When standard plastics aren\u2019t enough and a part has to withstand serious loads, it\u2019s time to look at nylon (polyamide)<\/strong> \u2014 an engineering polymer that has long proven itself in industry. In 3D printing the two most common types are PA6<\/strong> and PA12<\/strong>. PA6 offers the highest strength and stiffness, while PA12 is easier to print, absorbs less moisture and is more stable to process. Both far outperform the familiar PLA and PETG mechanically.<\/p>\n Nylon is chosen when a part has to do more than look good \u2014 it has to actually work under friction, impact, vibration and chemical exposure. If you\u2019re considering different printing materials<\/a>, polyamide sits at the top of the strength pyramid among FDM plastics.<\/p>\n Nylon combines properties no other common FDM material can match:<\/p>\n To see where nylon fits among other materials, it helps to compare their properties. We\u2019ve already done a detailed comparison of PLA, PETG and TPU<\/a>, so here we\u2019ll focus on nylon:<\/p>\n The conclusion is simple: if a part is decorative, PLA or PETG is quite enough. If a part works under load, nylon has no equal.<\/p>\n Nylon is a material with character. It\u2019s much harder to print than PLA or PETG, and these are the main challenges:<\/p>\n Nylon greedily absorbs moisture from the air. Even a few hours in the open can ruin a spool: during printing the moisture turns to steam, causing bubbles and stringing and badly weakening layer adhesion. Nylon must be dried at +70\u201380\u00b0C for 6\u201312 hours before printing, and ideally printed straight from a dryer.<\/p>\n Nylon is extruded at +240\u2013270\u00b0C, and the bed has to be heated to +80\u2013110\u00b0C. Not every consumer printer can hold these temperatures reliably.<\/p>\n Nylon shrinks considerably as it cools, so parts often come unstuck from the bed or deform. To fight this, a heated enclosed chamber<\/strong> is critical \u2014 it keeps the temperature around the part even and minimises internal stresses. A special nylon adhesive or a PEI bed surface also helps.<\/p>\n Because of these challenges, it\u2019s better to leave nylon printing to a service with the right equipment. On an ordinary open consumer printer the results are often unsatisfactory.<\/p>\n If even pure nylon isn\u2019t enough, there are reinforced composites that take its properties to a new level:<\/p>\n Both composites are even more demanding on equipment: they quickly wear out ordinary brass nozzles, so they\u2019re printed with hardened steel or ruby nozzles.<\/p>\n Nylon isn\u2019t a theoretical material. It works in real products every day:<\/p>\n Nylon isn\u2019t a universal solution. It makes sense when at least one of these conditions applies:<\/p>\n If the part carries no load, doesn\u2019t touch aggressive substances and works at room temperature, PLA or PETG will be a cheaper and simpler solution. Choose the material for the job, not on the principle of \u201cthe more expensive, the better\u201d.<\/p>\n Even if you order printing from a service, it\u2019s worth knowing that a spool of nylon filament needs airtight storage with silica gel. Once opened, it should be kept in a vacuum bag or a dedicated dry box. Drying before every print session is a must. That\u2019s why professional services keep nylon in drying chambers and feed it straight from there into the printer. This guarantees consistent quality for every item.<\/p>\n Printing with nylon requires specific equipment, experience and proper material preparation. Our service, 3dprint.lviv.ua<\/strong>, has everything needed: printers with enclosed chambers, hardened nozzles, drying equipment and years of experience with polyamides, including the reinforced PA-CF and PA-GF composites. We\u2019ll help you choose the best nylon grade for your task, set the print parameters and ensure maximum strength of the finished part. Send us your model or a description of the part<\/a> \u2014 we\u2019ll work out the price and suggest the best solution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What nylon is and why it\u2019s considered one of the strongest 3D printing materials When standard plastics aren\u2019t enough and a part has to withstand serious loads, it\u2019s time to look at nylon (polyamide) \u2014 an engineering polymer that has long proven itself in industry. In 3D printing the two most common types are PA6 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":361,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-materials"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=470"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":573,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470\/revisions\/573"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Key properties of nylon for 3D printing<\/h2>\n
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Nylon compared with PLA, PETG and ABS<\/h2>\n
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The challenges of printing with nylon: what to expect<\/h2>\n
Moisture absorption \u2014 enemy number one<\/h3>\n
High print temperatures<\/h3>\n
Warping and shrinkage<\/h3>\n
Nylon composites: even more strength<\/h2>\n
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Where nylon 3D printing is used: real examples<\/h2>\n
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When to choose nylon and when another material?<\/h2>\n
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How to store nylon properly<\/h2>\n
Order nylon printing in Lviv<\/h2>\n