Polylactic acid, better known in the 3D printing community as PLA, has quickly become one of the most popular 3D printing materials on the market. This filament is derived from plant matter, which allows it to be both biodegradable and bioactive. Overall, PLA has become super appealing to 3D printing users who are trying to become more environmentally conscious.
That said, the benefits to using PLA filaments don’t stop with its environmentalism. It’s also affordable, less likely to warp as compared to other common 3D printing materials, non-toxic, doesn’t need a heated bed, food-safe, and non-odorous.
All PLAs share the above qualities, but not all are made equal. This article is going to walk through four different types of PLA filaments, as offered by industry leader 3D Printing Canada, to help you decide what PLA 3D filament is the best option for you.
Value PLA
Pricing: Available for $15.95/kg, with deals available for multipack bundles. This is a low price for a great value.
Raw materials: This PLA is derived from tapioca and cornstarch, making it ultra-environmentally friendly.
Finish quality: This filament is labeled as “value” for a reason. You’re going to get an average smoothness, decent adhesion, average flexibility, and relatively low strength. Save this filament for print jobs that won’t be subject to much stress in their practical use.
Colours available: A small selection of colours are available including black, blue, dark, gold, green, grey, light, metallic, orange, red, silver, and white.
Spooling type: You’ll be working with standard spooling with Value PLA.
Standard PLA
Pricing: Standard PLA will cost about $25.95/kg.
Raw materials: This filament is made from eco-friendly materials such as tapioca and corn.
Finish quality: This PLA filament performs averagely in the strength and flexibility departments, but really shines with its great smoothness and unparalleled adhesion.
Colour available: A healthy variety of colours are available including black, white, silver, grey, blue, green, golden, light blue, dark blue, purple, pink, red, orange, and yellow.
Spooling type: Expect standard spooling for this PLA filament.
Neat Filaments Premium PLA
Pricing: Slightly more expensive than the other options, this PLA filament will cost anywhere from $29.95-48.95/kg.
Raw materials: With ingredients including corn, cassava, sugar cane, and beets, you can feel confident that you’re doing your part to support renewable resources.
Finish quality: This filament boasts high performance across the board, with pristine smoothness and adhesion, plus a very high tolerance to stress- making it ideal for jobs where filament strength is non-negotiable.
Colours available: This PLA filament has an incredibly wide selection, including black, blue, brown, carbon, dark, fluorescent, glow in the dark, gold, green, grey, ivory, light, metallic, orange, pastels, pearl, pink, purple, red, skin, transparent, turquoise, white, wood, and yellow.
Spooling type: Neatly spooled for optimal, tangle-free unwinding while you’re printing.
eSUN PLA+
Pricing: This is a slightly more expensive filament, costing about $34.95/kg.
Raw materials: This filament is extracted exclusively from corn grain.
Finish quality: eSUN PLA+ prides itself on being one of the toughest PLAs on the market (claiming up to 10x the strength of a typical PLA), in addition to providing high rigidity and smoothness. This filament excels in jobs requiring intensely high filament strength.
Colours available: Available in a modest range of colours, you have the choice of black, red, white, grey, blue, clear, copper, steel, wood, magenta, marble, natural, silver, or orange filament.
Spooling type: eSUN offers neatly spooled PLA+ for a smoother, higher-quality pull.
As you can see, while PLAs share many commonalities, there is a lot of variety among and between them. The best PLA 3D filament in Canada truly depends on what your needs are- there are no wrong options here. Each of the above filaments has its strengths- whether it be financially, strength-wise, colour variety wise, or otherwise.
If you do your research, you’ll be sure to pick the filament that’s best for you. If you’re reading this guide, it means that you’re already on the right track!
All of the filaments mentioned above can be found at https://3dprintingcanada.com/. For additional details, or to order filament, be sure to visit our website.