Materials

3D printing materials

3D printing materials for FDM, SLA, SLS and PolyJet: engineering thermoplastics, resins and nylon. Filter by process, heat resistance, flexibility and cost, and tick up to three materials to compare. Ratings are typical values. An engineer supplies datasheets and batch certificates on request.

FDM parts in engineering thermoplastics

FDM materials

Prototypes, jigs, fixtures and functional parts. The only process above 350 mm.

Build volume: Up to 1000 × 1000 × 1000 mmEnquire about larger projects: we may be able to accommodate them. We also offer technologies beyond the four processes listed. · Tolerance: ±0.5% (min ±0.3 mm) · Lead time: From 1 calendar day

FDM 3D printing service

Material	Best for	Cost	Compare
PLAPolylactic acid	Form-fit models, visual prototypes, quick iterations Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Softens above about 55 to 60 °C. Suits indoor models.	£££££Standard	Compare PLA
PETGGlycol-modified polyester	General-purpose functional parts, chemical contact Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Moderate heat limit.	£££££Standard	Compare PETG
ABSAcrylonitrile butadiene styrene	Impact-loaded parts, anything you sand, glue or paint Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Best on small to mid-size parts. Layer lines show.	£££££Standard	Compare ABS
ASAAcrylonitrile styrene acrylate	Outdoor end-use parts, UV exposure, around 100 °C Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Matte finish. Layer lines show.	£££££Standard	Compare ASA
TPUThermoplastic polyurethane, 95A	Seals, grips, bumpers, anything that must flex Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Soft and elastic. Prints at moderate detail.	£££££Standard	Compare TPU
NylonPolyamide (PA12)	Wear parts, moving parts, strong parts with some flex Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Keep dry before printing. Best on small to mid-size parts. Matte, grainy surface.	£££££Standard	Compare Nylon
Fire-resistant PETGFlame-retardant polyester	Electrical housings and enclosures Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Priced above PETG. Available in selected colours.	£££££Standard	Compare Fire-resistant PETG
Carbon-fibre PETGCarbon-filled polyester	Stiff, light structural parts, brackets, frames Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Stiffest FDM option. Black finish.	£££££Standard	Compare Carbon-fibre PETG
Metal-filled PLAMetal-filled polylactic acid	Display pieces that need metal look and weight Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Matte metallic look. Suits display parts.	£££££On request	Compare Metal-filled PLA
Wood-filled PLAWood-filled polylactic acid	Display pieces and models that you will sand or stain Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Matte wood look. Suits display parts.	£££££On request	Compare Wood-filled PLA
Magnetic PLAIron-filled polylactic acid	Parts that magnets attract, display and demonstration pieces Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Weak magnetic response. Keep dry.	£££££On request	Compare Magnetic PLA
ESD PETGStatic-dissipative polyester	Electronics handling, fixtures near sensitive components Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Black finish. Priced above standard grades.	£££££On request	Compare ESD PETG
Biocompatible PLASkin-contact PLA grades	Skin-contact models and fixtures. Grade confirmed per job. Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Grade confirmed per job. Suits models and fixtures.	£££££On request	Compare Biocompatible PLA
More FDM materials available. We can source most grades not listed here. Request a material

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Industrial FDM materials

Load-bearing and heat-exposed parts in carbon-filled nylon, production ABS and ULTEM.

Typical use: End-use, load-bearing parts · Grades: Flame-rated and high-heat grades on request · Lead time: Quoted per part

FDM 3D printing service

Material	Best for	Cost	Compare
Markforged OnyxCarbon-filled nylon	Strong, stiff, dimensionally stable end-use parts Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Black finish. Priced above standard grades.	£££££Standard	Compare Markforged Onyx
Stratasys ABSProduction-grade ABS	Dimensionally stable parts with clean detail from soluble supports Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Premium grade with a longer lead time.	£££££Standard	Compare Stratasys ABS
ULTEM 9085PEI blend, flame, smoke and toxicity rated	Parts that need a flame, smoke and toxicity rating, heat and chemical exposure Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Premium grade with a longer lead time.	£££££On request	Compare ULTEM 9085
ULTEM 1010PEI, highest heat resistance in FDM	Parts at the highest FDM temperatures, very stiff and strong parts, sterilisable grades Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Premium grade with a longer lead time.	£££££On request	Compare ULTEM 1010
More Industrial FDM materials available. We can source most grades not listed here. Request a material

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SLA materials

Small parts that need fine detail and a smooth surface.

Build volume: 350 × 250 × 250 mmEnquire about larger projects: we may be able to accommodate them. We also offer technologies beyond the four processes listed. · Tolerance: ±0.5% (min ±0.1 mm) · Resolution: From 10 microns

SLA 3D printing service

Material	Best for	Cost	Compare
Standard resinHigh-detail photopolymer	Small parts with the finest detail and a smooth surface Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Suits indoor, ambient use.	£££££Standard	Compare Standard resin
Tough resinABS-like photopolymer	Functional prototypes that resist stress and strain Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Suits indoor use. FDM nylon takes heavier impact.	£££££On request	Compare Tough resin
Flexible resinElastomeric photopolymer	Soft-touch parts, gaskets and seals Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Soft and elastic. Suits indoor use.	£££££Standard	Compare Flexible resin
Transparent resinClear photopolymer	Clear parts, light guides, visual flow models Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Suits indoor use.	£££££Standard	Compare Transparent resin
Castable resinBurn-out photopolymer	Patterns for investment casting, jewellery Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Handle gently before casting.	£££££On request	Compare Castable resin
Biocompatible resinSkin and mucosal contact grades	Anatomical models and guides. Grade confirmed per job. Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Grade confirmed per job.	£££££On request	Compare Biocompatible resin
More SLA materials available. We can source most grades not listed here. Request a material

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SLS materials

PA12 nylon. Loose powder supports the part, so nested and interlocking geometry prints.

