GV 3D Printing
Best Metal Filaments. 3D Printing Metal Filled Filaments
Best Metal Filament Brands, How To Use, Buyer’s Guide, And Reviews.
3D printing Metal filament is a great way to reduce the use of plastics and create parts that are more powerful, durable, or have better heat resistance. Metal-filled filaments can be used for any metal 3D printing application that requires metal properties such as functional prototypes, jewelry pieces, gears, and other mechanical components. There are many different types of metals so consider experimenting with alloys or even precious metals like gold if you have an artistic streak! If you’re looking for something really specific but don’t know where to start then we recommend checking out Proto-pasta’s Composite Stainless Steel Filament which has enough iron per ounce to produce magnetic results on your printed object!
Check out Our Top Picks If You are in a rush,
- Overall Best -: TTYT3D Metal Silver 3D Printing Material
- Budget Best -: TIANSE Silver Metal 3D Printer Filament
- Best For Compatibility -: 3D Solutech Silver Metal 3D Printer PLA Filament
- Best For Professionals -: Proto-pasta Composite Stainless Steel Filament
Metal-filled 3D printing filament is a new development in the cosmos of 3D printing. The metal powder inside a metal-filled filament provides added strength to prints, enabling them to be used in more demanding applications. This technology has been designed for use primarily by industrial 3D printer users who require stronger materials for their products. Metal filaments are not appropriate for use with most desktop printers due to high melting temperatures; they should only be used on professional machines that can withstand the higher heat and provide even cooling during production. However, there are now several options available on the market from which you can choose according to your budget and needs.
Best Metal Filament Brands
Best Metal Filled Filament Manufacturers
Amazon.com 
Buyer’s Guide
How To Choose The Best Metal Filament?
The metal filament is a material used to fabricate their 3D models from 3D printing. The strength of certain metals can be enhanced with the help of printer nozzles and heat to make metal prints even stronger than other materials for 3D modeling or printing, such as ABS plastic filaments, wood-based filaments, nylon-based filament, and so on. Because of its flexibility in customization, metal 3D prints are used for parts across the world today as well.
Choose a High-Quality Metal Filament
High-quality filaments will have consistency and high tensile strength. If the filament is not of good quality, it may not be able to withstand the temperature range needed for printing or it could even warp during a print! Warping can lead to excessive retraction from your hotend which would require you to dial back the flow rate so that you don’t damage your hotend.
Filament material and diameter
Select a metal filament that is between 1.75mm to 2.85mm in diameter within the given price range. Don’t make the mistake of buying 3D filaments that are expensive for their packaging or brand name, not their quality because they are produced by companies that have been in the industry for less than 5 years.
Temperature range
The printing temperature for metallic filament can vary greatly but typically falls within a range of 190-220 °C. The metal type you are using has an effect on the optimal print temp–each one conducts heat at different rates and it is advised to follow the instructions from your manufacturer. For example, Aluminum prints best around 230°C while Copper should be printed between 210° and 215° degrees Celsius
Costs
Metal filament has the potential to be a lot more expensive than standard filaments, but it is widely available and can give your print an entirely new look. For instance, you might use the metal for one part of your project while using plastic on other parts– this would allow you to produce two different finishes with a minimal additional cost! That’s not all though: because of its heavyweight when compared with regular plastics, metal will actually seem shorter in terms of length per spool; so make sure that both lengths are specified if purchasing online or from another store location.
Metal Filament Reviews
Best Metal 3D Printer Filament For All
TTYT3D Metal Silver 3D Printing Material
TTYT3D Metal Silver 3D Printing Material
$25.99 in stock
- Compatible with Makerbot, MendelMax, Ultimaker, RepRap, and other 3D printers that take 1.75 mm filament.
- Just set a higher printing temperature of 374-446℉（190-230℃) to ensure smooth printing. No heated bed is needed or heat to 50℃-80℃ for best results.
- Engineered better to reduce jamming and produce beautiful glossy surfaces of finished 3D Printing Objects.
- Has high strength and good toughness at low temperatures as well as a high glass transition temperature (Tg).
