Choosing the right material for 3D-printed prototypes is so important because it directly impacts the functionality, durability, and aesthetic quality of the prototype. This affects the success of product development, allows for accurate real-world testing, and gets your product to market faster. You’ll want to consider factors like strength, flexibility, heat resistance, chemical resistance, surface finish, and cost, as the material must meet the specific needs of the intended application.
In this blog, we’ll help you with choosing a material for your 3D printing design prototype. At E3K, our product design engineers have countless experience with 3D printing and look forward to helping you discover how helpful it can be.
Why Does Material Choice Matter for 3D Prototype Printing?
- Functionality: The material dictates how a prototype will perform under stress, pressure, and other real-world conditions. A prototype made from the wrong material won’t accurately represent the final product’s functional capabilities.
- Durability and Reliability: Selecting a material that matches the application’s strength and durability requirements ensures the prototype can withstand testing and iteration without failing prematurely.
- Accuracy and Detail: Different materials have different strengths in terms of surface finish and detail resolution. Using a material that can capture intricate details is essential for complex designs.
- Speed to Market: Prototypes built with appropriate materials can be created quickly, allowing for rapid prototyping for product design and faster time to market.
- Cost-Effectiveness: While some materials are more expensive, choosing the right one can prevent costly redesigns or premature failures, ultimately saving money.
What are the Options for 3D Printing Materials?
Common 3D printing materials for prototypes include plastic filaments like PLA, ABS, PETG, and TPU, which offer varying degrees of rigidity, flexibility, and durability for concept models and functional parts. For high-detail prototypes, liquid resins are used, while advanced applications may involve metal powders, carbon fibre composites, or specialised plastics like Nylon. The best choice depends on whether the prototype needs to be a visual model or a functional component with specific properties such as heat resistance, impact strength, or elasticity. Work with a 3D printing prototype service company like E3K, who can give you the best recommendations.
Common Filament-Based Materials
These are thermoplastics supplied as spools of filament.
- PLA (Polylactic Acid): Easy to print, biodegradable, and good for visual concept models and early design iterations.
- ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene): Tough, durable, and resistant to heat and impact, making it suitable for functional prototypes.
- PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol): A good balance of strength and flexibility, resistant to humidity and chemicals, and can be semi-transparent.
- TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane): Excellent for flexible and stretchable parts, offering elasticity for functional prototypes.
Resins
Liquid photopolymer resins are cured with light to create high-resolution, intricate models.
- Standard Resins: Best for high-detail and intricate designs.
- Tough Resins: Provide increased durability for functional prototypes.
- Flexible Resins: For prototypes that require elasticity and a soft touch.
Other Advanced Materials
- Nylon (Polyamide): Strong, durable, and wear-resistant, suitable for functional parts and complex geometries.
- Metal Powders: Used in technologies like DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) to create functional, metallic prototypes.
- Carbon Fibre Composites: Reinforced with carbon fibre, these offer high strength and rigidity for demanding functional prototypes and tooling.
How to Choose the Best Materials for Your 3D Printed Protoype
1. Define Your Prototype’s Needs
- Form and Fit: If you’re testing the basic shape and dimensions, a fast and affordable material like PLA is often sufficient.
- Functionality: For prototypes that need to withstand stress or heavy use, consider stronger, more durable materials like ABS, TPU, or Polycarbonate (PC).
- Specific Environment: If the prototype will be used outdoors, it needs to be UV-resistant, waterproof, and capable of withstanding temperature changes. For parts exposed to high heat, choose heat-resistant materials.
- Aesthetics: For presentations or concept models, a high-quality surface finish and vibrant colors might be important, which can influence your material choice.
2. Match Requirements to Material Properties
- Strength and Durability: Choose high-strength materials like ABS, Nylon, or metals like stainless steel for functional parts that need to withstand stress or wear over time.
- Flexibility: For parts that need to bend or stretch, such as wearables, select flexible materials like TPU.
- Heat Resistance: Opt for materials like ABS or certain nylons for parts that will be exposed to high temperatures.
- Detail and Surface Finish: Resins and some composite materials offer high detail, while FDM plastics provide a good balance of properties.
3. Consider Practical and Workflow Factors
- Cost and Availability: Some materials are more expensive than others, and material availability can also affect your choice.
- Printing Speed: Early-stage prototyping often benefits from materials that print quickly, such as PLA or some nylons.
- Printing Technology: Ensure the chosen material is compatible with your 3D printing technology (e.g., FDM, SLA, or SLS).
- Post-Processing: Consider if any special post-processing steps will be needed, such as support removal, polishing, or curing.
Contact E3K for 3D Prototype Printing
By carefully assessing your project’s specific needs and then matching them with the characteristics of available materials, you can select the most appropriate material for your 3D-printed prototype and work with the ideal new product development engineer. To learn more, get in touch with us now to talk about how product design and rapid prototyping by 3D printing with the right materials can benefit your business.