PLA, or polylactic acid, is the most common material for filament deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printers. It looks like plastic, smells like plastic, and probably tastes like plastic. It’s the filament that most of us start with, and it’s the one that many of us should stick with in all but the most exceptional circumstances.
Basic PLA is cheap and abundant
Print with all the colors of the rainbow.
Basic PLA is by far the cheapest 3D printing filament available. I can walk 10 minutes around the corner from my house and buy a few rolls at a physical office supply store, and if that’s not a sign that 3D printing has become popular, then I don’t know what is.
Since basic PLA is the “default” filament for these printers, there are a large number of brands to choose from at a variety of price points. While printer manufacturers like Bamboo Laboratory and prusa They have their own filament lines, there are “cheaper” brands like SUNLU and accusation that serve as Compelling alternatives to well-known brands for less money.
Sticking with basic PLA will give you the widest range of colors to choose from, including different shades of the same colors. You can even buy recycled PLA filament from companies like Printer layouts (who also accept your old PLA scraps in exchange for credit).
PLA is a low toxicity filament
You should still break a window
is generally It is not considered safe to share a confined living space with a 3D printer.. This is especially true when printing materials such as nylon or ABS, the latter releases styrene, which can cause mucosal irritation, nausea, headaches, vomiting, and even cause loss of consciousness.
While you should always print in a well-ventilated space, PLA is not associated with such dangerous side effects. Just keep in mind that we don’t know what the long-term effects will be from exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ultrafine particles (UFPs) produced when printing PLA.
You are less likely to encounter printing problems with PLA
It is the easiest material to work with.
Failed prints can be frustrating and wasteful. For starters, PLA is not only cheap, but it is also considered the easiest filament to print. It is less likely to warp, requires relatively low temperatures, and does not require sophisticated nozzles (in its most basic form).
PETG is also considered relatively easy to print and provides better strength than PLA, but is also more susceptible to threading and moisture issues. ABS is known for warping, while TPU can present quite a challenge due to its flexible nature.
Even sophisticated PLA filaments can be abrasive (and some require harder nozzles)
Not all PLA filaments are the same
PLA has been combined with all kinds of materials to create new and interesting filament blends. There is PLA wood, which contains real wood, it can be sanded and even finished like wood. There is also PLA metal, which contains iron and oxidizes to give it that ferrous look. There is even glow-in-the-dark PLA, which includes ingredients like strontium aluminate to achieve the desired effect.
While they are undeniably cool, they are also more abrasive than basic PLA. Most will need a hardened steel nozzle as they will grind a standard brass nozzle due to their higher hardness rating. I’m not saying to stay away completely, but you might want to remove them just once in a while.
PLA is durable enough for the vast majority of prints.
Not everyone needs PPA-CF
This may seem controversial, but before rushing to comment to point out that absolutely If you need to print certain items with stronger filaments, consider what the average user prints at home. For items that primarily stay at home and don’t need to support a large amount of force or weight, PLA is a great option.
You can do all kinds of things with PLA, like print your own speakerscreate housings for ESP32 smart home projectsand make already great IKEA products even better. You can even improve the strength of a print. learn to orient it correctly on the print bed.
Low heat resistance can be a good thing
Understanding glass transition temperature
PLA is known for its relatively low heat tolerance. Although it prints at around 190-230ºC, PLA’s glass transition temperature is around 65ºC. That means PLA will start to permanently warp and bend when it reaches that temperature.
This means you can do cool things with PLA that are harder to do with other, more heat-resistant filaments. By far my favorite is thermoforming, where a PLA print is heated to the glass transition temperature and formed into the desired shape. This is used to great effect in a 3D printed vintage radio project by Sion Brock to achieve an effect that appears as if the speaker fabric is stretched in place.
You can also do other things like soldering PLA, where you heat PLA with friction or use a soldering iron to melt plastic between two parts you want to join together. You can also achieve a similar effect with a 3D printing pen, which is a great use for your leftover filament.
It is slightly more environmentally friendly than many other filaments.
I said slightly
3D printing isn’t necessarily the greenest hobby in the world. He prevalence of 3D printed waste It’s a source of frustration for me and I definitely think twice before printing something and contributing to the problem. The only small consolation we can take from this is that the PLA is technically a biodegradable plastic.
This comes with a big caveat. PLA is only biodegradable under industrial conditions, which requires temperatures of 60ºC or more and a mixture of specific microbes. Not only will it decompose in compost; You will have to do everything you can to recycle it properly.
PLA adoption has increased to the point that it is used in medical devices, food containers, packaging, agriculture, and more. Hopefully PLA recycling will become more viable over time.
Bored of PLA? That’s a shame. Fortunately, there are a few more. Exotic filaments that exist to sink your teeth into..