- Consistent diameter tolerance: 1.75 mm + / – 0.05 mm; the filament diameter is consistent from spool to spool and roll to roll (within 5%).
TIANSE Silver Metal 3D Printer Filament
- Compatible with a variety of FDM 3D printers, Makerbot, UP plus, Mendel, Prusa series.
- The filament is Orderly wrapped and Melt well. Smooth and continuous printing without clogging or bubble issues.
- High Accuracy +/- 0.03mm(0.001inch). Good quality control to ensure consistent diameter tolerance for all spools within 2%. Low shrinkage rate and it performs pretty well even when printing larger models.
- This filament is easy to use and install. It can be used on any FDM 3D printer that uses 1.75mm PLA filament.
- This filament is made by using high-grade raw materials from the USA that is Green-Friendly and have passed the strict quality control process during production and before shipment.
- The diameter of this filament is consistent within the 0.03 mm tolerance range which ensures you get the best printing result every time you print your models or prototypes! This will save you a lot of time and money!
ZIRO PLA Metal Filament 1.75mm
- Compatible with most 3D printers on the market. A nozzle size of 0.4mm or larger is recommended for better results.
- The filament comes vacuum-sealed in a resealable bag, and each spool has an extra bag to store used filament. This makes it easy to use and store your filament after printing is complete!
- The material prints well on all common desktop FDM/FFF 3D printers. It’s our job to make sure it works great every time you print. We’ve tested and tweaked the material so that you can focus on your project instead of dealing with issues related to printing with metal-filled filaments.
- A premium product at an exceptional value! You’ll be amazed by how strong the printed parts are, even when printed in small layers (0.1mm).
- ZIRO PRO Filament is made of virgin material from top-quality polymers that are 100% recyclable. This high-performance filament ensures consistent diameter and roundness (roundness tolerance +/- 0.03mm).
3D Solutech Silver Metal 3D Printer PLA Filament
3D Solutech Silver Metal 3D Printer PLA Filament
- Compatible with all FDM 3D printers, such as MakerBot Replicator 2X, MakerBot Replicator 5th Generation, Lulzbot Taz5, Printrbot Simple Metal.
- Just load the filament into your printer and start printing. No need to worry about the compatibility issue. The filament is compatible with 1.75mm extruders which are widely used in most of the 3D printers on the market.
- Made from premium grade material that provides consistent diameter and roundness for optimal flow through your extruder nozzle and stable printing performance.
- With a wide range of colors available, you can easily find one that fits your needs or mood! and has no unpleasant smell when printing unlike other low-quality filaments out there!
- The filament is vacuum-sealed in a bag to prevent moisture absorption which can cause clogging of nozzle or extruder. The bag also helps to keep out dust particles during the storage of the filament.
- Consistent diameter & roundness ensures better print results with fewer failed prints due to feeding problems in your printer (less jamming). The consistency will also lead to less nozzle clogging as well as extruder motor heating up problems. Get consistent diameter & roundness every time!
Proto-pasta Composite Stainless Steel Filament
Proto-pasta Composite Stainless Steel Filament
- Compatible with most 3D printers and filaments. No heated bed is required, but we recommend a heated bed at 110c-130c for best results.
- Easy to print, easy to clean up! Prints like PLA on non-heated beds, and adheres well to Kapton tape or blue painters tape.
- High-quality material combined with high-quality production methods results in a consistent product every time! While always improving filament by adding new colors and materials as the technology becomes available.
- Prints are strong, durable, and water-resistant. It can be polished to give the appearance of metal or other materials. It should not be used in applications where it will be exposed to high heat or humidity as it may warp or crack under these conditions.
- With twice the density of standard PLA, this material has increased strength and rigidity while maintaining excellent layer adhesion.
Honorable Mentions -:
- Best Metal Filament For Small 3D Printers -: Gizmo Dorks 1.75mm Metal Copper Fill Filament
- Best Metal Filament For Vivid Colors -: AMOLEN Metal Silk Rainbow 3D Printing Filament With 20% Real Metal
Comprehensive Overview
What Is Metal Filament?
