LunaPlugs® Approved Materials, Components & Tooling

FDM Print Materials (M1, M2 & M3)

The following are a selection of approved 3D print materials. Unless specified otherwise, FDM are all 1.75mm filaments, SLA work well on standard machines.

M1 FDM – Spectrum PA6 CS20, Nylon, Flame Retardant, Black

LunaDrives Status:

Queued, recommended only, not yet approved.

LunaDrives Insights:

High potential for Marine & Outdoor applications. Likely to require special, nylon compatible adhesives. Works well at high temperatures, ensuring peak performance capability from your LunaPlugs.

Certification Level:

Fully certified to class UL 94 - V0 (thickness ≥ 0.4 mm).

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Basic Supplier Information

• Fireproof 3D printing material
• Spectrum PA6 CS20 FR V0 is a new, fire-resistant engineering material based on polyamide 6. Ceramic fillers increase the thermal stability of the material without causing processing problems. Due to the halogen-free flame retardant used, the flammability class UL-94 V0 is achieved on printed parts with a thickness of ≥ 0.4 mm.
• Spectrum PA6 CS20 FR V0 is also characterised by low moisture absorption, high- temperature resistance and good electrical insulation. When printing, no heating chamber is needed and no deformation (shrinkage) occurs.
• The material is compatible with HIPS and PVOH excipients and complies with the EN 45545 standard in the railway industry.

Key Features of Spectrum PA6 CS20 FR VO Filament

• High mechanical strength
• Very good layer adhesion
• Low shrinkage
• High-temperature resistance (short-term up to 160 °C, long-term up to 120 °C)
• Thermal deformation temperature - HDT A 90 °C (ISO 75)
• Water absorption below 0.3% (23 °C / 24 h)
• Electrical insulator
• Flammability class UL 94 - V0 (thickness ≥ 0.4 mm)
• High hardness and rigidity of the manufactured models

Applications of Spectrum PA6 CS20 FR VO

Models made with Spectrum PA6 CS20 FR V0 allow long-term operation at elevated temperatures up to 120 °C (20,000 h) and short-term up to 160 °C (max. 200 h).

• Applications where fire resistance is important
• Manufacture of components with good electrical insulation
• Manufacture of parts designed to operate at high temperatures
• Manufacture of elements exposed to large temperature fluctuations

In order to get the best possible parameters of the model, it is recommended to dry the material before use.

Note: Due to the significant filling of the material with ceramic microspheres, it is recommended to use nozzles with a larger diameter than the standard 0.4mm. Because PA6 CS20 FR V0 is an abrasive material that causes increased wear of the nozzle and extruder gears. Hardened steel nozzles or ruby nozzles are recommended for printing.

FDM Print Materials (M1, M2 & M3)

The following are a selection of approved 3D print materials. Unless specified otherwise, FDM are all 1.75mm filaments, SLA work well on standard machines.

M1 FDM – PET-G FR V0, PETG, Flame Retardant, Black or Natural

LunaDrives Status:

Queued, recommended only, not yet approved.

LunaDrives Insights:

Potential for Marine & Outdoor applications. Good dimensional stability and chemical resistance. Whilst it’s a good choice for those who cannot print at elevated temperatures, be aware that connector pairs are more likely to fuse together if excessive currents are pushed through the connectors.

Certification Level:

Self Certified, no UL number assigned.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Basic Supplier Information:

Spectrum PET-G FR V0 is a halogen-free, flame-retardant 3D printing material based on the popular PET-G. The filament is rated to UL 94 V0* flammability requirements, which means vertical burning of the filament or printed part does not exceed 10 seconds. Most typical plastics have poor flame retardancy, which is why Spectrum PET-G FR V0 was developed with flame retardant or self-extinguishing properties to provide a high level of safety in everyday or work environments.

Despite the modifications applied, the printability of the filament is not affected and the material retains the classic properties of PET-G. It is therefore easy to print, shrinks only slightly and has a relatively high tensile strength.

*The filament is not certified by Underwriters Laboratories and has no UL number.

