FDM · Carbon-Filled Nylon

FDM PA6-CF Carbon Fibre Nylon

Name: FDM PA6-CF Carbon Fibre Nylon 3D Printing
Brand: RYSE 3D

The rigid workhorse of our FDM range — PA6 nylon reinforced with 20% carbon fibre for high stiffness and strength-to-weight, with 109 MPa tensile strength and a 215 °C heat deflection temperature. RYSE 3D prints PA6-CF on our large-format FDM platform, up to 500 × 500 × 900 mm in one piece. The go-to grade for carbon fibre 3D printing: load-path brackets, mounts and tooling that would otherwise need machining.

Quote in PA6-CF → All FDM materials PA6-CF datasheet (PDF) ↓

Also known as carbon fibre nylon · PA6 carbon · CF nylon · carbon filled nylon

Overview

Stiff, strong, and light where it counts

Some parts need a real engineering polymer, not shelf-grade plastic. PA6-CF is 20% carbon-fibre-reinforced polyamide: high stiffness and strength-to-weight so load-path brackets, mounts and fixtures stay rigid and light, with a 215 °C heat deflection temperature — the highest tensile strength and heat resistance in our FDM range — at 1.17 g/cm³, less than half the density of aluminium for the load path. At 1.8% elongation it’s a stiff, rigid grade: built to hold shape under load, not to flex.

Printed and finished in-house on our UK large-format FDM platform — up to 900 mm tall in one piece — PA6-CF can be bead blasted, smoothed, primed or A-class painted, all under one roof with 1–3 day express turnaround available.

Technical data

PA6-CF material properties

Headline properties for our FDM PA6-CF carbon fibre nylon.

Reviewed by the RYSE 3D engineering team · August 2026 Download the full datasheet below, or have it confirmed with your instant quote. Values vary with geometry and orientation.

Property	Value
Ultimate tensile strength	109 MPa
Elongation at break	1.8%
Heat deflection temperature	215 °C
Character	High stiffness, rigid
Impact, notched (Charpy)	12.6 kJ/m²

Download PA6-CF datasheet (PDF) ↓

Applications

What PA6-CF is used for

Where rigid parts need carbon stiffness without the tooling bill.

RYSE 3D printed PA6-CF carbon fibre nylon intake bodies installed on individual throttle bodies in an engine bay

PA6-CF intake bodies — installed and in service

RYSE 3D printed PA6-CF race car airbox installed in an engine bay

Race car airbox — fitted and running

RYSE 3D printed PA6-CF water jet exit cover on a submersible drone

Water jet exit cover — submersible drone

RYSE 3D printed PA6-CF functional gear being fitted into a mechanical assembly

Functional gear — mechanical assembly

Rigid bracketsLoad-path mountsManufacturing toolingLarge-format one-piece partsFunctional prototypesIntake ducts & manifoldsMachine guards & coversMotorsport componentsJigs & fixtures

Why PA6-CF

Why choose FDM PA6-CF

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Highest stiffness in range

20% carbon fibre gives the stiffness and strength-to-weight for load-path parts that stay rigid and light — an 8,636 MPa modulus, the highest we print.

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109 MPa tensile

The strongest FDM grade we run — brackets and mounts that would otherwise need machining or tooling.

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215 °C heat deflection

The highest HDT in our FDM range, and 205 °C even at 1.8 MPa under load — fixtures and tooling that work next to heat without softening.

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Up to 900 mm in one piece

Full-size brackets, ducts and fixtures on our large-format platform — no splitting, no bonding, no redesign.

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No tooling, 1–3 days

Express turnaround with no mould and no minimum — from CAD to finished part in days.

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Finished in-house

Bead blasted, smoothed, primed or A-class painted — one team prints, finishes and inspects it.

Design guidance

Designing for PA6-CF

Typical guidelines for FDM PA6-CF carbon fibre nylon. We’ll confirm the specifics for your part with a free design-for-additive review at quote.