The metal filament is a type of 3D printer material that contains some amount of metal added. It can be used with most desktop FDM printers but may need to use special nozzles, depending on the manufacturer’s specifications for those products. There are many types and variations made from copper, bronze, iron, or stainless steel materials; it’s important to note if you want an actual metal filament then look out for composite filaments or ones specifically labeled as containing “metal fillings” (this might not work well in all printing situations).
Beware when looking at so-called “metallic” filaments because these often do not contain any true metals whatsoever – there needs to be more than just one word indicating this!
Metal 3D printing is a process that bridges the gap between digital and physical. Manufacturers are always trying to find new ways of incorporating metal into their products, especially during prototyping phases due to its durability amongst other things. There’s no denying how cool it would be if we could print our own car! But for now, you can experiment with different types of metals in your prints by using filament infused with various percentages of metal particles.
Benefits Of Using Metallic Filaments
These benefits of using metal filament will help you understand why such products are becoming very popular today, especially among industrial users.
Increase quality and strength
Metal 3D printings’ benefits include better reliability, speed, accuracy, and strength. Since metal 3D printer filaments are made from metal powder that is fused together by heat to produce a solid structure it can be used in place of machined metal parts. Thus allowing you to create an object with the same structural integrity as those produced using traditional manufacturing methods.
Used for a wide variety of applications
Metal 3D printer filament benefits include its versatility. It can be used in many industries as well as with your hobbies or other home projects.
You can create Shiny & Solid jewelry at home or in a specialized shop.
You can use it to make prototypes that are stronger as well as more accurate than a CNC router with a tool changer or other methods of making a prototype. It is also perfect for jewelry manufacturers who want to avoid using precious metals.
Experiment with different patterns and colors
Provides you with the ability to experiment with different patterns and colors, you will be able to print in copper, stainless steel, aluminum, or almost any other type of metal that you can think of.
Limitations Of Using Metallic Filaments
It is difficult to remove support material since most 3D printers do not have appropriate tools such as a hacksaw and wrenches. This is a problem because, after the printing process, you will need to prepare every printed part for machining.
It is a slow process because of its precision. Just imagine how long it will take you to print an item using steel, about 12-24 hours for a single print.
It has complex post-processing procedures such as brazing or welding. All these will need extra cost and time on your side.
How do you work with metallic filaments?
Using Wear-Resistant Nozzles
Metal filaments suffer from the same disadvantage as another fused filament, in that they typically contain abrasive metal powder. If your 3D printer uses a stock brass nozzle in its hot end, then it may be time for you to invest in more durable wear-resistant nozzles. Another way to prevent abrasion of your nozzles is by using higher size ones – we have gotten good results with 0.5mm or .6mm when printing metallic materials.
Print Bed Not Required
Metallic prints are not as prone to warping so a heated bed is unnecessary. However, if you already have one then the temperature should be set at 45-60° C for best results. Any method of adhesion that works with PLA will work just the same when printing metallic filament from your 3D printer–we recommend blue painters tape or glue stick applied directly on top of the print plate surface for excellent performance and good durability!
Start Off With Slow Print Speeds
The metal powder fused into the filament allows it to heat up faster than regular plastic filaments. It also has higher thermal conductivity, which means you can print at a much quicker pace compared to printing with just pure plastics. However, this is going to vary depending on what type of metalloid was used in your particular formulation; so we recommend asking for advice from whoever created or manufactured the metallic filament before attempting anything too advanced like high-speed prints (although starting off slow and working your way upwards will work as well).
Use a Cooling Fan
If you want to use metallic filaments for your 3D prints, make sure they are able to cool down faster. Use a cooling fan with high settings and metal will not warp while printing which is perfect if someone has never done this before!
Adjust Retraction Setting
Retractions can also be a problem when working with metallic filaments, as they are for other fused-filament products. Keeping the filament in the melt chamber during retraction is especially difficult– resulting in sections of your work that may have blobs where the extruder starts and stops its process. Adjusting how you print or designing to minimize retractions might help solve this issue!
