BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse 316L: Metal 3D Printing Filament

# BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse 316L

Overview

BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse 316L is a highly metal-filled composite filament for producing 316L stainless-steel parts by FFF printing followed by catalytic debinding and sintering.

The filament itself is not the finished metal. The printer creates a polymer-bound green part containing about 88% 316L stainless-steel particles and 12% polymer binder. Professional debinding removes the binder, producing a fragile brown part, and sintering then consolidates the metal into the final stainless-steel component.

The attraction of Ultrafuse 316L is that users can print metal feedstock on suitable FFF hardware rather than operating loose metal-powder equipment. The trade-off is a more complex process chain: parts must be designed for anisotropic shrinkage, printed with controlled settings, debound, sintered, and often finish-machined.

For current manufacturer information, see the official Ultrafuse 316L page, the Forward AM Metal Solution guide, and Forward AM debinding and sintering resources.

Key Benefits

• Produces final 316L stainless-steel parts
• 561 MPa XY tensile strength after sintering
• 521 MPa ZX tensile strength after sintering
• 251 MPa XY yield strength
• 53% XY elongation at break
• 7.85 g/cm³ sintered density
• 128 HV10 Vickers hardness
• 111 kJ/m² notched Charpy impact strength in XY
• 230–250°C nozzle range
• 90–100°C bed range
• 15–50 mm/s print-speed range
• ≥0.4 mm nozzle
• No pre-drying required
• Bowden and direct-drive feed compatibility
• Hardened nozzle recommended for longer life
• Conventional FFF printing before professional metal post-processing

Ultrafuse 316L Best For

1. Stainless-steel functional prototypes
2. Jigs and fixtures
3. Industrial tooling
4. Replacement metal components
5. Corrosion-resistant parts
6. Small-series stainless-steel production
7. Complex geometries that are difficult to machine from stock
8. Organizations that can outsource debinding and sintering

Ultrafuse 316L Technical Specifications

Mechanical values apply to correctly debound and sintered test specimens, not the printed green part.

Ultrafuse 316L Print Settings

Users searching for Ultrafuse 316L print settings, BASF Ultrafuse 316L temperature, or 316L metal filament settings should start from Forward AM's current documented process window:

• Nozzle: 230–250°C
• Bed: 90–100°C
• Nozzle diameter: 0.4 mm or larger
• Print speed: 15–50 mm/s
• Part cooling: Off
• Layer height: commonly around 0.10–0.25 mm in the user guide
• Bed surface: glass with approved adhesive or polyimide tape
• Drying: not required

Forward AM's test specimens used a 0.4 mm nozzle, 245°C nozzle temperature, 100°C bed, and 25 mm/s print speed.

A fully enclosed chamber is recommended to reduce airflow and warping, but active chamber heating is not essential in the manufacturer's general metal-filament guidance.

Nozzle Wear and Printer Requirements

High metal loading increases nozzle wear. Forward AM recommends a new, clean nozzle and prefers hardened nozzles for longer life; brass can work but should be replaced regularly, roughly after a 3 kg spool. The heavy 3 kg spool also benefits from a low-friction bearing-supported holder to avoid feed drag.

Ultrafuse 316L Shrinkage and Scaling

One of the most important design topics is Ultrafuse 316L shrinkage.

Forward AM's general guidance uses approximately:

• 16% shrinkage in X and Y
• 20% shrinkage in Z
• 120% XY / 124% Z starting scale factors

These are process starting points, not guaranteed compensation values. Actual shrinkage depends on geometry, wall thickness, print orientation, extrusion strategy, support design, furnace cycle, and the debinding/sintering provider.

Dimensionally critical parts should be calibrated using representative geometry and the exact D&S workflow intended for production.

Green, Brown, and Sintered Parts

The printed green part contains stainless-steel powder in polymer binder. Catalytic debinding produces a fragile brown part, and sintering consolidates it into the final dense 316L component. Published strength, hardness, elongation, and density apply only after sintering; the 561 MPa tensile figure is not a green-part property.

Debinding and Sintering

Catalytic debinding and sintering are mandatory. Forward AM currently references specialist D&S partners including Elnik Systems and DSH Technologies. The practical chain is design with shrinkage compensation, print, debind, sinter, inspect, then machine or finish as needed. Tight-tolerance features and threads commonly require final machining.

