Strength
What filament is best for gears and moving parts?
First in this ranking: Polymaker Polymide Copa PA6.
- Nozzle250–290 °C(482–554 °F)
- Bed80–100 °C(176–212 °F)
- Speed50–200 mm/s
- Dry100 °C(212 °F)for 8 h
- Density1.14 g/cm³
Ranked filaments
| Rank | Filament | Material | Nozzle | Bed | Price / kg | Datasheet | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polymaker · Polymide Copa PA6Polymide CoPA lists a nozzle of 250–290 °C (482–554 °F) and a bed of 80–100 °C (176–212 °F) in the Open Filament Database. The datasheet URL is on the row. Hardened nozzle is blank. Drying hours are blank. The meat-grinder comment names nylon and warns about nozzle temperature and fire risk. | PA6 | 250–290 °C (482–554 °F) | 80–100 °C (176–212 °F) | — | Datasheet | |
| 2 | Polymaker · PA6 CFPA6-CF lists the same nozzle, 250–290 °C (482–554 °F), and the same bed, 80–100 °C (176–212 °F). Hardened nozzle is recorded because the variants are tagged abrasive and fiber-filled. A lower-score comment on the same gear thread says nylon-CF and the print direction. | PA/CF | 250–290 °C (482–554 °F) | 80–100 °C (176–212 °F) | — | — | |
| 3 | Prusament · PETGPrusament PETG lists a nozzle of 240–260 °C (464–500 °F) and a bed of 70–90 °C (158–194 °F) in the Open Filament Database. The meat-grinder gear was PETG. It fit, then the teeth wore. This row is the material that failed in that thread, not a replacement grade. | PETG | 240–260 °C (464–500 °F) | 70–90 °C (158–194 °F) | — | Datasheet |
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Print a gear in nylon when the printer can hold the row's nozzle, and treat the PETG meat-grinder gear as the part that already wore out. Nylon, carbon fiber, strength, and PETG are the guides.
The rows
Polymide CoPA lists 250–290 °C (482–554 °F) and a bed of 80–100 °C (176–212 °F). The temperatures come from the Open Filament Database. The row links the PolyMide CoPA data sheet. Drying hours are blank. PA6-CF lists the same 250–290 °C (482–554 °F) and 80–100 °C (176–212 °F), with a hardened nozzle recorded. Prusament PETG lists 240–260 °C (464–500 °F) and 70–90 °C (158–194 °F), also from the Open Filament Database. PA6, PA-CF, and PETG are the hubs. Polymaker and Prusament are the brand indexes.
The gear that wore
r/FixMyPrint 13dq7qm is a PETG copy of a meat-grinder gear. The teeth fit. They wore quickly. The score-226 comment says a durable gear wants nylon, says most machines cannot reach the nozzle temperature, and says there are serious fire risks. It does not name a temperature. CoPA's listed nozzle starts at 250 °C (482 °F). A score-105 comment says print the mold and cast the gear. A score-3 comment says molded plastic gears are usually nylon, acetal, or PEEK, and that a dry, unlubricated printed tooth wears faster because of the layer lines.
Threads that are not a printed gear
r/3Dprinting skq3dn is spongy extrusion while the extruder gear still feeds the right length. The score-88 comment says heat creep and a Bowden tube that needs to sit against the nozzle. The printer in a score-82 comment was PLA at 205/60. That pair is the comment.
r/3Dprinting t78bsa is a resin gear photo. The score-62 comment is a joke. A score-6 comment says standard resin is brittle and that the print used an engineering resin. Resin versus FDM is that choice.
r/ender3 118cl5l is TPU stuck between the extruder gears and the tube. The score-15 comment wants a direct drive. The score-5 comment caps a dedicated TPU setup under 40 mm/s. Flexible filament is the TPU page.
r/FixMyPrint vvclbq asks about a gear-shaped model in PLA and PVA. The score-12 comment says one extruder is black PLA and the other is natural PVA. The higher comments are about the photo. They do not pick a gear plastic.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The only worn printed gear in this set was PETG, and the top comment names nylon.
- PA6-CF keeps a nozzle, a bed, and a hardened-nozzle flag on the row.
Cons
- CoPA and PA6-CF list no drying hours. The nylon guide is the page for water.
- Four of the five threads never pick a filament for a printed tooth.
Printer considerations
- The score-226 comment on r/FixMyPrint 13dq7qm says most machines cannot print nylon because of the nozzle temperature, and it says there are serious fire risks. The comment does not give a temperature or a printer model. CoPA's listed nozzle starts at 250 °C (482 °F).
- r/ender3 118cl5l is a TPU jam between extruder gears and the PTFE tube. A score-15 comment says TPU wants a direct drive. A score-5 comment says a dedicated TPU setup stays under 40 mm/s. That is a feed path. It is not a printed gear.
- r/3Dprinting t78bsa is a resin gear. A score-6 comment says standard resin is brittle and that the pictured gears used an engineering resin. Resin is not a catalog filament.
What the community says
r/FixMyPrint 13dq7qm printed a meat-grinder gear in PETG. It fit, then the teeth wore. The score-226 comment says use nylon, says most printers cannot reach the nozzle temperature, and says nylon has serious fire risks. A score-105 comment says print a mold and cast it. r/3Dprinting skq3dn is underextrusion while the extruder gear still pushes filament. The score-88 comment says heat creep and a Bowden tube that is not seated on the nozzle. r/3Dprinting t78bsa is resin gears. The score-62 comment is a joke. A score-6 comment says standard resin is brittle. r/ender3 118cl5l is TPU jamming in the extruder gears. r/FixMyPrint vvclbq is a gear-shaped model in black PLA and PVA. The score-12 comment identifies the two materials. It does not rate them as gears.
- Community source, r/3Dprinting skq3dn
- Community source, r/3Dprinting t78bsa
- Community source, r/FixMyPrint 13dq7qm
- Community source, r/ender3 118cl5l
- Community source, r/FixMyPrint vvclbq
Sources & notes
Accessed 18 October 2026.
- Polymaker PolyMide CoPA technical data sheet datasheet
- Open Filament Database, Polymaker PA6-CF other
- Open Filament Database, Prusament PETG other
- Prusament PETG technical data sheet datasheet
- Community source, r/3Dprinting skq3dn reddit
- Community source, r/3Dprinting t78bsa reddit
- Community source, r/FixMyPrint 13dq7qm reddit
- Community source, r/ender3 118cl5l reddit
- Community source, r/FixMyPrint vvclbq reddit
Related questions
- How do I get good PETG prints?PETG
- What filament should I use for a strong part?Strength
- Are carbon fiber filaments worth it, and do I need a hardened nozzle?Carbon fiber
- How do I print nylon, and is it worth it?Nylon
Questions
Did any comment name acetal or POM?
A score-3 comment on r/FixMyPrint 13dq7qm says the usual molded gear plastics are nylon, acetal, and PEEK, and it says an unlubricated printed gear wears faster because of layer lines. That score is far below the nylon comment. The POM row in the catalog is a separate product and was not the material in the photo.
What nozzle does the nylon row list?
Polymaker Polymide CoPA lists 250–290 °C (482–554 °F) and a bed of 80–100 °C (176–212 °F). The meat-grinder comment does not state a number. It says most machines cannot reach the temperature and that there are fire risks.