Different features of PLA filament, ABS and PETG

Variety is rarely perceived as a negative thing. In the field of 3D printing, variety is one of the distinguishing characteristics of FDM technology-currently the most popular of the 3D printing techniques. Aside from the technology of FDM printing making it suitable for casual and desktop-scale use, FDM also offers the widest selection of different 3D printing materials, all delivered in convenient filament form.

However, this huge variety can also prove to be overwhelming when you simply can’t afford to buy them all. To help you decide, we’ve come up with a list of pros and cons of just about every single one of the common materials used in FDM-based 3D printing.

1.       PLA

The most sensible way to start this list is with one of the most widely used filaments used in FDM printing – Polylactic acid, or PLA. This is known as an extremely beginner-friendly filament because it’s easy to handle, does not require sophisticated equipment, is very cheap. If you’re trying out 3D printing for the first time, then we strongly recommend making your first print with PLA.

Biodegradable and eco-friendly

By far, PLA is the most environmentally friendly choice of 3D printing filament you could use. PLA is a 100% sustainable material, as it is made from plant-based sources. It is also biodegradable and breaks down to lactic acid components, a biologically and environmentally safe compound. It is a widely used materials in 3D printing, such as art, fashion, gadgets, hobby, household, models, tools and toys& games.

Inexpensive

Being one of the most commonly available 3D printing filaments, PLA has also become one of the cheapest. If you’re on a budget, then you can probably find a 1-kilogram spool of PLA filament that costs less than $10. Just keep in mind that you will always get what you pay for – you can’t expect premium quality if you’re too stingy.

High toughness and impact-resistance strength

UJOYBIO’s Hyper PLA filaments offers outstanding toughness, which exceeds 90% than other normal filaments on the market. The prints with our hyper filaments are not easily brittle. Its smooth, low-layer printing capability makes it perfect for crafting detailed models, artwork and precision engineering components. Particularly drop-resistance, impact strength up to 8KJ/M2, which is 2-3 times more than other PLA or PLA+ on the market.

No warping

PLA prints at relatively low temperatures. More than the savings on power and the reliance on basic 3D printer components, this also means that PLA has a very low tendency to warp. This is one of the reasons why PLA is such an easy material to work with. If you have no experience with 3D printing, then dealing with warping issues likely isn’t something you’re looking forward to. Even experienced 3D printing professionals will turn to PLA when they just want to print something simple without having to worry about warping.

2.       ABS

Acetonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) stands shoulder-to-shoulder with PLA as the two most widely used materials for FDM-based 3D printing. ABS is well-known for being a strong and inexpensive filament material. Unfortunately, it’s almost equally popular as a difficult material to work with.

Good thermal stability

The thermal stability of ABS has to be emphasized, as this is one of its distinguishing characteristics. ABS prints at high temperatures, which means that it also takes a lot of heat to deform a finished ABS print. This greatly expands the possible applications of projects made with ABS, although we advise against letting ABS come in contact with hot food or drinks.

Cost-effective

Like PLA, ABS is so commonly used and easily available. Similarly, the price range for ABS is similar at around $10 for a 1-kilogram spool. There are both cheaper and more expensive options, of course, but don’t forget that you always get what you pay for.

If you consider the price as an important factor in your online shopping, we would like to recommend you Elite series PLA filament on UJOYBIO, which provides you very competitive price but higher quality than any other common filaments on the market.

3.PETG

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is pretty familiar to everyone. PETG is simply a glycol-enhanced version of standard PET, which means it’s a little more chemically stable, heat-stable, more flexible, and more impact-resistant. In the field of 3D printing, PETG is known as a material that is remarkably suitable for projects made for outdoor use.

Good flexibility

Compared to both ABS and PLA (and standard PET), the impact resistance of PETG is superior. Its flexible nature means that it can withstand repeated or sustained applications of force. PETG is prime material for functional prototypes or replacement parts for actual functional use.

Whatever materials you choose, toughness and impact-resistance strength should be one of the most point in 3D printing, UJOYBIO’s hyper PLA filament is outstanding toughness, which exceeds 90% than other normal filaments on the market. In addition, if you consider the aesthentic factor in your 3D printing models, you could choose the metallic PLA filament, silky PLA filament or silk dual color filament on UJOYBIO online store.

Good optical properties

PETG is naturally clear plastic and is considered by many to be one of the best filaments if you want to create completely clear 3D printed objects. To get a 3D printed project to get to that point, however, a good amount of post-processing will be needed.

TPU

ThermoPlastic Polyurethane (TPU) is a more recent version of ThermoPlastic Elastomer (TPE), just so we don’t get confused between the two. They are both known as flexible filament materials ideal for creating rubber-like 3D printed projects. Compared to TPE, TPU has slightly higher hardness making it easier for the extruder mechanisms of 3D printers to convey. While this is not a perfect solution to the problems typically encountered with flexible filaments, the upgrade to TPU has certainly helped significantly.

Rubber-like Flexibility

The main reason for why anyone would 3D print with TPU is that it creates uniquely rubber-like products. This extreme flexibility allows a TPU object to retain its shape even after it becomes heavily deformed by the application of force. Its resistance to abrasion and ability to retain its flexibility even at low temperatures has made TPU a valuable material for automobile parts, sports goods, and outdoor equipment.

Excellent interlayer adhesion

The soft nature of TPU allows its layers to essentially fuse into each other during 3D printing. This gives TPU prints a quality of layer-to-layer adhesion that is difficult to simulate with any other filament material. Considering how heavily a TPU project can get deformed, this excellent layer-to-layer adhesion comes highly needed.

Whether FDM-based 3D printing is simply your hobby or if you’ve made a professional career out of it, there’s no doubt that you’re spoiled for options when it comes to filament materials. Nowadays, you can take your pick from more than a dozen different filament types or even choose from a range of different variants of the same filament. This has sparked the creativity of many and has made FDM printing an even more appealing activity.

As long as this list turned out to be, the filaments we’ve included here are only those that we consider the basic or fundamental ones. Some options are far less common and more exotic. As technology evolves and more innovative minds get involved, we can expect even more filament types to be developed.