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CPEs (co-polyesters) are very strong and versatile materials with growing popularity in filament form for FDM 3D printing. As printing material, CPE is highly durable, creating prints with high strength and intricate detailing. In addition, its layer adhesion is excellent with minimal warpage and shrinking. CPE has a wide range of possible applications due to being FDA-approved for packaging in the food and medical industries.<\/p>\n
Here are its typical print settings:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Nozzle temperature:<\/strong>\u00a0245\u2013260 \u00b0C<\/li>\n
- Heated bed temperature:<\/strong>\u00a070\u201390 \u00b0C<\/li>\n
- Print speed:<\/strong>\u00a040\u2013100 mm\/s<\/li>\n
- Bed adhesion:<\/strong>\u00a0Blue tape,\u00a0Magigoo<\/a>, or glue stick<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Please note that all figures may vary between different filament brands, and each manufacturer will have a base series of settings that they recommend you start from (to be tweaked as you begin to print using CPE).<\/p>\n
It is also worth noting that all\u00a0PETG filaments<\/a>\u00a0fall under the co-polyester category. The difference is PETG has added glycol, which remedies brittleness caused by crystallization\u00a0when heating standard PET filaments.\u00a0For this guide, however, CPE filaments specifically are the focus.<\/p>\n
CPE vs PLA and ABS<\/h3>\n
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A CPE print warping. (Source: Ultimaker)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n To give a better idea of how CPE fares as an FDM material, here are a few points comparing it to popular materials PLA and FDM.<\/p>\n
CPE vs PLA<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- CPE has a\u00a0much higher\u00a0flexural strength<\/a>\u00a0than PLA<\/li>\n
- CPE is more chemically resistant and water-tight than PLA<\/li>\n
- CPE can be less prone to scratches or surface damage<\/li>\n
- CPE is more difficult to print with<\/li>\n
- CPE filament usually has fewer color options<\/li>\n
- CPE cannot be smoothed with chloroform, unlike PLA<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
CPE vs ABS<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- CPE benefits from greater flexibility<\/li>\n
- CPE is more chemically resistant and water-tight<\/li>\n
- CPE is safer in terms of fume emissions during printing<\/li>\n
- CPE can\u2019t be smoothed using chemical vapors (due to its resistance)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Ultimaker CPE & CPE+<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Ultimaker CPE comes in a variety of colors, including this warm yellow! (Source: Ultimaker)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Ultimaker\u2019s CPE filaments<\/span>\u00a0have been developed specifically for use with their own hardware and possess some excellent characteristics synonymous with co-polyesters, such as:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Excellent chemical resistance<\/li>\n
- High impact strength<\/li>\n
- High toughness and dimensional stability (massively\u00a0reduced chance of initial layer warping)<\/li>\n
- Good flexural strength (flexural modulus: 2100 MPa)<\/li>\n
- Good tensile strength (tensile stress at break: 38 MPa)<\/li>\n
- High impact strength (Izod<\/a>\u00a0tested to 95 J\/m)<\/li>\n
- High hardness (Rockwell 108<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Applications include visual and functional prototypes (due to the great dimensional stability and detail), short-run manufacturing, and tooling, among others.<\/p>\n
CPE+ expands on the original filament by offering increased temperature resistance up to 100 \u00b0C and an even higher impact strength (Izod tested to 860 J\/m). Flexural strength (64 MPa) and Hardness (Rockwell 111) also increase with CPE+, but so does the price!<\/p>\n
Fillamentum CPE HG100<\/h3>\n
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A low-poly Charmander printed in Neon Orange and Neon Yellow CPE HG100. (Source: Fillamentum)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Fillamentum\u2019s CPE guarantees a high quality print with good functional properties. It\u2019s made of a modified PETG material. Key qualities include:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Long material life<\/li>\n
- Excellent impact resistance<\/li>\n
- Good layer-to-layer adhesion with no odor and very low warping<\/li>\n
- Great tensile strength (47 MPa at yield) and flexural strength (71 MPa)<\/li>\n
- High heat resistance<\/li>\n
- Great optical properties, very high gloss and clarity<\/li>\n
- Option to prime and paint neutral filament colors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Fillamentum recommends using Magigoo for bed adhesion with a bed temperature between 70 and 85 \u00b0C to give best print results, along with a nozzle temperature between 255 and 275 \u00b0C. They additionally guarantee workability of the filament for at least 12 months and recommend keeping the reel in its protective bag, when not in use.<\/p>\n