Key Features of Spectrum PET-G FR V0

• Designed to meet UL 94 V0 standards
• Barely flammable, self-extinguishing
• Halogen-free
• Vicat Softening Point - 70°C

Using Spectrum PET-G FR V0

• Applications where fire resistance is important
• Coatings or shields used to protect fire hazard circuits
• Conceptual models
• Production tools

FDM Print Materials (M1, M2 & M3)

The following are a selection of approved 3D print materials. Unless specified otherwise, FDM are all 1.75mm filaments, SLA work well on standard machines.

M1 FDM – Formfutura ABSpro, ABS, Flame Retardant, Black or White

LunaDrives Status:

Queued, recommended only, not yet approved.

LunaDrives Insights:

Potentially good for Marine & Outdoor applications. Likely to bond well using solvent cements. As with most ABS filaments, Likely to suffer shrinkage issues.

Certification Level:

Self Certified, no UL number assigned.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Basic Supplier Information:

ABSpro - Flame Retardant is a professional, halogen-free, self-extinguishing filament that has been developed to UL 94 V-0 flammability standards.

The blend used for ABSpro - Flame Retardant contains a high proportion of polycarbonates, ABS and halogen-free flame retardants. Although the compound contains a high percentage of polycarbonate, the flame retardant modifiers allow the filament to be printed at relatively low temperatures.

Unique features

• Self-extinguishing flammability properties
• Designed to meet UL 94 V-0 standards *
• Excellent dimensional stability
• Excellent adhesion between the layers
• Halogen-free
• Glossy finish

ABS flame retardant filament has been developed to meet UL 94 V-0 flammability standards. The ABS/flame retardant material/filament thus complies with the UL 94 V-0 standards based on the internal test procedure, which can be found in the documentation on this page. The filament is not certified by Underwriters Laboratories and does not have a UL number. The test procedures were performed on Formfutura.

NOTE: As this filament contains polycarbonate, the use of a printer with an enclosed build volume is advised for best results.

FDM Print Materials (M1, M2 & M3)

The following are a selection of approved 3D print materials. Unless specified otherwise, FDM are all 1.75mm filaments, SLA work well on standard machines.

M2 FDM – PolyFlex TPU90, 90shA, Various Colours, UV Resistant

LunaDrives Status:

Approved for outdoor use.

LunaDrives Insights:

Our favourite TPU for LunaPlugs M2 items. Good to print, durable in use, provides good connector retention.

Certification Level:

N/A – Lifetime Guarantee.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Basic Supplier Information:

The filament PolyFlex TPU90 is a material based on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and offers a high degree of flexibility without affecting the printability. Due to its high UV resistance, it is ideal for demanding outdoor applications.

A Shore hardness of 90A and an elongation at break of 638.8% +/- 15.5 make the material incredibly tough. It can be stretched over 6 times before breaking.

If you are looking for a flexible filament with a long service life, PolyFlex TPU90 is definitely recommended.

FDM Print Materials (M1, M2 & M3)

The following are a selection of approved 3D print materials. Unless specified otherwise, FDM are all 1.75mm filaments, SLA work well on standard machines.

M2 FDM – Extrudr TPU Semi-Soft, Flame Retardant Filament 1.75mm, Black, White, Natural

LunaDrives Status:

Queued, recommended only, not yet approved.

LunaDrives Insights:

Good to print with using short length Bowden tub machines e.g. creality CR6SE, works well with LunaPlugs.

Certification Level:

Base material is UL94 rated, filament itself has no UL number and should be tested and certified by users where required.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Basic Supplier Information:

FLEX SEMISOFT:

Extrudr TPU Flex semisoft was specially developed for the FFF / FDM process. Due to its unique properties, the material is excellently suited for numerous industrial applications.

• Heat resistance up to 98 ° C
• Extreme layer adhesion
• Excellent impact and break resistance
• Hardness Shore A85
• UV-resistant
• Maximum load
• TPU Flex is one of the strongest FDM filaments on the market.

Elongation:

TPU Flex semisoft only reaches its limits at an elongation of 550%.

Heat resistance

The TPU Flex semisoft is extremely heat resistant up to 98 ° C.

Difficulty

TPU Flex is suitable for printers with Bowden extruder. Due to the flexibility, heat resistance and water absorption properties prior knowledge is necessary.

Visual quality

Thanks to the professional production, the TPU filaments have a smooth surface.

Layer adhesion

TPU Flex is characterized by extreme layer adhesion. The layers cannot be separated by human force.

