PLA is one of the most used 3D printer filaments known for its extensive colour range and versatility and style. That's why it is suitable for many printing applications. Those who want high-quality, vibrant, and aesthetic 3D prints often use PLA filaments.

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PLA (Polylactic Acid) filaments are very easy to use and perfect for beginners to do experiments. But what makes it one of the best 3D printing filaments?

We have compiled everything you need to know about this amazing filament in this article. Better knowledge about filaments ignites your creativity to explore your potential.

What are PLA filaments?

PLA is an eco-friendly 3D printing filament extracted from organic sources. The raw material used here is corn starch, sugarcane, and similar plants. The production process of this thermoplastic monomer is what sets it apart from other 3D printing filaments.

The manufacturers use biomass resources for producing PLA filaments. You can use the equipment used to manufacture petrochemical plastics to produce PLA filaments. In this aspect, the difference in raw products doesn't matter, and this also doesn’t raise the manufacturing cost, which is a big plus.

PLA is eco-friendly as it is biodegradable, needs 65% less energy compared to manufacturing regular plastics, and is conceivably solvent welded. Moreover, it doesn’t have toxins and produces 68% lesser greenhouse gases.

How Are PLA Filaments Made?

Fermented starch from plants like maize, sugarcane, or cassava is used to produce PLA filaments. The fermentation of the raw materials transforms them into lactic acid, which then makes PLA. Producers commonly use two methods to make PLA filaments:

1. Polymerization
2. Condensation

In the polymerization method, you will need metal catalysts. To make large PLA molecules, blend lactide with metal catalysts. The condensation method isn’t much different from polymerization. The by-products and the temperature are a bit different from the former process.

You can produce wide-ranging blends of PLA filaments too by mixing materials like copper, bamboo, pine, cedar, bronze, carbon fiber, and more.

Mixing wood with PLA filaments makes the 3D-printed furniture more realistic. If you want to give printed parts a glossy look, combine metal with PLA. This will make the print strong too.

How To Print with PLA Filaments

Creality Ender, FlashForge, and Artillery are some of the 3D printers most compatible with PLA materials. There are a few things you need to keep in mind whilst printing with PLA filaments:

Temperature

To ensure the best printing outcome, you need to be more concerned about the hot end and nozzle temperature rather than the bed temperature. When the temperature is high, your print’s interlayer bonding becomes great. High temperature means faster printing and better material flow.

But increasing the temperature too high can affect the print by deforming some parts. Too much temperature melts the extruded layers excessively, leading to print sagging or oozing.

For the best result, the print temperature should range from 200–230°C while printing with PLA filaments. The ideal temperature can vary depending on the nozzle size and printing speed too. So, conduct some experimental prints to find the best temperature for your 3D printer.

Bed Adhesion

Good bed adhesion is really important when printing with PLA or any other filaments. Bed adhesion refers to the capacity of the printed plastic to stay attached to the build plate while the printing process is still ongoing. If the print plastic comes loose, it can get fizzy.

To improve your printer’s bed adhesion, you can do the following:

• Wipe the print bed clean with isopropyl alcohol before printing.
• Apply bed adhesives such as hairspray or glue sticks.
• Regulating the bed temperature is a good option to increase adhesion. In terms of PLA, keep the temperature of the bed to 60°C for better bed adhesion.
• Misalignment can cause poor bed adhesion. So, check if the bed is level or not before printing.
• Printing too fast can displace the plastic print, so slowing down should do the trick.
• Changing the bed surface is another great option for increasing bed adhesion if the above-mentioned methods don’t work.

Some well-liked bed surface options to print with PLA filaments are:

Blue Tape

It is a kind of masking tape. You use it to cover the print bed to improve adhesion. These tapes tend to be porous, which is perfect for filaments like PLA. The best blue tapes designed for improving the adhesiveness of the print bed are heat resistant.

Kapton Tape

These tapes work as a base layer and protect the surface of a printing bed. You need to use juice, glue, hairspray, or similar products for adhesion. The best thing about these tapes is they come in large rolls, so one sheet is enough for the bed surface. But be very careful when applying Kapton tape on the bed; air bubbles can get trapped under the tape and create crinkles.

PEI

PEI sheets are great for printing with diverse printing filaments. With this, you won’t need adhesive sprays, clips, or glues or do surface preparation for printing.

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Glass Bed

A glass bed is another excellent bed surface alternative you can consider. Glass beds are strong, dense, durable, and reasonably priced too. We recommend getting carborundum glass. A 3-4 mm thick carborundum glass can handle heat from 150 to 400 degrees.

PLA Print Speed

The printing speed should be above 50 mm/s for printing with PLA filaments. You can create top-tier aesthetic models if the printing speed is near 100 mm/s. However, high-speed printing can warp the PLA. That's why you need to conduct tests using varied printing speeds to find the right printing speed for your printer and the filament. When printing with PLA filaments, it’s ideal to print slower for ensuring optimal results.

