

The Filamet H13 Tool Steel filament is a composite material by The Virtual Foundry made with 86.8 % of H13 tool steel, with a density of 3.56 g/cm3. After a sintering process, parts 3D printed with Filament H13 Tool Steel turn into 100 % metallic parts characterized by strength and resistance to wear, properties inherited from H13 tool steel (resistant to thermal softening, high strength, high toughness and high hardenability).
The Filamet H13 Tool Steel filament prints just like any other filament from TVF and similarly to PLA, with little to no warping. Some examples of compatible 3D printing equipment are Creality or Prusa, or any other open material FFF/FDM 3D printer and even 3D printing pens. Although easy to print, this material should be printed with an abrasion resistant nozzle (hardened steel) with a diameter of at least 0.6 mm due to the abrasive nature of the metal within the filament.
Using the Filamet H13 Tool Steel filament allows for a significant reduction of tooling and machining costs for short run manufacturing, prototyping and one-off metal parts since any design with any level of customization can be made in a matter of one day with the help of Filamet H13 Tool Steel and a 3D printer.
General information |
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Manufacturer | The Virtual Foundry |
Material | Metal + binder |
Format | 0.5 kg |
Density | 3.56 g/cm³ |
Filament diameter | 1.75 / 2.85 mm |
Filament length | (Ø 1.75 mm - 0.5 kg) ±58.4 m / (Ø 2.85 mm - 0.5 kg) ±22.0 m |
Amount of filler (volume) | 86.8 % |
Amount of filler (mass) | - % |
Printing properties |
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Printing temperature | 210 ºC |
Print bed temperature | 60 ºC |
Recommended nozzle | Stainless steel |
Recommended nozzle diameter | Min. 0.6 mm |
Mechanical properties |
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Elongation at break | - % |
Tensile strength | - MPa |
Tensile modulus | - MPa |
Flexural strength | - MPa |
Flexural modulus | - MPa |
Surface hardness | - |
Thermal properties |
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Softening temperature | 55 ºC |
Specific properties |
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Radiation protection (without sintering) | - |
Sintering properties |
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Container | Refractory crucible |
Refractory powder | Steel mix |
Maximum temperature | 1260 ºC |
Other |
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HS Code | 7205.21 |
It is necessary to use a hardened nozzle of at least 0.6 mm diameter with the Filamet H13 Tool Steel to avoid excessive nozzle deterioration and faulty prints. It is recommended to place the spool so that the filament is going straight into the extruder and set the flow rate to 135 % for best results. Little to no warping occurs during printing with the Filamet H13 Tool Steel filament. As far as recommended infill, the manufacturer explains this in detail in this video:
It is extremely important to note that filament dryers have an adverse effect on this material, hence Filamet H13 Tool Steel should not be dried before use. Nevertheless, proper storage is crucial for filament quality and successful prints as it protects the filament from humidity. It is recommended to store Filamet H13 Tool Steel in a tightly sealed bad with desiccant or in an intelligent filament container.
Necessary materials:
STEP 1: Placing the piece
STEP 2: Thermal debind
STEP 3: Sintering
STEP 4: Cooling
More detailed instructions for crucible packing, debinding and sintering can be found here, in the section that describes debinding and sintering steel.