Quick3D Tensile strength
What tensile strength tells you about a 3D-printed part, how it is tested, and how to compare datasheet values without being misled.
What it means in practice
Tensile strength is the highest stress a material can carry while being pulled before it fails. It is the first number most people look at, and for good reason: it tells you roughly how much load a part can take before something gives.
Key takeaways
- Tensile strength is the peak stress a material carries under a pull before it fails.
- Strong but brittle parts can still crack, so read it with elongation and impact strength.
- Flat-printed (XY) filament specimens are usually far stronger than upright (Z) ones.
- Datasheet values are typical averages, so leave a safety margin.
It matters most in parts that are pulled or hung from:
- Brackets and hooks that carry a hanging weight.
- Straps, tabs and snap-fit arms that are stretched in use.
- Bolted flanges, where tightening the fastener pulls on the printed material around the hole.
- Housings with screw bosses that take pull-out loads.
Watch out
Strength is not the whole story. A strong but brittle material can still crack on the first drop. Read it together with elongation and impact strength.
How it’s measured
A flat “dog-bone” specimen is clamped at both ends and pulled at a steady speed until it breaks. The machine records force and stretch the whole time. Force divided by the original cross-section gives stress.
- Standards: ISO 527 and ASTM D638. They use different specimen shapes and speeds, so results are close but not identical. See ASTM vs ISO.
- Units: megapascals (MPa), which is the same as newtons per square millimetre. Some US sheets use psi; 1 MPa is about 145 psi.
- Yield or break: many plastics reach a peak (yield) and then stretch further before breaking. Datasheets may quote strength at yield, at break, or the maximum. Check which.
How to read and compare it
- Print orientation. For filament parts, specimens printed flat (XY) are usually far stronger than those printed upright (Z), because layer bonds are the weak link. A sheet that does not state orientation is hard to compare. See print orientation: XY vs Z.
- Printed or moulded. Some values come from injection-moulded bars of the base polymer. Printed parts are usually lower.
- Typical, not minimum. Most values are averages. Leave a safety margin. See typical vs minimum values.
- Conditions. Nylons lose strength as they absorb moisture; dry and conditioned values can differ a lot. Resin values depend on the post-cure used.
- Composites. Continuous-fibre and metal materials sit in a different league. Their values are often measured on special specimens, so compare them with care.
Range in our catalog
- All materials: 1.1–1,540 MPa (median 47 MPa, 518 materials)
- Filaments: 8–1,540 MPa (median 52.3 MPa, 259 materials)
- Resins: 1.1–91 MPa (median 44 MPa, 203 materials)
- Powders (SLS and MJF): 8–84 MPa (median 42 MPa, 27 materials)
- Carbon-fibre filled: 31.2–800 MPa (median 79 MPa, 54 materials)
- PLA 3118–56
- PETG 1717.9–105
- ABS 2024.3–68
- ASA 931.9–48
- PC 1236.1–73
- PA12 1033.4–120
- PEI 1654–145
- PEEK 1370–145
Bar = lowest to highest, dot = median. 128 materials, live from our database.
Good to know
The very top of the full range is set by metals and continuous-fibre composites. The median is a better guide to what a typical plastic delivers.
Highest and lowest in our catalog
Highest overall
| Material | Polymer | Tensile strength |
|---|---|---|
| Markforged H13 Tool Steel | H13 tool steel | 1540 MPa |
| Markforged 17-4PH Stainless Steel | 17-4 PH stainless steel | 1230 MPa |
| Ultrafuse 17-4PH | 17-4 PH stainless steel | 990 MPa |
| Markforged Carbon Fiber | — | 800 MPa |
| Markforged Carbon Fiber HT | — | 800 MPa |
Highest among resins
| Material | Polymer | Tensile strength |
|---|---|---|
| Formfutura Engineering SLA Resin Heavy Duty | Photopolymer | 91 MPa |
| Phrozen TR300 | Photopolymer | 87.7 MPa |
| Ultracur3D RG 3280 | Photopolymer | 87 MPa |
| Monocure3D Tensile | Photopolymer | 86.7 MPa |
| Liqcreate Tray | Photopolymer | 86 MPa |
Lowest overall
| Material | Polymer | Tensile strength |
|---|---|---|
| Monocure3D Flex45A | Photopolymer | 1.1 MPa |
| Liqcreate Elastomer-X | Photopolymer | 1.5 MPa |
| Formfutura Engineering LCD Resin Flex 63A | Photopolymer | 1.7 MPa |
| Liqcreate Premium Flex | Photopolymer | 1.7 MPa |
| Liqcreate Gingiva Mask | Photopolymer | 2.2 MPa |
The lowest values belong to soft elastomers. For those, low tensile strength is expected and is not a flaw.
Related properties
- Young’s modulus — how stiff the material is before it fails.
- Elongation at break — how far it stretches first.
- Flexural strength — strength in bending.
- Impact strength — resistance to sudden blows.
See materials with tensile strength of 60 MPa or more 146 materials