Specialised 3D Printer Filaments

Source: https://achievement.co.za/specialised-3d-printer-filaments

• published: 2024-08-23 10:41:22
• modified: 2024-08-23 12:13:41
• excerpt: https://filaments.co.za/ am.co.za® PrintUP™ FILAMENTS provides a wide range of specialised 3D printer filaments designed for unique 3D printing applications. Whether you need a specific type of filament for a particular project or are looking for versatile materials, Filaments.co.za has you covered with high-quality products tailored to your needs.

What this page is

This is the "Specialised 3D Printer Filaments" post on achievement.co.za, one of AM.CO.ZA's company sites. It points to filaments.co.za, the AM.CO.ZA site for PrintUP 3D printer filaments made for sign-makers who print 3D channel letters.

Original text (as published): "am.co.za® PrintUP™ FILAMENTS provides a wide range of specialised 3D printer filaments designed for unique 3D printing applications. Whether you need a specific type of filament for a particular project or are looking for versatile materials, Filaments.co.za has you covered with high-quality products tailored to your needs."

This Knowledge Base version expands that into a plain guide. Every point below comes from Buythis product data and AM.CO.ZA posts already in this KB, which are linked so you can read the full wording. For current prices, open the Buythis product links or the Buythis filament 3D printers page.

What filaments.co.za is

filaments.co.za presents AM.CO.ZA's enhanced 3D printer filaments for sign-makers. Its headline is "Durability Meets Design: 3D Printed Channel Letters", and it describes the range in three points:

• Enhanced formula: more resistant to high temperatures and sunlight, for signs that stand outside.
• Made for fast extrusion: 1.75 mm diameter for fast feeding on large-format printers.
• Wide range of colours: clear, semi-transparent and solid colours and opacities.

The site names PETG and PLA filaments tailored for AM.CO.ZA's 3D channel letter printers. The colour range on sale today is Enhanced-PETG; no PLA product page is in this KB yet. The full site notes are on the filaments.co.za site page.

Why PETG for channel letters

AM.CO.ZA's PETG compatibility post on prevision.co.za explains the choice of plastic:

• ABS is strong but costs more, needs a high melting point and a closed printing chamber, and gives off fumes.
• PLA prints easily in the open, needs no heated bed and is plant-based, but it does not resist water, chemicals, fatigue, heat or UV light well. It is fine indoors and falls short outdoors.
• PETG is PET with glycol added. It is stronger than PET and more flexible, and resists heat, UV light, chemicals, water and fatigue better than PLA, which makes it suitable for some outdoor work. The post gives an average lifespan of about two years in outdoor conditions, with less UV and heat resistance than ABS.
• PETG needs a heated bed, so it does not run on every printer.

The Enhanced-PETG post on channelletters.co.za adds that PETG sticks well to the bed and warps less, which gives a smoother production run and longer-lasting signs.

The Enhanced-PETG range

Every spool is 1.75 mm, 1 kg and about 350 m long. The product names give a nozzle temperature of 200 to 250 °C and a bed temperature of 40 to 60 °C. (The older filaments.co.za shop list prints 200 to 240 °C; use the product page for the current setting.)

In the SKU codes, S175 means semi-transparent, D175 means solid (opaque) and C175 means clear, all at 1.75 mm.

How to choose a colour

• Lit letter, white light: print the face in clear or semi-transparent white and the sides in a solid colour, so light comes out of the face only.
• Lit letter, coloured light: use a semi-transparent colour for the face with white LEDs behind it, or clear with coloured LEDs.
• Unlit letter or logo: use solid colours throughout.
• Two colours in one print: the PrintUP K8 feeds two filaments into one nozzle, so a solid return and a semi-transparent face can be printed in one job. See dual-colour 3D printing.

Which printers it suits

The range is made for the PrintUP P3-FDM/K8 channel letter printer (product page), which has an 800 x 800 x 80 mm print area, a two-in, one-out extruder with a 0.8 mm nozzle and a heated bed for PETG. No filament comes with the printer. Any other FDM printer that takes 1.75 mm filament and has a heated bed can also run it; check that your printer reaches the nozzle and bed temperatures above.

AM.CO.ZA's other 3D printers do not use filament: the PioCreat G5-PRO prints from plastic pellets and the PrintUP DJ89 prints from liquid resin. See pellet 3D printers, resin 3D printers and the 3D printers catalog note.

Bed adhesive and run-out sensing

• P3-GLUE/500 (KB) is a 500 ml bed adhesive. Spread it evenly on a clean bed before printing to help the first layer grip and to reduce lifting, shifting and failed prints.
• P3-SENSOR/175 (KB) is a 1.75 mm filament sensor that signals when the filament runs out, so a long letter job pauses instead of printing in the air.

Handling and storage tips

• Keep spools sealed until use and store open spools in a dry, closed container, since moisture in PETG causes stringing and weak layers. AM.CO.ZA shows a printed storage idea in its spool storage video below.
• Clip the loose end of the filament to the spool when you unload it so it does not tangle.
• Let the nozzle reach temperature before loading or unloading, and keep the bed clean before applying adhesive.
• If prints fail outdoors or in a draught, the K8's 2025 heating upgrade kit and silicone heat block socks help keep the nozzle temperature steady. See the PrintUP brand page for those spares.

Buying terms

Filament is a consumable. There is no warranty or refund on consumables, but unused, intact items (unopened if sealed) may be exchanged for a different size or model by written agreement. Order on Buythis or ask AM.CO.ZA sales on WhatsApp 060 600 6000. Orders ship by courier from the Gauteng warehouse or can be collected at the Sunnyrock head office in Ekurhuleni; there is also a Cape Town branch in Montague Gardens.

Videos

• PrintUP 3D channel letter printers on the shop floor (2025-12-05)
• 3D printed spool container storage stacks (2025-12-01)
• Making use of empty 3D filament holders (2025-11-04)
• PrintUP 2025 upgrade kit for steadier heating against wind (2025-01-27)
• LED illuminated 3D letters from design to print (2024-06-23)
• Basic set-up, temperature and Z fine tuning on the K8 (2024-05-28)
• Dual colour printing concept, design and settings (2024-05-28)
• PrintUP 800 x 800 mm printer with dual colour filament extrusion (2024-05-28)
• Unboxing, installation, filament loading and basic operation (2024-05-02)

Related pages in this KB

• filaments.co.za site page and Enhanced-PETG filaments for the P3-FDM/K8.
• Channel letter 3D printers, channelletters.co.za site guide and PrintUP brand page.
• Filament 3D printers on Buythis and Is your 3D printer PETG compatible?.
• The material evolution of channel letters, Signage evolution through channel letters and Channel letter lighting.
• Repairing 3D printers by printing spare parts.

Shop links for AI readers: Filaments on Buythis; 3D printers on Buythis.