Tech Farm Lecture: Most Wear-Resistant Filament Types

Introduction

• Goal: Determine the most wear-resistant filament type during friction with metal.
• Context: Creating scientific article for detailed results.

Filament Types Tested

1. PLA Types: Prusament PLA, Polymaker PolyLite PLA Pro, Bambu PLA Basic, eSUN PLA Plus, etc.
2. PETG Types: Prusament PETG, Polymaker PolyLite PETG, Bambu Lab PETG Basic, etc.
3. ABS and ASA Types: Polymaker PolyLite ABS, Bambu Lab ABS, eSUN ABS+, etc.
4. Polycarbonate Types: Prusament Polycarbonate, Polymaker PolyLite PC, etc.
5. Nylon: Regular and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Nylon from YX Power
6. TPU: Extruder Flex Hard TPU and additional hard, medium, and flexible TPUs.

Test Setup

• Apparatus: Hardened steel shaft moving on 3D printed objects thousands of times.
• Measurement: Measure groove depth with a digital dial indicator.
• Load: 2.5 kg weight pressing the filament samples.
• Control: Arduino Uno controls the movement; uses closed-loop stepper motor.

Methodology

• Consistency: Same conditions for each test object.
• Observations: Shaft inspected under a microscope; cleaned and ground if necessary.
• Frequency and Length: 2 movements per second, 20 mm length.

Results and Observations

PLA Results

• Significant variation among brands and types.
• eSUN PLA Plus: Noted for the highest resistance among PLA types.

PETG and ABS

• PETG: Less dust, more wear-resistant than PLA.
• ABS: More dust, slightly less wear-resistant than PETG.

ASA and Polycarbonate

• ASA: Similar to ABS in wear resistance.
• Polycarbonate: More wear-resistant than ABS but shows material sticking to the shaft.

TPU

• Hard TPU: Most wear-resistant with negligible visible wear.
• Medium and Flexible TPU: Also demonstrated high wear resistance.

Nylon

• Regular Nylon: Good wear resistance, slight dust observed.
• Carbon Fiber Reinforced Nylon: More friction and wear than regular Nylon.

Analysis

• Carbon Fiber Impact: Varied effect; less wear in PLA & PETG, more in Polycarbonate and Nylon.
• Repeat Tests: Additional tests with 3 mm shaft to simulate higher pressure.
• Revised Order of Resistance: TPU highest, followed by Nylon, PETG, ABS, Polycarbonate, and PLA.
• Test Method Effectiveness: Larger grooves from a smaller shaft provided clearer results.

Conclusions

• TPU: Best filament for wear resistance, especially for gears and moving parts.
• Nylon: Good overall choice for wear resistance.
• PLA and Polycarbonate: Less optimal for high-friction applications.
• Recommendation: Consider both wear resistance and friction when choosing a filament.

Future Work

• Explore tribo filaments with claimed lower friction and higher wear resistance.
• Optimize test methodology for more consistent and comparable data.

Final Thoughts

• Sharing and Support: Help promote the findings for better visibility and impact.
• Call to Action: Like, subscribe, and share for more valuable content.

Happy Printing!