PLA sand / army sand khaki PRINT-ME 1.75 mm 200 g

PLA filament 1.75 mm is the most universal material for FDM printing technology, also suitable for printing large objects. Thanks to its easy-to-print characteristics, we recommend PLA to all beginners starting with 3D printing. Another big advantage is 100% environmental biodegradability, as PLA is made from renewable resources such as corn starch. PLA material is hard and durable like other plastics; however, it is not suitable for outdoor use because it degrades and becomes brittle under UV light.

PLA surface finishing

The material is difficult to sand — sanding (friction) generates heat, which causes “stringing” or pulling of fibers from the print. Therefore, when hand sanding, it is recommended to cool the print, for example by wet sanding. For the same reason, drilling holes in the print is also difficult (again a heating issue). It is advisable to first spray the part with a filler/primer (putty used in modeling), then sand and clear-coat it, repeating as needed until the surface is completely smooth, and finally spray with the chosen paint.

Gluing PLA

Cyanoacrylate (super glue) with an aerosol activator (sometimes the super glue alone is sufficient).

Recommended PLA print settings

Commonly used nozzles are suitable. Choose diameters according to the desired surface quality or the layer height you plan to print. Printing temperature: 210 °C. PLA filament benefits from a heated bed; for better adhesion we recommend heating it up to 55 °C. We also do not recommend enclosing the printer for PLA; if you have an enclosure, leave it open. For a high-quality surface finish, the plastic needs to be cooled as quickly as possible after the nozzle. Therefore, we recommend setting the part cooling fan on the printer to 100%.

We supply the filament vacuum-packed with a desiccant and placed in a cardboard box. Plastic spools on which the filament is wound may differ in embossing or color. We strive to maintain 100% repeatability of winding and spool color.