3D printing with nylon

It is possible to 3D print with a wide variety of materials, using everything from silicone rubber to pasta. However if you are looking to make your own clothes you may wonder if certain materials can be used in a 3D printer. For example can you 3D print with nylon?

The process

The short answer to the question can you 3D print with nylon is “Yes.”

However there are a few things to be aware of. First of all the material has to be printed at a higher temperature from standard ABS. It also needs to be on a slight constant pressure so this should be taken into account while printing and you need to be wary of water absorption as this can affect the quality of the print.

Another factor to be wary of is how quickly it cools down- if it cools down too quickly the final object may not stick together. As a general rule of thumb the faster the material is printed the higher the temperature you need during the printing process.
Another thing to be wary of is warping- be wary of overhang!

One way to avoid this is to add outer structures to drag the design back into position and then remove them. Alternatively you can use a sheet of metal in order to flatten the material into place.

In short it is possible to print with nylon. Indeed there are a number of benefits, especially given that is a very affordable and flexible material. As with any material it is important to be aware of how to handle it and with the right approach you can get the full benefit of printing 3D items with nylon.