Impact resistance

The flexibility of Extrudr's TPU Flex gives it excellent impact resistance.

FDM Print Materials (M1, M2 & M3)

The following are a selection of approved 3D print materials. Unless specified otherwise, FDM are all 1.75mm filaments, SLA work well on standard machines.

M3 FDM - eSUN PLA+ Filament 1.75mm – White

LunaDrives Status:

Used and Approved. 

LunaDrives Insights:

Good solid, low-cost, high strength, PLA+. Great for tools, fixtures, print tests and basic prototyping. One of our most used materials, also available in 3kg spools.

Certification Level:

None.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Basic Supplier Information:

PLA+ is an environment-friendly material, which is easy to print and has smooth surface. PLA+ filament has good strength, rigidity, toughness balance, strong impact resistance; So PLA plus is considered suitable for functional parts printing. eSUN PLA+ is approved by FDA, safer to use; PLA pro can be used for modeling, rapid prototyping. 

Features

• Good toughness
• Strong impact resistance
• High speed printing
• Smooth printed surface
• Easy to print
• Hard to break

SLA Print Materials (M1 & M2)

M1 SLA – Formlabs Flame Retardant Resin, Grey

LunaDrives Status:

Used and approved with warning – “Indoor” and “Industrial” use suggests poor longevity in outdoor applications, TBC.

LunaDrives Insights:

Great to print with, excellent surface finish, part toughness. Works well with LunaPlugs but hasn’t been tested outdoors in long term applications. This resin is our current goto for LunaPlugs M1 materials – printed on Elegoo Mars 3 Pro machines with great effect. During tuning the resin on the printer, we found the following settings work well:

Certification Level:

Self Certified, no UL number assigned.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Basic Supplier Information:

Drive innovation more quickly, safely, and efficiently with Formlabs’ new self- extinguishing and halogen-free SLA material with a UL 94 V-0 certification and favourable flame, smoke, and toxicity (FST) ratings. With the UL 94 V-0 and FAR-rated certification, you can produce 3D-printed parts that meet your necessary certification requirements for entering hazardous environments.

Create stiff, creep-resistant and functional parts with a 2.9GPa modulus and 112°C at 0.45 MPa HDT material that will perform well long-term in indoor and industrial environments with high temperatures or ignition sources. You can produce parts that can handle additional post-fabrication operations such as tapping, machining and drilling.

FR Resin on the Formlabs SLA ecosystem unlocks all of the benefits of scaling and automating production with the Form 3 series hardware.

You can also produce flame retardant parts that resemble the look and feel of injection moulded parts easily and affordably.

SLA Print Materials (M1 & M2)

M2 SLA - Formlabs Silicone 40A Resin – Black

LunaDrives Status:

Approved with caveats: We did not successfully print full parts on our printers - Needs printing on either Formlabs printers or high powered open-source equivalent SLA/DLP printers. Our testing showed it not to be self extinguishing/flame retardant as you would normally expect from Silicone.

LunaDrives Insights:

Good thermal and chemical resistance. Good Strength. Good sealing. Likely to last well outdoors. Requires high powered SLA printers (eg from Formlabs) to make feasible. We will investigate this material more in future.

Certification Level:

None.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Basic Supplier Information:

Introducing Formlabs Silicone 40A Resin, the first 100% silicone 3D printing resin that's accessible to everyone. Say goodbye to the hassles of moulding and labour-intensive casting processes. Silicone 40A Resin utilizes Formlabs' patent-pending Pure Silicone Technology™ to enable in-house 3D printing of pure silicone parts in just a matter of hours.

This amazing 40A Shore durometer material allows you to craft flexible, resilient, and long-lasting parts. It boasts an impressive 230% elongation at break and a tear strength of 12 kN/m, making it capable of enduring repeated cycles of stretching, flexing, and compression.

By harnessing the qualities of silicone and the creative liberty of 3D printing, you can produce silicone components that not only excel in performance but also offer remarkable chemical and thermal resistance (-25°C to 125°C)., fine features as small as 03. mm and complex geometries.

Compatibility

• Printer compatibility: Form 3, Form 3+, Form 3B, Form 3B+
• Compatible with these resin tanks: Form 3/3B Resin Tank V2, Form 3/3B Resin Tank V2.1
• Compatible with these build platforms: Form 3 Build Platform (recommended), Form 3 Build Platform 2, Form 3 Stainless Steel Build Platform

Contacts EC5 and EC8, pre-soldered & ready to crimp

LunaDrives Status:

Approved.