Build volume: 165 × 165 × 300 mmEnquire about larger projects: we may be able to accommodate them. We also offer technologies beyond the four processes listed. · Tolerance: ±0.3% (min ±0.3 mm) · Lead time: From 2 calendar days

SLS 3D printing service

Material	Best for	Cost	Compare
PA12 nylonPolyamide 12 powder	Housings, clips, snap fits, ducting, complex nested parts Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Matte, slightly grainy surface. Hollow parts need powder escape holes.	£££££Standard	Compare PA12 nylon
More SLS materials available. We can source most grades not listed here. Request a material

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PolyJet materials

Rigid and flexible regions in one build. Material families quoted per part.

Layer height: 16 to 30 microns · Materials: Several in one build · Lead time: Quoted per part

PolyJet 3D printing service

Material	Best for	Cost	Compare
Rigid photopolymerRigid jetted resin	Stiff, detailed models and housings Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Suits models and housings. Confirmed per part.	£££££On request	Compare Rigid photopolymer
Flexible photopolymerRubber-like jetted resin	Soft grips and seals on rigid bodies Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Suits grips and seals. Confirmed per part.	£££££On request	Compare Flexible photopolymer
Transparent photopolymerClear jetted resin	Lenses, covers, light pipes Properties and design notes Strength Stiffness Heat Detail Suits indoor use. Confirmed per part.	£££££On request	Compare Transparent photopolymer
More PolyJet materials available. We can source most grades not listed here. Request a material

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CNC machining and other processes, by quotation

An engineer quotes these processes. Materials marked On request are quoted the same way: choose Request a material when you quote, or send an RFQ.

CNC machining
Sheet metal
Casting
Surface treatment and coating
Assembly and kitting
Design for manufacture

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Process specifications

Process	Tolerance	Build volumeEnquire about larger projects: we may be able to accommodate them. We also offer technologies beyond the four processes listed.	Lead time	Materials
FDM	±0.5% (min ±0.3 mm)	1000 × 1000 × 1000 mm	From 1 calendar day	PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, nylon, carbon-fibre PETG, plus industrial grades
SLA	±0.5% (min ±0.1 mm)	350 × 250 × 250 mm	From 1 calendar day	Standard, tough, flexible, transparent, castable, biocompatible
SLS	±0.3% (min ±0.3 mm)	165 × 165 × 300 mm	From 2 calendar days	PA12 nylon
PolyJet	A few hundredths to a few tenths of a mm on small features	Quoted per part	Quoted per part	Rigid, flexible and transparent photopolymers, mixed in one build

Larger builds are made at our Devon production site: send the drawings for a quote.

Rules of thumb

PETG as the defaultOur default for general-purpose functional parts. Move to another grade when load, heat or environment demands it.
Match the process to the sizeFDM builds to 1000 mm, SLA to 350 mm, SLS to 300 mm.
Choose resin for detailSLA resolves from 10 microns, for the smoothest surfaces.
Choose nylon for toughnessPA12 in SLS and FDM nylon give strong, wear-resistant parts.
Operating environmentHeat, UV and chemical contact decide between ASA, PETG, nylon and ULTEM.

Batch and material certificates are checked against the order and available on request. Discuss regulated uses with us before ordering so we confirm the right grade.

Selection by requirement

If the part needs	Start with
Load-bearing strength	ABS, PETG, nylon or Markforged Onyx in FDM. Tough resin in SLA. PA12 in SLS.
Temperature above 60 °C	ASA holds to around 100 °C. ULTEM 1010 has the highest heat resistance in FDM (on request).
Outdoor, UV exposure	ASA in FDM, with UV stability for long outdoor life.
Flexing or squashing	TPU (Shore 95A) with around 600% elongation at break. Flexible resin in SLA.
Fine detail or a clear part	Standard resin for detail, transparent resin for clarity.
Electrical housings, static control	Fire-resistant PETG. ESD PETG for static-dissipative parts (on request).
Metal casting patterns	Castable resin, which burns out cleanly.
Complex nylon geometry, powder-supported	PA12 in SLS.

Frequently asked questions

Which material is the best all-rounder?

PETG is our default FDM material for general-purpose parts. The best choice depends on load, temperature and environment.

Can I request a material from outside the list?

Yes. Tell an engineer what the part must survive and we advise on a grade. Availability changes, and requests are quoted per part.

Do you provide material certificates?

Batch and material certificates are checked against the order, and documentation can be provided on request.

Which materials suit medical use?

Biocompatible PLA and biocompatible SLA resin are quoted per part, with the grade confirmed for each job. Discuss regulated applications with us before ordering.