Filament NYLON

An engineering material for wear applications

Nylon PA6 is a 3D printing filament suited to moving parts. Where PLA fractures and PETG gradually deforms, Nylon withstands wear on a capable 3D printer: gears in continuous mesh, living hinges through repeated cycles, bushings, latches and clips. It is tough rather than merely strong, deforming considerably before failure.

Drying is required

Nylon is the most hygroscopic material in our range. A spool left in ambient air for a day will print poorly, with extrusion noise, visible steam, stringing and weak layers. Dry at 70–80 °C for 8 to 12 hours and print from a dry box. Most of the difficulty associated with Nylon comes down to moisture management; with proper drying, it prints predictably.

Print settings

Print at 250–265 °C with a 100–120 °C bed. An enclosure is recommended, as Nylon warps and a stable chamber keeps large parts flat. Use a glue stick or a PA-compatible surface: Nylon bonds strongly to bare glass and can damage the build surface on removal.

Colours and spools

Black and Natural. Spools of 275 g / 100 m, 550 g / 200 m and 825 g / 300 m. Spool weights are lower than our other filaments because PA6 is less dense; the filament length per spool size is equivalent.

For structural parts requiring reduced warping, see Nylon CF10.