Hawk 3D Vision
3D Printing

Filament guide

Seven filaments, each good at something different. This guide helps you pick the right one for your part the first time.

MaterialPriceHeatToughnessStiffness
PLA3 EGP/g55°C
PETG4 EGP/g75°C
PLA-CF4 EGP/g60°C
PETG-CF5 EGP/g80°C
ABS5 EGP/g95°C
ABS-CF6 EGP/g100°C
TPU5 EGP/g70°C

PLA

3 EGP/g

The default choice. Cheapest, most accurate, easiest to print well.

Heat 55°CDensity 1.24 g/cm³Print difficulty ●○○○○

Good for

  • Visual prototypes and concept models
  • Enclosures and brackets used indoors
  • Jigs, fixtures and one-off tooling
  • Anything with fine surface detail

Avoid for

  • Anything left in a car or in direct sun
  • Parts that flex repeatedly — PLA cracks rather than bending
  • Load-bearing parts near heat

PLA softens around 55 °C. A car dashboard in an Egyptian summer comfortably exceeds that, so a PLA part left there will sag. If your part lives outdoors or in a hot space, choose PETG or ABS instead.

PETG

4 EGP/g

The practical all-rounder. Tougher than PLA and handles heat and moisture.

Heat 75°CDensity 1.27 g/cm³Print difficulty ●●○○○

Good for

  • Functional parts that take real load
  • Outdoor use and humid environments
  • Snap-fits and clips that must flex without snapping
  • Anything holding liquid

Avoid for

  • Very fine detail — PETG is slightly stringier than PLA
  • Parts needing a perfectly matte finish

If you're unsure between PLA and PETG for something that has a job to do rather than just being looked at, pick PETG. It costs a little more and is the one people wish they'd chosen after a PLA part fails.

PLA-CF

4 EGP/g

Carbon-filled PLA. Stiffer and dimensionally stable, with a matte finish.

Heat 60°CDensity 1.22 g/cm³Print difficulty ●●○○○

Good for

  • Parts that must not bend under load
  • Drone frames and RC components
  • A premium matte appearance without painting

Avoid for

  • Parts that need to absorb impact — added stiffness means added brittleness
  • Very small nozzles, where fibres can clog

Carbon fibre adds stiffness, not strength. A CF part resists bending better but shatters more readily when dropped. Choose it when deflection is the problem, not impact.

PETG-CF

5 EGP/g

Carbon-filled PETG. Our stiffest option that still tolerates heat.

Heat 80°CDensity 1.3 g/cm³Print difficulty ●●●○○

Good for

  • Structural parts working in warm conditions
  • Machine and printer components
  • Brackets that must hold tolerance under load

Avoid for

  • Cost-sensitive jobs where plain PETG would do

The best combination of stiffness and heat tolerance we stock. Worth the premium only when a part genuinely needs both.

ABS

5 EGP/g

Heat resistant and machinable. The classic engineering plastic.

Heat 95°CDensity 1.04 g/cm³Print difficulty ●●●●○

Good for

  • Parts exposed to real heat — engine bays, enclosures around electronics
  • Components you intend to drill, tap or sand
  • Housings that can be vapour-smoothed to a glossy finish

Avoid for

  • Large flat parts — ABS shrinks as it cools and corners can lift
  • Very fine detail on tall thin models

ABS handles roughly 95 °C, far beyond PLA. It is more demanding to print, so allow for that on large or intricate parts — we'll flag it if we think geometry will be a problem.

ABS-CF

6 EGP/g

Carbon-filled ABS. Maximum stiffness with the highest heat tolerance.

Heat 100°CDensity 1.11 g/cm³Print difficulty ●●●●●

Good for

  • Demanding mechanical parts in hot environments
  • Fixtures used near heat sources
  • Replacement parts for machinery

Avoid for

  • Anything where PETG-CF would be sufficient — this is the harder print

Our most capable and most expensive filament. Reach for it when a part has genuinely failed in something else.

TPU

5 EGP/g

Flexible, rubber-like. Bends and compresses without damage.

Heat 70°CDensity 1.21 g/cm³Print difficulty ●●●●○

Good for

  • Gaskets, seals and vibration dampers
  • Phone cases and protective covers
  • Grips, feet and non-slip pads
  • Flexible hinges

Avoid for

  • Anything that must hold its shape under load
  • Parts needing sharp, crisp edges

How soft the result feels depends heavily on wall count and infill — the same TPU model can be firm or squishy. Tell us in the order notes how flexible you need it and we'll set it up accordingly.

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