\n\n \nColorFabb XT<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n
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An open-source RC car printed in ColorFabb XT carbon-filled filament. (Source: DIY 3D Printing)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n ColorFabb, in collaboration with\u00a0Eastman Chemical Company<\/a>, has developed a range of co-polyester materials for use in FDM 3D printing. All of the available filaments are low-odor and styrene-free, and\u00a0ColorFabb XT<\/span>\u00a0has been made with\u00a0Amphora AM1800<\/a>\u00a0to give the following key characteristics:<\/p>\n
- \n
- High strength and very high toughness<\/li>\n
- High\u00a0glass transition temperature<\/a><\/li>\n
- FDA food contact compliance and\u00a0BPA-free<\/a>\u00a0formulation (makes it\u00a0ideal for use in food and medical packaging applications)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
ColorFabb XT comes in 13 different colors, including clear, and has also been reinforced with specially-sourced carbon fibers to create parts with a very high stiffness along with an aesthetically pleasing matte black surface finish. These fibers make up 20% of the filament\u2019s composition.<\/p>\n
XT is best printed using a heated print bed at around 70 \u00b0C but can be printed using a \u201ccold\u201d build plate through the use of blue painters\u2019 tape, making sure it is perfectly level and the distance from the nozzle tip to the bed is correct for the first layer. It is then best to print with a brim or raft and disable the cooling fan for the first one to two centimeters to minimize warping.<\/p>\n
ColorFabb nGen<\/span><\/h3>\n
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A VR headset for smartphones printed in nGen CPE. (Source: ColorFabb)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n ColorFabb nGen<\/span>\u00a0uses\u00a0Amphora AM3300<\/a>, a low-odor and styrene-free material with good melt stability through the printer nozzle, even at lower temperatures.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Workable over a wider range of temperatures<\/li>\n
- Advanced overhang ability and excellent finish<\/li>\n
- Durable prints with winning combination of low processing temperatures and elevated temperature resistance (up to 85 \u00b0C)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Also in the nGen range are:<\/p>\n
- \n
- nGen Lux:<\/a>\u00a0A special pigment in this material diffuses reflections, scattering light in all directions. This makes\u00a0layer lines nearly impossible to spot to the naked eye, resulting in appealing parts without the need for any labor-intensive post-processing.<\/li>\n
- nGen Flex:<\/a>\u00a0A semi-flexible material\u00a0which can be printed at PLA-like speeds, also tough and highly temperature resistant (up to 130 \u00b0C).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Taulman3D T-Glase Filament<\/span><\/h3>\n
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T-Glase being printed. (Source: Tom Martz \/ YouTube)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Taulman3D\u2019s high strength\u00a0T-Glase range<\/span>\u00a0is derived from PETT (Polyethylene co-Trimethylene Terephthalate), which is slightly more rigid than PETG. T-Glase\u2019s name (shortened from \u201ctough glass\u201d) suggests a key characteristic: It produces prints that are colorless with good reflectivity.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Optimal temperature for printing is 235\u2013240 \u00b0C (note that the material will print down to 230 \u00b0C and up to 248 \u00b0C)<\/li>\n
- Excellent\u00a0initial layer adhesion to both heated acrylic and glass print surfaces<\/li>\n
- Low glass transition value (78 \u00b0C), meaning it should not be exposed to high temperatures<\/li>\n
- \u201cWater clear\u201d (no degradation to a color in multiple layers of application)<\/li>\n
- FDA approved\u00a0and 100% reclaimable (but not biodegradable like PLA)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- nGen Flex:<\/a>\u00a0A semi-flexible material\u00a0which can be printed at PLA-like speeds, also tough and highly temperature resistant (up to 130 \u00b0C).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- nGen Lux:<\/a>\u00a0A special pigment in this material diffuses reflections, scattering light in all directions. This makes\u00a0layer lines nearly impossible to spot to the naked eye, resulting in appealing parts without the need for any labor-intensive post-processing.<\/li>\n
- FDA food contact compliance and\u00a0BPA-free<\/a>\u00a0formulation (makes it\u00a0ideal for use in food and medical packaging applications)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- High hardness (Rockwell 108<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Heated bed temperature:<\/strong>\u00a070\u201390 \u00b0C<\/li>\n
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