Design feature	Typical guideline
Build envelope (FDM)	500 × 500 × 900 mm in one piece
Turnaround	1–3 days express available
Bigger than the bed?	Split, print, bond & inspect the finished assembly
Load orientation	Strongest in-plane: 109 vs 71 MPa through-layer — we orient load paths at quote
Moisture	PA6 base absorbs moisture (2.48% at 70% RH; roughly half tensile when saturated) — for humid or outdoor service ask about PA12-CF
Annealing	Manufacturer-recommended 100 °C / 16 h cycle to reach rated mechanicals — specified at quote where the part benefits
Character	Stiff & rigid — designed to hold shape, not to flex
Supports	Removed and finished in-house
Finish	Bead blasted, smoothed, primed or A-class painted in-house

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Full specification

Every number an engineer needs

ISO-referenced values from the manufacturer’s technical data sheet. Dry condition is annealed at 100 °C for 16 h; wet follows the same anneal plus 48 h immersion at 60 °C — the honest, real-service numbers. Reference only; confirmed at quote.

Property	Dry · XY	Dry · Z	Wet · XY	Method
Mechanical (annealed specimens)
Tensile strength	109.3 ± 4.1 MPa	71.2 ± 3.5 MPa	55.4 MPa	ISO 527
Young’s modulus	8636 ± 360 MPa	5012 ± 281 MPa	3005 MPa	ISO 527
Elongation at break	1.8 ± 0.2%	2.1 ± 0.3%	3.4%	ISO 527
Flexural strength	168.7 ± 5.4 MPa	111.6 ± 4.6 MPa	67.5 MPa	ISO 178
Flexural modulus	7205 ± 254 MPa	4107 ± 202 MPa	2409 MPa	ISO 178
Charpy impact, notched	12.6 ± 0.8 kJ/m²	—	23.9 kJ/m²	ISO 179
Charpy impact, un-notched	33.8 ± 1.3 kJ/m²	18.9 ± 2.7 kJ/m²	71.2 kJ/m²	ISO 179
Thermal
Heat deflection, 0.45 MPa	215 °C			ISO 75
Heat deflection, 1.8 MPa	205 °C			ISO 75
Vicat softening	212.0 °C			ISO 306
Glass transition (Tg)	70.4 °C			DSC, 10 °C/min
Melting temperature (Tm)	215.2 °C			DSC, 10 °C/min
Crystallisation temperature	177.2 °C			DSC, 10 °C/min
Decomposition temperature	437.5 °C			TGA, 20 °C/min
Physical
Density	1.17 g/cm³ at 23 °C			ISO 1183
Equilibrium water absorption	2.48% at 70% RH			25 °C / 70% RH
Flame rating	UL 94 HB at 1.5 mm			UL 94
Surface resistivity	3.26 × 10¹⁰ Ω (insulative)			ANSI ESD S11.11

Anisotropy note: like all fibre-filled FDM materials, PA6-CF is strongest in the print plane (109 vs 71 MPa through-layer) — we orient load paths for your part at quote.

Honest limits

Where PA6-CF is the wrong call

Engineering materials are picked on what they can’t do as much as what they can. If any of these apply, we’ll spec you a better grade — free, with your quote.

Humid or outdoor service

PA6 nylon absorbs moisture (2.48% at 70% RH) and loses roughly half its tensile strength and around two-thirds of its stiffness saturated. For parts that live outside or in unconditioned spaces, PA12-CF or PA6/12-CF COPA handle damp far better.

Snap-fits & living hinges

At 1.8% elongation, carbon reinforcement kills flex life — clips and hinges crack early. For living features, powder-bed MJF PA 11 Gen2 is the right nylon.

Impact & abuse

12.6 kJ/m² notched Charpy is modest for a stiff grade. Where parts get dropped or knocked, PA6/12-CF COPA absorbs nearly double at 22.8 kJ/m² on the same ISO 179 method.

Flame-rated parts

PA6-CF is UL 94 HB only. Where ignition is the constraint, specify PC-FR flame-retardant PC/ABS or our UL94 V-0 SLA resin.

ESD-sensitive electronics

Carbon-filled doesn’t mean static-dissipative — at 3.26 × 10¹⁰ Ω PA6-CF is insulative, not ESD-rated. For handling sensitive electronics, use our dedicated ESD resin.

