Filament (FDM)
Nylon (PA) 3D printing
Nylon (polyamide, PA) is a tough, wear-resistant engineering polymer used for gears, supports and tooling. We print it in Brescia with FDM as PA12 and PA11 and in carbon-fiber-filled grades.
What it is for
Nylon is used for mechanical parts: gears, bushings, sliders, hinges, snap-fit clips, brackets and line tooling such as jigs, fixtures and grippers. It is tough, resists wear and fatigue and copes with oils, greases and fuels. The carbon-fiber grades add stiffness and heat stability, for structural supports and tools that must not flex.
Allow for moisture: nylon absorbs it, changes size and loses stiffness. Where dimensional stability in a humid environment or resistance to acids is needed, PPS is the better fit. For runs of complex parts consider nylon in SLS or in MJF.
Variants compared
| Property | PA12Quote |
|---|---|
| Mechanical | |
| Tensile strengthISO 527, at yield, orientation not stated | 45 MPa |
| Tensile modulusISO 527, orientation not stated | 1,400 MPa |
| Elongation at breakISO 527 | >50% |
| Charpy impact, notchedISO 179, at 23 °C | 12 kJ/m² |
| Thermal | |
| Heat deflection temperature (HDT) at 0.45 MPaISO 75 | 135 °C |
| Heat deflection temperature (HDT) at 1.8 MPaISO 75 | 55 °C |
| Melting point (Tm)ISO 11357-3 | 178 °C |
| Vicat softening temperatureISO 306 | 145 °C |
| Physical | |
| DensityISO 1183 | 1.01 g/cm³ |
| Source |
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| Property | PA12Quote | PA11Quote | PA6-CF (carbon fiber)annealed 100 °C, 16 hQuote | PA12-CF (carbon fiber)annealed 100 °C, 16 hQuote | PA612-CF (carbon fiber)annealed 100 °C, 16 hQuote | PA11-CF (carbon fiber)Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||||||
| Tensile strength | 45 MPaISO 527, at yield, orientation not stated | 38.3 MPaISO 527-1, horizontal specimen, at yield | 109.3 MPaISO 527, XY54 MPa Z54.7 MPa wet | 77.4 MPaISO 527, XY52.2 MPa Z71.7 MPa wet | 91.9 MPaISO 527, XY48.3 MPa Z83.1 MPa wet | 42 MPaISO 527-1, horizontal specimen, at yield |
| Tensile modulus | 1,400 MPaISO 527, orientation not stated | 1.2 GPaISO 527-1, horizontal specimen | 8,636.5 MPaISO 527, XY3,759.5 MPa Z2,508.1 MPa wet | 3,311.2 MPaISO 527, XY1,806.6 MPa Z3,131.7 MPa wet | 5,136.7 MPaISO 527, XY2,786.4 MPa Z3,990.8 MPa wet | 2.5 GPaISO 527-1, horizontal specimen |
| Elongation at breakISO 527 | >50% | on request | 2.1%XY1.9% Z7% wet | 4.2%XY5% Z5.3% wet | 2.6%XY2.1% Z4.1% wet | on request |
| Flexural strengthISO 178 | on request | 41.4 MPahorizontal specimen | 161 MPaXY71.3 MPa Z64.9 MPa wet | 112.4 MPaXY69.8 MPa Z91.8 MPa wet | 138 MPaXY73.5 MPa Z118.1 MPa wet | 63 MPahorizontal specimen |
| Flexural modulusISO 178 | on request | 1.1 GPahorizontal specimen | 7,037.6 MPaXY2,975.3 MPa Z2,286.2 MPa wet | 2,886.5 MPaXY1,452.8 MPa Z2,652.7 MPa wet | 4,583.5 MPaXY2,264.8 MPa Z3,888.3 MPa wet | 3 GPahorizontal specimen |
| Charpy impact, notched | 12 kJ/m²ISO 179, at 23 °C | 12.9 kJ/m²ISO 179-1, horizontal specimen | 11 kJ/m²ISO 179, XY35.6 kJ/m² wet | 9.9 kJ/m²ISO 179, XY10.2 kJ/m² wet | 8.1 kJ/m²ISO 179, XY7.7 kJ/m² wet | 12 kJ/m²ISO 179-1, horizontal specimen |
| Charpy impact, unnotched | on request | on request | 24 kJ/m²ISO 179, XY7.5 kJ/m² Z73 kJ/m² wet | 33.7 kJ/m²ISO 179, XY27.6 kJ/m² Z41.2 kJ/m² wet | 29.9 kJ/m²ISO 179, XY12.6 kJ/m² Z41 kJ/m² wet | 30 kJ/m²ISO 179-1, horizontal specimen |
| Shore hardness | on request | 70 Shore Dstandard not stated on the sheet | on request | on request | on request | 77 Shore Dstandard not stated on the sheet |
| Thermal | ||||||
| Heat deflection temperature (HDT) at 0.45 MPaISO 75 | 135 °C | 58.7 °Cstate not given on the sheet | 215 °Cstate not given on the sheet | 131 °Cstate not given on the sheet | 175 °C | 192 °Cstate not given on the sheet |