LunaDrives Insights:

These are gold plated brass terminals, offering tremendous power density. Whilst slightly more expensive that alternative EC connectors, we found these to provide the best performance in terms of:

• Male spring leg resistance to creep during prolonged usage.
• Contact resistance.
• Load capacity (Amps).
• Alignment and assembly with LunaPlugs.
• Being widely available.

You can see our contacts test data published on the LunaPlugs product pages for an indication of typical current vs time vs temperature capabilities.

Certification Level:

None. Nor do we have any control over their production quality. To date, we haven’t been able to detect any performance affecting variations from this brand.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Basic Supplier Information:

See supplier links and LunaPlugs product pages for more information.

Cables – High Quality, Tinned Multi-Strand Copper, Silicone Insulation

LunaDrives Status:

Approved. 

LunaDrives Insights:

Good quality cable – LunaDrives choice cable with much test data validating it’s performance in terms of: Soldering, crimping, electrical resistance, gland sealing performance and thermal capacity. Rated for temperatures of upto 200C – we’ve not seen any insulation breakdown during soldering. Available in many sizes. It’s shipped from China, our orders (to the UK) take on average 2-weeks to arrive. Full lengths are provided, eg if you order 5x5m, you will receive 1x 25m length.

Size References:

• EC5 LunaPlugs have glanding and cable exit options for 10awg or 12awg cables.
• EC8 LunaPlugs have glanding and cable exit options for 6awg or 8awg cables.
• Our combi connectors (C1, C2 etc), featuring both EC5 & EC8 contacts, provide glanding and cable exits for 6awg and 10awg cables only.

Certification Level:

None.

Supplier Links:

UK,EU,USA,INTERNATIONAL

Basic Supplier Information:

See supplier links for more information.

Crimp Butt Splice Cable Connectors

Crimp Butt Splices – 6awg

LunaDrives Status:

Approved.

LunaDrives Insights:

These basic splicing crimps make it simple to install prebuilt LunaPlugs and work very well with only minor contact resistance, only detected under high load. You can see our available test data for these crimps on the LunaPlugs product pages.

Certification Level:

None. Nor do we have any control over their production quality, which to date, we haven’t been able to detect any performance affecting variations.

Supplier Links:

Basic Supplier Information:

See supplier links and LunaPlugs product pages for more information.

Crimp Butt Splice Cable Connectors

Crimp Butt Splices - 8awg

LunaDrives Status:

Approved. 

LunaDrives Insights:

These basic splicing crimps make it simple to install prebuilt LunaPlugs and work very well with only minor contact resistance, only detected under high load. You can see our available test data for these crimps on the LunaPlugs product pages.

Certification Level:

None. Nor do we have any control over their production quality, which to date, we haven’t been able to detect any performance affecting variations.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Basic Supplier Information:

See supplier links and LunaPlugs product pages for more information.

Crimp Butt Splice Cable Connectors

Crimp Butt Splices – 10awg & 12 awg

LunaDrives Status:

Approved. 

LunaDrives Insights:

These basic splicing crimps make it simple to install prebuilt LunaPlugs and work very well with only minor contact resistance, only detected under high load. You can see our available test data for these crimps on the LunaPlugs product pages.

Certification Level:

None. Nor do we have any control over their production quality, which to date, we haven’t been able to detect any performance affecting variations.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Basic Supplier Information:

See supplier links and LunaPlugs product pages for more information.

HeatShrink – Adhesive Lined – All Sizes

LunaDrives Status:

Approved.

LunaDrives Insights:

Adhesive lined heatshrink is great for LunaPlugs. Sealing sheathing and cable bundles contained therein.

Certification Level:

None. Outer layer is self-extinguishing (see supplier information).

