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Materials & Finishing Flashcards

6 cards from real 3D Product practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 Materials & Finishing flashcards as text

  1. What is PLA filament and why is it commonly used for product prototyping?

    Answer: Polylactic Acid, a biodegradable thermoplastic that is easy to print, low-warp, and available in many colors

    PLA is a plant-derived thermoplastic that prints easily on unheated beds, produces little warping, and offers good detail — making it ideal for concept models and prototypes.

  2. What are the advantages of PETG filament over PLA for functional product prototypes?

    Answer: PETG has better impact resistance, moisture resistance, and higher temperature tolerance than PLA

    PETG combines PLA's ease of printing with better mechanical properties — higher impact and temperature resistance and food-safe characteristics for functional prototypes.

  3. What is 'Shore hardness' used to measure in product material selection?

    Answer: The hardness and stiffness of rubber and flexible polymers

    Shore hardness (A scale for soft rubbers, D scale for harder plastics) quantifies material firmness, used to spec flexible components like grips, gaskets, and seals.

  4. What is 'anisotropy' in 3D-printed parts and why does it matter?

    Answer: The directional difference in mechanical properties — FDM parts are stronger along print layers than between them

    FDM-printed parts are anisotropic because layer-to-layer bonding is weaker than in-plane strength, meaning part orientation relative to loads must be considered in design.

  5. What material property is described by 'tensile strength'?

    Answer: The maximum stress a material can withstand when being pulled apart before it breaks

    Tensile strength is the maximum pulling force per unit area a material can endure before fracturing — a key spec for structural product components.

  6. What is 'ABS' plastic and what are its main advantages for product prototyping?

    Answer: Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, a tough, impact-resistant thermoplastic good for functional prototypes that can be sanded and finished

    ABS is a strong, impact-resistant engineering plastic that can be machined, sanded, painted, and acetone vapor smoothed — widely used for durable functional prototypes.