# 3D Printing > 3D Printer Parts, Filament & Materials >  Best plastic for gears, splines, etc?

## jeffmorris

What is the best plastic for gears, splines, etc? I wish to make robot parts that use servos. For example, EZ-Robot JD humanoid robot.

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## 3dex ltd

Well, we use a lot of Nylon for printing parts such as gears. Its tough and doesn't crack or wear so easily. 

However, if you don't want to print with Nylon then you could always try standard ABS because this is unlikely to crack or wear (but could deform) 

But if you're parts won't be experiencing much force then even PLA might be suitable. 

Hope this helps.

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## jeffmorris

What about Polymaker PolyMax? It's expensive but as strong as ABS. I'm in USA.

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## 3dex ltd

Yes PolyMax would certainly do the trick. However, since it is a derivative of PLA it may still maintain some PLA type features such as being rather inflexible. However, the best way would be to jump in a try it. The beauty of 3D printing is that you can create a test prototypes very quickly!

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## jeffmorris

What about this filament? 

http://www.amazon.com/Printer-Filame...5%3A2470955011

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## curious aardvark

Modern pla is NOT brittle - sheesh, where do people keep getting this crap from ? 
It is stiffer than abs, but it's not brittle. If you hit it with a hammer it dents, it does not shatter. 

Anyway polymax is ideal, stronger and tougher than abs in all aspects. 
personally I'd try the polyplus first - that;s pretty good too.

But unless your gears are going to get warm, then normal pla should be fine. 

As far as any taulman nylon goes - good luck :-) 
I've never come close to getting a decent print from any taulman filament. 
And given that pet and polycarbonate are both cheaper than taulman nylon _(which comes on weird little reels with tiny holes that don't fit most peoples reel holders)_ and much easier to print with. 

These days nylon would always be a last ditch filament for me. Unless I could afford the MyMat stuff.

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## jeffmorris

WOW! $50 for Polymaker Polymax on 0.75 KG spools! I ordered black and white Polymax but I want it save it for the best projects. I can't afford to waste Polymax on supports. I'm not sure if I can use cheap PLA filament for supports.

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## Davo

PEEK would last longer.

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## Sebastian Finke

> Modern pla is NOT brittle - sheesh, where do people keep getting this crap from ? 
> It is stiffer than abs, but it's not brittle. If you hit it with a hammer it dents, it does not shatter.


It would be more accurate to say it is more brittle than ABS. That doesn't necessarily mean it will crumble when dropped. PLA biggest downfall (in my opinion) is its very lower glass point. It'll reach creep temperature on your average hot day here in Africa. Two other things that I personally don't like is that it doesn't sand as easily i.e. requires more elbow grease and that it can't be cold-welded. That, however, certainly doesn't make it a lesser material.

For the sake of the OP project I believe this needs to be approached completely differently. No load studies have been done so every suggestion so far is a shot in the dark, Perhaps the OP should find out the conditions of operation first. For example, if the robot is operating at a temp higher than 50C then PLA wouldn't be suitable. Then I would go ABS. If it operates in high humidity then nylon isn't recommended due to its moisture absorbtion rate (9%). If the robot is more of a project then PLA should fine. But first define the conditions.

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## LambdaFF

> But first define the conditions.


Spoken like a true engineer. +1

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## curious aardvark

lol and where does he live :-) 

The only way to hit 50c in the uk is in an oven. 

Might be worth trying polycarbonate or pet though. Both cheaper than polymax and with better stats than abs.

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## jeffmorris

I have been 3D printing a model of a subway car using PolyMax. PolyMax sticks very well to BuildTak. Heating the build platform before removing parts usually work. I need some water-dissolving filament that is compatible with PLA.

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## cjalas

As others have said, you can't go wrong with Nylon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BGWRYIW).

Or if you're feeling adventurous, give PLA+PHA a try. It's supposed to be stronger than PLA alone (more flexibility) but still uses the same temps as PLA and is biodegradable still.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010L13CHU

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