Part Size and Design Rules

Forward AM recommends starting around a 60 mm cube or smaller. Standard D&S handling typically limits green parts to about 100 × 100 × 100 mm, with roughly 1 mm minimum walls, stable flat bases, and height-to-width ratios below about 3:1 where possible. Larger parts need special arrangements and carry more warping risk.

Ultrafuse Support Layer

For geometries that require printed support, Forward AM developed Ultrafuse Support Layer as an interface material between metal supports and the part so the support does not fully sinter to the component.

Corrosion Resistance and 316L Material Choice

The final material is 316L stainless steel, an austenitic grade valued for corrosion resistance and ductility. It suits tooling, fixtures, prototypes, and custom stainless components; 17-4 PH is the stronger/harder alternative when ductility is less important.

Ultrafuse 316L vs Ultrafuse 17-4 PH

The Ultrafuse 316L vs 17-4 PH comparison is corrosion resistance and ductility versus strength and hardness.

Choose Ultrafuse 316L for corrosion resistance, ductility, stainless tooling, and general 316L components.

Choose Ultrafuse 17-4 PH when high strength, hardness, and precipitation-hardening capability matter more.

Ultrafuse 316L vs DMLS / SLM Metal Printing

The Ultrafuse 316L vs DMLS or metal filament vs powder-bed fusion comparison is about process accessibility rather than one universally superior technology.

Metal FFF vs Powder Bed Fusion

Ultrafuse Metal FFF avoids loose powder and can use suitable FFF hardware, but it adds mandatory D&S, anisotropic shrinkage, size constraints, logistics, and possible finish machining. DMLS/SLM consolidates powder directly and has a broader production ecosystem, but needs much more expensive equipment, powder handling, inert gas, and specialized facilities.

For organizations without powder-metal infrastructure, Metal FFF historically offered a lower-barrier route when D&S could be outsourced.

Ultrafuse 316L vs High-Temperature Polymer Composites

The indexed Bambu Lab PPS-CF, Bambu Lab PAHT-CF, and Polymaker PolyMax PC are relevant only when a project can use a high-performance polymer instead of metal.

Choose polymers for direct printing, lower mass, and faster iteration; choose Ultrafuse 316L when the final material must be 316L stainless steel.

Ultrafuse 316L vs Bambu PPS-CF

The Ultrafuse 316L vs PPS-CF comparison is true stainless steel versus an extreme-temperature polymer composite.

The indexed Bambu Lab PPS-CF offers 264°C HDT at 0.45 MPa and direct FDM processing. Choose PPS-CF when a high-performance polymer is acceptable; choose Ultrafuse 316L when stainless-steel behavior is required.

Ultrafuse 316L vs Bambu PAHT-CF

The indexed Bambu Lab PAHT-CF offers 194°C HDT at 0.45 MPa and direct FDM production. Choose PAHT-CF for strong polymer fixtures and tooling; choose Ultrafuse 316L when the part must be metal.

316L Filament Price and Cost Context

For users searching Ultrafuse 316L price, 316L filament price, or metal filament cost, Raise3D currently lists the 1.75 mm / 3 kg spool at US$464.99.

That is approximately:

• US$0.155 per gram of feedstock
• US$15.50 per 100 g of feedstock

Finished-part cost also includes printing, nozzle wear, support/adhesive, D&S, shipping, inspection, and machining.

Price and Availability in 2026

Raise3D currently lists Ultrafuse 316L 1.75 mm / 3 kg at US$464.99. For regional reference, that is approximately €397.86 in Europe, £341.01 in the UK, AED 1,707.68 in the UAE, C$639.33 in Canada, A$649.08 in Australia, ₹44,491 in India, ¥73,855 in Japan, and ¥3,126.24 in China. Actual pricing may vary by region, tax, shipping, stock, promotions, and exchange rates.

Limitations and Practical Considerations

• Catalytic debinding and sintering are mandatory.
• Typical shrinkage is about 16% XY / 20% Z and must be calibrated.
• Standard D&S handling favors parts around 100 mm or smaller.
• Metal loading accelerates nozzle wear; clean hardened nozzles are preferred.
• The 3 kg spool needs low-drag feeding.
• Cooling stays off; enclosure is recommended.
• Tight tolerances often require machining.
• D&S, shipping, and finishing materially affect total part cost.
• Pre-drying is not required when stored correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions