Quality & Materials

Technical guide to a curated set of materials. Compare print-quality tradeoffs and see how to use the calculator .

Comparison

Radar Chart

Select one or more materials to view their properties.

Economy Printability Strength Stiffness Flexibility Heat resistance

Materials in comparison

3/6


Note: on the Economy axis, a higher value means a lower cost per kg.

How to read the comparison

Each axis shows a technical property. The highest value represents the strongest relative performance among the compared materials.

  • Economy: Index based on price per kg: a higher value means a more favorable cost.
  • Printability: Synthetic index that reflects ease of printing, moisture sensitivity and process stability.
  • Strength: Material tensile strength (MPa).
  • Stiffness: Elastic modulus (GPa).
  • Flexibility: Elongation at break (%).
  • Heat resistance: HDT: heat deflection temperature of the material (C).

Technical data

Comparison table

ParameterPLA BasicASAPET-CF
Printability [0-100 index]966439
Recommended layer [mm]0.12 - 0.240.20 - 0.280.20 - 0.28
Price [CHF/kg]182383
Density [g/cm3]1.241.071.29
Tensile strength [MPa]354574
Elastic modulus [GPa]2.582.104.73
Elongation at break [%]12.010.04.0
Heat deflection temperature [C]5795205
Extrusion temperature [C]190 - 230240 - 260260 - 290

Calculator

How to use the calculator

This section explains which parameters affect the final price, lead time and the final outcome, and how to read the result correctly.

Calculator

What the calculator returns

The calculator returns the final print price, print time and material consumption.

In both modes: you can choose both material and color.

Open calculator

Basic mode

Basic mode

In Basic you choose material, color and quality.

Quality: Draft = 0.28 mm, 15% grid. Standard = 0.20 mm, 15% grid. High Definition = 0.12 mm, 20% gyroid.

Best if: you do not need to manage each print parameter in detail.

Open Basic

Advanced mode

Advanced mode

In Advanced you directly control material, color, nozzle, layer height, infill, pattern and supports.

Active profiles: Available combinations depend on the active machine profiles.

Best if: you already know the exact settings you want to apply to your file.

Open Advanced

Calculator parameters

Below you can find the controls currently available in the calculator. In Advanced mode, these are the parameters that affect the final price, lead time and the final finish.

Basic and Advanced

Material

The material can be chosen from the active variants currently available, each one linked to the colors that can be ordered.

Impact in the calculator

It affects material price and the options available in the calculator.

Basic

Quality

In Basic you do not set layer height and infill separately: you choose a predefined preset.

Impact in the calculator

It automatically defines layer height, infill pattern and density.

Advanced

Nozzle diameter

The calculator currently offers 0.40 mm and 0.60 mm nozzles. Each nozzle unlocks different layer heights and may involve changeover costs.

Impact in the calculator

It affects which layer heights can be selected and may influence setup cost.

Advanced

Layer height

The available layer heights depend on the selected nozzle.

Impact in the calculator

It directly affects print time and part definition.

Advanced

Infill

The infill percentage is set manually to match the desired balance of strength, weight and lead time.

Impact in the calculator

It increases or reduces weight and time depending on the chosen density.

Advanced

Infill pattern

Patterns such as grid, gyroid and cubic are available.

Impact in the calculator

It affects the internal structure of the part and can change time, material use and mechanical behavior.

Advanced

Supports

You can enable or disable them directly according to the geometry of the file.

Impact in the calculator

It changes the print path and can increase both time and material.

Practical examples for reading layer height, nozzles and infill

These examples help explain how layer height, nozzles and infill affect the result. In the calculator, the available nozzles are 0.40 mm and 0.60 mm, and each one unlocks different layer heights.

Layer

Layer 0.12 mm

3D printed Benchy boat with 0.12 mm layer height, used as an example of higher surface detail and finer print quality.
Typical example

Miniature or small text with fine detail.

Best for

Maximum surface detail.

Tradeoff

Long print time.

Typical effect

More visible detail, but longer print times.

Layer

Layer 0.20 mm

3D printed Benchy boat with 0.20 mm layer height, used as an example of a balanced setup between print quality and print time.
Typical example

Standard functional part or technical cover.

Best for

Balanced quality and speed.

Tradeoff

Less detail than 0.12 mm.

Typical effect

Balanced setup, suitable for a standard use case.

Layer

Layer 0.28 mm

3D printed Benchy boat with 0.28 mm layer height, used as an example of faster printing with a rougher surface finish.
Typical example

Test bracket or quick prototype.

Best for

Lower lead time and larger parts.

Tradeoff

More visible layer stepping.

Typical effect

Faster print, with a rougher finish.

Nozzles

Nozzles 0.40 mm and 0.60 mm

Set of Bambu Lab 3D printer nozzles with 0.2 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.6 mm and 0.8 mm diameters, photographed on a light background.
Typical example

0.40 mm for general use, 0.60 mm for faster or stronger parts.

Best for

Choosing the right balance between detail and productivity.

Typical effect

In the calculator, 0.40 mm opens finer layers; 0.60 mm favors taller layers and faster printing.

Infill

Infill 15% + 2 walls

3D print sample with 15% infill and 2 walls, used as an example of a lightweight setup to reduce weight and print time.
Typical example

Decorative object or lightweight mockup.

Best for

Reducing weight and lead time.

Tradeoff

Limited structural strength.

Typical effect

Uses less material and usually keeps print time lower.

Infill

Infill 40% + 4 walls

3D print sample with 40% infill and 4 walls, used as an example of a stronger setup for improved functional strength.
Typical example

Component under mechanical load.

Best for

Higher functional strength.

Tradeoff

Higher weight and longer print time.

Typical effect

Increases material and print time, moving closer to a more solid part.

Sources

Sources consulted

Here you can find all the sources used for the technical data and material descriptions.