PLA sapphire blue / sapphire star 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 properties, we recommend PLA to all beginners starting with 3D printing. Another big advantage is its 100% environmental biodegradability, as PLA is made from renewable resources such as corn starch. PLA material is hard and durable like other plastics, but it is not suitable for outdoor use because it degrades and becomes brittle under UV light.

PLA surface finishing

The material sands poorly—friction during sanding generates heat, which causes strings to be pulled 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, heating issues). It is advisable to first spray the part with a filler/primer (putty used in modeling), then sand and clear-coat, repeating as needed until the surface is completely smooth, and finally apply the paint.

Bonding PLA

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

Recommended PLA print settings

Commonly used nozzles are suitable. You can choose diameters according to the surface detail you want to achieve or according to the selected layer height. Printing temperature: 210 °C. PLA filament prefers a heated bed, and for better adhesion it is recommended to heat it up to 55 °C. We also do not recommend enclosing the printer for PLA; leave it open. For a high-quality surface finish, the plastic needs to be cooled as quickly as possible after the nozzle. We therefore 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. The plastic spools on which the filament is wound may differ in vent pattern or color. We strive to maintain 100% consistency of winding and spool color.