PEEK, PEKK and ULTEM parts. Printed for heat, chemicals and load.

Yes. PEEK prints by FFF/FDM when the machine is built for it: a nozzle above 400 °C, a heated chamber and a hot build plate. Pluribus Manufacturing prints PEEK at up to 480 °C inside a 120 °C chamber and anneals it during the print, so the part crystallizes properly and comes off the machine strong and stable.

PEEK is one of the strongest unfilled plastics, with a published tensile strength near 100 MPa, and carbon-fiber PEEK is far stiffer. A printed part is strongest along its layers, so we orient the part to put your main load in that direction. Send the load and where it is applied with your quote request.

PEEK has a continuous service temperature of about 250 °C and melts at 343 °C. For comparison, ULTEM 1010 works to about 200 °C, PPS to about 200 °C, PPSU to about 180 °C and ULTEM 9085 to about 150 °C. Tell us the temperature and how long the part sees it, and we will recommend the material.

They are close relatives with similar heat and chemical resistance. PEKK bonds better between layers and shrinks less as it cools, so it is often the better choice for large or thick parts. PEEK is the long-established standard with the widest specification history. We quote either.

Both are PEI. ULTEM 9085 is tougher, lighter for its strength and known for flame retardance with low smoke, which is why it is specified for interior parts in aircraft and rail. ULTEM 1010 is stiffer, handles more heat (about 200 °C) and stands up to steam autoclaving, which suits tooling and sterilizable parts.

For many parts, yes. PEEK weighs about half as much, does not corrode, insulates electrically, resists most chemicals and runs against metal without galling. Aluminum is stiffer and conducts heat. Carbon-fiber PEEK closes much of the stiffness gap. If you tell us what the aluminum part does, we will tell you whether PEEK is a good swap.

Often, especially for one-off and low-quantity parts and for shapes with a lot of material removed. Machining starts from expensive rod or plate and cuts much of it away, plus programming and setup. Printing uses only the material in the part and needs no fixtures. Send the drawing and we will quote it.

PEEK is priced per part on a custom quote, because PEEK filament costs many times more than everyday plastics and prints run long and hot. The quote arrives within one business day. If PPS, PPSU, ULTEM or high-temperature nylon will do the same job for less, we will show you that option as well.

One piece up to 300 × 300 × 400 mm, or 240 × 300 × 400 mm when a second material is used for support. For bigger parts in engineering plastics and composites, see our large-format service, which prints up to about one meter in each direction.

Annealing is heat treatment that lets PEEK form its crystalline structure. Crystalline PEEK is the form with full strength, heat resistance and chemical resistance. Our process anneals each layer during the print, so parts do not need a separate oven cycle afterward that could warp them.

Both resist fuels, oils, hydraulic fluid, coolant, most solvents, many acids and bases, steam and hot water. PVDF is the choice for strong acids and chlorine. Tell us the exact chemical, concentration and temperature and we will match the material to it.

Yes. There is no minimum order. One prototype and a production run are set up the same way.

In the USA. We print in San Diego, California, and due to demand we have started setting up a new 5,000 sq ft facility in Yuma, Arizona, where lower energy costs let us offer lower prices on long, high-temperature prints. We are quoting PEEK, PEKK, ULTEM and PPSU projects now.

Yes. We sign and return an NDA within one business day, before you send files. Printers run on a segmented network under our own internal control and storage systems, not a cloud printing service.

Use the form on this page or email [email protected] with the drawing or a description, the quantity and the operating conditions. You get a price and schedule within one business day.