How Strong Are Common 3D Printing Materials?
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
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Slant 3D's latest experiment tests the strength of common 3D printing materials. We put PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU, and Nylon under extreme compression in order to reveal surprising results about their durability when printed. Watch as we push these materials to their limits, from a brittle PLA explosion to the surprising resilience of TPU. Don't miss out on these critical insights for makers, hobbyists, and professionals alike.
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What materials did we miss? What should we test next?
Would be nice to also have international units like kg instead of lbs.
Would also be nice to have temperature and humidity info on the tests.
As you mentioned in the video PLA will behave better in less warm climates.
So knowing what temperature and such you had in the room during the test and controlling to keep it similar would be helpful.
Other than that I'm looking forward to what you have coming!
Nylon.
The Newtons is basically your international unit, if you really want Kg you can yust devide the Newtons by 10 (or 9.81 to be more precise)@@Dkbay
carbon composites and maybe fiberglass too. Thanks!
I'd like to see polycarbonate and polypropylene, appreciate the testing btw
Excellent! Please add ASA to the "common materials" list.
Touche'
+1, ASA is my second most used filament.
Other than color selection or maybe temporary availability issues, I’m honestly not sure why to go with ABS instead of ASA.
Yeah I also use asa quite a bit and I’ve been Hoping it will show up!
Bump. I fourth this!
I use ASA like PLA now. It does off gas and coat the inside of my printer though. I truly believe it’s the best material.
The compressive modulus never comes into play with this shape since the walls buckle early and put the infill into either tensile or shear loading depending on the buckling mode that occurred (read up on slenderness ratios for some good info). The results line up reasonably well with the elastic modulus of the materials because of the reliance on buckling resistance of thin columns. The critical buckling load for a given geometry is directly proportional to the elastic modulus in the Euler formula - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler%27s_critical_load .
My son would often ask, "what is the strongest metal?"
The answer is always depends in what you are doing with it. It is the same with printing material. I would love to see in the future UV and abrasion tests.
Your series of testing videos is the reason I back you on kickstarter. Good informational and "to the point" videos. I believe it is money well spent. Thank you !
Thank you so much for the support.
You'll love CNC kitchen
I really like the new segment at the end with the comparison table and explanations! Thanks!
Noted
please do a bit more research on the differences between stiffness, strength/durability and hardness/scratch resistance
only because one material is stiffer doesn't mean it's stronger and/or more scratch resistent
Stiffness is the resistence against deformation, strength is how much load a part can take till it fails (so basically resistance against failure)
for example let's compare a mild steel like S235/St37 to Alu EN-AW-7075 T6
Steel has a young's modulus of 201GPa, Alu 70GPa
so the steel is way stiffer than the alu
BUT S235 has a yield strenght (stress the material takes untill it starts to deform plastically) of 235MPa vs. the 7075's 485MPa
and the ultimate stregth (stress the material takes untill it fails) S235: 360-510MPa vs. 7075: 540MPa
So the 7075 Alu is stronger than the S235 Steel, even though the steel is way stiffer
Similarly, most steels have basically the same young's modulus so the same stiffness but depending on their properties and heat treatment their hardness can be very different.
Thank you for going over a summary of your results and putting them into context!!
That's the actual Engineering part of these tests.
Characterizing fatigue properties would be awesome! This is not mentioned in many TDS for materials. I think engineers would also love to learn about the threshold for elastic deformation of various materials!
i love how tpu behaves in a compressive situation 😍😍
PLA that had a higher glass transition point would be great. Just enough to survive hot days and dashboards. PETG is my current go to but the stringing is annoying when we move to batch prints.
Protopasta's line of HTPLAs work well for that. You can heat treat them and then they perform much better under higher temperature scenarios.
From my 8 years of printing - still doing most prints in ABS. It has noticiable impact resistance which makes it very durable in real applications. Easy to glue and make water-air tight with acetone, easy to process. Occasionaly uses PLA and PETG, the last one tends to break in sharp shards when mechanically fails.
