Filament PLA

Filament PLA

PLA is appreciated for its ease of use, low toxicity and low shrinkage. It can be used to create solid or flexible models, depending on the type of filament used.

Because it is biodegradable and made from renewable raw materials, it is considered to be more environmentally friendly than many other plastics. However, it should be noted that the biodegradability of PLA depends on the environmental conditions in which it is found and that it should not simply be thrown into nature.

Fast printing, glossy, rigid and hard, this material meets the majority of expectations for appearance, design or prototyping projects.

When should you choose this filament?

Easy to print, PLA, also known as Polylactic Acid, is a product derived from maize starch. It requires little temperature during printing, and is the only material that can be used on printers with unheated platens (increasingly rare).

Nevertheless, it remains the material with which all beginners in printing should start. It is not sensitive to warping (a phenomenon known to occur with materials such asABS or NYLON where objects detach from the platen), and can be used to print the largest formats. Not very restrictive in terms of storage, it is always advisable to avoid excessively cold or damp environments, but these 3d filaments are quite accommodating.

PLA filament (see our article: what is PLA?) is a bioplastic that can now be found in every design or prototyping office. Initially confined to the repair of everyday objects or the manufacture of 3D toys and figurines, it is now also being used in more extreme applications.

Excellent for its compressive strength and rigidity, in some respects it outperforms the usual ABS or PETG filaments.

The strength of this filament is unique, and if you look at the technical data you will see that PLA scores higher than many other filaments in additive manufacturing. Rigid and strong, it is nevertheless not very resistant to impact and bending, which makes it rather brittle in some respects.

To remedy this, you will find PLA Toughthese reinforced PLA filaments with a modified composition have been developed with the aim of slightly reducing the rigidity of the material and providing greater resistance to stress. These properties are ultimately similar to those ofABS, making it an excellent compromise between technicality and simplicity.

Available in 1.75mm diameter for most 3D printers, but also in 2.85mm for Ultimaker. You'll also find our filament spools in 750g, 1kg and 2kg formats 2.3kg.

Why choose PLA filament?

Its high printing quality makes PLA filament one of the materials with the best printing results.

This is often enhanced by its wide range of colours, effects and textures.

In particular, you'll find variations of PLA with glitter effects (PLA Glitter) or Satin effects (PLA Silk).

The PLA matrix is an excellent base for integrating visual composites, metal look, wood look, glitter look, carbon look, etc., while retaining the simplicity and printing quality of standard PLA filaments.

Choosing this material is perfect for printing simple objects that do not require exposure to heat (max temperature ~40°C) or high mechanical stress. It is widely used for the production of design and aesthetic parts, models, goodies, etc.

It is highly effective and easy to use on 3D printers FDM and is suitable for all 3D printers on the market, even the most affordable.

Choosing a professional grade of PLA will guarantee the best performance in terms of mechanical properties, visual quality and printing speed.

Some grades even offer a considerable increase in thermal and mechanical resistance through better and more uniform crystallisation after rapid post-curing.

Which brand of PLA yarn should I choose?

Generally speaking, the price is linked to the overall quality of the filament (ease of printing, end result, product quality, ROAH certifications, etc.).

It is also important to look at the origin of your reel PLA, in which country was the product manufactured? Is it recycled? Is the spool or reel made of cardboard for ecological reasons, for example?

These aspects are becoming increasingly important, and at Polyfab3D we try to offer you a wide and varied range of products, while at the same time trying to select the most eco-responsible materials.

Once again, the Forshape brand offers a wide range of products with cardboard reels and relies on ecological criteria to provide you with a reel with a low carbon footprint while preserving the premium quality of its 3D filament.

Buy your filament from PLA Polyfab3D

By choosing to buy your filament from Polyfab3D, you are choosing very affordable prices while benefiting from very low delivery costs.

For 3D printers or companies with high volumes, you'll love our special conditions for additive manufacturing professionals and our discounts on bulk orders.