This article is about filaments, which are plastics that are melted and molded into desired objects. Talking about the properties of the popular Filament, there are 3 types: PLA, PETG, ABS.
In 3D printing, it is indispensable that the molding medium is the Filament, each of which has different properties.
PLA
PLA is a very popular 3D printing plastic. The material is made from natural materials. The features are
- It is a hard material, less flexible.
- Low heat resistance.
- Fast hardening.
From the properties mentioned above, it can be seen that PLA is a suitable material for parts that are not subject to extreme heat, can be easily molded, durable enough but it shouldn’t be used to create objects that require a lot of flexibility because of the nature of refusing to bend. Today, the properties of PLA have been developed by many manufacturers by adding additives that are individually formulated to make PLA more durable. More flexible and heat resistant with different names such as PLA+ PLA Pro etc.
PETG
It is a plastic that has gained popularity among people who are growing their knowledge of 3D printing. This is because printing requires a fair amount of fine-tuning to obtain the desired object. The features are
- It is a hard material. but very flexible.
- More heat resistant than PLA.
- It hardens more slowly compared to PLA.
In 3D printing with PETG, additional considerations are taken in exchange for more features such as the heat of the base and the print head must be appropriate, turning the blower fan on and off, as PETG hardens more slowly, printing requires an efficient spot-on fan but if the fan is turned on at the wrong time, it may cause each layer in the workpiece to not stick together or become strong.
ABS
It is the strongest plastic of the above. But it also requires a lot of knowledge. Because it is necessary to control the variables in printing appropriately at all times. Otherwise, the workpiece may be damaged immediately. The features are
- It is very durable and flexible.
- Higher heat resistance than PETG
Printing with ABS requires more typing fine-tuning and total control over time, whether print head temperature base temperature including external factors such as The wind that blows in may need a cover to block the wind as much as possible. Because when the temperature is not right, the inner layer of the printing workpiece is ready to come off immediately.
Caution
In printing all parts, no matter what filament is used, it is important to maintain the quality of the plastic at all times. Otherwise, printing problems may occur such as the layers of the workpiece don’t stick together even though the printer is fine-tuned, the workpiece being uneven, the filament line being broken, etc. The thing that should be careful is not to let the filament have moisture. And when unpacked, it should be used as soon as possible. And should buy Filament from a trustworthy source. Because some of them may sell old stock, which affects the print quality as well.
Tips for choosing Filament
If you are a beginner, start with PLA first as it is very easy to print (But we pushed to use PETG in the first print. It’s a headache.). It’s not necessary to control many factors and takes less time.
However, if a more durable part is needed in the middle class, switch to PETG, as the material can produce parts that are as hard as PLA, but can be flexible and bend much more.
Finally, when wanting to use workpieces that are impact-resistant or very durable, then switch to ABS because it is the most durable.
Conclusion
Each filament has different properties and has different tight control factors. If a beginner should start with PLA first because it is easy to print. And if more flexible parts are needed, switch to PETG, which has more flexible properties. But if you want to use more impact-resistant parts, switch to ABS. But the more durable the material, the more difficult it is to adjust.
(C) 2022, By Jarut Busarathid and Danai Jedsadathitikul
Updated 2022-04-03