Materials guide
Twenty-three materials, by type. Two rates. No mystery markup. The right call for marine, structural, flexible, or decorative work — confirmed in your quote before you spend a dollar.
We stock more than twenty 3D printing materials, grouped by type, from flexible TPU to carbon-fibre-reinforced ASA, each priced per gram at two transparent rates. Pick by environment — sun, salt, flex, or load — and we confirm the exact material and cost in your quote.
In-house · New Brunswick
Every spool on this rack is in the shop right now.
PLA through ASA-CF — printed on our own hardware, to our own quality standard. High-temp materials (PEEK, PEI, PPS) are coordinated through a vetted partner and quoted transparently.
Get a quote
Customer pricing applies to any single order. Maker pricing unlocks at 20+ identical units. Both rates include material — machine time and shipping are itemised separately on every quote. Prices in CAD.
| Material | Customer /g | Maker /g | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLA | $0.09 /g | $0.06 /g | Prototypes, fit checks, display models, artwork |
| PLA+ | $0.12 /g | $0.08 /g | Functional enclosures, snap-fits, consumer housings |
| PLA Specialty | $0.14 /g | $0.09 /g | Decorative and display prints where the finish is the point |
| PETG | $0.11 /g | $0.07 /g | Outdoor functional parts, general brackets, containers |
| TPU 95A | $0.18 /g | $0.12 /g | Gaskets, vibration dampeners, grips, bumpers |
| TPU 87A | $0.20 /g | $0.13 /g | Hatch seals, dock fenders, line stoppers, wearables |
| ABS | $0.13 /g | $0.08 /g | Heat-facing enclosures, automotive, post-processed display |
| ASA | $0.13 /g | $0.08 /g | Marine and outdoor parts, signage, sun-and-salt exposure |
| PC | $0.32 /g | $0.22 /g | High-load structural brackets, transparent panels |
| Nylon PA12 | $0.34 /g | $0.24 /g | Gears, bushings, snap-fit hinges, wear parts |
| PLA-CF | $0.30 /g | $0.21 /g | Lightweight stiff brackets, jigs and fixtures |
| PETG-CF | $0.35 /g | $0.25 /g | Structural marine parts, drone frames, load brackets |
| ASA-GF | $0.28 /g | $0.19 /g | Structural outdoor parts — stiffness + weathering |
| ASA-CF | $0.38 /g | $0.27 /g | Marine structural, load-bearing outdoor, performance |
| PC-CF | $0.42 /g | $0.30 /g | High-heat structural brackets, tooling, fixtures |
| PA-CF | $0.46 /g | $0.33 /g | Load-bearing gears, arms, mounts, end-use parts |
| PA-GF | $0.40 /g | $0.28 /g | Structural nylon parts where CF cost isn't warranted |
| PEEK | Quote | Quote | Extreme-environment end-use parts |
| PEI / ULTEM | Quote | Quote | Aerospace, rail, and high-heat electrical parts |
| PPS | Quote | Quote | Chemical, automotive, and under-hood parts |
| PVA | $0.30 /g | $0.22 /g | Soluble supports on intricate multi-material prints |
| HIPS | $0.14 /g | $0.09 /g | Dissolvable/break-away supports for ABS parts |
| BVOH | $0.34 /g | $0.24 /g | Premium soluble supports for engineering prints |
Maker rate: 20+ identical units per order. Machine time and shipping quoted separately. More materials available on request — if you don't see yours, email us.
A filament is just plastic on a spool — but each type trades off strength, heat, UV, and flex differently. Answer four questions — will it bear load, get hot, live in the sun, or need to bend — and this chart points you at the right family. We confirm the exact grade in your quote.
| Material | Strength | Heat | UV / outdoor | Flex | Food-safe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLA | Med | Low | Low | Low | Yes* |
| PLA+ | High | Low | Low | Low | No |
| PETG | High | Med | Med | Low | Yes* |
| TPU | Med | Med | Med | High | No |
| ABS | High | High | Low | Low | No |
| ASA | High | High | High | Low | No |
| PC | High | High | Med | Low | No |
| Nylon | High | High | Med | Med | No |
| ASA-CF | High | High | High | Low | No |
| PA-CF | High | High | Med | Low | No |
* Food-safe in principle for the raw material; FDM layer lines can harbour bacteria — use a food-safe sealant for repeated contact. Ratings are a starting point, not a spec sheet.
Each material has a specific operating envelope — temp range, stiffness, UV stability, flexibility. Here is the full detail for every material we stock.
PLA · 180 – 220 °C · 1.24 g/cm³
Best for: Prototypes, fit checks, display models, artwork
Softens around 60 °C — not for heat-facing parts.
