Nylon Filament
Nylon is tough, durable, relatively flexible and impact resistant material. Overview | Positives & NegativesHardware RequirementsAn Overview of Nylon Filament
Nylon (a.k.a. Polyamide) is a popular material in the plastics industry, known for its toughness and flexibility. Nylon filaments typically require extruder temperatures near 250 ºC, however, some brands allow printing at temperatures as low as 220 ºC due to their chemical composition. Many printers do not include a hotend that can safely reach 250 ºC, so these lower-temperature versions can be useful and potentially save you from needing to upgrade your hotend.
One big challenge with Nylon filaments is that they are hygroscopic, which means they readily absorb moisture from their surroundings. Printing Nylon after it has absorbed moisture will lead to several print quality issues, thus filament storage becomes very important and requires special attention.
Positives
- Tough and partially flexible
- High impact resistance
- No unpleasant odor while printing
- Good abrasion resistance
Negatives
- Prone to Warping
- Air-tight storage required to prevent water absorption
- Improperly dried filaments can cause printing defects
- Not suitable for moist and humid environments
Typical Hardware Requirements
Printer Bed
Temperature: 70-90 °C
Heated Bed Required
Enclosure Recommended
Build Surface
Glue Stick
PEI
Filament Extruder
Temperature: 225-265 °C
May require All-Metal hotend
Cooling Fan
Cooling Fan Not Required
Getting Started
Common Applications
- Plastic Gears
- Screws, nuts, bolts
- Cable ties
Sample Projects
Popular Brands
- Taulman Nylon
- Matterhackers PRO Nylon
- HobbyKing Nylon
- GizmoDorks Nylon