Materials, parts & consumables
The materials and parts a machine runs on
35 categories of materials, parts and consumables, judged the same way as the machines: by what they change, and whether the cheaper option already does the job. A part only helps if it matches the machine exactly — a nozzle has to suit the hotend by name, not just by thread, and laser glasses protect only at the wavelength marked on them.
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- 3D printer enclosures Inner dimensions first, then what the enclosure does with the air 5
- PLA filament Diameter tolerance and spool weight before colour and finish 6
- PETG filament Tougher than PLA, stringier too, and it sticks to some beds too well 4
- TPU filament Shore hardness decides how flexible, and the extruder decides whether it prints 6
- ASA and ABS filament Heat-resistant parts, an enclosure to print them, and fumes to deal with 7
- Speciality filaments Fibre, metal, wood and glow fillers, and most of them eat brass nozzles 5
- Standard resins Wavelength match first, then exposure advice, then what the part is for 1
- Water washable resins No alcohol bath, but the wash water is still not drain water 3
- Build plates Exact size, mounting and surface, and each surface suits different filaments 5
- Printer nozzles Thread and length fit the hotend, and the material decides what it can print 5
- Hotends Maximum temperature, heat break design and the nozzles it will accept 6
- Extruders Gear reduction and grip decide the push, and the path decides flexible filament 7
- FEP and release films Exact vat size, film thickness and a material that decides how prints release 5
- Bed levelling probes Probe type, mounting and a firmware change, and repeatability is the published figure 3
- Filament storage Seal, desiccant and a hygrometer that shows whether either works 5
- 3D printing tool kits Count the tools you will use, not the pieces in the case 7
- Laser safety glasses Optical density at the exact wavelength, and a marking that states it 3
- Honeycomb laser beds Working area, height under the focus and a frame that does not reflect back 4
- Laser air assist Airflow and pressure at the nozzle, and a head that fits the laser module 5
- Laser rotary rollers Diameter range, a height the focus can reach and a controller it plugs into 2
- Laser plywood Thickness, glue and flatness decide the cut more than the wood species 7
- Acrylic sheets Cast or extruded, and the difference shows at the edge of every cut 5
- CNC end mills Shank to the collet, flutes to the material, and up-cut or down-cut to the surface 6
- Heat transfer vinyl Press temperature, time and peel, and the fabric it is rated for 7
- Adhesive vinyl Permanent or removable, and the rating says where it can live 7
- Sublimation paper Paper weight and release rate, and the printing side has to be the right one 4
- Sublimation blanks Only a polymer coating takes the ink, and the blank has to fit the press 7
- Weeding tools Tip shape for the cut, and a handle you can hold for an hour 6
- Plotter cutting mats Exact size for the plotter, and a grip level for the material 7
- Solder wire Alloy, diameter and flux core, and the alloy decides the iron temperature 6
- Soldering tips The tip series must match the iron, and the shape must match the joint 5
- Soldering flux No-clean or not, and the residue answer decides the cleaning 6
- Breadboards and jumper wires Tie points and power rails, and contacts that still grip after a year 7
- Sensor kits An itemised list, the logic voltage of each module and code for each one 4
- Hot glue sticks Diameter to fit the gun, melt temperature to suit the material 7