What Materials Can the BigRep ALTRA 670 Print?

Direct answer: the BigRep ALTRA 670 can print far more than basic PLA, but BigRep does not give every material the same support status. Its current product page names ABS, ASA and PC as recommended materials with BLADE slicing profiles. It separately lists ABS-ESD, ABS-FR, HT-PETG, PA6, PA6-CF, PA12, PA12-CF, PA12-GF, PC-ABS, PC-FR, PC-CF, PCTG, PEKK, PEKK-CF, PETG, PLA, PP, PP-GF, PPS, PPSU, TPU, TPC among compatible options. That second list is broad, but it is not a promise that every supplier grade is ready to print unchanged.

The useful buyer decision is therefore not simply whether the ALTRA 670 gets hot enough. It is whether the exact 1.75 mm grade has a suitable BLADE profile or a defensible process-development plan, an approved nozzle and SWITCHPLATE surface, the right chamber and drying schedule, appropriate support strategy, workplace exposure controls and finished-part qualification. The printer's 450 °C nozzle, 140 °C chamber and 140 °C bed create a large process envelope; a temperature ceiling alone does not approve a polymer, grade or application.

ALTRA 670 material compatibility at a glance

The three claims that should not be collapsed

1. BigRep-profiled is the shortest path to a controlled start

ABS, ASA and PC have the clearest current model-specific status because BigRep identifies them as recommended materials with BLADE profiles. A profile is still a starting process definition, not certification of the finished part. Part geometry, spool condition, support layout, surface condition and the thermal history of a tall 700 × 1200 × 800 mm build can change the result. For a production buyer, the advantage is reduced initial process-development ambiguity, not exemption from validation.

2. Compatible means the machine envelope can support a process

The broader list spans commodity, engineering, flexible and high-temperature polymers. That breadth is credible because the machine combines a hot chamber, heated SWITCHPLATE bed, diamond nozzles, direct synchronized extrusion and dry storage. Yet compatible does not mean one universal profile, surface or maintenance routine. A PA12-CF grade and an unfilled PA12 grade may share a family name while demanding different moisture control, surface choice, nozzle wear monitoring and acceptance evidence.

3. Open material does not mean automatic material

BigRep's open-material explanation says users can choose compatible third-party filament and create or edit profiles. That freedom is valuable for sourcing and R&D, but it moves more responsibility to the operator. Supplier data, BigRep guidance and a controlled trial plan must agree. The open platform is a reason to evaluate a grade, not evidence that any spool carrying a familiar acronym is approved.

How the listed material groups differ in practice

ABS, ASA and flame-, ESD- or blend variants

ABS and ASA sit in the profiled group and are sensible starting points for fixtures, housings and tooling where their properties fit. ABS-ESD and ABS-FR are separately listed as compatible, which matters: electrical-dissipative and flame-retardant behavior belongs to an exact formulation and test method, not to the base polymer. Do not describe a printed part as ESD-safe, flame-rated or suitable for a regulated environment merely because the feedstock name contains ESD or FR. Preserve the supplier's test scope and qualify the printed geometry.

ASA can be preferable when outdoor exposure matters, but weatherability does not settle load, creep, color stability, chemical exposure or service-temperature questions. For a one-off functional part, start with the actual environment. For repeat production, document grade, lot, moisture state, profile revision, orientation and acceptance criteria.

PC, PC blends and reinforced PC

PC is in BigRep's recommended/profiled tier; PC-ABS, PC-FR and PC-CF are in the broader compatible tier. That distinction prevents a common mistake: copying a neat-PC profile to a blend or filled compound. Reinforcement, flame additives and blend ratios can change flow, shrinkage, moisture sensitivity and surface behavior. The ALTRA 670's heated environment helps control thermal gradients, but the correct process still comes from the exact grade and geometry.

PA6, PA12 and fiber-filled nylon

BigRep lists PA6, PA6-CF, PA12, PA12-CF and PA12-GF. Nylon is where the integrated keep-dry chamber becomes operationally important. Sealed storage protects staged spools, but it does not prove that a spool arrived dry or that a wet spool has been restored. Drying temperature and time must come from the material supplier; excessive heat can damage a spool or filament just as insufficient drying can undermine the process. The nylon drying-versus-storage guide and nylon-CF moisture guide explain why those are separate jobs.

The documented diamond nozzles are a strong wear-control feature for filled materials, but abrasive capability is not the whole decision. Fiber content can alter minimum feature size, interlayer behavior, surface finish and anisotropy. Confirm the nozzle diameter and supplier profile, then qualify the part in its load direction. Compare other nylon and carbon-fiber printer choices if the ALTRA's scale and facility needs are disproportionate to the application.

PEKK, PEKK-CF, PPS, PPS and PPSU

These are the materials that make the ALTRA 670 a genuinely different buying decision from an ordinary enclosed desktop printer. BigRep explicitly lists PEKK, PEKK-CF, PPS, PPS and PPSU,. Their presence on the list still does not authorize every PAEK, PPS or PEI grade. High-temperature polymers can be sensitive to drying, thermal history, surface system, support pairing, annealing or other supplier-defined processing steps.

PEEK deserves special caution. BigRep's site-level material language says compatible third-party materials can include PEEK, but the current ALTRA 670 model list names PEKK and PEKK-CF rather than PEEK or ULTEM. That is enough to investigate an exact PEEK grade with BigRep; it is not enough to publish an unconditional model-and-grade claim. Request the current profile, surface, nozzle, chamber, storage and service position in writing before buying the machine around PEEK.

