How To Pick The Right 3D Printer Filament

The technology is developing at a dramatic scale as can be seen from the inventions and the discoveries going on around the world. However, one of the most drastic evolutions in the technological world was in the introduction of the three-dimensional concepts which dramatically replaced the two-dimensional forms.

And that’s why the printing domain is now experiencing the raging fire of the three-dimensional concepts where you can have the real life print of the object. If you want to print a house, then instead of getting a mere picture of the concerned object, you will have a model of the house itself.

How?

The modern-day 3D printers use the filaments instead of the cartridges, which when melted under high temperature forms the cast of the object you want to print. The clarity of the print, the sharpness of the printed edges, and the shape of the structure depend on the type of filament you will use. So, it’s not at all easy to choose the correct filament for your purpose, especially if you don’t know how to find the right filaments.

Before you start fidgeting, let’s take a quick glance at the ways by which you will be able to find the exact filament for your printer.

Diameter Of The Filament

Numerous models of the 3D printer are available in the market. Each printer has it’s own filament diameter specification and hence, when you will walk in the store to buy the filament, you need to know the diameter specification. Three most common diameter specifications of the filaments in the market are 3 mm, 2.85 mm, and the 1.75 mm.

The 1.75 mm is the finest filament, as you will have a greater speed of the printer with this diameter. The flow of the molten plastic is enhanced in this filament, thus making the process smoother. Though 2.85 mm and the 3 mm filaments won’t produce a fine quality print, you will have greater control over the flow of the molten material, with high extrusion speed.

Type Of The Filament To Be Used

Different types of materials are available for the filament. Each of these types has their own set of features, advantages, and disadvantages. So, before picking up some random filament roll, do know what the material of the filament you are choosing is.

• ABS material is robust, long-lasting, heat resistant, and quite flexible. Due to its heat tolerant nature, the printer should have a heated bed to provide a temperature of 225°C.
• PLA is environment-friendly since it is bio-degradable. This filament is not heat resistant and melts at 50°C, thus making it impossible to construct heavier projects with it.
• PVA or Polyvinyl alcohol filament is perfect for printers with numerous extruders. If you are printing an object with no base layering, then PVA filament will be ideal for the purpose.

Grade Of The Filament

If you want to buy PLA filament, you need to consider the grade of the material. Even though the material is the same, the filaments will be different with different grades. It’s better to buy the previous grades than the newer ones. If you want quality print without having to deal with any consequences, then choosing the older versions accepted by the top 3D printing companies is suggested. 4043D and 2003D are the most commonly used grades for the PLA filament while for the ABS filament, PA-747 is the accepted grade.

Priniting Features Of The Filament

Different printer wants a different situation for printing the object. For instance, let’s consider the dependency of the filament on the available ventilation system of the printer. If your 3D printer is kept in an underground basement or in a clumsy room, the machine won’t get a good ventilation system. And as a result, you cannot afford to have a heated bed. Under such conditions, choosing PLA is suggested rather than ABS because the latter one needs high temperature, and hence an advanced ventilation system.

Color Selection

The color selection of the filament is yet another factor which you need to consider. The neutral and natural colors are cheaper than the colored ones because of the absence of the coloring pigments.

So, as can be concluded, the main part to have the best print quality is to choose the best filament, you need to be very precise about the one which you want. These are just the preliminary things you need to look for. More factors are there which you should take into considering while choosing the right filament.