Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber reinforcement, high stiffness-to-weight ratios, and uncompromising performance make 3D printing a go-to tool for demanding applications on and off the shop floor. From the first functional prototype to track-ready or factory-ready component, every gram saved and every load path optimized translates directly into speed, precision, and durability.
Advantages
Smarter parts, fewer limits.
Carbon fiber–filled polymers deliver significantly higher stiffness and strength than unfilled plastics while keeping parts light, making them ideal replacements for some metal brackets, arms, and structural components. Up to 70% lighter than aluminum, increases stiffness by up to 300% and tensile strength by up to 115%.
The carbon fibers reduce warping and shrinkage, so even larger or thin-walled parts maintain tight tolerances and stay dimensionally stable under load and temperature. That’s particularly useful for accurate jigs, fixtures, and end-use machine components.
3D printing lets you integrate ribs, mounting points, cable guides, and lightweight lattice structures directly into carbon fiber–reinforced parts, producing strong, ready-to-use components without assemblies or extensive post-processing. This shortens lead times from prototype to production while keeping performance high.
Possibilities
Carbon fiber reinforced parts are ideal for lightweight yet rigid jigs, fixtures, and positioning aids that operators handle all day. For example, you can create ergonomic welding fixtures, CMM nests, or assembly aids with integrated handles and locating features that maintain accuracy under load while being far lighter than metal.
In automation, reduced moving mass translates directly into speed and efficiency, which is where carbon fiber reinforced 3D printed parts shine. Typical use cases include gripper fingers, robot EOAT brackets, sensor mounts, and linear axis carriages that combine high stiffness with low weight to improve cycle times and reduce wear on drives.
When you need parts that are stiffer and more durable than standard polymers but do not justify full metal machining, carbon fiber reinforced materials offer a strong middle ground. Examples include structural brackets on test rigs, reinforcement inserts for larger assemblies, or functional covers and levers that must withstand repeated mechanical stresses without bending or creeping.
Materials
A carbon fiber-reinforced PA12 filament with 35% chopped carbon fibers by weight, offering an exceptional stiffness-to-weight ratio and directional strength — with a tensile strength of 75.6 MPa (XY) / 34.4 MPa (Z), a flexural strength of 142 MPa (XY) / 58.1 MPa (Z), and an elongation at break of 1.9%. Its anisotropic properties make it ideal for load-bearing components in aerospace, automotive, and industrial applications.
The combination of Stratasys® Nylon 12CF and the Fortus F900™ printer delivers outstanding performance for carbon fiber-reinforced FDM parts, enabling production-ready tooling, fixtures, and end-use components with unmatched stiffness-to-weight ratios and large-format capabilities. Nylon 12CF on the F900™ achieves the highest tensile strength (83 MPa XY) and heat deflection temperature (up to 179 °C at 0.45 MPa) of all FDM materials, replacing metal in high-vibration applications.
Materials
Designed for demanding carbon fiber applications, Nexa3D® PA11 CF retains its structural integrity up to 180 °C (at 0.45 MPa) with a tensile strength of 72 ± 2 MPa. Its bio-based PA11 matrix, reinforced with carbon fibers, offers an effective balance of heat resistance, chemical toughness, and mechanical durability — making it well suited for end-use parts operating under thermal stress or aggressive environmental conditions.
With a compact footprint of 1,480 × 850 × 2,040 mm, the Nexa3D® QLS260 is an industrial SLS platform specifically developed for high-performance materials such as PA11 CF. Its precise laser sintering process ensures dense, consistent part quality — unlocking the full mechanical and thermal potential of PA11 CF for reliable end-use production in demanding environments.
Materials
Printable with
Use Cases
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