The two most common materials for FDM printing are PLA and ABS. Of the two, ABS offers higher heat resistance. There are also other more heat-resistant filaments available, however, these are often harder to print with or require specialized industrial 3D printers.
PLA
PLA is the most common plastic material for filament 3D printers — it’s low cost, has a very simple workflow, and comes in many colors, making it appealing to the hobbyist and K-12 education market. Standard PLA has a relatively low heat resistance, with an HDT of around 50 ºC at 0.45MPa. Therefore, for those looking to preserve the ease of use while being able to quickly and easily print heat-resistant PLA parts, many manufacturers offer a PLA material with additives that improve its heat resistance. Additionally, some workflows recommend an annealing step — meaning finished parts are reheated to further crystallize their structures and prevent creep or slow deformation when under strain.
ABS
ABS is the most common FDM 3D printing filament for engineering and other professional applications. It produces parts that are strong and impact-resistant. With an HDT of 90 ºC at 0.45MPa, it has better heat resistance than other common filament types like PLA or PETG. ABS parts are ideal for rapid prototyping applications and in education; the low cost and accessible workflow make it a popular choice for quick prints.
Polycarbonate (PC)
Polycarbonate materials, though known for their high tensile strength and temperature resistance, are typically difficult to 3D print because they expand when exposed to heat, and 3D printed parts can crack or malfunction. FDM 3D printer manufacturers often get around this by creating polycarbonate composites with additives that increase their adhesive ability. Some heat-resistant polycarbonate composite filaments can achieve HDTs of up to 110 ºC to 140 ºC at 0.45MPa, but require high temperatures for the print bed and extrusion nozzle, which can limit the types of printers available.
PEEK
PEEK or PEEK composite filaments offer the highest heat resistance for FDM 3D printing. These filaments, when combined with a material such as carbon fiber, as is the case with PEEK-CF, a carbon fiber PEEK composite, can reach up to 260 ºC before deforming under strain, making them ideal for quick prototyping of electrical connectors, outdoor products, or jigs and fixtures around molding applications and processes. The material is highly chemical resistant, friction resistant, and can be machined once in a solid form post-printing. PEEK’s heat resistant properties make it difficult to melt and extrude smoothly, and many users report that reliability and consistency with PEEK are harder to achieve. PEEK filaments are only compatible with a a few indsutrial FDM printers. To ensure good results, printers must have an extruder that can reach 400 °C, a chamber that can be heated to 120 °C, and a build plate that can heat to 230 °C. PEEK is also subsitantially more expensive than other filaments.
ULTEM (PEI)
ULTEM is another name for polyetherimide (PEI), a high-performance thermoplastic frequently used in FDM 3D printing because of its heat resistance and strength. With an HDT of around 150 °C at 0.45MPa and a high tensile strength, it is a worthy, and less expensive, replacement for PEEK in a variety of applications. ULTEM is more easily printed than PEEK, but still requires a high heat extruder — around 360 °C — to achieve good results, therefore only a limited range of FDM printers are suited for printing ULTEM filament.
SLA 3D printing delivers smooth, end-use quality parts that can perform in a variety of different environments. Formlabs has developed several high-temperature resistant resins specifically for customers working in extreme environments, in addition to creating several exceptionally strong resins that are also heat-resistant.
When choosing a resin printer for a heat-resistant 3D printing workflow, it’s important to delineate which mechanical properties are important in addition to HDT. For instance, if your parts will have an end-use operating environment of 200 ºC, that’s the first mechanical property to evaluate. If they only have an end-use operating environment of 150 ºC, you will have more options to choose from, and can then evaluate the printer based on other materials available, surface finish, ease of use, and price.
Clear Resin
Resin 3D printing offers the unique possibility to create truly transparent 3D printed parts. A standard material designed for strength and durability, Clear Resin has good enough heat-resistance that it can be used for higher heat applications such as hot air or gas ducting. With an HDT of 73 °C at 0.45 MPa, this general purpose material is excellent for functional prototyping. Clear Resin can be used for lower temperature molding applications, such as polyurethane molding, as mold temperatures tend to only reach about 60 °C.
