Material selection: 7 questions before you commit

1. What loads will the part see?

Static, dynamic, impact, vibration? Tough resin and PA12 cope with shocks; PLA and standard resin do not.

2. What is the operating temperature?

Standard PLA softens at ~55 °C. PC, ASA and high-temp resins push that to 100–230 °C.

3. Indoor or outdoor?

UV light embrittles PLA and ABS. Use ASA, PC or weather-stable resins outdoors.

4. Chemicals or fluids?

PETG and PP shrug off most cleaning agents and fuels; resins generally do not.

5. How tight do tolerances need to be?

If you need ±0.1 mm on small features, default to SLA. FDM sits around ±0.3 mm.

6. Surface finish?

Smooth and paintable? SLA, or FDM + sanding. Functional and matte? FDM.

7. Biocompatibility?

Required for anything contacting skin or tissue. We have validated Class I dental resins for that.