Filament

Where can I find the Safety Data Sheet and/or Technical Data Sheet for filaments on your website?

The safety and technical data sheets for Ultimaker filaments are available to download on our product pages. You can find all general UltiMaker filaments (ABS, PETG, CPE, PLA, Tough PLA, PVA, BAM, and TPU) here: https://fbrc8.com/collections/ultimaker-filament

You can find the safety and technical data sheets for UltiMaker's engineering filaments (CPE+, Nylon, TPU, PC, PP, and BASF 17-4) here: https://fbrc8.com/collections/ultimaker-engineering-materials 

The Bambu Lab filaments each of the SDS and TDS documents downloadable on the individual filament pages: https://fbrc8.com/collections/bambu-filament 

What size filament should I use in my printer?

The Ultimaker family of printers uses 2.85mm filament, which is commonly called 3mm filament to differentiate it from the 1.75mm filament used by some other machines. Originally all "3mm" filament was 2.85mm, but as more companies have begun making it, many of them were unaware that what was called 3mm traditionally had specs of 2.85mm, +/- .05mm. When purchasing filament, please check the specifications to ensure what you're viewing is actually 2.85mm. 2.85mm filament is used by the UltiMaker, Lulzbot, and BCN printers currently.

Most other printer brands, including Bambu, Makerbot, Creality, and Prusa currently use 1.75mm diameter filament. 

Can I Use 1.75mm filament in my Ultimaker printer?

Ultimaker printers are not compatible with 1.75mm filament. Because the nozzle assembly parts are designed for a flow of 2.85mm filament, the thinner filament will melt and pool to fill the available space but not get pushed out the nozzle. While there are third party kits available for modifying some models of Ultimaker printers to take 1.75mm, these are considered use at your own risk.

Why Do Different Colors of the Same Materials Melt Differently?

Even though filaments of the same type have the same chemical base, the different dyes used can affect the melting point. For example: Let's say you generally use a print temperature of 220 C. However, you've just changed to a new color. This color is runnier at 220 C and gives a lesser print quality. The dye in that new color is affecting how easily it melts. For that particular color, you would want to print at a lower temperature.

Why Aren't Different Brands of the Same Kind of Material All the Same Quality?

Imagine that the filament is a medicine. When you go to buy a medicine, there are different brand names and different generics but they all have the same active ingredients. It's the binders and fillers that are different. It's the same with filament. You have the same base compound [active ingredients] but what the company adds will be different [binders and fillers]. 

I Heard Filament Will Eat Up My Nozzle and That I Need a Steel Tip. Is This True?

The nozzles on the Ultimaker printers are made of brass, because brass is an excellent heat conductor. Printing in certain specialty filaments (such as stainless steel, carbon fiber, or glow in the dark) wears away the softer brass. It erodes the inside of the nozzle and widens the opening in the tip. A hardned steel nozzle or Ruby nozzle will not wear away as easily. Standard PLA, ABS, and Nylon filaments will not damage the nozzle. Composite materials like PET-CF or Nylon with Glass Fibers will require a hardened nozzle.

For the Bambu machines, the printers either come with a stainless steel nozzle, or hardened steel nozzle depending on the model. Stainless steel nozzles should be treated the same as brass, in that they are okay for standard materials, but not recommended for use with abrasive materials. Abrasive materials should only be used with the appropriate hardened steel nozzle.