PLA filament 1.75 mm is the most versatile material for FDM printing technology, also suitable for printing large objects. Thanks to its easy-to-use properties, we recommend PLA to all beginners who are starting with 3D printing. Another big advantage is 100% ecological biodegradability, as PLA is made from renewable resources such as corn starch. PLA material is hard and durable, like other plastics, but it is not suitable for outdoor use because it degrades and becomes brittle under UV light.

PLA surface finishing

The material is difficult to sand; sanding (friction) generates heat, which causes “pulling” of strands from the print. Therefore, when hand sanding, it is recommended to cool the print, for example by wet sanding. For the same reason, drilling holes in the print is also difficult (again a heating issue). It is advisable to first spray the part with a filler/primer (putty used in modeling), then sand and clear-coat, and repeat until the surface is completely smooth, and finally spray with paint.

Bonding PLA

Cyanoacrylate (super glue) with an activator spray (sometimes the super glue alone may be sufficient).

Recommended PLA print settings

Commonly used nozzles are suitable. You can choose diameters according to the surface finish you want to achieve or according to the layer height settings when printing. Printing temperature: 210 °C. PLA filament benefits from a heated bed, and for better adhesion it is recommended to heat it up to 55 °C. We also do not recommend enclosing the printer for PLA, or leave the enclosure open. For a quality surface finish, the plastic needs to be cooled as quickly as possible after the nozzle. Therefore, we recommend setting the part cooling fan on the printer to 100%.

The filament is supplied vacuum-sealed together with a desiccant and packed in a cardboard box. The plastic spools on which the filament is wound may differ in embossing or color. We strive to maintain 100% consistency of winding and spool color.