More popularly known as nylon, polyamide (PA) has been used in industry for decades. Industrial PA fibers are used in everything from clothing to parachute cords. Cast or extruded polyamide parts are even ...used in automotive engines. 3D printing with polyamide material lets you create strong, abrasion-resistant parts that can survive in harsh environments.
Strength and durability make parts printed from polyamide plastic suitable for long-term functional use. Applications such as gears or bearings that require low friction and high abrasion resistance are also good candidates for polyamide. As opposed to other high-strength 3D printer filaments, PA can produce high-quality surface finishes that require minimal post-processing.
Careful storage is essential when working with nylon. The material is highly hygroscopic and easily absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. PA print temperatures are higher than most entry-level 3D printers can handle. Even with a more capable printer, you may need to get an all-metal hot end. An enclosure is also necessary to prevent warping as the object cools.
Engineers can iterate designs for injection-molded nylon parts by printing with polyamide. Since the prints will have properties similar to the mass-produced part, they can see how the part will work in real life. For one-off or limited-volume work, polyamide plastic is strong and durable enough to work in functional parts such as snap-fit joints or protective parts such as enclosures. Good abrasion resistance and low coefficients of friction also make polyamide filament a good choice for printing bearings, gears and other parts that slide or rotate.
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