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Basic Supplier Information:

• Product name: Double-wall heat shrinkable tube with glue (four times shrinkage)
• Product specifications: 4mm-72mm
• Temperature range: shrinkage temperature 80 °, complete shrinkage temperature 120 Rated voltage?3000V
• Product colour: black
• Product features: 4: 1 high shrinkage ratio, self-extinguishing outer layer, sealed and waterproof, in line with environmental protection requirements
• Introduction: This heat-shrinkable tube is composed of a double layer of polyolefin and hot melt adhesive. The outer layer of polyolefin is insulated.
• Flame-retardant materials, inner wall hot-melt adhesive plays the role of sealing waterproof, anti-corrosion, anti-leakage, etc., mainly
• Application and wire connection, home appliance maintenance, wire and cable branch protection, diving equipment
• Where sealing and insulation are required.

Important: Width and diameter are different. Example: diameter 10mm tube=15.7width. if you want width 10MM, you should order 10mm/1.57=6mm diameter.

Sheathing – Silicone Glass

LunaDrives Status:

Approved.

LunaDrives Insights:

Good for tidying up high-temperature looms - ideal for LunaPlugs.

Certification Level:

None.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Basic Supplier Information:

• Material Inner: Heat Treated Braided Fibreglass
• Material Outer: High Grade Silicone Rubber
• Color: Red, Black
• Length: 1 meter
• Inner Diameter: 4mm to 130mm
• Temperature range: -60 ℃~+260 ℃
• Short Term Exposure:800°C
• Melting Temperature:1300°C
• Withstand voltage level: 10kV
• Flammability Rating: self-extinguishing ULVW-1
• Features: good flexibility, oil resistance, corrosion resistance

ORings, <=70shA

LunaDrives Status:

Approved.

LunaDrives Insights:

Application dependent, Polymax UK offer the best selection of ORings we’ve been able to get our hands on. We normally go for EPDM but will settle for Nitrile or Silicone for most applications.

Remember:

• Thicker ORings will provide better sealing but will increase the force required to assemble connectors.
• Softer ORings will also provide better sealing and less assembly force, but they won’t last as long.
• Silicone grease is very useful, when it comes to ORings and general assembly of LunaPlugs.

Certification Level:

Depends on selection.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Basic Supplier Information:

See supplier website.

Silicone Grease – Assembly and Sealing

LunaDrives Status:

Approved.

LunaDrives Insights:

This stuff is brilliant for

1. Connector assembly, especially on the seals
2. Increasing connector life using a small amount on the contacts.

NB: Ensure you print and use the dustcaps to avoid dirt ingress when the connectors are parted, which will result in accelerated wear and reduced longevity.

Certification Level:

None.

Supplier Links (Small tub):

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Supplier Links(Large tub):

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Contact Insertion Tools – Parallel Punches

EC5 Male Contact Insertion Tool

 LunaDrives Status:

Used & Approved. 

LunaDrives Insights:

Use carefully, using multiple small hammer/mallet strikes over fewer large strikes.

Certification Level:

None.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Features:1.5mm or 1/16” x 100mm or 4”, parallel punch.

Contact Insertion Tools – Parallel Punches

EC5 Female & EC8 Male Insertion Tool

 LunaDrives Status:

Used & Approved. 

LunaDrives Insights:

Use carefully, using multiple small hammer/mallet strikes over fewer large strikes.

Certification Level:

None.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Features:

4.0mm or 5/32” x 100mm or 4”, parallel punch.

Contact Insertion Tools – Parallel Punches

EC8 Female Insertion Tool

LunaDrives Status:

Used & Approved. 

LunaDrives Insights:

Use carefully, using multiple small hammer/mallet strikes over fewer large strikes.

Certification Level:

None.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Features:

6.35mm or 1/4” x 100mm or 4”, parallel punch.

Heatgun for heatshrink

LunaDrives Status:

Approved. 

LunaDrives Insights:

We always recommend using a heatgun and not a naked flame for use with heatshrink.

Certification Level:

None.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Crimp Tools

Hydraulic, vice mounted crimp tool

 LunaDrives Status:

Used and Approved. 

LunaDrives Insights:

We find the hydraulic provides the most secure crimps but appreciate that it’s not always practical to take your project to a vice. In terms of splice resistance; we’ve not observed any difference in splice performance.

Certification Level:

None.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL

Crimp Tools

Manual, portable crimp tool

LunaDrives Status:

Used and Approved. 

LunaDrives Insights:

Good to take to your project and crimp-in-place. This package also includes cable cutters – a useful combo.

Certification Level:

None.

Supplier Links:

UK, EU, USA, INTERNATIONAL