Tough Resin
For prototyping strong, stiff, and sturdy parts that should not bend easily, Tough Resin is an excellent choice. It can be used for jigs and fixtures requiring minimal deflection, due to its close simulation of the strength and stiffness of ABS.
High Temp Resin
For high-temperature applications requiring the smooth surface finish and optimized material properties of SLA resins, High Temp Resin is a great fit. It is a purpose-built resin designed for high-heat resistance. With an HDT of 238 °C at 0.45 MPa, the highest among Formlabs resins, High Temp Resin is ideal for applications like functional prototyping of high-heat consumer electronics, hot air, gas, and fluid flow, and molds and inserts.
Flame Retardant Resin
Specially-designed to be self-extinguishing and halogen-free, Flame Retardant Resin is an SLA material with a UL 94 V-0 certification and favorable flame, smoke, and toxicity (FST) ratings. It is ideal for printing flame retardant, heat resistant, stiff, and creep-resistant parts that will perform well long-term in indoor and industrial environments with high temperatures or ignition sources. It has an HDT of 111 ºC at 0.45 MPa.
Rigid 10K Resin
Rigid 10K Resin is highly glass-filled material that is strong, stiff, and resistant to deformation under a variety of forces, pressures, and torques. It offers a very high heat resistance with an HDT of 238 °C at 0.45 MPa. It is ideal for short-run injection mold masters and inserts, aerodynamic test models, and fluid-exposed jigs, fixtures, and connectors.
Silicone 40A Resin
Combining the high performance of silicone and the design freedom of 3D printing to create highly functional silicone parts with excellent chemical and heat resistance (up to 125 °C), Silicone 40A Resin is the first accessible 100% silicone 3D printing resin. It can achieve fine features as small as 0.3 mm, and complex geometries that are not possible with traditional methods.
Alumina 4N Resin
The only accessible, high-performance technical ceramic, Alumina 4N Resin enables new 3D printing applications for extreme environments. Though printing with it does require extra equipment for a true ceramic burnout, once fully completed, Alumina 4N Resin parts have a maximum working temperature of °C. Using this material opens up new applications in industrial casting, molding, and even in specialty applications such as nuclear waste and liquid metals handling.
The most common material for selective laser sintering is nylon, a highly capable engineering thermoplastic that is resistant to UV, light, heat, moisture, solvents, temperature, and water. It is ideal for complex assemblies and durable parts with high environmental stability. It is available in multiple variants and in composite forms, each tailored to different applications. Other popular SLS materials include the ductile polypropylene (PP) and the flexible TPU, both offering good heat-resistant properties.
Nylon 12 Powder
Balancing strength and detail, Nylon 12 Powder is a highly capable material for both functional prototyping and end-use production of complex assemblies and durable parts with high environmental stability. It offers an HDT of 171 °C at 0.45 MPa, making it one of the best general purpose materials for high-temperature applications.
Nylon 12 GF Powder
Nylon 12 GF Powder is a glass-filled material with enhanced stiffness and heat resistance under strain to endure demanding manufacturing conditions. Ideal for applications where structural rigidity and thermal stability are critical, such as high-performance functional prototypes or robust end-use parts that need to maintain dimensional accuracy.
Nylon 11 Powder
Nylon 11 Powder is a ductile and robust material with an HDT of 182 °C at 0.45 MPa. It is suitable for 3D printing heat-resistant parts that need to bend or take impact, for functional prototyping and small batch production.
Nylon 11 CF Powder
Nylon 11 CF Powder is a carbon fiber reinforced powder that is ideal for stiff, strong, lightweight parts that can endure high heat for long-term use. It has an HDT of 188 °C at 0.45 MPa, making it Formlabs' most temperature resistant SLS powder. It is ideal for high-heat applications that require strength and stiffness, such as replacement and spare alternatives to metal parts.
Polypropylene Powder
Polypropylene Powder is a genuine polypropylene (PP) that offers high ductility, allowing for repeated bending and flexing while ensuring durability, without the need for inert atmospheric control. With an HDT of 113 °C at 0.45 MPa, it has a bit lower heat resistance than nylon, but can still produce works-like prototypes and durable end-use parts that are chemically resistant, weldable, and watertight.
