Printing nylon (PA): drying, temperatures, chamber and adhesion
are explained briefly when you hover over or tap them.
Nylon, chemically polyamide or PA for short, is one of the toughest materials in FDM printing. Gears, hinges, clips and brackets that get warm are typical uses. In return, nylon has two big weaknesses: it absorbs water from the air extremely quickly, and it warps badly.
Settings at a glance
| Setting | Guide value |
|---|---|
| Nozzle temperature | 250 to 300 °C, depending on type |
| Bed temperature | 90 to 120 °C |
| Part cooling | low, 0 to 30 % |
| Chamber | enclosed, ideally actively heated |
| Build plate | textured PEI or special plate, with glue stick |
| Drying | around 80 °C, 8 to 12 hours |
The values on the spool take priority. The ranges between manufacturers are wider for nylon than for PLA or PETG.
PA6, PA12 and PA-CF: the differences
“Nylon” is a collective term. In the shops you will mainly come across three groups:
- PA6 (and related types such as PA66): very tough, stiff and heat-resistant when dry. But it absorbs the most water, 3 to 9 % of its weight depending on the source. Damp PA6 becomes softer and changes its dimensions slightly.
- PA12 (and PA11): absorbs significantly less water, often under 1 %. Slightly less stiff and heat-resistant than PA6, but more dimensionally stable in a humid environment and somewhat easier to print.
- PA-CF and PA-GF: nylon with short carbon or glass fibres. The fibres make the part stiffer and noticeably reduce warping. For this you need a hardened nozzle. More on this in the article Carbon and glass fibre filaments.
To get started with nylon, a fibre-reinforced type is often a better choice than plain PA6, because it warps much less.
Moisture: dry before every print
Nylon is strongly hygroscopic. According to Prusa it can absorb up to 10 % of its weight in water. Even a few hours open in the room are enough for print quality to suffer noticeably.
You recognise damp nylon by:
- crackling and hissing at the nozzle
- bubbles and a rough surface
- a lot of stringing
- parts that snap brittlely instead of bending
Rule of thumb: dry nylon before every print and print straight from a dry box or filament dryer. Manufacturers usually state around 80 °C for 8 to 12 hours, and Prusa gives at least 4 hours below 90 °C. Many cheap dryers do not reach these temperatures. Everything else on methods and storage is in the article Drying filament.
The finished part also absorbs water again later. That is normal: it becomes somewhat softer and tougher as a result.
Temperatures
Nylon needs a hot nozzle. Prusa gives 285 °C for its PA, and manufacturers of PA6-CF state 260 to 300 °C. PA12 types often get by with a little less. Many entry-level printers are limited to 260 to 300 °C. Check beforehand whether your hotend can sustain the temperature and whether the nozzle and heatbreak are designed for it.
The bed runs at 90 to 120 °C. Part cooling stays low or off, otherwise layer adhesion suffers.
Chamber: why it is hard to manage without
Plain nylon shrinks heavily as it cools. The result is warping: corners lift, large parts come away from the bed entirely, and cracks form between the layers.
- Open printer: small parts in PA-CF often work, plain PA6 hardly.
- Enclosed printer: significantly better, let the chamber heat up before printing.
- Actively heated chamber: the most reliable solution for larger parts. Which machines have one is shown in the overview Printers with a heated chamber.
Nylon also gives off odour and ultrafine particles while printing. An enclosure with a filter or good ventilation makes sense.
Build plate and adhesion
On smooth PEI, nylon often either sticks badly or so strongly that it can damage the coating. What has proved its worth:
- Textured PEI plate or a plate made specially for engineering materials
- Thin film of glue stick as an adhesion promoter and release layer. It provides grip and protects the surface.
- Brim 5 to 10 mm wide for anything larger than a few centimetres
- First layer slow and well pressed down
Typical problems
| Problem | Common cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Crackling, bubbles, rough surface | damp filament | dry for longer and hotter, print from the dry box |
| Corners come away | chamber too cold, poor adhesion | preheat the chamber, glue stick, brim |
| Cracks between layers | too much cooling, draughts | reduce the fan, keep the printer closed |
| Heavy stringing | moisture, too hot | dry first, then lower the temperature in 5-degree steps |
| Nozzle wears quickly | fibre-reinforced PA with a brass nozzle | use a hardened nozzle |
| Part too soft or dimensions changed | water absorption after printing | choose PA12 or PA-CF if dimensional stability matters |
What nylon is good for
Nylon is worthwhile when a part needs to be tough, wear-resistant and heat-resistant: gears, bearings, hinges, clips, tool holders. For decoration or simple brackets the effort is usually too great. PETG or ABS are enough there.
Continue with: Printing polycarbonate (PC).