Peak impact with heat

If the part needs both high heat and real toughness, COPA holds 194 °C at 22.8 kJ/m² — less stiff, far less brittle.

Compare

PA6-CF vs PA12-CF vs PA6/12-CF COPA

PA6-CF is the stiffest, strongest FDM grade we print. For stability and ductility in damp service see PA12-CF; for impact toughness, PA6/12-CF COPA; for rigidity on a budget, PA6-GF; for tooling in real heat, PET-CF or PPA-CF. For production nylon at volume, powder-bed MJF may suit.

Property	PA6-CF (this page)	PA12-CF	PA6/12-CF COPA
Tensile strength	109 MPa	100 MPa	92 MPa
Heat deflection	215 °C	176 °C	194 °C
Elongation at break	1.8%	12%	8.4%
Charpy impact, notched (ISO 179)	12.6 kJ/m²	see note	22.8 kJ/m²
Best for	Peak stiffness & heat	Ductile, low moisture	Tough & impact-resistant

Note: PA12-CF notched impact is reported as 13 kJ/m² by Izod ISO 180, not Charpy ISO 179, so it is not directly comparable with the figures above.

FDM

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FAQ

FDM PA6-CF FAQ

What is PA6-CF carbon fibre nylon?

PA6-CF is a PA6 nylon reinforced with 20% carbon fibre, printed on our large-format FDM platform. High stiffness and strength-to-weight make it the rigid workhorse — for load-path brackets, mounts, jigs and functional prototypes that would otherwise need machining or tooling.

How strong is PA6-CF?

It leads our FDM range on both counts: 109 MPa tensile strength (ISO 527) with an 8,636 MPa modulus — the stiffest grade we run — plus a 215 °C heat deflection temperature and 12.6 kJ/m² notched Charpy impact. Like all FDM composites it’s strongest in the print plane (109 vs 71 MPa through-layer), so we orient load paths at quote. At 1.8% elongation it holds shape under load rather than flexing.

What is PA6-CF used for?

Rigid brackets and load-path mounts, manufacturing tooling, jigs and fixtures, intake ducts and manifolds, motorsport components and functional prototypes — up to 500 × 500 × 900 mm in one piece.

What is the difference between PA6-CF and PA12-CF?

PA6-CF is stiffer with a higher heat deflection temperature (215 vs 176 °C) — the pick for maximum rigidity in dry service. PA12-CF trades some heat resistance for far greater ductility (12% vs 1.8% elongation), better dimensional stability and much lower moisture pickup — PA6 absorbs 2.48% water at 70% RH and loses roughly half its tensile saturated, so PA12-CF is the pick for humid service. Tell us the load case and we’ll spec the grade free with your quote.

Is PA6-CF tough enough for parts that get knocked?

It is a stiff grade rather than a tough one: 12.6 kJ/m² notched Charpy at 1.8% elongation, so it holds load well but has little give. Where impact matters more than rigidity, PA6/12-CF COPA reaches 22.8 kJ/m² on the same ISO 179 method — nearly double — while still holding 194 °C.

How big can PA6-CF parts be printed?

Up to 500 × 500 × 900 mm in a single piece on our large-format platform — a full-size enclosure, duct or bracket in one build. Bigger than the bed? We split, print, bond and inspect the finished assembly, so part size doesn’t cap the design.

Where can I find PA6-CF material properties and a datasheet?

The key material properties are listed above, and you can download the full PA6-CF datasheet (PDF) or have it confirmed with your instant online quote.

How do I order carbon fibre nylon parts in the UK?

Upload your CAD to our instant online quote and select FDM PA6-CF. As a UK 3D printing service bureau we print, finish and inspect in-house in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, and ship UK-wide — from prototyping to production.

Get your PA6-CF parts priced in seconds.

Upload your CAD for an instant online quote in FDM PA6-CF carbon fibre nylon — from a single rigid bracket to a batch of large-format tooling. Printed and finished in the UK.

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Printed and finished at our own ISO 9001 facility in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire. Call us on 024 7736 0144.