TPU 90A Powder
SLS 3D printers can also create flexible TPU parts with unmatched design freedom and ease. Combining the temperature resistance, high tear strength, and elongation at break of rubber materials with the versatility of SLS 3D printing, TPU 90A Powder is ideal for producing flexible, skin-safe prototypes and end-use parts that withstand the demands of everyday use.
The structure of PCBs makes it simpler for electronics manufacturing companies to integrate more designs into their products without bordering about the more wires and components sticking out.
One of the causes for concern when designing Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) is the temperature. Indeed, a PCB that has a higher temperature can be a challenge. And if you have come across one of that, you will know that the physical attributes of the circuit board can be negatively affected by the temperature.
In this article, we will teach you all you need to know about high-temperature PCB. Whether you are looking at how to calculate the temperature or how to reduce the same, we have everything covered here.
You can be confident that this is the most extensive high-temperature PCB article you will read and all the questions you may have are answered here.
First things first – let us consider the meaning of high temperature Printed Circuit Board (PCB). Of course, as the name suggests, you may be forced to believe that it has to do with circuit boards that have more temperature than expected.
Of course, that perspective isn’t entirely wrong, but there is more to high-temperature PCB that you need to know about.
To put it simply, a high-temperature PCB is the type of circuit board that has materials that can conveniently withstand up to 170 degrees Celsius of heat transfer.
Understandably, you may not have an idea of what this is and how it works. That is why we put in the work to provide in-depth information on the role of heat transfer in PCBs, especially as it relates to high-temperature PCBs.
For you to understand the need for high-temperature PCBs, we will like you to understand where it starts from, and that is from an epoxy glass.
The idea is that an epoxy glass is required at the onset because it contains polymers, which are needed for creating the base of circuit boards. That is of course after the polymers must have been melted down.
With that in mind, the next step will be to record the Tg Levels, which is a glass transition temperature that is derived when the polymers are melting.
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It is on that note that the Tg Levels will be distributed for manufacturing different circuit boards depending on the needed heat transfer.
You may be a newbie to the use of circuit boards that have a high temperature. It may also be that you have been using that type of circuit board for some time, but you are not sure if you are making the right choice.
Therefore, you need to understand the real reasons why many consumers are always looking for high-temperature PCB manufacturers instead of traditional PCB designers.
Below are some of the reasons/factors that are driving market demand for high-temperature PCBs:
The first factor that motivates consumers and electronics companies to use PCBs of high temperature is because of the costs.
Indeed, it has become clear that the costs of manufacturing regular circuit boards are almost in the same price range as the costs of manufacturing high-temperature PCBs. Therefore, it makes sense to choose the latter because it has more potentials than the traditional PCBs do.
The other factor is that it takes lesser time to design circuit boards of high temperatures. It is possible because there may be little or no need to modify the board, as you would have if you were to design the traditional PCBs.
The last but not the least is that the effectiveness and efficiency of the circuit board wouldn’t be in doubt.
For instance, a high-temperature PCB has higher Tg Levels, and that is the reason why the circuit board provides advanced features that aren’t readily obtainable in traditional PCBs.
By now, we are sure you are getting the drifts as to why circuit boards that have a higher temperature tend to stand a higher chance of adoption than the traditional PCBs.
In lieu of that, you are now looking for ways to design one of those circuit boards. We must point out here that the designing process isn’t always easy, because some proactive steps need to be taken to preserve the board.
Because of the technicalities involved, it is advised that you hire the services of an experienced high-temperature PCB manufacturer to help you design the board.
Haven said that; let us now consider some of the things that must be in place before a high-temperature circuit board can be designed.
Worthy of mention is that the design of a high temperature Printed Circuit Board (PCB) with the design of the traditional PCB isn’t the same.
Particularly, the difference stems from the materials used in putting the boards together. Therefore, pay special attention as we share the relevant high-temperature PCB materials that you can readily use for designing the circuit board.
The first thing we must consider is the core materials or components that will aid in the design of high-temperature PCBs.
The two most commonly used materials are:
Note: We must stress it here that the aforementioned 2 materials are basically used for designing the base of the circuit board. That implies that if there was to be a need for high-temperature uses, those materials may not withstand the heat.
