Nebula TECH HIPS 404 Natural

Product Description

Nebula TECH HIPS 404 Natural is a filament made of HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene) material in a natural, slightly milky white color. HIPS is a tough technical plastic with properties similar to ABS, but with lower internal stress and better printability. This makes it suitable for both functional parts and visually clean prototypes with a matte surface.

HIPS is traditionally also used as a support material for ABS because it has a similar thermal expansion and can be mechanically removed or machined after printing. The filament is suitable for most common FDM 3D printers with a heated bed.

Key Features

• HIPS Material (High Impact Polystyrene) – a tough technical plastic with good impact resistance
• Natural shade – suitable for further surface treatment (sanding, filling, painting)
• Matte print surface – reduces layer visibility and optically unifies the model
• Lower shrinkage than ABS – better dimensional stability and lower risk of warping with correct print settings
• Good machinability – prints can be easily sanded, drilled, or threaded
• Suitable for functional parts and prototypes – covers, brackets, technical components, models
• Compatible with most FDM printers equipped with a heated bed

Recommended Use

• Functional and semi-functional technical parts (brackets, covers, fixtures)
• Prototypes requiring stiffness and dimensional stability
• Models that will be further sanded, filled, or painted
• Prints where a matte surface and reduced layer visibility are important

Printing Recommendations

Specific settings may vary depending on the printer, nozzle, cooling, and printing speed. The values below serve as initial recommendations.

• Nozzle temperature: 230–245 °C
• Bed temperature: 80–100 °C
• Printing speed: 40–70 mm/s
• Cooling: rather low to medium, or off for taller models and larger parts
• Print bed: textured PEI, glass with adhesive, special print sheets for technical plastics

For larger models, we recommend limited drafts and stable ambient temperature (ideally a partially enclosed print space) to minimize the risk of warping edges and corners.

Material Properties (typical for HIPS)

• Base polymer: HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene)
• Density: approx. 1,03–1,05 g/cm³
• Hardness: medium-hard, tough plastic
• Resistance: good impact strength, lower heat resistance than ABS
• Surface: matte, well workable
• Post-printing processing: sandable, suitable for painting and surface treatments

Filament Storage

HIPS is less hygroscopic than some technical materials, yet it is recommended to:

• keep the filament dry (resealable bag/box with silica gel),
• protect from direct sunlight,
• for longer storage, potentially pre-dry the material in a dryer or a printer with a drying function.

Correct storage significantly improves printing consistency and the surface of the prints.

Who is Nebula TECH HIPS 404 Natural suitable for

• for more advanced users who have experience printing technical plastics (ABS, PETG, etc.),
• for small companies, developers, and prototyping workplaces that need a material with a good combination of stiffness, toughness, and reasonable printability,
• for hobby users who want to move from PLA to more durable and better workable parts.

Key Features:

• Technical filament from HIPS material for functional parts and prototypes
• Natural color suitable for further surface treatment
• Matte surface with reduced layer visibility
• Lower shrinkage and good dimensional stability compared to ABS
• Good machinability – possibility of sanding, drilling, painting
• Suitable as a material for technical and functional models
• Compatible with most FDM 3D printers with a heated bed