PA-CF

PA-CF is nylon (polyamide) reinforced with carbon fiber. It is one of the strongest consumer filaments: it combines stiffness and heat resistance with excellent wear resistance and low friction. PA-CF is used for serious engineering parts — brackets, tooling, structural drone and robot parts. It is also one of the most demanding materials: extremely hygroscopic, abrasive, and needs high temperatures and an enclosure.

What it is good for

• Structural engineering parts and brackets
• Tooling, jigs, loaded holders
• Drone, RC and robotics parts
• Wear-resistant friction assemblies

Where NOT to use it

• Printers without a high-temp hotend and hardened nozzle
• Printing without thorough drying — wet PA-CF will not print
• Open printer with no enclosure — heavy warping
• Simple parts that do not need the strength

How to print

• Nozzle temperature: 270–300 °C
• Bed temperature: 80–110 °C
• Nozzle: hardened steel, ideally 0.5–0.6 mm
• Hotend: all-metal
• Enclosure: recommended, reduces warping
• Cooling: 0–20%, speed 30–60 mm/s

Drying and storage

PA-CF inherited nylon's extreme hygroscopy. Moisture causes foaming, bubbles, and a sharp drop in strength — dry before every print.

• Drying: 70–80 °C for 8–12 hours
• Printing from the dryer is strongly recommended
• Storage: only airtight with plenty of silica gel
• Signs of moisture: loud hissing, steam, porous brittle part

Pros and cons

• Very high strength and stiffness
• Better heat and wear resistance than base nylon
• Low friction, better dimensional stability than pure nylon
• Premium matte finish

• Extremely hygroscopic — dry before every print
• Abrasive — needs a hardened nozzle
• High temperatures, needs an all-metal hotend
• Warps, enclosure recommended