PLA+ · 200 – 230 °C · 1.24 g/cm³
Best for: Functional enclosures, snap-fits, consumer housings
A drop-in upgrade from PLA for parts that get daily handling.
PLA Specialty · 195 – 225 °C · 1.22 g/cm³
Best for: Decorative and display prints where the finish is the point
Function is identical to PLA — pick these for looks.
PETG · 230 – 250 °C · 1.27 g/cm³
Best for: Outdoor functional parts, general brackets, containers
Food-safe grades available — confirm in the quote.
TPU 95A · 220 – 240 °C · 1.21 g/cm³
Best for: Gaskets, vibration dampeners, grips, bumpers
95A is firm enough to hold shape under most loads.
TPU 87A · 220 – 235 °C · 1.20 g/cm³
Best for: Hatch seals, dock fenders, line stoppers, wearables
Choose 87A when the part must squeeze into a gap or hug a curve.
ABS · 230 – 250 °C · 1.05 g/cm³
Best for: Heat-facing enclosures, automotive, post-processed display
Printed in an enclosure to prevent delamination.
ASA · 240 – 260 °C · 1.05 g/cm³
Best for: Marine and outdoor parts, signage, sun-and-salt exposure
The default for anything going outside on a boat or dock.
PC · 260 – 300 °C · 1.20 g/cm³
Best for: High-load structural brackets, transparent panels
Needs a hardened nozzle and enclosure — we have both.
Nylon PA12 · 260 – 290 °C · 1.01 g/cm³
Best for: Gears, bushings, snap-fit hinges, wear parts
Dried before printing — nylon is hygroscopic.
PLA-CF · 200 – 230 °C · 1.30 g/cm³
Best for: Lightweight stiff brackets, jigs and fixtures
Best CF choice when heat resistance isn't critical.
PETG-CF · 235 – 255 °C · 1.30 g/cm³
Best for: Structural marine parts, drone frames, load brackets
Stiff outdoor parts without UV-degradation worries.
ASA-GF · 245 – 265 °C · 1.35 g/cm³
Best for: Structural outdoor parts — stiffness + weathering
GF adds stiffness cheaper than CF, full ASA UV resistance.
ASA-CF · 245 – 265 °C · 1.35 g/cm³
Best for: Marine structural, load-bearing outdoor, performance
Our preferred marine structural material — checks every box.
PC-CF · 270 – 300 °C · 1.22 g/cm³
Best for: High-heat structural brackets, tooling, fixtures
For parts that must be stiff AND hot-running.
PA-CF · 270 – 300 °C · 1.15 g/cm³
Best for: Load-bearing gears, arms, mounts, end-use parts
Dried and printed hot — the top in-house engineering grade.
PA-GF · 265 – 295 °C · 1.20 g/cm³
Best for: Structural nylon parts where CF cost isn't warranted
GF nylon is the value pick for tough, stiff, hot parts.
PEEK · 360 – 400 °C · 1.30 g/cm³
Best for: Extreme-environment end-use parts
Requires a specialist enclosed chamber — coordinated, quoted per job.
PEI / ULTEM · 340 – 390 °C · 1.27 g/cm³
Best for: Aerospace, rail, and high-heat electrical parts
Specialist partner material — email us the requirement first.
PPS · 320 – 360 °C · 1.35 g/cm³
Best for: Chemical, automotive, and under-hood parts
Coordinated through a vetted partner and passed through at cost.
PVA · 190 – 210 °C · 1.23 g/cm³
Best for: Soluble supports on intricate multi-material prints
Runs on the dual-extrusion printer alongside PLA/PETG.
HIPS · 230 – 245 °C · 1.04 g/cm³
Best for: Dissolvable/break-away supports for ABS parts
The classic ABS support partner.
BVOH · 200 – 215 °C · 1.14 g/cm³
Best for: Premium soluble supports for engineering prints
Chosen over PVA when support adhesion or speed matters.
In-house capability
Engineering grades, carbon-fibre and glass-filled composites, flexible TPU, and multi-colour work — all printed in-house up to 320 °C, with single-piece parts up to 420 mm. Production runs and one-offs on the same floor, matched to your job automatically.
Get a quoteMaterials that require sustained nozzle temperatures above 320 °C need specialist hardware we do not own in-house. We coordinate those jobs through a vetted partner.
What needs a partner
These jobs require a written quote and partner scheduling. Lead time varies. Email us first — we will tell you whether the job actually needs a high-temp material, or whether ASA-CF or PC can do the same thing at a fraction of the cost and turnaround.
How it works
Ready to print
Send dimensions, a photo, or a file. We confirm the material, calculate the weight, and quote the total before you approve anything. Ships from New Brunswick — anywhere in Canada and worldwide.