Nylon is a strong filament that can be used to make ready-to-use items with some excellent properties. The high-temperature material, however, needs specific 3D printers and careful printing to get the best results. Read on to find the best Nylon filament brands you can buy.
What is Nylon Filament?
Nylon is a polymer material that is commonly used in the textiles industry, where it is known as polyamide (PA). In the consumer world, PA is popularly referred to as ‘nylon’.
Nylon is a tough material that is resistant to high temperature. Moreover, it has a low coefficient of friction. The material comes in different variants, which are designated by numbers.
Nylon is one of the strongest 3D printer filaments. The most common ones are PA 11 and PA 12, whose properties include low moisture absorption and other properties.
PA 11 has a higher UV and temperature resistance and is more flexible than PA 12. However, both materials are used with MJF and SLS technologies, and not in filament-based processes.
The nylon varieties that are commonly used in filament-based printing and manufacturing are PA 6 and PA 66. These two materials are low cost and have high processability. However, the two materials absorb quite a lot of moisture, which can degrade the polymers. Because of this property, they have to be stored properly.
Today, nylon has become easier to print thanks to improvements in 3D printing technologies. If you are looking to print nylon filament, you need a printer that is capable of handling high temperatures. Check our guide of the best 3D printers for nylon and ABS.
However, printing nylon is not as easy as printing PLA or PETG. To make your work easier, use the following settings:
Nylon Filament Settings
- Bed temperature: up to 65 °C
- Nozzle temperature: 240 °C to 290 °C
- Fan speed: 0 to 50 percent
- Print speed: 25mm/s to 50mm/s
- Bed surface: PVA glue stick, 3DLac, Garolite, Magigoo
- Enclosure: Recommended but not necessary
These are general settings that will help you get started quickly. However, you should check the recommended settings of the manufacturer of the filament you will be using.
Nylon Filament Storage
Since nylon PA 6 and PA 66 are highly hygroscopic, i.e., they absorb moisture, they need to be stored properly. When the materials absorb moisture, they degrade and the quality and strength of the resulting prints are compromised.
To protect the filament from moisture, you should store it in a dry environment. Check our guide on how to store 3D printing filament.
Nylon can go bad after a few hours. Therefore, it is advisable to print it directly from a humidity-controlled spool holder or a dry box with a filament feed hole.
If your nylon filament has absorbed some moisture, you should dry it before use.
Let’s not look at the best nylon filament brands on the market.
Best Nylon Filament Brands
1. ColorFABB PA-CF Low Warp
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
The ColorFABB PA-CT Low Warp features a continuous service temperature of 120°C and has many benefits of ColorFABB’s PA Newt. However, the PA-CT Low Warp is also fused with carbon fibers to make it stronger. As a result, this nylon material is perfect for parts that need to be strong to maintain their shape.
Since the filament is so stiff, when you want to print the 2.88mm filament, use a spool mount that has some friction between it and the holder to prevent unspooling.
- Bed Temperature: Up to 50°C
- Nozzle temperature: 260 °C to 280°C
- Color: black
- Diameters: 1.75mm, 2.85mm
- Bed surface: 3DLac
2. MatterHackers Nylon Composites
BUY ON MATTERHACKERS
MatterHacker’s Nylon Composites comprise three filaments blended with various materials to improve their properties and applications. The NylonK has Kevlar fibers that improve its abrasion resistance properties, the NylonG has glass fibers for impact resistance, and the NylonX has carbon fibers strength and stiffness.
Let’s look at the best printing settings for the three materials.
MatterHackers NylonK
- Bed temperature: 60 °C to 65 °C
- Nozzle temperature: 250 °C to 265 °C
- Color: black
- Diameters: 1.75mm, 2.85mm
- Bed surface: unheated Garolite, PVA glue stick
- Price: check
MatterHackers NylonG
- Bed temperature: 65 °C
- Nozzle temperature: 245 °C to 265 °C
- Colors: desert tan, silver, olive green, blue, white, orange, red
- Diameters: 1.75mm, 2.85mm
- Bed surface: Magigoo, Garolite
- Price: check
MatterHackers NylonX
- Bed temperature: 60 °C to 65 °C
- Nozzle temperature: 250 °C to 265 °C
- Color: black
- Diameters: 1.75mm, 2.85mm
- Bed surface: PVA glue stick
- Price: check
3. Ultimaker Nylon
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The Ultimaker Nylon is a copolymer of PA 6 and PA 66. This premium filament is manufactured to prevent moisture absorption and as a result, offers solid all-round performance.
If you have the Ultimaker S5 Pro Bundle, you can store this nylon filament in the Material Station.
- Bed temperature: 60 °C to 70 °C
- Nozzle temperature: 230 °C to 260 °C
- Colors: transparent, black
- Diameter: 2.85mm
- Bed surface: PVA glue sick, Magigoo PA
- Price: Check
4. ColorFABB PA Neat
BUY ON COLORFABB
ColorFABB PA Neat is tuned for low warping and can withstand temperature of up to 120 °C while retaining its mechanical properties. The material has a higher tensile strength than PolyMide CoPA.
The filament is quite stiff. Therefore, you should use a spool mount that has some friction between it and the spool holder to prevent unspooling.
- Bed temperature: up to 50 °C
- Nozzle temperature: 265 °C to 290 °C
- Color: black
- Diameters: 1.75mm, 2.85mm
- Bed surface: 3DLac
- Price: check
5. Polymaker PolyMide CoPA
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Polymaker PolyMide CoPA is a copolymer of PA 6 and PA 66. This material has low warping properties and performs well when 3D printed. The material melts at 180 °C, which makes it excellent for printing demanding applications.
The material’s properties include:
- Bed temperature: 25 °C to 50 °C
- Nozzle temperature: 250 °C to 270 °C
- Colors: natural, black
- Bed surface: PVA glue stick
- Diameters: 1.75mm, 2.85mm
6. MatterHackers Pro Series Nylon
BUY ON MATTERHACKERS
This is a high-quality and affordable nylon filament that comes in different colors. The recommended print settings for the filament are:
- Bed temperature: 60 °C
- Nozzle temperature: 240 °C to 260 °C
- Colors: orange, red, blue, gray, green, white, black
- Diameters: 1.75mm, 2.85mm
- Bed surface: PVA glue stick
The above are the best nylon filaments on the market
