PLA 3D Printing Filament
Description
PLA 3D Printing Filament is derived from cornstarch, sugar cane, and tapioca root, making it a bio-degradable plastic that emits a sweet popcorn-like aroma when heated. It doesn’t require excessive ventilation or an enclosed build area, though there’s no harm in using either of those to limit any fumes. While it prints at lower temperatures compared to ABS, it’s also generally less finicky and does not require a heated build plate. Somewhat shiny and smooth in appearance, PLA 3D Printing Filament offers minimal flexibility (depending on the object’s geometry) but is also more brittle than ABS. While ABS is robust and hard, PLA can offer smoother layering and better handling of details (once appropriately configured).
PLA 3D Printing Filament doesn’t give off an evil toxic stink when printing with it, so it’s comparatively safer in the home and classroom. And the plastic doesn’t contract so dramatically when cooling down, so you don’t necessarily need a heated bed on your 3D printer (though it helps).
Features
- Primary benefits are good strength, user friendly, durability, and some impact resistance
- Ideal for consumer products, small toys, higher print speeds, smoother layers
- Fair to good durability
- Slight flexibility, but more brittle
- Not soluble
- Refer to manufacturer guidelines for food safety
- General print temperature range is 180°C – 230°C
- Minor shrinkage during cooling, less sensitive compared to ABS
- Heated bed not required
- Printing difficulty is easy, once temperature, bed height and speed are set
Data Sheet
| Item | PLA Polylactic Acid |
| Primary Benefit | Good Strength, User Friendly, Durability, Some Impact Resistance |
| Ideal for | Consumer Products, Small Toys, Higher Print Speeds, Smoother Layers |
| Durabilty | Fair to Good Durability |
| Flexibility | Slight Flexibility, More Brittle |
| Soluble | No |
| Food Safe | Refer to Specific Manufacturer Guidelines |
| General Print Tempo Range | 180℃-230℃ |
| Shrinkage During Cool | Some, Less Sensitive to Cooling as Compared to ABS |
| Heated Bed Recommended | Recommended, but Not Required |
| Size of Prints | Variable Size Limited by Print Chamber |
| Printing Difficulty | Easy: Fairly Low Maintenace Once Temperature, Bed Height, Speed are Set |
| Colors Available | Wide Variety Dozens of Colors |
| Translucent Options Available | Yes SEVERAL Varieties |
| Glow in the dark Options Available | Yes |
