Printing with Nylon (PA): Everything You Need to Know for High Durability

If you are designing a gear, hinge, clip, or any part exposed to constant friction, nylon PA filament must be on your durability shortlist. Nylon (chemically known as polyamide, or PA for short) is one of the toughest and most wear-resistant materials in the FDM world. However, achieving that performance requires proper preparation — otherwise you will end up with results well below its true potential.

What makes nylon special?

Nylon’s greatest advantage is that it offers both stiffness and flexibility at the same time. When a part takes an impact, it does not crack easily — it bends, absorbs the energy, and springs back. Add to that a low coefficient of friction and high wear resistance, and you get a nearly ideal candidate for moving mechanical components.

• High toughness: Resistant to repeated impacts.
• Wear resistance: Long-lasting on gears and sliding surfaces.
• Low friction: Provides an advantage in moving parts.
• Good heat resistance: Withstands higher temperatures than PLA and PETG.

So why isn’t it used for every part?

Because nylon has two significant quirks. The first is moisture: nylon absorbs humidity from the air like a sponge. Printing with damp filament causes surface bubbles, crackling, and loss of strength. For this reason, nylon must always be dried before printing and stored in a dry environment.

Warping and printing challenges

The second challenge is warping. Nylon shrinks noticeably as it cools and tends to lift at the edges. This makes a high bed temperature, a suitable adhesive, and in most cases an enclosed print volume necessary. In other words, nylon is not a plug-and-play material — it requires experience.

In our process, the filament for nylon prints is dried immediately before production and print parameters are adjusted to match the part’s geometry. This largely prevents warping and moisture-related issues, so you get the true durability that nylon promises.

Are you planning a functional, load-bearing, or friction-exposed part? Send us your model through the order form and we will clarify whether nylon is the right choice for your application.