3D printing materials Filament for the jobs PLA can’t do.

Plain PLA covers a lot. The interesting work needs plastic that flexes, takes heat, or survives a summer outside. All of these are on the shelf, and one part can mix several.

Describe your part Which one for which job

Not every material runs on every machine, and the biggest parts suit some materials better than others. We’ll tell you what’s possible when we quote.

On the shelf: Nine materials, from PLA to carbon-fibre nylon
Flexible: TPU in two hardnesses, 95A and 85A
Heat: Up to about 150 °C, with carbon-fibre nylon
Mixed: Rigid and flexible plastics, or several colours, in one part

Compare them

Pick what the part needs to do, and the table shows what fits.

What does your part need to do?

Material	What it’s like	Heat it handles	Feel
PLA	Rigid and crisp, with fine detail and endless colours. Indoors only: it softens in a hot car.	55 °C	Rigid
Specialty PLASilk, matte, wood, glow	Metallic sheens, stone-matte, wood-fill and glow-in-the-dark, for parts people look at.	55 °C	Rigid
PETG	Tough with a little give. Shrugs off water and most chemicals. Translucent grades make good light diffusers.	70 °C	Slight give
ASA	Made for sunlight. Keeps its colour and shape outdoors and on a dashboard in July. Our go-to for car interiors.	95 °C	Rigid
PolycarbonatePC	Very tough and impact-resistant, with clear grades. Takes real heat.	115 °C	Stiff
NylonPA12	Slippery and tough. Gears, bushings and hinges that wear in rather than out.	85 °C	Slight give
Carbon-fibre nylonPA-CF	Stiff, light and strong, with a matte carbon finish. Brackets, drone arms and engine-bay parts.	150 °C	Very stiff
TPU 95AFlexible	Rubbery but firm, like a phone case. Bumpers, grips, gaskets and cable strain reliefs.	60 °C	Like a phone case
TPU 85AExtra soft	Soft and squishy, like a shoe sole. Gaskets, seals, boots and dampers.	55 °C	Like a shoe sole

Heat figures are approximate softening points. Real limits depend on the load and the part’s shape.

Which one for which job

A quick guide. If your part does a few of these at once, one part can mix materials, or we’ll find the best compromise.

The job	What we’d print it in
Car dash, console or door trim	ASA
Outdoors, in the sun	ASA
Wet, or near household chemicals	PETG
Gears, bushings and hinges	Nylon
Stiff, light brackets	Carbon-fibre nylon
Takes knocks and real heat	Polycarbonate
Bumpers, grips and strain reliefs	TPU 95A
Seals, gaskets and dampers	TPU 85A
Light diffusers and lenses	Translucent PETG or polycarbonate
Display pieces, signs and models	PLA or specialty PLA

Material by material

What each one is like, what it’s good for, and where it falls short.

PLA

The everyday plastic. It prints crisp detail in more colours than anything else, and it’s a good way to check a design before printing it in something tougher.

Good for:: Indoor parts, organisers, models, display pieces and fit checks.
Not for:: Cars, sun or heat. It softens at about 55 °C.

Specialty PLA

PLA with a finish: silk sheens, stone-matte, wood-fill and glow-in-the-dark.

Good for:: Parts people look at: signs, display pieces, and knobs and covers that show.
Not for:: Anything plain PLA isn’t for. The heat limit is the same.

PETG

Tough, with a little give, and it shrugs off water and most household chemicals. Translucent grades spread light evenly.

Good for:: Clips, brackets, wet places and light diffusers.
Not for:: Dashboards in summer. It softens at about 70 °C.

ASA

Made for sunlight. It keeps its colour and shape outdoors and on a dashboard in July.

Good for:: Car interiors, outdoor fittings, and anything that sits in the sun.
Not for:: Parts that need to bend.

Polycarbonate

Very tough, takes a knock and takes real heat, with clear grades.

Good for:: Guards, housings that get knocked around, lenses, and parts near heat.
Not for:: Glass-clear windows. Clear plastic prints cloudy, not see-through.

Nylon

Slippery and tough. Moving parts wear in rather than out.

Good for:: Gears, bushings, hinges and anything that slides.
Not for:: Parts that must stay rigid under load. Carbon-fibre nylon is stiffer.

Carbon-fibre nylon

Nylon filled with chopped carbon fibre: stiff, light and strong, with a matte finish that hides layer lines.

Good for:: Brackets, drone arms, jigs, and engine-bay parts away from the exhaust.
Not for:: Parts that need to flex. The fibres make it stiff, not springy.

TPU 95A

Rubbery but firm, like a phone case.

Good for:: Bumpers, grips, cable strain reliefs, boots, and mounts that bend instead of breaking.
Not for:: Heat over about 60 °C.

TPU 85A

Soft and squishy, like a shoe sole.

Good for:: Gaskets, seals, dampers and anti-rattle pads.
Not for:: Parts that have to hold a precise shape under load.

Material questions

The ones we hear most often.

Can you print clear parts?: Translucent, yes. Glass-clear, no. PETG and polycarbonate print cloudy-clear, which is ideal for light diffusers and lenses but not for windows.
Will it hold up outside?: ASA will, summer and winter. PETG does well out of direct sun. PLA doesn’t belong outside.
Is a printed part as strong as the original?: Often stronger, because we can pick a tougher plastic and thicken the spot that broke. A print is weakest between its layers, so we orient each part so the load runs along them.
Can one part mix materials?: Yes: a rigid body with a TPU grip, an ASA housing with a translucent lens, or labels colour-swapped into the surface. Not every material runs on every machine, so we’ll say what’s possible when we quote.
What about under the hood?: Carbon-fibre nylon handles about 150 °C, which covers brackets and covers away from the hot parts. Anything touching the exhaust or turbo runs hotter than any plastic we print.
What if I don’t know which one I need?: That’s normal. Tell us where the part lives and what it does, and we’ll pick.

Not sure which plastic? Tell us what the part does.

Where it lives, what it touches, and how hard it gets used. We’ll pick the material, or mix a few.

Rather email or call? Write to hello@norcode.com or call 519-697-8524.