Do you know what makes PLA filament a complete package?

We all have witnessed the immense development in the Printing Technology since years. Currently, 3D printers are popping everywhere, from home to educational spaces, business, construction industries, automobile industries, etc.  And without any doubt, I can say that 3D prints are one of the most reliable technologies to start your innovation with.  Now while you are buying a 3D printer for your needs, I am sure you will come across the term 3D printing filaments several times. Don't get baffled, it is an advanced material incorporating different kinds of thermoplastics like PLA, ABS in order to create high-quality prints. 

 

Filaments are generally available in two diameters, 1.75mm, and 3.0mm. 3.0mm is a bit outdated version in comparison to 1.75mm as it cannot be controlled easily and thus result in not getting the perfect printing size. Apart from size, 3D printing filaments are available in different sorts of thermoplastic and components.

ABS- Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene is one of the best printing products accepted worldwide. Strength and durability are its par and requires heating bed  at 50˚C – 100˚C and print temperature should be at 210˚C – 250˚C.

PLA- Polylactic Acid, one of the most user-friendly filament that requires no printing bed and offers fine quality prints at a temperature, 180˚C – 230˚C.

So now that we are done with the printing basics, let's get into details of the current consumables used these days, i.e. PLA filament          

Polylactic Acid or PLA for short is a thermoplastic made from natural resources like sugar cane potato starch or sometimes even corn starch. And I guess this is what makes the product more Eco-friendly in comparison to other thermoplastics like ABS, PET, etc. Some of the basic benefits offered by PLA filament incorporates:-

• Great strength
• User-friendly
• Powerful impact
• Requires less energy to process
• Excellent for consumer products, food packaging, small toys, garments, smooth layering, and so forth. 

So in case, you are willing to print drinking cups or diapers for your little one, you can proceed with PLA as it acts pretty safe. Another great feature possessed by this 3D printing filament is that it does not give off stinky smell while printing, on the contrary, it emits a sweet smell, which means you can buy one for your home or classroom.   

Moreover, PLA being flexible and versatile in nature has become quite a popular choice, the only drawback it has is, it cannot stand too much heat, thus is not used to create durable things like an entire buildings or cars.    

So, no matter how late it gets, make sure you create something beautiful with your PLA filament.