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Material finder
Which material does your part need?
Five quick taps. We pick the best material we print, say why in plain words, and send you to the quote page with it already selected.
Covers all 42 materials the quote engine prices: PLA, PETG, TPU (85A, 90A, 95A), ASA, ABS, PC, the special PLA and PETG finishes (matte, silk, metal, sparkle, marble, wood, glow, gradient, translucent), food-contact-grade PLA Pure, carbon-, glass-fibre and nylon filaments, and the partner processes (SLS and MJF nylon, resin, PEEK, stainless steel, titanium). No account, no email.
What is the part for?
Pick the closest one.
How hot does it get?
Where the part lives, on its hottest day.
What does it have to take?
How hard is life for this part?
What should it look like?
Finish straight off the printer.
Budget?
Cheaper only changes the pick when an in-stock material still does the job.
Typical datasheet values for the raw material, not guaranteed properties of a printed part. Our parts are prototypes and general-purpose parts: not designed or tested for aircraft, vehicle safety systems, medical devices, life support, lifting or load-bearing safety equipment, pressure vessels, weapons, or any use where failure could injure or kill someone. Test a sample for your use. This doesn’t affect your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.
Quick answers
What is the difference between PLA and PETG?
PLA is our everyday material: stiff, accurate, the best surface finish and the lowest price, but it softens from about 57 °C, so keep it indoors and out of hot cars. PETG is tougher, copes with heat to about 69 °C and with sun and water, so it is the usual pick for brackets, housings and anything that lives outside.
Which material for a part in a car?
Car interiors in the Australian sun go well past 60 °C, which is too hot for PLA and marginal for PETG. ASA (about 100 °C, UV-stable) is our usual choice for car parts; ABS and polycarbonate (PC, about 110 °C, tougher but yellows in sun) are the indoor-or-shaded alternatives. Both are ordered in for your job (+2–3 days). Engine bays over 100 °C need nylon-CF (PAHT-CF) or a partner material such as PEEK.
Is 3D printed PETG food safe?
No. Bambu Lab, whose filament we print with, says its PETG is not food-contact grade. The food-contact-grade filament we print is Bambu PLA Pure (tested on printed samples to EU 10/2011), ordered in for your job. That makes it a food-contact-grade material, not a certified part: a printed part has layer lines, so treat it as short-term use and hand wash, and it softens from about 55–60 °C.
What if nothing here fits?
Parts that must survive over 100 °C, very fine detail, chemical exposure or metal strength go through our production partners: SLS nylon PA12, HP MJF, resin, stainless steel and titanium are all in the quote engine (ships in about 2–3 weeks). Or ask us and we will suggest something.