Printing!