YES! WE PRINT PLA!
What is PLA?
PLA (Polylactic Acid) is one of the most commonly used materials in FDM printing and additive manufacturing. Here's a summary of its characteristics, compared to other common materials like PETG, TPU, and ABS:
Pros of PLA:
Ease of Printing: PLA is easy to print with due to its low printing temperature and minimal warping, making it suitable for beginners and hobbyists.
Biodegradability: PLA is biodegradable and derived from renewable resources like corn starch or sugarcane, making it environmentally friendly compared to petrochemical-based plastics like ABS.
Low Odor and Fumes: PLA emits minimal odor and fumes during printing, making it more pleasant to work with compared to materials like ABS.
Wide Color Range: PLA is available in a wide range of colors and even specialty variants like metallic or translucent filaments.
Good Detail Resolution: PLA can achieve fine details and smooth surface finishes, making it suitable for decorative or aesthetic prints.
Cons of PLA:
Lower Temperature Resistance: PLA has a lower temperature resistance compared to materials like PETG or ABS, limiting its use in applications exposed to high temperatures.
Brittleness: PLA is relatively brittle compared to materials like ABS, making it less suitable for functional parts that need to withstand impact or stress.
Hydroscopic Nature: PLA can absorb moisture from the air over time, leading to print quality issues if not properly stored or dried before printing.
Comparison with Other Materials:
PETG: PLA is easier to print and less prone to warping compared to PETG. However, PETG offers higher strength and durability.
TPU: PLA is stiffer and more rigid than TPU, which is highly flexible and elastic. TPU is suitable for applications requiring flexibility and impact resistance.
ABS: PLA is easier to print and has lower odor compared to ABS. However, ABS offers higher temperature resistance and better mechanical properties.
General Application Uses:
Prototyping: PLA is commonly used for prototyping and conceptual models due to its ease of printing and smooth surface finish.
Decorative Items: Its wide color range and ability to achieve fine details make PLA suitable for printing decorative items, figurines, and sculptures.
Educational Purposes: PLA is often used in educational settings due to its safety, ease of use, and environmentally friendly nature.
Packaging Prototypes: PLA's biodegradability makes it suitable for prototyping packaging materials and disposable products.
Cosplay and Costume Props: PLA's ability to achieve intricate details and vibrant colors makes it popular for crafting cosplay props and costume accessories.
Variations of PLA for FDM 3D Printing Filament: Variations of PLA filament for FDM printing offer different properties and characteristics tailored for specific applications:
Standard PLA: This is the basic PLA filament used for general-purpose printing. It offers a balance of ease of printing, biodegradability, and aesthetic properties.
PLA/PHA Blends: Blends of PLA with polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) offer enhanced toughness and flexibility compared to pure PLA, making them suitable for functional prototypes and parts.
High-Temperature PLA: High-temperature PLA filaments are formulated to offer improved heat resistance compared to standard PLA, allowing for higher temperature applications.
Silk PLA: Silk PLA filaments have a glossy finish and metallic appearance, making them suitable for decorative prints and aesthetic applications.
Wood PLA: Wood PLA filaments contain wood fibers or particles, giving prints a wood-like appearance and texture. They are used for crafting decorative items and prototypes with a natural look.
Carbon Fiber PLA: composite filament used in FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) 3D printing. It's made by blending PLA (Polylactic Acid), This combination creates a filament with enhanced mechanical properties and a unique aesthetic appearance.
Safety Considerations for Customers:
Food Safety: PLA is approved by regulatory agencies such as the FDA for use in food contact applications, making it suitable for items like food packaging, disposable utensils, and cups.
Biocompatibility: For customers interested in medical or healthcare products, PLA's biocompatibility is a significant advantage. It ensures that products like medical implants, sutures, and drug delivery systems made from PLA are safe for use within the human body.
Environmental Impact: Customers concerned about the environmental impact of the products they purchase can appreciate PLA's biodegradability and renewable nature..
Proper Disposal Instructions: PLA products can be disposed of with methods such as composting or recycling.
Pros of Polylactic Acid (PLA):
Biodegradable and Renewable: PLA is made from renewable resources such as corn starch or sugarcane. It is biodegradable under the right conditions, making it environmentally friendly compared to traditional plastics derived from fossil fuels.
Low Toxicity: PLA is considered safe for use in food packaging and biomedical applications. It does not produce harmful fumes when incinerated, unlike some other plastics.
Versatility: PLA can be easily processed using conventional plastic processing techniques like injection molding, extrusion, and thermoforming. It can be formed into various shapes and structures, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.
Biocompatible: PLA is biocompatible, meaning it is compatible with living tissues and can be used in medical implants and sutures without causing adverse reactions.
Good Strength and Rigidity: While not as strong as traditional plastics like PET or ABS, PLA offers decent mechanical properties suitable for many applications, especially when reinforced with fibers.
More on PLA Finish Types:
Matte: Dull and flat; without a shine.Basic:
Semi Glossy appearance.
Silk: Very Shiny appearance; Silk offers a silk-like and high-gloss that adds a luxury appearance to your prints while retaining PLA's ease of use. Different with other silk filaments, Our PLA Silk was toughened and demonstrates greater resistance to breakage. We offer Single Color, Multicolor and Tricolor Silks. (Multicolor=Many Colors Extruded at the Same time..usually tightly wound so that colors show on smaller prints. Tricolor Silks are the same as the Multicolor Silks with less wind of the filament so that there’s a gradual change in color in lieu of the Multicolor.)
Metal: A metallic textured filament designed to enhance the aesthetic of your prints. With its advanced metallic shine, this filament offers a professional and high-end finish and a touch of sophistication to your prints while retaining almost the same comprehensive performance of regular PLA.
Marble: This PLA Finish mimics the appearance of natural stone. With inorganic particles in its composition, it offers a vivid stone-like texture that resembles marble, granite, or bricks. It adds a touch of nature to your prints and provides a stunning finish for your projects.
Glow: PLA Glow stands out due to its incorporation of a unique additive: luminous powder. This variant retains the familiar qualities of traditional PLA, including easy printing, high quality, and exceptional overall mechanical properties. What sets PLA Glow apart is its distinctive feature - it glows in the dark. This makes it the optimal selection for crafting luminous nameplates, logos, jewelry, and various models that require a captivating glow effect.
CF: Carbon Fiber Finish, has a carbon fiber texture
Some of our PLA Color Palette and Finish Offerings
MORE about PLA Variations:
PLA Tough aka PLA Plus: premium quality 3D printing filament that combines the benefits of regular PLA with added durability and strength.
With 20% greater toughness and strength compared to regular PLA, it is the ideal choice for applications that require enhanced mechanical properties. It also offers a more glossy and smooth finish, which can be used for creating visually appealing objects and models.
PLA-CF: is carbon fiber reinforced PLA with improved stiffness and strength.Carbon Fiber Texture & Minimized Layer Lines Improved Mechanical Properties