Post-Processing 3D printed metal
A lot of people have come up with creative ways to finish a metallic print. One way is by using coarse steel wool to lightly polish the surface, exposing metal powder and giving it that characteristic luster. You can also apply a thin coat of spray paint or polish for a more finished look!
Metal Filament 3D Printing Tips
Printing with metal filament is not for the faint of heart. It’s important to consider these things before you start:
Upgrading your nozzle
It’s important to consider the type of nozzle that is best suited for your needs. If you’re printing with metal filament, it may be necessary to upgrade from brass or aluminum alloy nozzles due to wear and tear on those types during normal use. In addition, if using metals like stainless steel as an alternative material in 3D Printing can also create issues when not properly heated up before extrusion onto objects because they are more brittle than other materials such as plastic filaments which bend instead of breaking under stress created by lower temperatures.”
The filament should be kept dry
When you keep your filament dry and in a cool place, it will have less exposure to moisture. The metal fill can be more brittle so handle with care or the whole thing could break apart!
The filament should not get too much exposure to water because that would make things really difficult for 3D printing. Metal has some interesting properties- when mixed into the plastic at higher percentages of percentage, it makes the material stiffer than typical PLA/ABS filaments; however, this also means there’s an increased chance of breaking while handling them during the fabrication process if they’re handled roughly enough!
3D Printer Settings For 3D Printing Metal Filament
Layer thickness Don’t print with layer thicknesses that are too thin because the metal filament will be soft and easy to break. It’s recommended that you print your first layer at .1mm thick and then increase this number by .2mm each time you finish a new layer to reach a maximum of 1.0mm for the last few layers, as shown in the picture above.
Check Your STL File!
It’s important to make sure that you have the correct settings for your filament type when preparing your file especially if you plan on using support material. Many filaments, even those not designed for printing with metal, are actually fine to use without any modifications at all. Slic3r PE has a slew of settings that should help with your print.
Compensate For Elongation
Many metals are capable of elongating up to 2-3% on average depending on the type and filament diameter. This means that something that is 100mm x 100mm before printing will actually be 100.9mm x 100.9mm after the print is complete. This change in size could potentially break your prints so be sure to compensate for this change if you happen to notice a slight displacement from your measurements on the model that you are printing!
Keep The Printer Hot
Some filaments need to use higher temperatures in order to adhere properly so it’s important that you keep the extruder running if you are experiencing issues with the print sticking to your bed. Cutting power to the hotend for an extended period of time can cause problems when printing some filaments.
Add A Bowden
It has also been shown that many Bowden setups can help with troublesome prints due to the fact that there is less distance between the hotend and the print surface. This will also help with ooze issues in some cases since there is less travel distance for molten filament to move around
Is 3D printed metal strong?
Metal 3D printed parts can be as strong (or even stronger) than traditional methods such as casting. The part’s strength will depend on the metal AM method used and how it is 3D printed, but this new process has shown great promise in being able to create objects that are geometrically complex with precise mechanical properties from a digital design file.
When was 3D metal printing invented?
The use of Selective Laser Melting technology to produce metal 3D prints was pioneered in the 1990s, but it wasn’t until around 2010 that this method became popular and caught public attention.
In 2007, a company called M-tec unveiled their first metal printer using selective laser melting techniques at Hannover Messe industrial trade show – one of Germany’s largest global industry fairs for engineering products with an annual attendance of upwards of 200 thousand people. From there up until now (2018) many companies have entered into the market making them available commercially as well as simplifying home production methods like DIY 3D printer kits or do-it-yourself plans via an online purchase from sites such as Thingiverse which has made these technologies more accessible than ever before!
The Conclusion
“Metal printing” has been around for a while now, and it’s about time “metal filaments” do the same. Metal is more expensive than plastic so in order to create an affordable metal print, we need something less costly like filament made of tin or aluminum – which are available at your local craft store! With these new products on the market, you can make anything from jewelry with precious metals, weapons that will last longer than any other materials due to their durability against corrosion, toys, and decorations all without spending a fortune.
But if you’re looking for real steel then there are brands out there who put some actual iron into their composite material making them just as strong (if not stronger) than objects printed using genuine resources such as stainless steel.
GV Team
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