PA-CF 3D Printing: Carbon Fiber Nylon for High-Strength Parts

PA-CF stands for polyamide reinforced with chopped carbon fiber. Polyamide is nylon. The carbon fiber adds stiffness and strength. Tensile strength runs around 80 MPa with bigger numbers along the fiber direction. Heat deflection runs about 130 to 150 C.

PA-CF is the strongest FDM polymer in our catalog. The trade-off is cost and print time. PA-CF prints slower than PETG and the filament is more expensive per kilogram.

PA-CF is the right pick for end-of-arm tooling on robots, structural brackets that take load, drone frames, and jigs that need to hold tight tolerance under stress. Parts that would otherwise be aluminum can sometimes be PA-CF.

We print a lot of PA-CF for robotics shops and for hardware startups making structural parts.

PA-CF holds up to repeated load, holds shape at higher temperatures, and stays stable in most shop environments. The carbon fiber lifts the stiffness well above plain nylon.

Nylon absorbs moisture over time. We dry the filament before printing and ship parts that are dry. If the part will sit in a humid space for months, mechanical properties may drift slightly. For most industrial use, this is not a problem.

Skip PA-CF when cost matters more than strength. Pick PETG for most general production work. Skip PA-CF when the part needs to flex. Pick TPU for that. Skip PA-CF when the part is visual only. Pick PLA for that.

PA-CF is the most expensive polymer we print. Per-part cost is usually two to three times the PETG price for the same STL. The cost is justified when the part needs the strength. It is not when the part does not.

For real numbers on your part, upload your STL at get a quote.