| Heat deflection temperature (HDT) at 1.8 MPaISO 75 | 55 °C | 49.9 °Cstate not given on the sheet | 173 °Cstate not given on the sheet | 105 °Cstate not given on the sheet | 114 °C | 152 °Cstate not given on the sheet |
| Glass transition (Tg)DSC, 10 °C/min | on request | on request | 74.2 °C | 55 °C | on request | on request |
| Melting point (Tm) | 178 °CISO 11357-3 | on request | 218.5 °CDSC, 10 °C/min | 171 °CDSC, 10 °C/min | 210 °CDSC, 10 °C/min | on request |
| Vicat softening temperatureISO 306 | 145 °C | on request | 219.2 °Cstate not given on the sheet | 170.2 °Cstate not given on the sheet | 206.2 °C | on request |
| Physical | ||||||
| DensityISO 1183 | 1.01 g/cm³ | 1.02 g/cm³ | 1.17 g/cm³at 23 °C | 1.06 g/cm³at 23 °C | 1.03 g/cm³at 23 °C | 1.11 g/cm³ |
| Water absorptionequilibrium at 23 °C and 70% RH | on request | on request | on request | on request | 2.2%standard not stated on the sheet | on request |
| Fire behavior | ||||||
| Flammability ratingUL 94 | on request | on request | HB at 1.5 mm | HB at 1.5 mm | HB at 1.5 mm | on request |
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Typical values from the makers' data sheets, measured on specimens under the conditions stated. They are not guaranteed design values: for a critical application ask us for a test on your part.
Treatments after printing
For PA6-CF, PA12-CF and PA612-CF the maker recommends annealing at 100 °C for 16 hours: the values in the table are measured on dry specimens annealed that way. Next to them are the wet values, measured after 48 hours in water at 60 °C.
Annealing and filament drying are done in a Memmert oven at a controlled temperature.
Design limits
- Build volume
- 350 × 350 × 450 mm
- Minimum wall
- 3 mm
- Dimensional tolerance
- ±0.6 mm up to 100 mm, ±0.75% above
These are the limits of the process, the same for every variant unless stated. For critical dimensions, talk to us before printing.
Which variant to choose
- PA12: unfilled, tough and not very sensitive to moisture. Data sheet (supplier data): tensile strength at yield 45 MPa (ISO 527), heat deflection temperature 135 °C at 0.45 MPa and 55 °C at 1.8 MPa (ISO 75).
- PA11: unfilled, the most ductile; for clips, hinges and parts that take impacts. Specimens printed flat: tensile strength at yield 38.3 MPa (ISO 527-1), heat deflection temperature 58.7 °C at 0.45 MPa (ISO 75).
- PA6-CF (carbon fiber): the stiffest and the most heat-resistant. Dry, annealed specimens: tensile strength 109.3 MPa in XY, heat deflection temperature 215 °C at 0.45 MPa. Wet, the tensile strength drops to 54.7 MPa.
- PA12-CF (carbon fiber): the least sensitive to moisture: tensile strength in XY 77.4 MPa dry and 71.7 MPa wet; heat deflection temperature 131 °C at 0.45 MPa.
- PA612-CF (carbon fiber): midway between the two: tensile strength in XY 91.9 MPa dry and 83.1 MPa wet; heat deflection temperature 175 °C at 0.45 MPa.
- PA11-CF (carbon fiber): stiff and tough together. Specimens printed flat: tensile strength at yield 42 MPa (ISO 527-1), heat deflection temperature 192 °C at 0.45 MPa (ISO 75).
Data sheets
Fiberlogy, Fiberlogy Nylon PA12, Last update: May 20, 2025, PDFread on 13 November 2026
Columns: PA12
Filament maker's data sheet, Version: 1.0, Last update: 22-07-2026, PDFread on 13 November 2026
Columns: PA11
Polymaker (Fiberon), Fiberon PA6-CF20, V1.1, PDFread on 13 November 2026
Columns: PA6-CF (carbon fiber)
Polymaker (Fiberon), Fiberon PA12-CF10, V1.1, PDFread on 13 November 2026
Columns: PA12-CF (carbon fiber)
Fiberon (Polymaker), Fiberon™ PA612-CF15, V1.1, PDFread on 13 November 2026
Columns: PA612-CF (carbon fiber)
Filament maker's data sheet, Version: 1.0, Last update: 29-06-2022, PDFread on 13 November 2026
Columns: PA11-CF (carbon fiber)
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
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