In light of that, we have no other option than to go shopping for relevant materials that will optimize the base materials for long-lasting effects, especially in the face of higher temperatures.
Solder paste proves to be a veritable means of improving the temperature of circuit boards. In that case, we are looking at the possibility of sticking all the components together so they don’t fall off from the circuit board.
You must also consider information pertaining to the details of heat on the circuit board. For that to happen, you must look at the required heat management specifications on the board so you don’t make mistakes when adjusting the design to accommodate high temperatures.
As much as a circuit board with more temperature is ideal, it can also be problematic. That is why a professional high-temperature PCB manufacturer must always consider the best ways of placing the components on the circuit board.
There is no rocket science attached to this because it can be readily completed if you have an idea of what to look at how to place the same.
The general rule is that those components that tend to aggravate/create more heat on the circuit board must be separated or placed in farther distances. The reason for doing that is that more spaces will be created on the circuit board for more component placement, just as it helps to cut down on excess heat transfer.
Here are some of the components that are likely to create excess heat, and which must be spaced as fast as possible to prevent damage on the board:
While a high-temperature PCB can be the real deal, it seems to have a fair share of bad attributes too.
So, in this section, we are going to consider some of the factors that facilitate excess high temperature on Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs).
Note that the consideration here is to highlight the reasons why it is difficult for high-temperature circuit boards to function effectively because their functionalities have been hampered by irregular heat distribution on the circuit board.
Below are some of the major causes of excessively high temperatures on Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs):
Obviously, when the right designs aren’t in place, it becomes hard for the circuit board to function effectively. That informs the reason why a poor design is the first factor that reduces the efficiency of high-temperature PCB.
So, how can a poor design be the reason why the temperature of your circuit board keeps rising?
The first factor is that the inadequacy of the copper area or the trace width can be the first sign that the temperature of a circuit board will rise.
Most times, it can also trigger inconsistent temperature increases that can impede the viability of the circuit board.
As much as heat is needed on a high-temperature PCB, it doesn’t have to be excess too!
For that reason, you have to consider some of the poor layout and design mechanics that could impede or reduce the speed of dissipating heat from the circuit board.
The second factor that can cause the excessively high temperature on circuit boards is incorrect component placement. The idea is that if the manufacturer isn’t strategic about placing the high-temperature PCB materials in different locations, it can impede the strength of the board.
In light of that, proactive steps must be taken to ensure that some of the components that need more airflow are strategically placed where their heat will be conveniently dissipated.
Furthermore, if such high-powered components aren’t placed close to where excess heat from them can be forced out, it wouldn’t be long before such heat compounds to increase the temperature of the circuit board over time. As such, the circuit board wouldn’t take much time before it damages.
In addition to transferring away heat in good time, it is also ideal to space the components.
The rule of thumb is to space or place those components that are sensitive to be far from other components on the board that tend to emit excess heat.
You may make the mistake of selecting any high-temperature material you think is best, but which isn’t the best anyway.
Selecting a wrong PCB dielectric material implies that such material might not conveniently withstand thermal conditions when they become excessive.
You can also make a mistake when selecting a component for your high-temperature PCB.
Have in mind that you have to liaise with a professional high-temperature PCB manufacturer to select the best components that will be used for designing the circuit board. The best way to go about that is by studying the datasheet.
To give you a heads-up, some of the factors you must consider when selecting components for your high temperature Printed Circuit Board (PCB) include but are not limited to:
Do you want to measure the temperature of your Printed Circuit Board (PCB)? You need to do that so you can easily identify the possible causes of the increased temperature as a way of reducing the temperature too.
Here are some of the significant PCB temperature reduction strategies you can use:
What do you do when you find out that the temperature of your circuit board is continually increasing?
We bet you want to find ways of reducing the heat so it doesn’t negatively affect the performance of the board.
If that’s what you want to do, here are some of the strategic ways of cutting down excessive heat transfer on your high-temperature circuit board:
When you have put all those factors into consideration, it will do you a world of good to use the services of a qualified and professional high-temperature PCB manufacturer to design an ideal circuit board that will be highly effective.
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