If you are trying to create things with your 3D printer, you may want to know something about printing filament. ABS and PLA are two of the most eco-friendly 3D printing materials available.
What are they?
ABS: ABS plastic is made of oil-based resources, polymerizing styrene and acrylonitrile in the presence of polybutadiene, which is popular for its higher melting point with resilience at low temperature, impact resistant and tough.
PLA: PLA plastic is a biodegradable thermoplastic aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources like corn, wheat or starch. That means it could be broken down over time or broken down into carbon dioxide and even water.
Temperature:
ABS: ABS plastic has a higher melting point than PLA. Our plastic’s printing temperature is between 428ºF and 482ºF (220ºC~250ºC). The heat bed temperature is 212ºF~230ºF (100ºC~110ºC).
PLA: PLA plastic’s printing temperature: 410ºF~446ºF (210ºC~230ºC) and heat bed temperature is 122ºF~140ºF (50ºC~60ºC).
Smell:
ABS: There is strong hot plastic smell when printing ABS.
PLA: On the other hand, while printing PLA it smells sweet like candy.
Properties:
ABS: Due to the nature of the plastic, ABS tends to be very easy to print and can be printed very quickly. However it’s a little more difficult to deal with once it has been extruded, since it loves to shrink as it cools. The shrinkage can cause issues with the part lifting from the bed, or the layers cracking or splitting as the height of the object increases. For this reason it’s recommended to use a heated print bed when printing ABS.
PLA: PLA has much less tendency to warp than ABS. Therefore it can be printed both with and without a heated print bed. With almost no shrinkage, you can print massive prints in open framed printers with little fear of lifting from the bed, warping or cracking.
In almost the complete opposite to ABS, PLA users sometimes have difficulties with jamming in the hot-end, due to the sticky and expanding nature of PLA as it melts. Therefore, you just need a drop of oil added to almost any hot-end when putting it on.
In Conclusion:
A company that’s making parts for machines, choosing ABS will be a better choice, because of its lifespan, strength and higher melting point. On the other hand, a designer who wants to make 3D models at home will be better off choosing PLA because of its ease of use and good smell.
What are they?
ABS: ABS plastic is made of oil-based resources, polymerizing styrene and acrylonitrile in the presence of polybutadiene, which is popular for its higher melting point with resilience at low temperature, impact resistant and tough.
PLA: PLA plastic is a biodegradable thermoplastic aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources like corn, wheat or starch. That means it could be broken down over time or broken down into carbon dioxide and even water.
Temperature:
ABS: ABS plastic has a higher melting point than PLA. Our plastic’s printing temperature is between 428ºF and 482ºF (220ºC~250ºC). The heat bed temperature is 212ºF~230ºF (100ºC~110ºC).
PLA: PLA plastic’s printing temperature: 410ºF~446ºF (210ºC~230ºC) and heat bed temperature is 122ºF~140ºF (50ºC~60ºC).
Smell:
ABS: There is strong hot plastic smell when printing ABS.
PLA: On the other hand, while printing PLA it smells sweet like candy.
Properties:
ABS: Due to the nature of the plastic, ABS tends to be very easy to print and can be printed very quickly. However it’s a little more difficult to deal with once it has been extruded, since it loves to shrink as it cools. The shrinkage can cause issues with the part lifting from the bed, or the layers cracking or splitting as the height of the object increases. For this reason it’s recommended to use a heated print bed when printing ABS.
PLA: PLA has much less tendency to warp than ABS. Therefore it can be printed both with and without a heated print bed. With almost no shrinkage, you can print massive prints in open framed printers with little fear of lifting from the bed, warping or cracking.
In almost the complete opposite to ABS, PLA users sometimes have difficulties with jamming in the hot-end, due to the sticky and expanding nature of PLA as it melts. Therefore, you just need a drop of oil added to almost any hot-end when putting it on.
In Conclusion:
A company that’s making parts for machines, choosing ABS will be a better choice, because of its lifespan, strength and higher melting point. On the other hand, a designer who wants to make 3D models at home will be better off choosing PLA because of its ease of use and good smell.
