3NTR Glass+

Sometimes the properties of the plastic itself are not enough to meet the requirements of certain industrial environments. In that case, polymers are often reinforced with fibers for additional strength or resistance. An example of this practice is the 3NTR Glass+ filament manufactured by 3NTR, an Italian company specialized in industrial 3D printers and filaments.

The Glass+ filament is a nylon (PA) filament additived with hollow glass microspheres to produce less dense, stronger, tougher and electrically insulating parts with better thermal performance. Moreover, filaments reinforced with glass fiber usually have good chemical resistance and some UV resistance.

Image 1: A part 3D printed with the 3NTR Glass+ filament. Source: 3NTR.

The base of the Glass+ filament by 3NTR is nylon (polyamide). Nylon, a synthetic thermoplastic polymer, is one of the most popular materials in technical FDM 3D printing. Providing great resistance and durability, it can be used to 3D print both prototypes and functional end parts. Nylon was first discovered in its original form of very elastic and resistant fibers, and with those properties it revolutionized the textile industry. Later on, scientists invented a method for transforming nylon fibers into a solid material, which made nylon a favorite material in numerous industries thanks to its durability, resistance and elasticity allowing for the manufacturing of objects that can cushion shocks and impacts between parts, as well as support loads. Nowadays, nylon is used to manufacture clothes, fishing lines, guitar strings, food packaging, zips and screws but also surgical products, industrial machinery and, of course, PA filament for 3D printing.

The 3NTR Glass+ filament is certainly the right candidate for environments that require strong and durable parts resistant to heat and non-conductive. Thanks to these properties, this filament can be used to 3D print prototypes as well as end use parts for the automotive industry.