PLA, PETG, HT-PETG, PCTG, PP and PP-GF

The ALTRA 670 can cover lower-temperature materials too, but machine capability and economic fit are different questions. PLA and PETG do not require this machine's full thermal envelope. They may be reasonable for very large parts, standardized production on one platform or a mixed-material cell, but a smaller system may be easier to justify for modest envelopes. HT-PETG and PCTG need their exact supplier process rather than generic PETG assumptions.

PP and PP-GF are listed, but polypropylene is often a surface and shrinkage decision as much as a nozzle-temperature decision. BigRep specifies a heated bed with the magnetic, flexible SWITCHPLATE surface. Confirm the surface, preparation and removal procedure for the exact PP grade. Do not substitute a generic plate recipe and assume a large part will remain dimensionally stable.

TPU and TPC

The direct synchronized extruders are described as optimized for flexible and high-performance materials, and BigRep lists TPU and TPC. Flexibility still varies sharply by hardness and formulation. Confirm spool path, nozzle, speed, retraction strategy and the degree of support removal the geometry requires. A broad TPU label does not prove that an unusually soft grade will feed reliably through the complete system.

Hardware and process conditions that can veto a material

• Profile: use a current BigRep/BLADE profile where available. For a third-party grade, document who owns profile development and how revisions will be controlled.
• Nozzle: BigRep lists 0.6 and 1.0 mm diamond nozzles. Choose diameter from the grade's filler and feature requirements rather than assuming one nozzle fits the entire list.
• Surface: the vacuum bed uses the SWITCHPLATE process. The right polymer with the wrong interface can still be a failed process.
• Chamber schedule: a maximum of 140 °C is an envelope, not a default. Follow the grade and machine process, including heat-up and cool-down boundaries.
• Moisture: the four-spool keep-dry chamber helps preserve conditioned filament. It is not a substitute for supplier-specified drying; compare a filament dryer with a drying oven when engineering materials drive the purchase.
• Support: dual DSX extruders can enable support or relay strategies, but every polymer/support pairing still needs thermal and removal compatibility. The multi-toolhead printer guide frames that broader decision.
• Qualification: a successful print does not establish tolerance, strength, flame performance, ESD behavior, chemical resistance or regulatory suitability. Define acceptance evidence before production.

Facility, electrical and safety boundaries

The ALTRA 670 is industrial equipment, not a plug-in desktop appliance. BigRep's current specification calls for three-phase 400/480 V, 32 A, 50/60 Hz power and lists an air-cleaning unit with HEPA and activated-carbon filters. Electrical installation belongs to qualified personnel and the current BigRep site-preparation instructions. Confirm access, floor loading, clearances, heat rejection, emergency procedures, local code and service requirements before delivery.

Built-in filtration is a control, not a universal declaration that every material or workplace is safe. NIOSH's additive-manufacturing guidance recommends evaluating emissions and using appropriate controls. Review each material's safety data, supplier instructions and decomposition hazards. Use ventilation or local exhaust where the risk assessment requires it; control hot surfaces and moving equipment; use appropriate PPE for maintenance and material handling; and follow BigRep's operating and service instructions. Do not rely on odor as an exposure meter.

Flame-retardant, ESD or aerospace-marketed filament does not transfer a certification to the printed part. If a part will enter a safety-critical, electrical, transport, medical or regulated application, obtain the needed material, process and part-level evidence from competent authorities. GoodPrints is not the final safety or compliance authority.

Buyer and owner decision

Choose the ALTRA 670 when the job genuinely needs its combination of 700 × 1200 × 800 mm volume, high-temperature chamber, dual-DSX configuration, dry storage, industrial automation and open-material process control. ABS, ASA and PC offer the clearest model-specific starting point. The long compatible list makes the machine plausible for nylon composites, PEKK, PPS/PPSU, PP and flexible materials, but those projects need grade-level confirmation and process ownership.

Pause before buying when one unlisted high-temperature grade is the business case. Ask BigRep and the material supplier to identify the current profile or development path, nozzle, surface, chamber schedule, drying method, support strategy, facility controls and service boundary. For PEEK in particular, do not let a general open-platform statement or temperature maximum replace ALTRA-670-and-grade evidence.

Use another route when the work is mostly small PLA/PETG parts or the facility cannot support industrial power and environmental controls. Large capability can become unnecessary operating complexity. Compare the AON3D M2+ material router and AON3D Hylo material router when a smaller high-temperature system is viable.

Before requesting a quote

1. Name the exact material supplier, grade, reinforcement, certification need and annual part volume—not just “nylon,” “ULTEM” or “PEEK.”
2. Define the largest part, orientation, support-removal access, tolerance, service temperature, load, chemical and environmental conditions.
3. Ask which items are BigRep-profiled, which require custom profile development and who owns that work.
4. Confirm nozzle diameter, surface, drying, chamber schedule, support pairing, filtration and facility requirements in the current documentation.
5. Agree on a sample-part and acceptance plan. Manufacturer application examples are useful evidence of capability, not independent testing of your part.

If the real decision is the part rather than the printer, start with the custom-part material chooser and the custom 3D printing FAQ. You can also request a custom-part quote or review J C S Manufacturing's production services. Those routes help define requirements; they do not turn an unqualified grade into an approved ALTRA 670 process.

Official sources checked

• BigRep ALTRA 670 product page — current model identity, recommended BLADE-profile group, compatible list, feed format, thermal envelope, nozzle, bed, storage, filtration and electrical data.
• BigRep materials catalog — current BigRep filament families and the difference between machine compatibility and a supplied material route.
• BigRep open-material-system guide — third-party material and profile-development boundary.
• NIOSH additive-manufacturing controls guidance — workplace exposure-control context.