I applaud your intention to move into more rigorous material testing. But if you want to be taken seriously, you need to be careful about precise use of language. Strength and stiffness are different, for example, and both terms were used without clear distinction. Also, durability is not a well-defined material property, while toughness is.
The way that the nylon pa6 failed makes me suspicious as to what exactly that material was. In my experience nylon is very stiff but the walls almost never fail. I have dropped a motorcycle on it and deformation occurred but the walls cracking seems odd to me.
I suspect that the fillament used to print the nylon sample was wet. This is what happens when you print wet nylon, it just doesn't stick to itself properly and lacks the strength of nylon we all know and love.
this was static load (Strength), not impact test (Toughness).
What you are thinking/describing - dropping things on it, hammering it - is Toughness. Consider: a brick or regular glass is Strong but not Tough. Conversely, silly putty can be tough (throw against the wall or floor and it bounces) - yet weak (press with finger and it squishes)
Pause at 0:30 and look at how crappy the infill is on the nylon. It was probably wet, and the infill came out looking underextruded with blobs. During the test, the crappy infill broke because it didn't have a complete structure to support it like the other prints. To actually show this and not discuss it or redo the nylon test makes me question his business practices. Why would I hire them to print parts if they show such a lack in quality control? But their average customer is probably like all the people watching the video, and not noticing what is going on, or questioning things like us. I assume nylon is too much of a high maintenance pain for his business, so he just said test it as it is because the other filaments didn't get any special treatment. I don't care if he did, just be honest about it, but he would probably get eaten alive by the people that didn't even notice when nothing was said. What a world we live in! 😂
@@enterrrnylon is a high tensile strength plastic. That's why it's used for fishing line and ropes. It's the best of both worlds. This test was garbage.
I print mostly with PETG, PLA is easy to print with and get beautiful results but when it comes to holding up in warmer conditions it just fails.
What is the definition of a "warmer condition", what temps we talking here?
@@xorbe2 gets weak around 50-70° so if it sits in the sun it degrades from both heat and UV light.
I love the updated press arbor. This is a great step in the right direction. Now you just need to get the lateral deflection eliminated, and you'll have a fantastic compressing load test rig.
Would have been nice to compare compression on the printed z axis. I think the infill pattern would have helped increase resistance that way.
it does - but that's besides the point, the test is along the weakest axis, since that's most likely/typical for an object to break. And the type, % and direction of infill matter too - but this is more of comparison between different materials re compressive strength
That's why I use cubic infill
BRAVO 👏🏽!
Thank you kind Sir
This channel is one of my “tv shows”
Hit play on a playlist and kick back and enjoy my Sunday
Thanks
Hi, I just saw your KS campaign - cool!.
I also think that this topic is really important, that's why I started building my own test devices a few years ago.
Currently I'm running these tests: tensile strength (XY direction for the material and Z direction for the layer adhesion), bending test (for the bending modulus), impact resistance, temperature test. I publish the results in the German Make magazine and on my UA-cam channel (also German) but I also want to create an online database for comparison. So far, I tested around 50 different filaments from PLA, PETG, ABS/ASA to PP-CF, PA6-CF and more advanced/modified materials.
Anyway, I'm currently developing an open source universal tensile testing machine, that will be able to apply up to 5kN force and use different specimen types, like the dog bone. The cost of the parts will be around $500 and I plan to release it in the next couple of months. So you might want to check this out. I know that it can't replace a professional equipment but the results are very precise and close. Feel free to get in touch.
Thank you, it's eye opener on which material to use for 3D printing.
I'd like to see a test of materials for use as sliding and rotating bearings. I've used materials that were purpose designed for this use (which didn't work very well without drying the filament) as well as other common materials. It would be interesting to see how nylon performs in that situation, but you'd really need to make sure the filament was completely dry beforehand.
If we can get the kickstarter funded we can work to get that type of equipment in.
I would like to see tests of temperature resistance and outdoor simulations of various types of filaments
you have to test them at a specific temperature for the test to be useful in the real world, or as a standard repeatable test. i know im being picky, but temperature is a factor no one considers when doing these tests
Compressive testing is not the issue with FDM. Tension and bending is, especially when faced with multi-axis stress where you need layer to layer strength. So I would like to see shear and tension tests. Also adding a threaded insert pull out test would be helpful. I suggest adding Resin printing, as the materials have come a long way.
Thank you for this serie 😊
I love videos that show that PLA does have a use-case and that different materials are good for different things. So many people think PLA is just bad in all respects.
You should definitely add polycarbonate now that it's pretty easily printable (moreso than nylon) and is super strong
it's somewhat the opposite - not "PLA is sometimes useful" but PLA is (and should be) THE material of choice for most all purposes.
Unless you need something rubbery, then it should be TPU. Or unless you have special specific requirement (solvent finish/soldering, high-temperature use etc). There's no other "material of choice" to start with - it's not PETG nor ABS, even as some have developed such mindset
Never printed in nylon so i was very surprised by the results thanks!
Nylon is a softer material. But it is realy durable and has great tensile strenth.
Could you also do some tension tests?
Hi, thank you for your work. Where can I find some tests on ASA please?
I pledged for the testing rig; hope you get there. I guess in your case setting precedence, reputation and some activation energy for future kicstarters is worth more than the money.
Thank for the support
I don’t know how many people use it but HIPS is a great material I use pretty regularly
Why do you prefer conducting compression test instead of tensile test
They've already got a compression tester?
For now.
Just got my order of Wonk and i dig the clear pla..I see its on old overture spools but the wonk is just pla right?
Thank you for your work.
The major nylon thing you didn't mention when it comes to durability: zip ties.
Thank you for using a force distributer now!
The one thing I'd say was missing is just the term "toughness" rather than just "durability" because it's the engineering term in case someone wants to start doing their own research.
I can't wait to see you get new equipment so you can test things like tensile samples, abrasion resistance, chemical/UV fatigue, cycle fatigue, and other such properties.
I do think the format you're using has been good so far to give new users a more intuitive sense of material properties.
I admit I have always wanted to see someone get one of those UVC bulbs, put it in a properly save enclosure and then say subject and ABS and ASA part to repeated oh 12hr cycles for some extended time and then test the durability. ASA is supposed to be less prone to being destroyed by UV.
Ive had an idea for a bit on tpu. You previous showed off infill strength based on type.
I am curious about infill resiliency. Which patterns is going to deform and reform the best.
If we printed a tennis ball, which would mimic a tennis ball best, essentially.
Will this test be done again with the grid pattern facing up towards the piston?
Can you do abrasion resistance?
Great stuff! Just one issue - viewing PLA and Nylon samples side to side - that's not the same sample by a long shot. Same model, but all the walls are significantly thinner, and the inside is rather a nest than a hatch. But I don't blame you, that's probably what most people will get out of nylon too 😅
It would be useful to see nylon tested again after set lengths of time being left in a humid environment as the hydration of nylon can change its strength characteristics quite dramatically.
Very good idea.
Thanks! great vid. Which of these UV resistant filaments > ASA, PCTG & PETG are 'strongest'? Speaking of those which UV resistant filament would you recommend for functional parts... eg a shed door handle?
Like all designs: You need to adjust your design and materials used, to match the use-case of the object your designing.When these aspects are factored in, you get the best results.
That nylon print looks bad. The infill lines barely connect
Nylon can have some stringiness. But the print was sound. We have to use similiar slicing settings between materials (adjusting temp of course) so that one material does not have an advantage from changes in slicing settings. If we redo this test we would optimize a particular set of slicing settings fo the nylon and then back-apply them to the other materials.
@@slant3d Great video and I appreciate the significant effort, but you cant be serious here. "Sound"? There are clearly massive gaps in in the nylon grid pattern at 0:30. The grid is literally detached. Looks like a retraction issue or printing the infill too quickly. It's not really a fair comparison of nylon's performance but is a showcase that it can be a pain to print...
Compare carbon fiber filaments
Compare asa, different blends of pla+.
Compare different colors of the same filament from same manufacturer.
On the list
is there a playlist to the other test videos?
Linked at the end of the video or you can find it under the playlist tab on our channel page. "Slant 3D Testing Lab | 3D Printing Data"
ua-cam.com/play/PLkUv8_afCbJ9E4qXMrM46CkAlRoN7IbzU.html
The problem here is that with the Nylon, you A: Used Carbon Fiber Nylon which is more brittle than Glass Fiber Nylon (people in the 3D Printing are WAY too obsessed with this material, GF is the industrial material, Carbon is not) and B: The infill in these are not enough to show an accurate representation. Even though Nylon CF is brittle, it can handle a ton more force than a lot of other materials. Given that these blocks have maybe 1 wall internally, the Nylon crumbles. Maybe the infill walls 2 or 3 and you'll see a massive difference in how all of these materials perform. It's literally the difference between a piece of paper or a sheet of plywood. No one is using a piece of paper for their projects, so comparing paper to plywood isn't going to be helpful at all.
The testing here needs to be far more rigorous with more logical settings and prints. Even inside of the Nylon print, there is stringing, which can indicate other issues with the print quality, which, in my book, disqualifies Nylon in this video from being compared. If a material isn't printed correctly, how can we believe that this testing will show us accurate data?
In my own Nylon GF testing, my prints, which use 100% infill with specific settings for strength in mind, can easily beat literally all of these materials, even though the object I print most often is less than 1/4 the size. This video needs to be redone and the settings and testing methodology reworked. The information provided is so boiler plate, it's essentially useless to most people.
Black Nylon PA6
Was looking for this comment.. the nylon had so much stringing like it was too wet or something was wrong
@@dylan-nguyenI am pretty sure it was fairly wet when printed the amount of stringing is excessive and the test just didn't reflect nylons capabilities
0:30 says it all. Underextruded with blobs, so probably wet. During the test the infill appeared to be missing most of its walls and structure. A completely invalid test, and I'm curious how a 3D printing business can lack so much quality control and the integrity to be honest about it. Why would someone want to order prints that aren't done correctly? Claiming to produce structural parts, but can't print nylon correctly seems more like a trinket factory that's 1 step above using rainbow silk PLA.😂 I appreciate all the helpful videos, but this one misses the mark.
Can we get a Round 2 with CF and or GF filaments?
please
For this to be a valid test, all the prints should at least be of the same quality
So it seems that ASA/ABS would be better to use if you are looking for strength and Ultraviolet Resistant Materials?....... In a video you released a year ago "Ultraviolet Resistant Materials" it says PETG is not as resistant as the two above.
Would love to see some of stuff on here
I've been looking for ages for impact resistance test materials, but its so difficult to find apart from people hitting them with hammers which isn't what i was looking for, I'm looking for the best filament to use as a test vs medieval armor, so curious vs hitting with a sword or bullet, I'm curious to know how a 3d printed armor suit would actually perform, as there's PPA-CF on bambulab which says it has "metal strength" It makes me curious of that/other materials as actual armor and how close/far the difference would be
From CNC Kitchen's videos, I've been convinced that if I wanted to 3d print a doorstop or a hammer, PLA was the way to go. Nice to see that reinforced here.
I was intrigued that ABS and PETG are about the same for compression. I mostly only use PETG when I'm planning to put a screw through the plastic, on the theory that its mild flexibility will help it come with the metal/plastic interface better. I use ABS a lot, though, because I do a lot of cosplay / prop reproduction and ABS is *soooo* much easier to sand smooth than other common filaments. (It's also less toxic to solvent-weld.)
Less toxic? I would think it would be more just because of the styrene fumes
As far as printing a doorstop goes: PLA is also quite slippery. I tried printing some doorstops, and had to put rubber feet on the bottom so they wouldn't slip.
I'd go with TPU for a door stop from experience.
PLA is hard enough to scratch wood floors, and slick enough to not want to bind to the door or floor.
I have printed up shock mounts in PETG and TPU (both on the same part) for my printers. my abode isn't firmly anchored to the ground and the vibration from the printers (or the other way around with my washing machine) mess with each other, and me. Input shaping goes a long way to ameliorate the printers themselves shaking
@@air8536 plastic fumes are much less of an issue when solvent welding than the solvent itself, and acetone is a much less dangerous solvent than something like MEK, which is what you use on PETG, or ethyl acetate, which I'm told works on PLA.
MEK is in fact a controlled substance in many jurisdictions because of its ability to cause lung damage.
@@davidconner-shover51 @logicalfundy I think this is a "different slang in different parts of the world" problem. To me, "doorstop" means a thing attached to the floor or wall that the door bangs into. What you're describing is a "door wedge" in my world. (Though to be fair, I would also have tried PLA for a door wedge because the problems of it slipping or scratching would never have occurred to me.)
However, PLA would still make a good hammer.
I completely dissagree with your opinion on PA (nylon), I think you just got bad results with that print. In manufacturing, PA is often used to replace ABS as a stronger substitute, If you need stronger you then go to PA-GF 15/30/60 etc. We actually rarely see abs on any decent plastic part these days. You can typically find the "PA" or "PA66" or "PA66-GF30" is very common.
Test the different PLA, PLA+ and HyperPLA
Would have liked to have seen ASA and a carbon fiber like pla cf to really compare the pla, pla+, pla Cf you could do a stand alone video on just that alone lol
Wonder what the results would have looked like over multiple parts 🤔
An interesting comparison would be to do this same test, but in let's say 50°C ambient temperature. The result will be wildly different.
That's over 120F you trying to kill the press operator or what? 😆
Please add Polycarbonate. Wishfully pure. But also blended would be great.
nice combo, although i feel like petg might get a bit misleading if you consider it as the same thing whenever it comes from
i recently had 2 batches of petg from 2 different vondors and yes they were both verydurable and gummy, but devil design one was comparable much softer than a pink no name brand i had basically to the point printing prisa printer out of it could be tricky around some parts that are under constant load from the screws becaise every hard object pressed against it left a mark, but it does stick layers very well and compared to abs is not as much warpy which is a big plus
so to sum up pet g and any other blend of plastic can have completly different outcome and i am kind of waiting for that plastic database you were talking about few episodes back, because not everything with the same label is created equal, i feel like devil design pet g i have woul work much different , closer to tpu not much but around 10-20% softer
Which is exactly why we want to scale up the testing and just start running through manaufacturers
Why no ASA? I feel like it gets a lot more use than TPU and Nylon
Please, add ASA :) also, try natural color plastiks and with some color black/white or any another
Pla>Petg? Really?
So would PLA-CF not be even stronger in this regard?
I think that Time should be highlited More, petg performed as expected, a bit weaker than pla but More tougher, withstanding a similar load for over double the Time, Is not as heat resistant as ABS or stronger as pla but Is a mix, while being resistant to chemicals which ABS can be eroded quickly with acetone.
Would appreciate if there were also the weight in kilograms. For us non US viewers.
fatigue strength would be nice to know!
Wow 7 days ago and did NOT even test ASA
@slant3d, why do you keep using that nonsense infill? it maybe looks cool, but it's complete nonsense. please use cubic or any other infill designed to be stressed from various directions
make one with PC
No brand names for the materials, no showing the close ups of the failures, etc.
You can get nylon that's stiffer and has higher compression strength than PLA/PETG. IDK what nylon you used but it's clearly horrendous. It's super soft while also having atrocious elongation at break. Either the print process was very very wrong or the material was a dud.
Tension?
would be nice to convert to kilograms, otherwise nice video
Kilograms are mass not force
@@slant3d I know, but that press makes force as some mass would sit on it.
based on the design of the part you are not testing compressive strength. not really sure how to evaluate this test because the design failed long before the material did. if you look closely at the part during the test, some areas were being tested by compressive forces and some by compressive forces. you need to take the design out as one of the variables.
no ASA? wuuuhhhh?!
you should really try to print a more or less solid block and repeat the test... you might be supriesed.
47 lbs is a small 3 year old?
I find it very confusing and just not correct to use „n“ to try and show Newton…… you put so much effort into this videos and canˋt get your units right
👍
Using "NYLON" completely ruined whole idea, it's the most incompetent way to threat polyamides which have extreme difference between them
PA6
You are really using everything except the metric system 😂
Newtons