3D Printing Material Guide – What to Know About Nylon

Polyamide, also known as nylon, is a semi-flexible material offering great resistance to both abrasion and impact, making it ideal for parts where durability is a must. Most variants require an unusually high print temperature of 250°C that many printers can’t reach safely.

You can, however, print some variants at a lower temperature. Nylon filaments are especially hygroscopic, meaning they very easily absorb moisture from the air and need to be stored in a dry box with a desiccant.

Hardware Requirements

• Bed Temperature: 70-90 °C
• Heated Bed Required
• Enclosure: Recommended
• Build Surface: PEI, Glue stick
• Extruder: Temperature 225-265 °C
• All-Metal hot end may be required

Best Practices and Tips

All filaments are relatively hygroscopic, but for nylon, this is particularly extreme. To keep it dry, you should keep it in an airtight box with a desiccant to preferentially absorb moisture from the air. Using a damp nylon filament will result in a wide range of print issues, including foggy surfaces and holes or bubbles on the surface. It’s recommended that you use a dry box that includes an integrated filament tube.

Nylon filaments are prone to warping when cooled. It’s important to keep the ambient temperature high to avoid this. The best way to address this is to use a printer enclosure, as this keeps the area warm from the heat of the print head. You should also use a heated print bed and avoid using a part cooling fan.

If you’re struggling with warping with an enclosure or can’t use an enclosure, then a brim or a raft can be a great tool to enhance print bed adhesion. These increase the material surface on the print bed, increasing adhesion. The downside with these is that they require post-processing to remove.

Advantages

• Tough and partially flexible
• Highly resistant to impacts and abrasion
• Doesn’t give off noxious smells when printed

Disadvantages

• Very prone to warping
• Very vulnerable to moisture and humidity

Conclusion

This information should give you a great starting point for Nylon printing. Have you got any specific projects you’re planning to use Nylon for? Let us know down below.