Filament for workshop jigs: datasheets and checks

Scope: non-critical jig examples

The Formlabs guide defines a jig, fixture or manufacturing aid as a tool that supports an operation. It lists examples it recommends for its printed tooling: assembly and alignment, go/no-go inspection, ergonomic tools and low-volume production. This page uses “non-critical” as an editorial boundary; it does not assess the safety of a real application. The guide’s examples alone do not establish the failure consequences for any particular application.

The same source notes that depending on the forces involved, it is not always necessary to make the tool in metal. It also adds a firm caveat for higher-force processes such as milling or drilling: clamping requirements must be calculated from feeds and speeds, machine power, the selected material and safety. Nothing here approves a printed machining fixture. If your real question is which printer handles technical parts, start with the functional parts guide. This page sticks to the material and geometry of the jig itself.

Stiffness and heat: read the material sheet, not the reputation

Formlabs says its materials were tested for repeatability, mechanical strength, and environmental durability in factory use, then refers readers to individual material articles for specific properties. For your spool, likewise record the grade name, stiffness, thermal data, and test methods. Compare exact data sheets rather than a material family’s reputation. The two documents examined here do not rank PLA, PETG, and polyamide for your jig.

Before printing, note the properties and test methods shown on the exact spool’s datasheet, then compare them with the intended conditions: temperature, momentary or continuous load, and required dimensional tolerance. A value measured by one method is not automatically a service limit. If a property or condition is missing, treat it as unknown; the checks below do not certify the jig.

Polyamide according to Prusa: real strengths, real constraints

The Prusa sheet describes polyamide as abrasion resistant, with good layer adhesion and a low coefficient of friction; it recommends the material for technical parts requiring heat, chemical and mechanical resistance. It also says polyamide remains flexible in thin layers and has good mechanical resistance in large volumes. These are descriptions in that sheet, not a comparison of grades or validation of a particular jig.

The Prusa sheet says polyamide is difficult to print and intended for experienced users. It describes the material as hygroscopic: improper storage can lead it to absorb water up to 10% of filament weight. For this guide, Prusa recommends drying filament for at least 4 hours below 90 °C before printing; moist filament can make bubbles, uneven layers and a poor surface. The sheet also notes warping and says a high ambient temperature, such as an enclosure, helps a lot. It recommends a well-ventilated room or an enclosure because of odor and potentially dangerous ultrafine particles. Its 285 °C nozzle and 110 °C bed values are recommendations in this sheet, not universal values for every polyamide.

Creep and continuous load: the limit to keep in mind

Among the limitations it lists, the Formlabs guide says SLA printed parts may experience creep if continually loaded. That observation applies to the SLA parts described by the source; it does not measure creep in an FFF filament. For FFF use, the article gives no load or duration threshold for declaring a material suitable for permanent loading.

To extend the life of its printed parts, Formlabs recommends loosening bolts and relieving clamping forces after secondary operations; the guide also suggests adding common stock parts and using springs, ramped slides or levers to raise a part. These are design and use recommendations in the Formlabs guide, not comparative FFF tests. For a non-critical jig, they can be review prompts, but they do not prove that a filament withstands or avoids a particular load.

Geometry and orientation: ribs, fillets and functional faces

The Formlabs guide suggests combining components to reduce part count, including flat faces or right angles to aid inspection, increasing rigidity with ribs and fillets, and considering ergonomics. For an FFF project, use these as design questions: where should the measurement references, locating surfaces, and grips go? Then check dimensions and function in the intended use, without presenting the approach as FFF validation by Formlabs.

For orientation, Formlabs says to minimize supports on functional surfaces and reinforce walls as needed when printing on an SLA printer. That instruction concerns SLA. In FFF, orientation and supports depend on the geometry and slicer; inspect the printed surfaces rather than assuming a support-free face will always be clean or functional. The print supports guide covers the settings. Formlabs also advises avoiding very thin features or unsupported arms unless validated by testing, and suggests metal or hybrid solutions for very high-wear areas. Prusa separately says its PA11 Carbon Fiber warps far less than unfilled versions and can be printed without an enclosure; this statement concerns the filaments Prusa cites, not every composite.

Check the jig before you trust it

The Formlabs guide recommends inspecting the printed part against the original CAD model with a caliper, micrometer or other metrology equipment. This check can record selected dimensions; it does not guarantee that a jig meets a tolerance or suits the operation. For an FFF jig, document the dimensions that matter and the measurement conditions.

The Formlabs guide then recommends checking function: with the part on the fixture, observe how it seats against locating surfaces and supports. It says a properly designed and built fixture can eliminate movement once clamping force is applied. This description does not diagnose the cause of play or rocking in an FFF part. Record the symptom, check geometry and measured dimensions separately, then reassess the intended use; the sources give no acceptance tolerance or causal link between filament moisture and the jig’s final dimensions.

Resins and powders: why this is not a filament ranking

The materials table in the Formlabs guide lists SLA resins, with Tough 2000 Resin and Durable Resin named as popular choices for printed jigs, plus Nylon 12 Powder for SLS, recommended for long-lasting tools. These are not filaments and must not be compared column by column with a spool of PLA, PETG or nylon. Nylon 12 Powder in a sintering process is not PA12 filament in an FFF printer, even though the chemical family name is similar.

What that table does offer an FFF maker is a checklist of needs: a robust alignment fixture, a compliant snap-fit jig, a high-precision load-bearing tool, a heat-exposed part, protection for sensitive electronics, soft jaws. For each of those needs, look for the matching property on your own filament's sheet instead of assuming a material has it. Whether resin or filament fits your shop is the subject of the FDM vs resin guide, and equipment spend is better worked out with the startup budget tool than from generic price talk.

Sources and limits

• Jigs, fixtures, and manufacturing aids | Formlabs
• Prusa — Polyamide (Nylon)

We organize manufacturer and community documentation; we have not measured these products ourselves. The manual for your exact model takes precedence over general guidance.