Scaffold

Carbon

Carbon filament is great for printing strong and durable parts. It is the perfect choice for mechanical parts, housing, shells or other protective casings. Carbon filament usually contains additional printing materials within its composition (ABS, PETG, NYLON etc.) depending on the product needed.

Printing tips

Steel Nozzles: Carbon filament is very abrasive and it is better to print with steel nozzles to reduce clogging.

Print Speed: To ensure better results, print carbon parts with a lower printing speed. This will ensure better results.

E-PLA

Leapfrog Engineering PLA (Polylactic Acid)is a biodegradable plastic that was formulated to provide greater durability than standard PLA without compromising on its eases of use when printing. PLA is the most popular filament used globally, offering great print quality with good dimensional accuracy and is used in many applications.

E-PLA is used in various settings mainly due to its ease of use compared to other filaments. It is the best filament to begin with for novice 3D printing users.

Printing tips

Sunlight: Direct sunlight over long periods can degrade the quality of the printed object so store E-PLA parts inside.

Storage: Store the filament in dry areas since it absorbs moisture.

Flex

Flex is a filament that uses a combination of plastic and rubber. The main benefit of Flex filament is the creation of flexible prints with elastic properties. When printing with Flex, the amount of infill can control the stiffness of your print. Flex printed with 100% infill will be quite rigid, whereas a 0% infill would create a rubber tube or even balloon-like print.
Flex can be used for rubber wheels, mechanical grips or tough durable parts with superb shock absorption using 100% infill.

Printing tips

Print Speed: Use consistent flow rates and also smaller layer heights to ensure better interlayer adhesion.

Storage: Keep flexible filament dry and away from moisture.

HIPS

Hybrid

Leapfrog Hybrid (CPE) is a strong material that is easy to print with and has various properties that make it an ideal material for large objects or objects that are used for mechanical prototypes. In terms of durability, it is between ABS and PLA and produces objects that can withstand high temperatures.

Printing tips

Temperature: Printing with Hybrid requires correct print bed temperature settings and managment.

Nylon

Nylon is a well known and very tough filament that has a wide array of applications. It’ is slightly flexible giving it the ability to bend without breaking and has durability properties such as heat resistance and impact resistance. Compared to other materials, it is the most versatile due.

Printing tips

Storage: Nylon filament like some other filaments can absorb moisture from the air and can lead to printing issues.

PETG

Polyethylene Terephthalate is the most widely used plastic globally and is used to create various products like standard water bottles. PETG on the other hand is specifically designed for 3D printing applications and is considered the bridge in terms of mechanical properties between PLA and ABS. It offers strength, impact resistance and chemical resistance without having issues like warping.

Having similar properties to PLA and ABS, PETG is a great filament for a number of applications that require more durability than PLA can offer, while being easier to print with than ABS.

Printing tips

Print Speed: We recommend printing with lower than average print speed if the desire is to achieve better strength properties due to better layer adhesion.

Storage: Store the filament in dry areas since it absorbs moisture.

PP

PP (Polypropylene) is a light flexible material that offers a number of highly desired properties. It has high impact strength and bending abilities making it great for parts that require heavy use. In the consumer market, it is used for applications, such as packaging, stationary and more.

Printing tips

Temperature: Printing with Polypropylene requires planning and careful temperature management to ensure successful prints. It is a material that is not as forgiving as E-PLA during the printing process.

Storage: Store the filament in dry areas since it absorbs moisture.

Scaffold

Scaffold Soluble Support Filament is used to print complex geometric parts.  Objects that have angles greater than 45 degrees or overhangs require another material to keep the shape uniform, especially during the printing and cooling process.

Printing tips

Storage: Scaffold being soluble in water means it is highly hygroscopic and should be stored in a dry environment.