For printing complex models with details, you need to slow down the print speed. In case you are printing a simple model, it is better to increase the speed. Boost the extrusion rate for faster printing. You can also use the print head's acceleration count to increase the speed.

Post-Processing and Finishing Process

When your printed model is ready, the next important thing is to make it look shiny, glossy, and realistic. The entire process of doing so is called post-processing. You can split this process into two categories: cleaning and finishing.

Pre-sanding, sanding, and smoothing fall under the cleaning category, and priming and painting fall into the finishing category.

Pre-Sanding

For this process, you will need sandpaper, pliers, tweezers, and a toothbrush to smoothen the surface of the print.

Sanding

As the name suggests, you will need sandpapers in this post-processing stage. Buy 120-grit sandpaper for PLA filaments, and avoid using it on the corners or edges of the print model. Smoothing takes time as it involves repairing the deformities of prints; thus, the bigger the print, the more time it will take for sanding.

Smoothing

Smoothing is important for giving your prints a shiny finish, which sanding alone cannot achieve. Smoothing gets rid of the layer lines better than sanding can. There are various smoothing techniques, but here we will focus on chemical smoothing.

Chemicals such as ethyl acetate are good options to smooth PLA filaments. This chemical will dissolve the layer lines without manual labor and doesn’t harm the underlying layers.

Painting

For painting, you will need spray paint and painter’s tape. The tape will firmly hold the print in place while you are spraying the paint. Spray paints come in vibrant colors and work well with plastic.

PLA Filaments Post Processing Considerations

Post-processing is important to enhance the print's appearance, durability, and functionality. Thus, you need to be careful during the process. Following are some post-processing considerations for a better finish:

• Post-processing techniques like pre-sanding, sanding, or smoothing can change a 3D print’s dimensional accuracy. Make sure to have software, callipers, gauges, or micrometres to maintain dimensional accuracy.
• Designing prints into sub-assemblies allows for a better smoothing experience, allowing you to work on each part separately.
• We recommend painting your 3D prints in a controlled environment to eliminate chances of contamination, which can affect the paint.
• To avoid drips and gaps, don’t spray on your PLA 3D prints from too close. Spraying from too far can create the same issue, so find the optimal distance for the best results.
• Ensure your 3D print is in a standing position before painting it.
• Wear appropriate clothes, masks, and gloves for safety while spraying paint on your 3D prints, as these paints tend to be toxic, flammable, and risky.

Advanced Tips and Troubleshooting for Printing Challenges with PLA Filaments

Temperature Is Too Cold to Print

If the temperature is not appropriate, PLA filaments will not stick, causing a rough surface and potentially weakening certain parts. Troubleshoot this problem by raising the temperature by 5°C. Print until you see the layers adhering properly.

Temperature Is Too Hot to Print

Excess stringing or overhang droops means the temperature is too high for printing. In terms of PLA filaments, the more heat you use, the shinier the prints become. To avoid overhangs, get the best layer cooling system. Adjusting the printer's retraction settings can help with stringing. Lower the temperature by 5°C if both methods fail.

If The First Layer Doesn’t Stick

This can happen if the bed surface is not leveled or the nozzle height is incorrect. Check these sections; if the distance between the bed and the nozzle isn’t right, PLA filaments can get dragged around.

If The Printed Parts Have Small Bumps

This problem occurs when your printer doesn’t receive adequate data, your PLA filament is of poor quality, or the retraction settings are not calibrated. Use your SDS card to troubleshoot this issue. Ensure to buy high-quality PLA filaments and check if the retraction settings are appropriate.

Changing PLA Filaments

• Heat the extruder to 120°C if it’s cold.
• If the extruder temperature reaches 90°C, begin pulling out all the PLA filaments and raise the temperature to 200°C if you encounter difficulties removing PLA.
• Raise the temperature and refill PLA filaments as usual.
• Now run the new color filament until you see only the new color.

Common Issues When Printing with PLA Filaments

Poor Bed Adhesion

PLA needs to be soaked in water, which can result in extrusion issues. Drying the filaments will resolve this. Use a filament dryer or an oven to bake. Lowering the printing speed also helps. To avoid fusing, keep the temperature lower than 50°C.

Stringing

Filament stringing occurs when the extruder is too heated or the retraction settings are incorrect. Check if the settings are right and lower the temperature if the issue is with the extruder.

Zits & Blobs

Permit the coasting function to turn off the extruder temporarily. During this time, the filament can cool down, resulting in better prints. Tune the retraction settings to avoid Zits & Blobs.

Warping

Enhancing the bed temperature and using adhesives and an enclosure should prevent warping. Adjusting the first-layer settings and applying anti-warping tabs can also help.

PLA filaments are very popular, making them the second most manufactured bioplastic. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to work with. With the right printing settings, PLA filaments can create quality prints.

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