PA12 CF Raise3D

Raise3D is one of the leaders in industrial FDM printers and accessories. They are dedicated to finding cutting edge AM solutions for flexible manufacturing, to help companies improve their competitive advantage. Raise3D also makes 3D printing filaments. Their filament portfolio includes a wide range of basic, engineering and advanced filaments, such as PLA, PC, PVA, ABS, ASA, PETg, TPU and PA.

The Raise 3D PA12 CF is a filament based on the polyamide 12 polymer, enriched with 10-30 % of short chopped carbon fibers for improved thermomechanical performance, low warpage and lower moisture absorption.

A durable and resistant engineering material

PA is an engineering thermoplastic, known most commonly under the name nylon. It is an affordable and extremely versatile material. It is extensively used in 3D printing due to its durability, flexibility, thermoplasticity, and resistance to abrasion, friction, corrosion and chemicals. Its first uses were mainly the manufacturing of consumer goods such as toothbrushes or women’s stockings. Nevertheless, nylon quickly found other more advanced uses. During WWII it was used in the US army to make parachutes, ropes, body armor and helmet liners.

Image 1: A part 3D printed with the Raise3D PA12 CF filament. Source: Raise3D.

Nowadays, nylon has diverse applications, for example in the automotive and aerospace industry, medicine and sports, as well as in the packaging and electronics industry. In 3D printing, nylon is used in the form of powder (SLS and MJF), pellets, and filament (FDM).

Enriching filaments with carbon fiber

Filaments designed for specialistic uses are frequently enriched with carbon fibers or glass fibers to make sure the filament is going to have the adequate thermomechanical behavior. The addition of carbon fiber (CF) adds rigidity, stiffness and dimensional stability. It also makes the material a valid substitute for aluminum parts due to its reduced weight. This set of properties makes CF loaded plastic ideal for the automotive industry (high tensile strength and modulus, and high temperature tolerance) and the aerospace industry (weight reduced up to 50 % with preserved functionality).

Raise 3D PA12 CF

The Raise3D PA12 CF has the PA12 nylon as the base material. PA12 has better impact resistance than PA6 (but lower than PA11) and a significantly greater resistance to corrosion, oils, fuels, hydraulic fluids, solvents and salt than PA6 and PA11. Moreover, PA 12 has a relatively low concentration of amide groups in the polymer chain, which makes it very resistant to water absorption. Another advantage of PA12 is that it does not degrade or break easily under abrasion stresses or due to ESC (Environment Stress Cracking).

Image 2: A part 3D printed with the Raise3D PA12 CF filament. Source: Raise3D.

The PA12 CF is perfect as a metal substitute due to its light weight achieved by the addition of carbon fibers. The combination of low weight and sturdiness and resistance is a desired feature in the aerospace and automotive industries. The Raise 3D PA12 CF filament can also be used to 3D print jigs, fixtures and tools that can handle constant abrasion and impacts, for example on the manufacturing floor. The PA12 CF is also a valid material for the manufacturing of end-use functional parts.

In addition, to offer the possibility of making complex parts with this material, Raise3D has developed a support filament optimized for this filament: the Raise3D PA12 CF support filament.

Both materials are optimized for the Raise3D E2CF 3D printer, a printer designed especially for carbon reinforced filaments.