When 3D printing a model with overhangs or hollow spaces, use these filaments to prevent the model from losing its shape. They support the structure during the printing and cooling process, then dissolve or snap away once the part is hardened. Use them in dual-extrusion fused filament fabrication (FFF) printers alongside your primary filament. Unlike parts with supports printed from a single filament, there’s no cutting, sanding, or polishing required.

Choose a filament that has similar printing requirements as your primary filament. You will want to choose a support filament that prints at a similar temperature as your primary filament and has the same requirements for a heated build chamber, so they cool at the same rate and won’t warp. Aquasys 180 filaments work with high-temperature plastic, such as PEEK, PEI, and PPS. They require a heated build chamber. PSU blend filaments work with high-temperature plastic, such as PEEK and PEI, and require a heated build chamber.

You should also consider how you will remove the structural support filament from your finished part. Soluble filaments are well suited to print parts with complex or fragile designs as they gently dissolve off your primary part, leaving a smooth finish. Water-soluble filaments dissolve in a heated bath. Break-away filaments are designed to cleanly snap off of your primary parts with your hands while the print is still warm, taking only minutes to fully remove.

Often used to make parts that will be used near ovens, engines, and other hot machinery, these PEI filaments remain strong and rigid in temperatures that would soften most plastic. They’re a lightweight alternative to machined metal parts. Print these filaments on a fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printer. Because of their high melting points, you'll need an all-metal extruder and heated printer bed to reach their minimum printing temperature. Without the heated printer bed, parts will cool too quickly and warp.

Tensile strength is the best measure of a filament’s overall strength. Similar to the stress applied on a rope during a game of tug-of-war, it’s the amount of pulling force a material can handle before breaking. A higher rating means a stronger filament. A tensile strength of 5,000 psi and above is considered good; 12,000 psi and above is excellent.

Maximum exposure temperature is the point at which a printed part will begin to deform. Above this temperature, your part will start to lose structural integrity.